Hardware-centric platforms and solutions were traditionally designed with minimal input from software engineers. As Brian Bailey ofSemiconductor Engineering recently noted, this approach worked when software content was negligible – and the practice did not significantly contribute to product delays.
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Lensless computational sensor clinches “Best Paper Award”
The International Academy, Research, and Industry Association (IARIA) recently presented the “Best Paper Award” to a team of Rambus researchers for their work on ultra-miniature, computationally efficient diffractive visual-bar-position sensors.
The 3MB of RAM in William Gibson’s Neuromancer
Neuromancer, a 1984 cyberpunk novel by William Gibson, was the first winner of the science fiction triple crown: the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award and the Hugo Award. Marking the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy, the book tells the story of Case, a washed-up computer hacker hired by an enigmatic employer.
Can smart sensors help optogenetic tech evolve?
Optogenetic technology combines genetic targeting of specific neurons or proteins with optical technology for imaging or control of the targets within intact, living neural circuits. As Professor Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University notes, emerging technologies from optics, genetics and bioengineering are currently being combined for studies of intact neural circuits. Indeed, the rapid progression of such interdisciplinary “optogenetic” approaches has expanded capabilities for optical imaging and genetic targeting of specific cell types.
The Turing-morphogenesis link
Alan Turing played a major role in cracking intercepted coded messages during WWII. Indeed, Turing may very well have shortened the war in Europe by an estimated two to four years. Often considered the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence, Turing was also active in the field of mathematical biology, publishing the “The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis” in 1952. According to Wikipedia, morphogenesis is defined as the biological process that causes an organism to develop its shape. It is considered one of three fundamental aspects of developmental biology, along with the control of cell growth and cellular differentiation.
Dartmouth engineers unveil new Quanta Image Sensor (QIS)
Researchers at Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering have unveiled a new Quanta Image Sensor (QIS) designed to significantly enhance low-light sensitivity. Thayer professor Eric Fossum, the engineer and physicist who invented the CMOS image sensor used in a plethora of mobile devices, says QIS is targeted at a number of applications and platforms, including security cameras, astronomy and life science imaging.
