neural

A new type of material can learn and improve its ability to deal with unexpected forces thanks to a unique lattice structure with connections of variable stiffness, as described in a new paper by my colleagues and me. Architected materials – like this 3D lattice – get their properties not from what they are made out of, but from their structure. Ryan Lee, CC BY-ND The new material is a type of architected material, which gets its properties mainly from the geometry and specific traits of its design rather than what it is made out of. Take hook-and-loop fabric closures like Velcro, for example. It doesn’t matter whether it is made from cotton, plastic or any other substance. As long as one side is a fabric with stiff hooks and the other side has fluffy loops, the material will have the stic...

One of the central technologies of artificial intelligence is neural networks. In this interview, Tam Nguyen, a professor of computer science at the University of Dayton, explains how neural networks, programs in which a series of algorithms try to simulate the human brain work. Tam Nguyen explains neural networks. What are some examples of neural networks that are familiar to most people? There are many applications of neural networks. One common example is your smartphone camera’s ability to recognize faces. Driverless cars are equipped with multiple cameras which try to recognize other vehicles, traffic signs and pedestrians by using neural networks, and turn or adjust their speed accordingly. Neural networks are also behind the text suggestions you see while writing texts or emails, ...