ScienceDaily: Computers & Math News

Novel method projects growth potential of new firms: Which tech businesses will thrive? Posted: 05 Feb 2015 11:29 AM PST New businesses spring up all the time in the U.S. But which ones have the greatest ability to become big? A new method based on an empirical study, projects the growth potential of high-tech firms with new precision -- and could help local or regional policymakers assess their growth prospects.

Prototype of a robotic system with emotion and memory Posted: 05 Feb 2015 11:11 AM PST Researchers have developed a prototype of a social robot which supports independent living for the elderly, working in partnership with their relatives or carers.

Similar statistics play role in decision-making and World War II code breaking Posted: 05 Feb 2015 10:12 AM PST "The brain reaches a decision by combining samples of evidence in much the way a good statistician would," says a researcher. He demonstrates this theory by monitoring the decision-making process in rhesus monkeys to determine how much and what information they need to confidently choose a correct answer.

Octopus robot makes waves with ultra-fast propulsion Posted: 05 Feb 2015 05:30 AM PST Scientists have developed an octopus-like robot, which can zoom through water with ultra-fast propulsion and acceleration never before seen in human-made underwater vehicles. Most fast aquatic animals are sleek and slender to help them move easily through the water but cephalopods, such as the octopus, are capable of high-speed escapes by filling their bodies with water and then quickly expelling it to dart away. Inspired by this, scientists built a deformable octopus-like robot with a 3D printed skeleton with no moving parts and no energy storage device, other than a thin elastic outer hull.

Tiny robotic 'hand' could improve cancer diagnostics, drug delivery Posted: 04 Feb 2015 07:26 AM PST Many people imagine robots today as clunky, metal versions of humans, but scientists are forging new territory in the field of 'soft robotics.' One of the latest advances is a flexible, microscopic hand-like gripper. The development could help doctors perform remotely guided surgical procedures or perform biopsies. The materials also could someday deliver therapeutic drugs to hard-to-reach places.

Electricity: A smart grid, simply self-organized, decentralized, and hack resistant Posted: 04 Feb 2015 07:26 AM PST Electrical supply and demand can be coordinated in an entirely decentralized way with the help of a new type of smart grid control.