news

A driving simulation study has shown we are one step closer to monitoring our heart health in real time via a tiny device worn in the ear. A study co-led by PhD candidate Metin Yarici in Imperial's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering has shown for the first time how tiny devices in a single ear can gather electrocardiogram (ECG) data in real time.

Sophisticated new analysis of the physical processes which create the sounds of speech could help empower people with speech impairments and create new applications for voice recognition technologies, researchers say. Sophisticated new analysis of the physical processes which create the sounds of speech could help empower people with speech impairments and create new applications for voice recognition technologies, researchers say.

Imperial College London researchers speak to us about their work exploring animal-free methods for the future of testing cosmetics safety. Testing cosmetics on live animals was outlawed by the EU in 2013, but animal tissues continue to be used to test for dermal absorption, a measure of how much a chemical permeates the skin to reach the bloodstream.

Remote teams are less likely to make breakthrough discoveries compared to those who work onsite, according to published in Nature [29 Nov], led by the universities of Oxford and Pittsburgh into the international rise of remote collaborations among scientists and inventors. The researchers' key finding was that, while remote collaboration has the potential to deliver new and creative scientific ideas through easier access to a global knowledge pool, it is harder for such teams to integrate effectively to deliver breakthroughs.

Highway tunnel in mountain. Traffic on the road. Transportation from above. Cars as a source of air pollution. Existing consumption and production systems, which use natural resources to meet societal needs for food, shelter, energy and health, are unsustainable. Although researchers from different disciplines have long investigated how these systems can become more sustainable, scientists from socio-technical and socio-environmental research communities are now seeking to join forces.

A new AI tool from Kheiron Medical Technologies and Imperial College London can detect up to 13% more breast cancers than humans in breast screenings. The prospective evidence, published in Nature Medicine , found that the tool, called Mia, could significantly increase the early detection of breast cancers in a European healthcare setting by up to 13%.

A newly-developed heart failure device and medication combination is safe and effective to use, and will allow patients to receive treatment from the comfort of their own home A newly-developed heart failure device and medication combination is safe and effective to use, and will allow patients to receive treatment from the comfort of their own home.

Alongside colleagues from four other universities, Dr Eva Krumhuber (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) writes in The Conversation that images of white faces generated by the StyleGAN2 algorithm look more "human" than actual people's faces. Does ChatGPT ever give you the eerie sense you're interacting with another human being?  Artificial intelligence (AI) has reached an astounding level of realism, to the point that some tools can even fool people into thinking they are interacting with another human.

White faces generated by artificial intelligence (AI) now appear more real than human faces, according to new research co-authored by a UCL academic. In the study, led by the Australian National researchers and published in Psychological Science , more people thought AI-generated faces were human than the faces of real people.

HotGestures give users 'superhuman' ability to open and control tools in virtual reality Researchers have developed a virtual reality application where a range of 3D modelling tools can be opened and controlled using just the movement of a user's hand. We need new ways of interacting with technology, and we think this is a step in that direction Per Ola Kristensson The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, used machine learning to develop 'HotGestures' - analogous to the hot keys used in many desktop applications.

Team Bath Biodevices without Borders' portable OASIS device combines miniature testing equipment with GPS to create safe water map. Published on Tuesday 7 November 2023 Last updated on Thursday 9 November 2023 A portable water quality monitor created by a team of University of Bath students could help to rapidly detect and map safe water sources for communities around the world.

A new way to price carbon credits could encourage desperately needed investment in forest preservation and boost vital progress towards net-zero. Our new approach has the potential to address market concerns around nature-based solutions to carbon offsetting. Srinivasan Keshav A new approach to valuing the carbon storage potential of natural habitats aims to help restore faith in offset schemes, by enabling investors to directly compare carbon credit pricing across a wide range of projects.

Researchers have developed a new method for 3D printing metal that could help reduce costs and make more efficient use of resources. This method could help reduce the costs of metal 3D printing, which could in turn improve the sustainability of the metal manufacturing industry Matteo Seita The method, developed by a research team led by the University of Cambridge, allows structural modifications to be 'programmed' into metal alloys during 3D printing, fine-tuning their properties without the 'heating and beating' process that's been in use for thousands of years.

Engineers at The University of Manchester have built and flown the world's largest quadcopter drone. The drone, made from a cardboard-like material called foamboard, measures 6.4m (21 ft) corner to corner and weighs 24.5kg - 0.5kg less than the weight limit set by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Researchers from the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR) at AMBS have just published an article titled "Innovation Intermediaries at the Convergence of Digital Technologies, Sustainability, and Governance: A Case Study of AI-Enabled Engineering Biology." This paper, featured in Technovation, offers valuable insights into the crucial role played by innovation intermediaries in shaping innovative ecosystems.

A smartphone camera was able to detect changes in skin tone and eye colour that require patients to seek medical help, in new research from UCL and the Royal Free Hospital. The study, published in PLOS Digital Health , is the first to assess and compare how smartphone images of the forehead, white of the eye and lower eyelid could be used to accurately predict the bilirubin level of patients with advanced cirrhosis.

Advancing Catalyst Research: Unveiling Mechanisms through Operando Spectroscopy Catalysts play a pivotal role in facilitating chemical reactions that underlie essential industrial processes, from refining fuels to manufacturing pharmaceuticals.

Machine learning models to identify the simplest way to screen for lung cancer have been developed by researchers from UCL and the University of Cambridge, bringing personalised screening one step closer. The model was found to be as good or better at predicting an individual's risk of getting lung cancer within five years compared to the best risk models available, and was able to do so using just a quarter of the information needed.

A more sustainable method of creating methanol - a key component of fuels, plastics, and medicines - has been developed by Cardiff scientists and an international team of collaborators. The process, which uses a highly active catalyst, converts oxygen and the natural gas methane into methanol at room temperature without the need for external energy sources such as light or electricity.

Scientists at Bath have developed a new desalination method that pumps water through a membrane without using any external pressure. Published on Thursday 21 September 2023 Last updated on Thursday 21 September 2023 Scientists have developed a new method that converts seawater into drinking water that could be useful in disaster zones where there is limited electrical power.