Content for MIT.Edu

Cryptographic “tag of everything” could protect the supply chain

“Tiny, battery-free ID chip can authenticate nearly any product to help combat losses to counterfeiting. To combat supply chain counterfeiting, which can cost companies billions of dollars annually, MIT researchers have invented a cryptographic ID tag that’s small enough …

Simple, solar-powered water desalination

“System achieves new level of efficiency in harnessing sunlight to make fresh potable water from seawater. A completely passive solar-powered desalination system developed by researchers at MIT and in China could provide more than 1.5 gallons of fresh drinking …

Automated system can rewrite outdated sentences in Wikipedia articles

“Text-generating tool pinpoints and replaces specific information in sentences while retaining humanlike grammar and style. A system created by MIT researchers could be used to automatically update factual inconsistencies in Wikipedia articles, reducing time and effort spent by human editors …

“Sensorized” skin helps soft robots find their bearings

“Flexible sensors and an artificial intelligence model tell deformable robots how their bodies are positioned in a 3D environment. For the first time, MIT researchers have enabled a soft robotic arm to understand its configuration in 3D space, by leveraging …

A smart surface for smart devices

“External system improves phones’ signal strength 1,000 percent, without requiring extra antennas. We’ve heard it for years: 5G is coming. And yet, while high-speed 5G internet has indeed slowly been rolling out in a smattering of countries across …

Engineers mix and match materials to make new stretchy electronics

“Next-generation devices made with new “peel and stack” method may include electronic chips worn on the skin. At the heart of any electronic device is a cold, hard computer chip, covered in a miniature city of transistors and other semiconducting …

New electrode design may lead to more powerful batteries

“An MIT team has devised a lithium metal anode that could improve the longevity and energy density of future batteries. New research by engineers at MIT and elsewhere could lead to batteries that can pack more power per pound and …

For cheaper solar cells, thinner really is better

“Solar panel costs have dropped lately, but slimming down silicon wafers could lead to even lower costs and faster industry expansion. Costs of solar panels have plummeted over the last several years, leading to rates of solar installations far greater …

Researchers discover a new way to control infrared light

“The new method could impact devices used in imaging, machine learning, and more. In the 1950s, the field of electronics began to change when the transistor replaced vacuum tubes in computers. The change, which entailed replacing large and slow components …

Using artificial intelligence to enrich digital maps

“Model tags road features based on satellite images, to improve GPS navigation in places with limited map data. A model invented by researchers at MIT and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) that uses satellite imagery to tag road features in …