News Archive
2017 News Releases
December 18, 2017
Driving Robotic Rehab
Rehabilitation robotics, although still an emerging field, is getting a shot of adrenaline because of sheer necessity. University researchers are developing novel approaches for using robotics to help our wounded veterans live more active lifestyles. Dr. Michael Yip, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Director of the Advanced Robotics and Controls Lab (ARCLab), at the University of California San Diego is working with the U.S. Navy to create robotic orthotics and prosthetics that adjust to the wearer's activities. Full Story
December 14, 2017ECE Professor Elected ACM Fellow in Class of 2017
A faculty member affiliated with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Professor Alexander Vardy, is one of three UC San Diego faculty elected Fellows of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) announced on December 11. Full Story
December 14, 2017Three UC San Diego Computer Scientists Elevated to Be ACM Fellows in Class of 2017
Three computer scientists from the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California San Diego have been elected Fellows of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ACM is the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society. Full Story
December 7, 2017Smartphone case offers blood glucose monitoring on the go
Engineers at the UC San Diego Center for Wearable Sensors have developed a smartphone case and app that could make it easier for patients to record and track their blood glucose readings, whether they’re at home or on the go. Full Story
December 6, 2017Roberto and Colleen Padovani establish scholarship for electrical engineers at UC San Diego
Roberto and Colleen Padovani are establishing a $1 million endowed scholarship focused on exceptional undergraduates with financial need in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the Jacobs School of Engineering. Full Story
November 20, 2017Controls expert Miroslav Krstic holds record seven fellowships in technical and scientific societies
2017 is turning out to be a banner year for Miroslav Krstic, a controls expert at the University of California San Diego who also serves as the senior associate vice chancellor for research here on campus. Full Story
November 13, 2017Speedy collision detector could make robots better human assistants
A faster collision detection algorithm could enable robots to work more fluidly in the operating room or at home for assisted living. The algorithm, dubbed “Fastron,” runs up to 8 times faster than existing collision detection algorithms. It uses machine learning to help robots avoid moving objects and weave through complex, rapidly changing environments in real time. Full Story
October 31, 2017UC San Diego Scientists Create Device for Ultra-Accurate Genome Sequencing of Single Human Cells
An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California San Diego has developed a technology for very accurate sequencing and haplotyping of genomes from single human cells. Their findings were published online in advance of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)* print edition.“Accurate sequencing of single cells will enable the identification of mutations that cause cancer and genetic disease,” said senior author Kun Zhang, a professor of bioengineering in the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. “At the same time, precise haplotyping will allow for the genotyping of haplotypes, combinations of different genes or alleles as a group from either parent.” Full Story
October 31, 2017Can Organisms Sense via Radio Frequency? A Team of UC San Diego Researchers Awarded Grant to Find Out
Can organisms use radio frequencies to sense surroundings? A new project by researchers at the University of California San Diego will investigate this biological mystery. Full Story
October 26, 2017Self-driving carts to make their debut on UC San Diego roads in January
The University of California San Diego will turn its campus into a test bed for self-driving vehicles starting in January 2018. The project will be implemented in stages. The first will be to put self-driving mail delivery carts on the road. The carts will run on algorithms developed by UC San Diego researchers who are part of the Contextual Robotics Institute. Back-up drivers will initially ride in the carts as a safety measure. Full Story
October 26, 201711 UC San Diego Faculty Members Honored with Hellman Fellowships
Husband and wife Warren and Chris Hellman established the Hellman Fellows Program at UC San Diego in 1995 to support and encourage junior faculty to pursue research projects and creative endeavors with the goal of enhancing their candidacy for tenure. This year, 11 faculty members representing a variety of academic disciplines have been awarded a total of approximately $500,000.The UC San Diego Hellman Fellowship Program was launched by the Hellman Family Foundation with an initial gift of $2.5 million. The program proved so successful that it has since been rolled out at all 10 University of California campuses. At UC San Diego, the foundation has committed a total of $7.5 million to date for the program. The Hellmans have stated that “creating the Hellman Fellows Program is one of the best things our family has ever done with our giving.” Full Story
October 25, 2017Machine Learning Detects Marketing and Sale of Opioids on Twitter
Using advanced machine learning, a cross disciplinary team of University of California San Diego researchers developed technology that mined Twitter to identify entities illegally selling prescription opioids online. The findings, published online in the American Journal of Public Health in October, detected 1,778 posts that were marketing the sale of controlled substances, 90 percent included hyperlinks to online sites for purchase. Full Story
October 12, 2017Laser cavities take on new shapes and functionalities
Bending laser light around sharp turns and corners—without scattering—is now possible thanks to a new laser cavity developed by electrical engineers at UC San Diego. This is the first laser cavity that can fully confine and propagate light in any shape imaginable: triangle, square, loop with jagged edges. The work could lead to faster computers and optical fibers that perform well even when they’re bent in different directions. Full Story
October 6, 2017Researchers receive NSF award to build nanolabs on a chip
Engineers at the University of California San Diego are leading a project to develop high-density nanowire arrays that can be used to measure and control multiple individual cells in large networks. Researchers envision that these nanodevices, combined with a patient’s own cells, could create low-cost, predictive drug-screening platforms to accelerate drug discovery and personalized treatments for neurological and cardiac diseases. Full Story
September 20, 2017From self-folding robots to computer vision: UC San Diego makes strong showing at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
From self-folding robots, to robotic endoscopes, to better methods for computer vision and object detection, researchers at the University of California San Diego have a wide range of papers and workshop presentations at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (or IROS) which takes place from Sept. 24 to 28 in Vancouver, Canada. UC San Diego researchers also are organizing workshops on a range of themes during the event. Full Story