Plasmodium of Physarym polycephalum is an ideal biological substrate for implementing concurrent and parallel computation, including combinatorial geometry and optimization on graphs. We report results of scoping experiments on Physarum computing in conditions of minimal friction, on the water surface. We show that plasmodium of Physarum is capable for computing a basic spanning trees and [...]
Logic Programming languages and combinational circuit synthesis tools share a common “combinatorial search over logic formulae” background. This paper attempts to reconnect the two fields with a fresh look at Prolog encodings for the combinatorial objects involved in circuit synthesis. While benefiting from Prolog’s fast unification algorithm and built-in backtracking mechanism, efficiency of our search [...]
In this paper we propose a fully distributed algorithm for autonomous deployment of mobile sensors called Push&Pull, which is based on the interleaved execution of four basic activities. According to our proposal, movement decisions are made by each sensor on the basis of locally available information and do not require any prior knowledge of the [...]
Interference between nodes directly limits the capacity of mobile ad hoc networks. This paper focuses on spatial interference cancellation with perfect channel state information (CSI), and analyzes the corresponding network capacity. Specifically, by using multiple antennas, zero-forcing beamforming is applied at each receiver for canceling the strongest interferers. Given spatial interference cancellation, the network transmission [...]
In the late 1940s the rocket pack — over the years also called the “rocket belt,” “jump belt,” and “jet vest” — became more than a comic book concept when engineers at the U.S. military’s Redstone Arsenal began experimenting with rockets that could be used to carry a person into the air and allow him [...]
Cities worldwide are promoting environmentally “green” roofs to mitigate several urban problems. Ground cover, shrubs and other flora planted across a building’s roof can reduce storm water runoff, easing the burden on local sewers and water treatment systems. And the vegetation can keep the roof cooler in summer, lowering interior air-conditioning costs and therefore peak [...]
The prospect of slipping into a robotic exoskeleton that could enhance strength, keep the body active while recovering from an injury or even serve as a prosthetic limb has great appeal. Unlike the svelte body armor donned by Iron Man, however, most exoskeletons to date have looked more like clunky spare parts cobbled together. Japan’s [...]
Major engineering projects in the District of Columbia were overseen by employees who did not have professional engineering licenses, a practice that could endanger public safety, according to a D.C. government report. The agencies were alerted after the D.C. inspector general office discovered a loophole that exempted government engineers from licensing requirements, including those who [...]
Federal regulators are expected to unveil on Tuesday an accelerated schedule for auto companies to work toward a fuel-efficiency goal of 35 miles a gallon by 2020 for their vehicle fleets. The proposed regulation is likely to require the industry to meet a target of 31.5 miles a gallon for Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or [...]
The sun blasts Earth with enough energy in one hour to provide all of humanity’s energy needs for a year, according to physicist Steven Chu, director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The question is how to most effectively harness it. Thin-film solar cells may be the answer: One recently converted 19.9 percent of the sunlight [...]