Enhanced microscopic resolution for improved diagnostics
06/17/15 — Researchers in the Waller Lab aim to make diagnosing diseases easier by algorithmically boosting the power of ordinary optical devices.
Faculty
Teaching robots to be moral
06/10/15 California magazine — As robots and other machines controlled by artificial intelligence are getting more sophisticated and more widely used, calls have gone out to try to instill morals in their decision-making pathways. But how? Computer science professor Stuart Russell weighs in.
Power to the people
06/01/15 Berkeley Research — Computer science professor Eric Brewer and the students in his cross-departmental Technology and Infrastructure for Emerging Regions (TIER) program are tackling power shortages in Africa, blindness in India, and other challenges where technology can make a major impact in the developing world.
Beyond drone warfare: Prof warns of ‘automated killing machines’
05/28/15 — In an op-ed piece for the science journal Nature, Stuart Russell, an expert in artificial intelligence, outlines the debate over the use of AI weapons systems, and notes widespread agreement on the need for “meaningful human control” over targeting and engagement decisions. “Unfortunately,” he adds, “the meaning of ‘meaningful' is still to be determined."
New ‘deep learning’ technique enables robot mastery of skills via trial and error
05/22/15 — UC Berkeley researchers have developed algorithms that enable robots to learn motor tasks through trial and error using a process that more closely approximates the way humans learn, marking a major milestone in the field of artificial intelligence.
Robots are really bad at folding towels
05/20/15 NPR — Seven years ago, Berkeley researcher Pieter Abbeel set out on a quest: to teach a robot how to fold laundry. This proved to be a remarkably difficult task - and the difficulty of the task illuminates some key things about the limits of machines. See story and hear four-minute podcast.
Discovery paves way for homebrewed drugs, prompts call for regulation
05/18/15 — Research led by Berkeley bioengineers has completed key steps needed to turn sugar-fed yeast into a microbial factory for producing therapeutic drugs. But because the work could lead to home-brewing of opiates and other controlled substances, the researchers warn that regulators and law enforcement need to pay attention, too.
Drug perks up old muscles and aging brains
05/13/15 — UC Berkeley bioengineers have discovered that a small-molecule drug simultaneously perks up old stem cells in the brains and muscles of mice, a finding that could lead to drug interventions for humans that would make aging tissues throughout the body act young again.
The skinny on skin
05/04/15 Inside Science — A study co-authored by materials science and engineering professor Robert Ritchie has shown, for the first time, that collagen explains the great durability of skin. The finding could help scientists develop better synthetic skin and improve the strength of man-made materials.
Through the computational lens
05/01/15 Simons Institute — EECS professor Umesh Vazirani discusses efforts at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing to foster a dialogue between the disciplines of information theory and computer science.
Simplify: The RISC story
05/01/15 — EECS professors David Patterson and Carlo Séquin, along with the Reduced Instruction Set Computer team, were honored by IEEE for their landmark work from the 1980s.
Farewell
05/01/15 — Obituaries for Berkeley Engineering faculty and alumni
Smart scooter
05/01/15 — Modified Razor scooters are used in a cyber-physical system design course to how electric vehicles interface with the energy grid.
NASA Tensegrity robots
05/01/15 — These squishy robots are inspiring new ways of thinking about the form and function of automated systems.
‘Intelligent design’ — can it deliver?
04/28/15 Berkeley Research — Berkeley bioengineer David Schaffer uses a strategy known as directed evolution to find variations in a common virus that will allow it to effectively deliver drugs to target cells.
How to attract female engineers
04/27/15 New York Times — In a New York Times op-ed article, Lina Nilsson, innovation director for the Blum Center, writes that the key to increasing the number of female engineers may be to focus engineering projects and curriculums on achieving societal good.
CEE chair Madanat appointed dean of engineering at NYU Abu Dhabi
04/23/15 — Samer Madanat, chair of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering from 2012-present, has been named dean of engineering at New York University's Abu Dhabi campus, and will be leaving Berkeley in July.
Q&A: Concerns of an Artificial Intelligence pioneer
04/21/15 Quanta magazine — Computer scientist and EECS professor Stuart Russell wants to ensure that our increasingly intelligent machines remain aligned with human values.
President honors 3 from Berkeley Engineering as outstanding mentors
03/31/15 White House — President Obama on Monday named Sheila Humphreys, EECS director emerita of diversity, as one of 14 recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. Also honored were Berkeley Engineering alumni Gary May (M.S.'87, Ph.D.'91, EECS), engineering dean at Georgia Tech, and Lorraine Fleming (Ph.D.'85 CEE) of Howard University.
Electric vehicle batteries last longer than previously thought
03/30/15 Berkeley Lab — Scott Moura, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, has co-authored a study with Berkeley Lab colleagues that may alleviate concerns over battery life in electric vehicles.