Author Archives: News Staff
A team of researchers including Kevin Fu and Daniel Genkin, U-M professors of electrical engineering and computer science, have found a way to take over Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, or Apple’s Siri devices from hundreds of feet away by shining laser pointers, and even flashlights, at the devices’ microphones. “We’ve shown that hijacking voice assistants only requires line-of-sight… Read More »
Data science is an important tool that can help researchers tackle challenges ranging from mobility and health to public safety and education. But having access to information comes with great responsibility, so researchers at the University of Michigan are working to ensure data science is not misused to disproportionately harm underrepresented groups.
U-M will anchor the Detroit Center for Innovation, a 14-acre center in downtown Detroit aimed at stimulating entrepreneurial activity, educating students and further diversifying the regional economy. The center will be designed to provide a new talent pipeline to current companies and attract new businesses to the area. In accepting the invitation to be a key partner in… Read More »
Blocks, books and bikes used to be the staples of childhood. But as more kids grow up with a seemingly endless menu of virtual activities offered through digital media, child development experts worry about the wane of traditional playtime. Jenny Radesky, a pediatrician at U-M’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, who is addressing the topic at the national American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in… Read More »
UM-Dearborn Assistant Professor of Computer and Information Science Mohamed Abouelenien is exploring whether machine learning can help create a customized, responsive climate control system that would automatically detect a person’s level of “thermal comfort” and then make continuous adjustments to their environment. Abouelenien and his collaborator, UM-Flint Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Mihai Burzo, used a thermal camera… Read More »
Researchers from the U-M School of Information (UMSI) and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) have received grants totaling nearly $1 million from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Science Foundation to study the impact of data curation on reuse. Funding agencies increasingly are requiring researchers to share and archive their… Read More »
Consulting for Statistics, Computing and Analytics Research (CSCAR) provides consulting services and training opportunities in statistics, data science, and advanced research computation through: Free consulting services, available in person by appointment, on a walk-in basis, or online–consulting is open to all U-M researchers. Workshops on a variety of topics open to all members of the U-M community–most workshops are… Read More »
Pioneering computer technology that is spurring innovation and disruption across industries has earned David Blaauw and Dennis Sylvester, professors of electrical engineering and computer science, this year’s Distinguished University Innovator Award. The pair will receive the award Oct. 22 at Celebrate Invention, an annual event that recognizes entrepreneurship and inventions from U-M researchers. Blaauw and Sylvester have worked… Read More »
A new national poll carried out by the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation with support from AARP and Michigan Medicine suggests that people over 50 aren’t quite ready to fully embrace virtual health visits with their doctors and other providers — also known as telehealth. Only 4 percent of those polled had a video-based telehealth visit with a provider via smartphone or computer… Read More »
The University of Michigan’s mission to share knowledge across the globe and shape the future of learning is further enriched through a new partnership with the U.K.-based social learning platform FutureLearn. With the Sept. 24 announcement of the partnership, U-M is reinforcing its commitment to fostering open, global, diverse, flexible and inclusive learning environments. FutureLearn’s diverse community includes… Read More »
The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) partnered with the National Security Innovation Network (NISN) Sept. 20-23 to host a hackathon at the U-M School of Aeronautical Engineering aimed at using AI tools to evaluate maintenance data for military aircraft. The event brought together more than 50 hackers from academic institutions and commercial industry across the greater Detroit metro… Read More »
Problem Roulette, a digital study tool developed at the Center for Academic Innovation, offers students access to practice questions from previous exams in a points-free environment. Since its launch in 2016, more than 11,600 students have completed more than 2 million problem attempts using the tool. Problem Roulette is now available in 12 active courses across seven subject… Read More »
U-M faculty, instructors and staff will soon transition to a new online textbook and course material selection platform designed to personalize the process and promote more affordable alternatives for students. The site, operated by Barnes & Noble College (BNC), will launch Oct. 2 and replace the textbook data entry pages on Wolverine Access. The platform, developed with significant… Read More »
A new Fintech Initiative at the Ross School of Business aims to develop students’ knowledge in financial technology. In an email sent to Business students, Business Dean Scott DeRue wrote that the initiative will support the development of educational offerings at the school. “Students will learn how the domains of finance and technology are coming together and dramatically… Read More »
U-M will advance its work in extended reality, or XR, through a major campuswide initiative announced Sept. 16 by Provost Martin Philbert. The three-year funded commitment led by the Center for Academic Innovation will leverage emerging XR technologies to strengthen the quality of a Michigan education, cultivate an interdisciplinary scholarly community of practice, and enhance a nationwide network… Read More »
A lack of evidence that mental illness is to blame for the U.S.’s spate of mass shootings has not deterred the Trump administration from considering proposed solutions to gun violence based on that belief. A recent one, called SAFEHOME, would use “real-time data analytics” and information gleaned from personal digital devices to identify individuals who might become violent. … Read More »
The Center for Academic Innovation recently announced the launch of the Academic Innovation at Michigan (AIM) Event Series. The series will include the following subgroups or themes for the fall 2019 semester: AIM for DEI will explore issues at the intersections of teaching and learning; technology; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. AIM Research (formerly AIM Analytics) is a seminar series for… Read More »
A new tool curated by the Office of the Vice President for Research promotes internal funding opportunities from across campus so faculty can generate support to advance research and scholarship. Research Commons, which launched this month, provides a unique shopping experience for researchers to identify internal funding opportunities in one space without having to navigate multiple websites. “We… Read More »
On Sept. 10, Verizon announced that its 5G Ultra Wideband network is now live at U-M’s Mcity test facility, where they’re using various 5G solutions designed to improve pedestrian and auto safety. That includes 5G-connected cameras installed at intersections inside the Mcity test track to help identify traffic and pedestrian patterns to prevent collisions. Signal controllers were installed at… Read More »
In the movie “Hidden Figures,” the computing power of a group of women drove successes in the early space program. In fact, the early history of computer science is filled with stories of the accomplishments of women. So why aren’t more women interested in computing careers? UMSI assistant professor Barbara Ericson has some thoughts. Much of her research has centered on… Read More »