Occasionally, physicians have to measure certain bony structures of a patient precisely and locate so called key points e.g. for purposes such as surgical procedures. Up to now, the radiographs were usually analyzed manually. With increasing frequency, classification tasks are done by a computer in an automated process. In order to automate the key point detection on radiographs, Constantin Tilman Schott developed innovative software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify these important key points. His program uses self-learning algorithms to perform this task. If enough training data is provided, the program can predict the key points with a high degree of accuracy—making the AI as precise as a physician.
Hoverboard – a Magnetically Levitated Vehicle
In the science-fiction classic „Back to the Future II,“ actor Michael J. Fox whizzes through the streets on a skateboard that has no wheels – it floats over the ground like a hovercraft. This is precisely the technology that Felix Sewing and Alex Korocencev have been puzzling over. Their vehicle is based on four rotating discs that can induce a powerful, repulsive magnetic field on a metal plate located beneath it. The load capacity of the board is impressive indeed: the prototype can lift a considerable weight. In addition, the rotor discs can be tilted individually, allowing the board to be purposefully steered. The technology functions so well by this point that the two young researchers have even been able to apply for a patent covering the new arrangement of the magnets.
ASA treatment for oil spills
In the event of a maritime oil spill, good advice is hard to come by. While traditional binding agents can absorb crude oil on the surface, they are expensive and have a limited effect. Paul Kunisch and Thomas Derra are on the hunt for better sorbents. They impregnated pulp with ASA, an industrial sizing agent that resembles well-known oil binding agents in its structure. Its traditional use is to make paper water-repellent. The young researchers’ experiments were successful: Their ASA-impregnated sawdust, cellulose fibre granules and non-woven fabrics are cost-efficient and even have a better sorption capacity than commercially available agents. Chromatographic measurements demonstrated that the new sorbents remove not only crude oil, but also hydrocarbons from deeper water layers.