In a typical yoga class, students watch an instructor to learn how to properly hold a position. But for people who are blind or can’t see well, it can be frustrating to participate in these types of exercises.
Now, a team of University of Washington computer scientists has created a software program that watches a user’s movements and gives spoken feedback on what to change to accurately complete a yoga pose. (more…)
Berkeley Lab and JBEI Researchers Develop a Biology-Friendly Robot Programming Language
Teaching a robot a new trick is a challenge. You can’t reward it with treats and it doesn’t respond to approval or disappointment in your voice. For researchers in the biological sciences, however, the future training of robots has been made much easier thanks to a new program called “PaR-PaR.”
Nathan Hillson, a biochemist at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), led the development of PaR-PaR, which stands for Programming a Robot. PaR-PaR is a simple high-level, biology-friendly, robot-programming language that allows researchers to make better use of liquid-handling robots and thereby make possible experiments that otherwise might not have been considered. (more…)
*Roundtable Q&A: North Carolina student Miranda Hill and former teacher Jennifer Tyndall discuss their experiences with the Microsoft IT Academy and winning recognition in a global competition.*
REDMOND, Wash. — The 21st-century workplace is driven by information technology, and in today’s competitive job market, employers are seeking candidates who can hit the ground running with IT skills in place.
The Microsoft IT Academy provides a complete IT education solution to help students gain the skills they need to be successful in college and career. The program helps drive employability, digital literacy and 21st-century workforce development for students. At the same time, educational institutions are provided with the structure for a program that has the instant recognition and credibility of the Microsoft brand. (more…)
