ENG: Northwestern University researchers have developed the first smart wearable device to continuously track how much people use their voices, alerting them to overuse before vocal fatigue and potential injury set in. The first-of-its-kind, battery-powered, wireless device and accompanying algorithms could be a game-changer for professional singers, teachers, politicians, call-center workers, coaches and anyone who relies on their voices to communicate effectively and make a living. It also could help clinicians remotely and continuously monitor patients with voice disorders throughout their treatment.
Category: Medicine
Robot helps students with learning disabilities stay focused
ENG: Engineering researchers at the University of Waterloo are successfully using a robot to help keep children with learning disabilities focused on their work. Dr. Kerstin Dautenhahn, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been working on robotics in the context of disability for many years and incorporates principles of equity, inclusion and diversity in research projects. Students with learning disabilities may benefit from additional learning support, such as one-on-one instruction and the use of smartphones and tablets. Educators have in recent years explored the use of social robots to help students learn, but most often, their research has focused on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a result, little work has been done on the use of socially assistive robots for students with learning disabilities.
Researchers Use AI to Triage Patients with Chest Pain
ENG: Acute chest pain syndrome may consist of tightness, burning or other discomfort in the chest or a severe pain that spreads to your back, neck, shoulders, arms or jaw. It may be accompanied by shortness of breath. Acute chest pain syndrome accounts for over 7 million emergency department visits annually in the U.S., making it one of the most common complaints. Fewer than 8% of these patients are diagnosed with the three major cardiovascular causes of acute chest pain syndrome, which are acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary embolism or aortic dissection. However, the life-threatening nature of these conditions and low specificity of clinical tests lead to substantial use of cardiovascular and pulmonary diagnostic imaging, often yielding negative results.
Disconnection, not teens’ screen time, is the problem
ENG: While many parents and caregivers believe teens spend too much time on smartphones, video games and social media, a Michigan State University researcher says not to worry about screen time. Keith Hampton, a professor in the Department of Media and Information and director of academic research in the Quello Center, says he doesn’t worry about screen time — he worries about adolescents who are disconnected because they have limited access to the internet.
