Companies like FedEx utilize intricate software to efficiently deliver holiday parcels, but these complex processes can often take hours or even days to complete. The software, known as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) solver, is often halted partway through by firms, accepting the best solution that can be gleaned in a particular timeframe, even if…
Efficiently routing packages during the holiday season is a complex problem for companies like FedEx, a task often tackled with specialized software, known as mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) solvers. Although they break down the problem into smaller parts and use generic algorithms to find solutions, they could still take hours or days to complete.
MIT and…
While delivering holiday presents may seem straightforward for fictional characters like Santa Claus, for companies like FedEx, the task represents a complex optimization problem. To solve it, these companies usually utilize specialized software known as mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) solvers. These solvers break down large optimization problems into smaller pieces, utilizing generic algorithms to identify…
Santa Claus delivers presents with the help of magic, but delivering holiday packages isn't quite as simple for companies like FedEx. These businesses often rely on advanced software called mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) solvers to route their deliveries. Yet, while these solvers break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable segments, it can still take…
The logistics of delivering holiday packages by companies such as FedEx requires specialized software for efficient routing, given the immense complexity of the optimization problem. The software currently in use, known as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) solver, often takes days to arrive at a solution, and even then, the companies have to accept solutions…
MIT researchers have developed an algorithm called FeatUp that enables computer vision algorithms to capture both high-level details and fine-grained minutiae of a scene simultaneously. Modern computer vision algorithms, like human beings, can only recall the broad details of a scene while the more nuanced specifics are often lost. To understand an image, they break…
Machine learning models are widely used today in smart devices like smartphones, with diverse applications like autocorrecting keyboards or improved chatbot responses. However, fine-tuning these models requires considerable computational resources and transfers of data to and from cloud servers – which can pose both energy and security issues. The team of researchers from MIT and…
MIT researchers have developed a machine learning-based method for designing new compounds or alloys for use as catalysts in chemical reactions. Traditional methods of designing such materials rely on static observations of a single configuration, out of millions of possibilities, and the intuition of experienced chemists. However, the new method employs machine learning algorithms to…
Chemists often struggle to predict the outcome of a chemical reaction as it depends on the so-called "transition state," a fleeting moment into which molecules enter and from which they can never return unchanged. The challenge lies in the fact that the transition state is extremely ephemeral and difficult to capture in real-world experiments.
This…
MIT researchers have developed a new tool that provides better control to animators in shaping their characters. The new technique works by generating mathematical functions, known as barycentric coordinates, that describe how 2D and 3D shapes in animations can move, stretch, and deform in space. By using these functions, an animator can tailor the movement…
MIT's Improbable AI Lab has developed a novel multimodal framework for artificial intelligence (AI) called the Compositional Foundation Models for Hierarchical Planning (HiP). The aim of this system is to help robots conduct complex tasks that involve numerous smaller steps, from household chores to more elaborate industrial processes.
Traditionally, AI systems have required paired visual,…