A real-time motion engine for interactive synthetic characters, either virtual or physical, needs to allow expressivity and interactivity of motion in order to maintain the illusion of life. Canned animation examples from an animator or motion capture device are expressive,…

This dissertation investigates how rapid learning occurs in high technology industries, many of which operate in what Bourgeois and Eisenhardt (1988) term "high velocity environments." The dissertation consists of three empirical studies, which follow the method of extended case study…

The climate of the reception of immigrants to the United States has soured, and circumstances are becoming increasingly difficult for persons seeking to gain residency. Reasons often given for the reversal in this practice are that immigrants are poor, uneducated,…

Understanding the biological signals encoded in a genome is a key challenge of computational biology. These signals are encoded in the four-nucleotide alphabet of DNA and are responsible for all molecular processes in the cell. In particular, the genome contains…

This thesis explores how doctors and nurses use documents to share their knowledge within and across healthcare settings. In addressing this question I draw on a 15-month, multi-sited ethnographic study in several pediatric health care settings, following patients from primary…

This article reports the recent progress of re-search made in the Droplet-Based Manufacturing Laboratory at MIT. The study has been focused on obtaining a fundamental understanding of microdroplet deposition and applying the technology to various practical applications. Specific scientific contributions…

by Biao Huang., Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Technology and Policy Program, 2001., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-115).

The first two chapters of this thesis investigate a possibly fundamental aspect of technological progress. If knowledge accumulates as technology progresses, then successive generations of innovators may face an increasing educational burden, forcing them to spend longer periods in education…

To take further steps along the path toward true artificial intelligence, systems must be built that are capable of learning about the world around them through observation and explanation. These systems should be flexible and robust in the style of…

by Mitsuyuki Ueda., Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2003., Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-131)., This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives…