Stable Diffusion 3.5: Innovations That Redefine AI Image Generation

AI has transformed many industries, but its impact on image generation is remarkable. Tasks that once required the expertise of professional artists or complex graphic design tools can now be achieved effortlessly with just a few descriptive words and a suitable AI model. This advancement has…

So you want to build a solar or wind farm? Here’s how to decide where.

Deciding where to build new solar or wind installations is often left up to individual developers or utilities, with limited overall coordination. But a new study shows that regional-level planning using fine-grained weather data, information about energy use, and energy system modeling can make a big difference in the design of such renewable power installations. This also leads to more efficient and economically viable operations.

The findings show the benefits of coordinating the siting of solar farms, wind farms, and storage systems, taking into account local and temporal variations in wind, sunlight, and energy demand to maximize the utilization of renewable resources. This approach can reduce the need for sizable investments in storage, and thus the total system cost, while maximizing availability of clean power when it’s needed, the researchers found.

The study, appearing today in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability, was co-authored by Liying Qiu and Rahman Khorramfar, postdocs in MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and professors Saurabh Amin and Michael Howland.

Qiu, the lead author, says that with the team’s new approach, “we can harness the resource complementarity, which means that renewable resources of different types, such as wind and solar, or different locations can compensate for each other in time and space. This potential for spatial complementarity to improve system design has not been emphasized and quantified in existing large-scale planning.”

Such complementarity will become ever more important as variable renewable energy sources account for a greater proportion of power entering the grid, she says. By coordinating the peaks and valleys of production and demand more smoothly, she says, “we are actually trying to use the natural variability itself to address the variability.”

Typically, in planning large-scale renewable energy installations, Qiu says, “some work on a country level, for example saying that 30 percent of energy should be wind and 20 percent solar. That’s very general.” For this study, the team looked at both weather data and energy system planning modeling on a scale of less than 10-kilometer (about 6-mile) resolution. “It’s a way of determining where should we, exactly, build each renewable energy plant, rather than just saying this city should have this many wind or solar farms,” she explains.

To compile their data and enable high-resolution planning, the researchers relied on a variety of sources that had not previously been integrated. They used high-resolution meteorological data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which is publicly available at 2-kilometer resolution but rarely used in a planning model at such a fine scale. These data were combined with an energy system model they developed to optimize siting at a sub-10-kilometer resolution. To get a sense of how the fine-scale data and model made a difference in different regions, they focused on three U.S. regions — New England, Texas, and California — analyzing up to 138,271 possible siting locations simultaneously for a single region.

By comparing the results of siting based on a typical method vs. their high-resolution approach, the team showed that “resource complementarity really helps us reduce the system cost by aligning renewable power generation with demand,” which should translate directly to real-world decision-making, Qiu says. “If an individual developer wants to build a wind or solar farm and just goes to where there is the most wind or solar resource on average, it may not necessarily guarantee the best fit into a decarbonized energy system.”

That’s because of the complex interactions between production and demand for electricity, as both vary hour by hour, and month by month as seasons change. “What we are trying to do is minimize the difference between the energy supply and demand rather than simply supplying as much renewable energy as possible,” Qiu says. “Sometimes your generation cannot be utilized by the system, while at other times, you don’t have enough to match the demand.”

In New England, for example, the new analysis shows there should be more wind farms in locations where there is a strong wind resource during the night, when solar energy is unavailable. Some locations tend to be windier at night, while others tend to have more wind during the day.

These insights were revealed through the integration of high-resolution weather data and energy system optimization used by the researchers. When planning with lower resolution weather data, which was generated at a 30-kilometer resolution globally and is more commonly used in energy system planning, there was much less complementarity among renewable power plants. Consequently, the total system cost was much higher. The complementarity between wind and solar farms was enhanced by the high-resolution modeling due to improved representation of renewable resource variability.

The researchers say their framework is very flexible and can be easily adapted to any region to account for the local geophysical and other conditions. In Texas, for example, peak winds in the west occur in the morning, while along the south coast they occur in the afternoon, so the two naturally complement each other.

Khorramfar says that this work “highlights the importance of data-driven decision making in energy planning.” The work shows that using such high-resolution data coupled with carefully formulated energy planning model “can drive the system cost down, and ultimately offer more cost-effective pathways for energy transition.”

One thing that was surprising about the findings, says Amin, who is a principal investigator in the MIT Laboratory of Information and Data Systems, is how significant the gains were from analyzing relatively short-term variations in inputs and outputs that take place in a 24-hour period. “The kind of cost-saving potential by trying to harness complementarity within a day was not something that one would have expected before this study,” he says.

In addition, Amin says, it was also surprising how much this kind of modeling could reduce the need for storage as part of these energy systems. “This study shows that there is actually a hidden cost-saving potential in exploiting local patterns in weather, that can result in a monetary reduction in storage cost.”

The system-level analysis and planning suggested by this study, Howland says, “changes how we think about where we site renewable power plants and how we design those renewable plants, so that they maximally serve the energy grid. It has to go beyond just driving down the cost of energy of individual wind or solar farms. And these new insights can only be realized if we continue collaborating across traditional research boundaries, by integrating expertise in fluid dynamics, atmospheric science, and energy engineering.”

The research was supported by the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium and MIT Climate Grand Challenges.

A new biodegradable material to replace certain microplastics

Microplastics are an environmental hazard found nearly everywhere on Earth, released by the breakdown of tires, clothing, and plastic packaging. Another significant source of microplastics is tiny beads that are added to some cleansers, cosmetics, and other beauty products.

In an effort to cut off some of these microplastics at their source, MIT researchers have developed a class of biodegradable materials that could replace the plastic beads now used in beauty products. These polymers break down into harmless sugars and amino acids.

“One way to mitigate the microplastics problem is to figure out how to clean up existing pollution. But it’s equally important to look ahead and focus on creating materials that won’t generate microplastics in the first place,” says Ana Jaklenec, a principal investigator at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.

These particles could also find other applications. In the new study, Jaklenec and her colleagues showed that the particles could be used to encapsulate nutrients such as vitamin A. Fortifying foods with encapsulated vitamin A and other nutrients could help some of the 2 billion people around the world who suffer from nutrient deficiencies.

Jaklenec and Robert Langer, an MIT Institute Professor and member of the Koch Institute, are the senior authors of the paper, which appears today in Nature Chemical Engineering. The paper’s lead author is Linzixuan (Rhoda) Zhang, an MIT graduate student in chemical engineering.

Biodegradable plastics

In 2019, Jaklenec, Langer, and others reported a polymer material that they showed could be used to encapsulate vitamin A and other essential nutrients. They also found that people who consumed bread made from flour fortified with encapsulated iron showed increased iron levels.

However, since then, the European Union has classified this polymer, known as BMC, as a microplastic and included it in a ban that went into effect in 2023. As a result, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which funded the original research, asked the MIT team if they could design an alternative that would be more environmentally friendly.

The researchers, led by Zhang, turned to a type of polymer that Langer’s lab had previously developed, known as poly(beta-amino esters). These polymers, which have shown promise as vehicles for gene delivery and other medical applications, are biodegradable and break down into sugars and amino acids.

By changing the composition of the material’s building blocks, researchers can tune properties such as hydrophobicity (ability to repel water), mechanical strength, and pH sensitivity. After creating five different candidate materials, the MIT team tested them and identified one that appeared to have the optimal composition for microplastic applications, including the ability to dissolve when exposed to acidic environments such as the stomach.

The researchers showed that they could use these particles to encapsulate vitamin A, as well as vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc, and iron. Many of these nutrients are susceptible to heat and light degradation, but when encased in the particles, the researchers found that the nutrients could withstand exposure to boiling water for two hours.

They also showed that even after being stored for six months at high temperature and high humidity, more than half of the encapsulated vitamins were undamaged.

To demonstrate their potential for fortifying food, the researchers incorporated the particles into bouillon cubes, which are commonly consumed in many African countries. They found that when incorporated into bouillon, the nutrients remained intact after being boiled for two hours.

“Bouillon is a staple ingredient in sub-Saharan Africa, and offers a significant opportunity to improve the nutritional status of many billions of people in those regions,” Jaklenec says.

In this study, the researchers also tested the particles’ safety by exposing them to cultured human intestinal cells and measuring their effects on the cells. At the doses that would be used for food fortification, they found no damage to the cells.

Better cleansing

To explore the particles’ ability to replace the microbeads that are often added to cleansers, the researchers mixed the particles with soap foam. This mixture, they found, could remove permanent marker and waterproof eyeliner from skin much more effectively than soap alone.

Soap mixed with the new microplastic was also more effective than a cleanser that includes polyethylene microbeads, the researchers found. They also discovered that the new biodegradable particles did a better job of absorbing potentially toxic elements such as heavy metals.

“We wanted to use this as a first step to demonstrate how it’s possible to develop a new class of materials, to expand from existing material categories, and then to apply it to different applications,” Zhang says.

With a grant from Estée Lauder, the researchers are now working on further testing the microbeads as a cleanser and potentially other applications, and they plan to run a small human trial later this year. They are also gathering safety data that could be used to apply for GRAS (generally regarded as safe) classification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are planning a clinical trial of foods fortified with the particles.

The researchers hope their work could help to significantly reduce the amount of microplastic released into the environment from health and beauty products.

“This is just one small part of the broader microplastics issue, but as a society we’re beginning to acknowledge the seriousness of the problem. This work offers a step forward in addressing it,” Jaklenec says. “Polymers are incredibly useful and essential in countless applications in our daily lives, but they come with downsides. This is an example of how we can reduce some of those negative aspects.”

The research was funded by the Gates Foundation and the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Case study: NDI for global event productions

In a recent Atomos and NDI case study, we learn how MMG Events harnessed NDI technology with a range of Atomos monitor-recorders to connect 26 countries for a global event. The team achieved seamless delivery through real-time communication and content sharing, effortlessly overcoming complex logistical challenges.

MMG Events faced a challenge when they were tasked with the job of producing a four-day diversity and inclusion festival for the insurance industry. The event, spanning 26 countries and reaching over 60,000 participants, was built around NDI technology. But, MMG Events overcame the challenge exceeding all expectations.

“Ryan Majchrowski, CEO of MMG Events, faced an challenge: producing 150 hybrid and virtual sessions that spanned four days and ran around the clock,” said Atomos. “Each session needed to be live-streamed across six concurrent channels and made available on-demand within minutes. This involved coordinating AV teams across 26 countries, requiring extensive signal testing and onboarding to integrate hybrid and virtual elements seamlessly.”

“Live only happens once – redundancy is key. Guiding MMG Events’ approach to ensuring every layer of the production was secure, scalable, and adaptable to the demands of such a dynamic event.”
Ryan Majchrowski

The Solution:

To tackle this event, MMG Events had a carefully crafted workflow including NDI technology and the Atomos Shogun & Ninjas. 

“During the event, MMG deployed over 200 NDI signals across their network, providing exceptional flexibility and allowing signals to be redirected anywhere within the studio,” says Atomos. “Monitoring was centralized using NDI Studio Monitor, combined with Atomos Shogun screens to display extended desktops. BirdDog Flex with Atomos Ninjas were used as reference monitors, and proactive monitoring enabled the project manager to follow onboarding processes, watch streams go live, and address technical issues before they could disrupt the live event.”

Check out the full case study by Atomos here!

Check out the full case study by NDI here!

Learn more about Atomos here!

YoloBox Ultra Takes Your Podcast to the Next Level

In this article by Zoe Chow for YoloLiv, learn how Gary Russell, owner of Your Pass Driving School in Dunfermline, Fife, has transformed his content creation process with the innovative YoloBox Ultra. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, Gary has improved his digital media efforts, including producing high-quality tutorial videos and an engaging podcast, Driving Drivel. If you’re looking for ways to enhance your own podcast or video production, this article highlights the powerful features of the YoloBox Ultra that can streamline your workflow and elevate your content.

Transforming Podcast Production for Driving Drivel
Gary Russell uses digital tools not only to teach driving skills but also to connect with a broader audience through his podcast, Driving Drivel. This podcast explores diverse driving topics, from learning to drive and passing the test to building a driving career. As Gary wraps up Season 1 and gears up for Season 2, he shares how the YoloBox Ultra has simplified his production process and improved the quality of his content.

A Look Inside Gary’s High-Tech Studio
Gary’s custom-built studio is equipped with professional tools that deliver high-quality results. His setup includes:

  • 2 Sony Alpha ZV-E10 4K cameras
  • SVPRO 4K USB webcam
  • YoloBox Ultra for video production
  • 27” 5K iMac for editing
  • Rodecaster Duo for audio mixing
  • FDUCE XLR dynamic mics
  • Roxel RS90 headphones
  • 14” USB touch screen
  • Elgato Key Light Air for lighting

At the heart of this setup, the YoloBox Ultra ties everything together, enabling professional-level content creation for both video tutorials and podcast episodes.

Key Features of YoloBox Ultra
Gary highlights several YoloBox Ultra features that make content creation easier and more efficient:

  1. Auto Camera Source Switching
    The YoloBox Ultra automates switching between video sources, saving time and effort during solo productions.

  2. Customizable Overlays
    Features like lower-thirds, countdown timers, and speaker introductions enhance viewer engagement and create a dynamic viewing experience.

  3. Multicam and Multiview Support
    With multiple HDMI inputs, Gary can connect professional cameras to capture various angles and use pre-built templates for polished visuals.

  4. 4K ISO Recording
    YoloBox Ultra saves each camera feed separately in high-quality 4K, giving Gary flexibility for editing and repurposing content.

Exceptional Product Support
Gary also praises YoloLiv’s strong customer support, including regular software updates and a helpful Facebook User Group. This community-driven approach ensures creators can maximize their equipment’s potential.

Ready for Season 2
As Gary prepares for Season 2 of Driving Drivel, he’s excited to continue using the YoloBox Ultra to share his passion for driving. By integrating this advanced technology into his workflow, Gary has proven how powerful tools can elevate podcast and video production.

Boost Your Content Creation with YoloBox Ultra
Whether you’re a driving school owner, a podcaster, or a content creator, Gary’s experience demonstrates how the YoloBox Ultra can revolutionize your production process. From multicam support to customizable overlays, the YoloBox Ultra is the ultimate solution for professional-grade content creation.

Start your journey today and discover how YoloBox Ultra can take your content to the next level!

Read the full article by Zoe Chow for YoloLiv HERE

Learn more about YoloLiv below:

Why QwQ-32B-Preview is the reasoning AI to watch

There’s a new contender in the AI space that’s making waves: QwQ-32B-Preview. This so-called “reasoning” AI model is being compared to OpenAI o1, and it’s one of the few you can download under a permissive license. For developers and researchers eager to experiment, that’s a significant…

Dean Guida, CEO of Infragistics and Founder of Slingshot – Interview Series

Dean Guida has led his organization through decades of technological change, cultivating Infragistics from a small startup in 1989 into a global enterprise software leader. Dean oversees all aspects of Infragistics’ business operations and corporate direction, maintaining a steady focus on delighting the customer, delivering value…

The Failure of LLMs in Math and How to Solve For It

Mathematics has always posed a significant challenge for AI models. Mastering math requires complex reasoning skills, and for AI, this task is anything but straightforward.  That creates a huge problem given the importance  of mathematical proficiency for professional, personal, and academic success. Despite their remarkable abilities,…