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Learn How Designers Use Laser Cutters and Engravers

IEEE TryEngineering and Epilog provide background information and lesson plans for students

2 min read
Photo of a pair of Epilog laser cutters.
Photo: Epilog

THE INSTITUTEWith their ability to create intricate lacework to enhance the décolletage of a gown or a personalized tag for your luggage, laser cutters and engravers are becoming more popular among designers, according to an article from Epilog Laser, a leader in the industry. The article was published on the IEEE TryEngineering site along with two lesson plans on how to use the machines.

The machines help designers bring their creativity to life, thanks to lasers’ ability to precisely cut a pattern or make an engraving on denim, felt, fleece, leather, linen, polyester, and silk. Laser cutters also can be used on stretch fabrics as well as glass, metal, and wood.

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How Duolingo’s AI Learns What You Need to Learn

The AI that powers the language-learning app today could disrupt education tomorrow

9 min read
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This playful illustration shows Duolingo’s owl mascot, cut away down the midline, showing hidden inside a high-tech skeleton suggestive of some sort of AI robot.
Eddie Guy
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It’s lunchtime when your phone pings you with a green owl who cheerily reminds you to “Keep Duo Happy!” It’s a nudge from Duolingo, the popular language-learning app, whose algorithms know you’re most likely to do your 5 minutes of Spanish practice at this time of day. The app chooses its notification words based on what has worked for you in the past and the specifics of your recent achievements, adding a dash of attention-catching novelty. When you open the app, the lesson that’s queued up is calibrated for your skill level, and it includes a review of some words and concepts you flubbed during your last session.

Duolingo, with its gamelike approach and cast of bright cartoon characters, presents a simple user interface to guide learners through a curriculum that leads to language proficiency, or even fluency. But behind the scenes, sophisticated artificial-intelligence (AI) systems are at work. One system in particular, called Birdbrain, is continuously improving the learner’s experience with algorithms based on decades of research in educational psychology, combined with recent advances in machine learning. But from the learner’s perspective, it simply feels as though the green owl is getting better and better at personalizing lessons.

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