Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS)

Speed limit for birdsMIT researchers find critical speed above which birds — and drones — are sure to crash.

Smarter robot armsA combination of two algorithms developed at MIT allows autonomous robots to execute tasks much more efficiently — and move more predictably.

The too-smart-for-its-own-good gridNew technologies intended to boost reliance on renewable energy could destabilize the power grid if they’re not matched with careful pricing policies.

Improving recommendation systemsResearchers believe that comparing products, rather than rating them on an absolute scale, will lead to algorithms that better predict customers’ preferences.

Sizing samplesMany scientific disciplines use computers to infer patterns in data. But how much data is enough to ensure that the inferences are right?

Nonlinear thinkerWith techniques for translating complicated equations into ‘sums of squares,’ Pablo Parrilo helps make sense of previously insoluble problems.