These brief summaries of MIT research are drawn from several sources and are issued throughout the year. More information on any of these stories can be obtained by contacting the MIT News Office . In some cases, photos may be available for news organizations. Faster, Cheaper Surveys Monitoring Smokestack Emissions Chemicals' Public Image Smoke and Lightning Q-Tool Aspartame Study Digital TV Faster, Cheaper Surveys.
Designers then use the models to plan renovations.
Now a device developed by MIT engineers and colleagues is making shipchecks and surveys of other large complicated structures faster and cheaper. Cyrax TM works by scanning the structure with a laser. Some of the laser light hits the structure and bounces back to the transceiver incorporating the laser and other hardware. By measuring the time it takes for the light to make this trip, Cyrax determines the distance to the structure. MIT engineers developed the transceiver and the new kind of laser it contains.