Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science

Towards no more glass in the jam with better X-ray scanners

X-ray and CT scanners are widely used devices in research, diagnostics and the industrial sector. And yet they are not nearly as fast and accurate as we would like. Mathé Zeegers has researched the newest technique in the field: spectral X-ray imaging. ‘This helps us distinguish whether the powder in someone’s suitcase is just icing sugar or something explosive.’

What happens on the schoolyard? Sensors on clothing reveal painful patterns

The design of school playgrounds partially influences whether children play together. This is particularly relevant for more vulnerable students, such as children with hearing impairments or autism. Researchers examined whether new play objects could break group patterns. However, the sensors on the clothing revealed that these objects mainly reinforce the position of popular children.

Applications that never crash again

Doing your taxes, Netflixing or driving a car: more and more daily activities are supported by computer applications. It’s challenging and expensive to test software thoroughly, leading to errors in most applications. PhD candidate Benjamin Lion made a mathematical framework to deal with this problem.