2020 – Page 29 – Impact Lab

Automation, Business, Science & Technology News, Shopping

Storelift launches autonomous convenience stores using AI and computer vision

September 10, 2020

As physical retail struggles amid the global pandemic, storeowners are rapidly trying to adapt to new realities that also include growing competition from Amazon. But a French startup called Storelift believes it can create a new convenience store concept that leans on many of the same AI and computer vision tools used in Amazon Go stores to reinvent the shopping and checkout experience,

This week, Storelift announced that it has launched its first two stores under the name “Boxy.” The Boxy stores are repurposed shipping containers that can be plopped down in various urban neighborhoods that lack good shopping options.

The founders believe their approach demonstrates how businesses can exploit new shopping niches with the help of sensors, data, and AI that allows them to optimize their inventory and reduce costs.

“Our vision is really to address all the city areas where there are 10,000 people who have no convenience store,” Storelift CEO and cofounder Tom Hayat said. “We want to be as close to the customers as possible.”

Continue reading… “Storelift launches autonomous convenience stores using AI and computer vision”

Coronavirus, cutting edge, DNA, Healthcare

CRISPR-based COVID test is rapid, accurate and costs less than $1

September 9, 2020

CRISPR’s claim to fame may be gene editing—and turning the scientific community on its head when it first debuted—but it may have another trick up its sleeve.

Recent studies have indicated CRISPR tools have the potential for in vitro diagnostics, something Chinese scientists have leveraged to develop a 100% accurate COVID-19 test that can be mass manufactured for 70 cents.

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Business, Future, Futurist, Science & Technology News

Futurism: a driver for new businesses

September 9, 2020

Futurism won’t provide us winning lottery numbers, but it can tell us what the next scenarios may be for your company, market or customers, mapping the biggest threats and opportunities. It can help you contain risks and respond quickly in order to build sustainable success.

In this article, in addition to understanding what Futurism is, you’ll see how it’s related to innovation. You’ll also see how you can apply it to guide your business.

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Amazon.com, Aviation, Shopping

Amazon wins FAA approval for Prime Air drone delivery fleet

September 9, 2020

KEY POINTS

Amazon on Monday received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate its fleet of Prime Air delivery drones.
The approval will give Amazon broad privileges to “safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers,” the FAA said.
Amazon joins UPS and Alphabet-owned Wing, who previously won FAA approval for their drone delivery operations.

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Children, Coronavirus, Education, Science & Technology News

‘Schoolcations’ are the latest hotel trend to attract remote learners

September 8, 2020

As the nation’s children head back to school, it’s clear that for many, the school year will be like none before.

With many students learning remotely, some families are looking at ways to take advantage of what might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to take their families out of their hometown and on vacation at a time of year when it would typically not be practical. It’s a silver lining in what many parents think will be a difficult year ahead.

Hotels in the U.S. and Mexico are offering distance-learning vacations with everything from dedicated “classroom” space to private tutors to tech support.

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Health & Fitness, Healthcare, Science & Technology News, Trending

As telemedicine replaces the physical exam, what are doctors missing?

September 8, 2020

Virtual medical appointments are more common since the coronavirus pandemic began. But without physical exams, doctors may miss certain diagnoses and miss out on building relationships with patients.

Despite a foothold in medicine that predates Hippocrates himself, the traditional physical exam might be on the verge of extinction. The coronavirus crisis has driven more routine medical appointments online, accelerating a trend toward telemedicine that has already been underway.

This worries Dr. Paul Hyman, author of a recently published essay in JAMA Internal Medicine, who reflects on what’s lost when physicians see their patients almost exclusively through a screen.

A primary care physician in Maine, Hyman acknowledges he’d already begun second-guessing routine physicals on healthy patients as insurance requirements pushed doctors away from them.

But while Hyman is now providing mostly telemedicine, like many doctors during the pandemic, he writes that he has gained a clearer sense of the value of the age-old practice of examining patients in person. He notes the ability to offer reassurance, be present for his patients and find personal fulfillment as a doctor.

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Engineering, Nanotechnology, Robots, Science & Technology News

Scientists create a robot made entirely of living cells

September 8, 2020

A Xenobot, 650-750 microns in diameter. The “legs” help it shuffle around in the petri dish.

‘Xenobots’ could be used to clean up microplastics or deliver medication in the body

Scientists have unveiled the first ever “living robot,” an organism made up of living cells, which can move around, carry payloads, and even heal itself.

“All of the computational people on the project, myself included, were flabbergasted,” said Joshua Bongard, a computer scientist at the University of Vermont.

“We didn’t realize that this was possible.”

Teams from the University of Vermont and Tufts University worked together to build what they’re calling “xenobots,” which are about the size of a grain of salt and are made up of the heart and skin cells from frogs.

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Alternative Transportation, Aviation, Breakthrough Thinking, Electric Vehicles, Science & Technology News

UAVOS presents concept SumoAir urban air taxi

September 4, 2020

UAVOS has presented their air taxi SumoAir as an autonomous concept for vertical e-mobility.

The all-electric, tandem rotor helicopter concept consists of a five-seater passenger including the pilot cabin that can be attached to either a car or a flight module.

The helicopter will be operated both manually and autonomously. The project is a part of UAVOS’ R&D efforts to explore and understand the fundamental technologies behind electric aircraft and the urban air mobility (UAM) market.

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Driverless vehicles, Military, Science & Technology News, Weapons

U.S. military getting closer to autonomous off road combat vehicles

September 4, 2020

Researchers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory and the University of Texas at Austin have developed an algorithm that could have big implications for autonomous vehicles. With the algorithm, autonomous ground vehicles are able to improve their own navigation systems by watching a human drive.

The approach developed by the researchers is called adaptive planner parameter learning from demonstration, or APPLD. It was tested on an Army experimental autonomous ground vehicle.

The research was published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. The work is titled “APPLD: Adaptive Planner Parameter Learning From Demonstration.”

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Business, Employment, government, Science & Technology News, Transportation, Uber

What happens if Uber and Lyft flee California? Look at Austin

September 4, 2020

Line of rideshare vehicles driving in protest

The ride-hail services are threatening to stop service in the Golden State to protest a judge’s ruling. They did something similar in Texas in 2016.

A California judge has ordered Uber and Lyft to treat drivers as employees; the companies say they’ll leave the state rather than comply.

RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ REMEMBERS the moment he learned Uber and Lyft were leaving Austin. “It was Mother’s Day, and I was with my girl in a restaurant,” he says. “I said, ‘Now I’m not paying for that piña colada.’” Today, he laughs about it. But in 2016, the situation was worrying. Rodriguez was a full-time driver for the ride-hail companies. Just two days later, the platforms ditched the Texas capital, frustrated that they had lost a ballot measure that forced them to fingerprint potential drivers for background checks. Rodriguez was out of a job.

Now, something similar might happen on a much bigger scale, in California. Earlier this month, a state judge ordered the ride-hail companies to treat ride-hail drivers as employees, instead of independent contractors. The companies had said they would stop operating in California on Friday, but an appeals court on Thursday delayed the effective date of the ruling until it could rule on the companies’ appeal.

Continue reading… “What happens if Uber and Lyft flee California? Look at Austin”

Breakthrough Thinking, Healthcare, People Making a Difference, Robotics, Science & Technology News

TrueLimb robotic arms look real and cost less than traditional prosthetics

September 4, 2020

Each arm from Unlimited Tomorrow is custom 3D-printed for a perfect match.

Easton LaChappelle was 14 years old when he designed and built his first robotic arm. Ten years later, he’s now the CEO of his own company, looking to upend the prosthetics industry.

Continue reading… “TrueLimb robotic arms look real and cost less than traditional prosthetics”

Business, Coronavirus, Current Events, Entertainment, Marketing, Science & Technology News

The future of live events is here and depends on these 4 factors

September 4, 2020

The future of live events is here and depends on these 4 factors

When it comes to reimagining what the events industry will look like in the near future, these are the four things we should all be thinking about.

If there was ever a catalyst to reimagine the events space, the coronavirus is it.

Over the years, corporate live events have transformed to include celebrity speakers, VIP access, exclusive private dinners, mobile-first ticketing, and a wide assortment of high production value add-ons—one of which being a film recording or, more recently, live streaming capabilities. But it wasn’t until the majority of the world went into quarantine that the concept of digital broadcasting went from being a cool addition to an in-person event to becoming its central focus.

Continue reading… “The future of live events is here and depends on these 4 factors”