Impact Lab – Page 233 – A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience

A miniature robot for diagnosing lung cancer

February 9, 2023

This tiny soft robot can be steered through the branches of the lungs without causing damage for safer diagnosis.

In recent years, soft robotics has garnered a spotlight in the surgical field due to their scalability, flexibility, and the potential for safer interactions with biological tissues. These aspects of soft robotics are particularly beneficial in minimally invasive surgical procedures where surgeons must be able to perform many tasks within limited spaces.

Interventional bronchoscopy procedures stand to benefit greatly from the development of soft robots because of the challenging paths that a bronchoscope must traverse. Coupled with the small diameters of the lung branches, this makes it very difficult with traditional tools to reach deeper in the lungs, where early tumors are generally found.

However, when a robot is made smaller to fit in tighter spaces, it produces smaller forces before failing. This is especially relevant when the robot is made of soft materials.

Metaverse

How AI can make the metaverse a more interactive space

February 8, 2023

The metaverse will likely impact physical and social interactions, with artificial intelligence a critical factor in this shift.

The potential behind the metaverse is becoming greater as virtual and physical worlds converge. Market intelligence firm Contrive Datum Insights recently found that the global metaverse market is estimated to surpass $1.3 trillion by 2030. According to the study, this growth will be driven by newly adopted virtual economy trends, combined with the rise of both crypto and online games.

Additionally, a recent survey conducted by CoinWire highlighted that the metaverse would likely reshape social lifestyles. CoinWire found that 69% of respondents believe that the metaverse will eventually modify social lifestyles due to new approaches taken for entertainment and activities.

AI, Science & Technology News

Japan’s Digital Ad Company Will Use AI for Large-Scale Production of 3D Ads

February 8, 2023

A HOLOGRAPHIC IMAGE OF FISH, MAKES A 360 DEGREE ROTATION IN THE “HOLOAD,” A THREE-DIMENSIONAL HOLOGRAPHIC ADVERTISEMENT PLAYER FROM INNOVISION LABS, AT THE 2011 INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW JANUARY 8, 2011 IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. CES, THE WORLD’S LARGEST ANNUAL CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY TRADESHOW RUNS THROUGH JANUARY 9 AND IS EXPECTED TO FEATURE 2,700 EXHIBITORS SHOWING OFF THEIR LATEST PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO ABOUT 126,000 ATTENDEES.

By April Fowell

The AI-generated ads will be highly customized.

CyberAgent, a Japanese digital advertising company, has announced that they will start creating large volumes of video ads with the use of artificial intelligence, as reported by Nikkei Asia.

The video ads will contain 3D avatars of celebrity figures, with their mannerisms and remarks suited to each individual viewer. CyberAgent aims to complete large-scale production within the year.

Healthcare

A wearable ultrasound sensor provides real-time cardiac imaging

February 7, 2023

The wearable ultrasound sensor is roughly the size of a postage stamp, can be worn for up to 24 hours, and works even during strenuous exercise.

By Dr. Chinta Sidharthan

In a recent article published in the journal Nature, a team of researchers described a wearable ultrasonic device that allows cardiac function to be assessed directly in real-time, with improved coupling between human skin and the device, making the examination of the left ventricle during motion possible from different views.

The continuous monitoring of cardiac function is essential for detecting cardiac dysfunction and managing cardiovascular disease in surgical and critically affected patients. However, the real-time measurement of cardiovascular health is difficult with existing non-invasive methods, either due to the bulkiness of the devices or because wearable devices can only detect the signals on the skin.

AI

Google’s Experimental Artificial Intelligence Bot Can Create Music From Scratch

February 7, 2023

By Bharat Sharma

Google appears to be working on an AI bot that can create “original” music from both text and sound prompts.According to Business Insider, the bot would be able to account for various genres and styles and even create a song based on a hummed or whistled melodyThis app that could come sometimes in the near-future is being dubbed as “MusicLM.”

Google’s artificial intelligence tool could create music from scratch! After OpenAI’s ChatGPT became public last year, public interest in AI’s capabilities exploded – with the tool showing immense potential in content writing through simple prompts. ChatGPT is a simple, straightforward approach to artificial intelligence, and Meta’s AI head recently said that both Google and Meta have similar tools too.

Driverless vehicles

Electric Future: MIT showcases electric autonomous boat technology

February 7, 2023

If you like the idea of zero-emissions travel on the water, an electric autonomous boat might be the right mode of transportation for you.

BY MARK ALLINSON

Scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Senseable City Laboratory, together with Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions(AMS Institute) in the Netherlands, have been showcasing the final project in their self-navigating trilogy: a full-scale, fully autonomous robotic boat that’s ready to be deployed along the canals of Amsterdam.

“Roboat” has come a long way since the team first started prototyping small vessels in the MIT pool in late 2015. Last year, the team released their half-scale, medium model that was 2 meters long and demonstrated promising navigational prowess.

This year, two full-scale Roboats were launched, proving more than just proof-of-concept: these craft can comfortably carry up to five people, collect waste, deliver goods, and provide on-demand infrastructure.

The boat looks futuristic – it’s a sleek combination of black and gray with two seats that face each other, with orange block letters on the sides that illustrate the makers’ namesakes.

It’s a fully electrical boat with a battery that’s the size of a small chest, enabling up to 10 hours of operation and wireless charging capabilities.

Electric Automobile

With tiny EV, City Transformer takes aim at Europe’s urban markets

February 5, 2023

With tiny EV, City Transformer takes aim at Europe’s urban markets

By Nick Carey

– Israeli electric vehicle (EV) startup City Transformer aims to launch production of its small urban CT-2 model in Western Europe by the end of 2024 and will soon launch a Series B funding round to raise $50 million, the company said on Monday.

Chief Executive Asaf Formoza told Reuters the company, which has so far raised $20 million, has selected a factory in Western Europe where it will have initial annual production of 15,000 vehicles, but cannot disclose its location yet.

The additional funds the startup is raising should help speed up series production, Formoza added.

The CT-2, which is already approved for use in the European Union and Britain, has a range of 180 kilometers (112 miles) and is 1 meter (3.28 ft) wide in “city mode.” This makes it narrow enough for four of them to fit into a conventional car’s parking spot, Formoza said.

NASA

Nasa building US facility that could house alien life brought back from Mars

February 5, 2023

A CGI demonstration of the Martian samples on their journey to EarthCredit: nasa

By Millie Turner

Nasa has received the green light for a new facility to house Martian samples – and perhaps alien life.

The facility, based in Texas, should be ready by 2033, when the samples from Mars’ Perseverance rover are expected to arrive on Earth.

It will be the first time in human history that scientifically selected samples from another planet exist on Earth.

To get the samples to Earth, humans must first launch from the surface of another planet – in another first-of-its-kind feat.

Scientists from Nasa and the European Space Agency (ESA) will use the facility to contain, transfer, assess the safety and coordinate scientific investigation of the samples.

The facility, known as the Mars Sample Receiving Project office, will be located at Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston.

Robots, Science & Technology News

Samsung-backed scientists create robot dog that can jog on sand

February 5, 2023

Why not take Raibo robot dog for walkies?

By Saqib Shah

The droid can adjust itself while on the move to handle different types of terrain, including hard and soft ground.

Scientists with backing from Samsung have developed a new robotdog that can move at speeds of up to three metres per second on sand.

The four-legged droid is the brainchild of a research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Its creators claim the robot has the stability to traverse rough surfaces, and can agilely tackle soft ground without losing its balance.

The bot’s systems, including an advanced neural network that allows it to make decisions on the move, could be harnessed by other robots to effectively tackle all types of terrain, according to the KAIST team.

The droid follows in the footsteps of robotics firm Boston Dynamics’ canine Spot, which caused a stir when it was briefly used by New York police to assist at crime scenes, and later, the French military during training drills. On the cuddlier side, Sony has its small companion pup named Aibo that you can teach to sit, lay down, take a picture, and even sing happy birthday.

Scientists trained the new robot, called “RaiBo“, using a technique called AI-reinforcement learning. This saw them use a variety of simulations that mirrored physical trials, consequently reducing the time needed for an AI to optimise itself for its intended goals, according to Popular Science.

The team created a new artificial neural network capable of adjusting in real-time to the type of ground it was walking on, which then fed that info back to the robot. They also created a new contact modelling based on the robot’s pressure interacting with various unstable terrain, such as sand.

AI

CHATGPT’S EXPLOSIVE POPULARITY MAKES IT THE FASTEST-GROWING APP IN HUMAN HISTORY

February 5, 2023

“WE CANNOT RECALL A FASTER RAMP IN A CONSUMER INTERNET APP.”

Making History.

According to reporting from Reuters, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is now the fastest-growing app in human history, reaching an estimated 100 million active monthly users in just the two months since its November release.

“In 20 years following the internet space,” UBS analysts reportedly wrote in a note to Reuters, citing a report from web traffic analytics firm SimilarWeb, “we cannot recall a faster ramp in a consumer internet app.”

Per that report, an average of roughly 13 million unique visitors were using ChatGPT per day in January — a jaw-dropping figure, and double the average number of individual users that were using the tech each day in December.

To say this thing has taken off like wildfire hardly cuts it, and VCs have paid attention.

Green Friendly

‘Liquid windows’ inspired by squid skin could help buildings react to changing environments, save on energy costs

February 5, 2023

By Tyler Irving

Prototypes designed and built at U of T Engineering contain several layers of channels, each of which contain fluids with various optical properties. By pumping the fluids in and out of the channels, the system can optimize the type, quantity and distribution of light passing through. (Artist’s impression courtesy Raphael Kay, Adrian So)

U of T Engineering researchers have developed a multilayered fluidic system that can reduce the energy costs of heating, cooling and lighting buildings by optimizing the wavelength, intensity and dispersion of light transmitted through windows.

The platform was inspired by the dynamic colour-changing skin of organisms such as squid. Compared with existing technologies, it offers much greater control while keeping costs low due to its use of simple, off-the-shelf components.

“Buildings use a ton of energy to heat, cool and illuminate the spaces inside them,” says recent graduate Raphael Kay (MIE MASc 2T2), lead author on a new paper published in PNAS.

“If we can strategically control the amount, type and direction of solar energy that enters our buildings, we can massively reduce the amount of work that we ask heaters, coolers and lights to do.”

new technology

MIT grows 2D crystals on existing silicon to make new semiconductors and catch up to Moore’s law

February 5, 2023

By Hope Corrigan

Moore’s law might not be dead, just in need of a rewrite.

Get out of the way silicon, you’re not our top transistor anymore. We’ve had enough of your inability to maintain electrical properties at tiny scales. That’s right, we’re leaving you. Moving onwards and upwards onto better things that can truly grow with us. To put it simply: it’s not us, it’s you. We’re probably going to have to rename that valley, too.

We’ve had a really good run with silicon, but companies like TSMC have been seeking alternatives for a while, largely as a way of trying top keep up with Moore’s law. Moore’s law observed that the number of transistors able to be manufactured on silicon doubled approximately every two years, while the cost of computers fell.

This remained true for a long time, but is petering out. Some companies like Nvidia consider it mostly dead, while AMD say it’s just expensive to keep pace with. Regardless of where Moore’s law is now, it’s set to come crashing to a halt in the near future due to the limitations of Silicon.

Thankfully, researchers at MIT(opens in new tab) have found what may well be our next transistor romance, and the good news is that silicon can kinda stick around to watch. To get those tiny sizes, researchers are working with substances so thin they’re called 2D materials. These delicate sheets of crystals are as thin as a single atom. The idea is to begin integrating these perfect crystal structures into current industry-standard silicon wafers.