Impact Lab – Page 238 – A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience

AI

Artificial intelligence to map all planets and could change our plans for Moon and Mars

January 19, 2023

A team of scientists has developed a new tool to map out the planets

A TEAM of scientists has developed a new open-source tool, powered by artificial intelligence, to map out the planets.

Researchers from Constructor University in Bremen, Germany, the University of Padua, and the University of Bologna from Italy came together for the project.

The goal was to change the way planetary landforms are mapped out as the current system is a multi-step process that is extremely time-consuming, such as the case of mapping surfaces on Mars.

The team found that using deep-learning techniques using artificial neural networks to analyze data sets could improve the production process.

It also allowed for the creation of an open-source, ready-to-use, and highly customizable tool for planetary mapping.

“We were interested in designing a simple, out-of-the-box tool that can be customized and used by many,” said Giacomo Nodjoumi, who was involved in the project.

Medical Breakthrough

Researchers create Cyborg Cells—natural-artificial cell hybrids

January 19, 2023

by Wiley

Natural and artificial cells are useful for research, with each having different pros and cons. In research published in Advanced Science, investigators recently created a hybrid called Cyborg Cells that have the engineering simplicity of synthetic materials and the complex functionalities of natural cells.

To create Cyborg Cells, scientists assembled a synthetic polymer network inside bacterial cells, rendering them incapable of dividing. Cyborg Cells preserved essential cell functions but also acquired new abilities to resist stressors that otherwise kill natural cells.

Experiments revealed that Cyborg Cells could be modified to invade cancer cells, thereby demonstrating their therapeutic potential.

AI

Microsoft’s ChatGPT investment could create ‘game-changer’ AI search engine

January 18, 2023

Microsoft ChatGPT does more than just act as a search and learn information dynamic ⁠— it claims to be able to create what you want, in seconds.

By Brian McGleenon

Microsoft (MSFT) is going all in on ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that could power a new search engine that could disrupt the dominance of Google (GOOG).

News site Semafor reported on Tuesday that Microsoft is investing $10bn (£8.2bn) in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence firm that launched the AI generative tool ChatGPT in November 2022.

This will value the San Francisco-based firm at $29bn, and industry analysts say that Google should pay close attention to the deal.

Microsoft spends billions of dollars every year to try to compete with Google’s search engine dominance, but with comparatively low user interaction on Bing they have failed for over a decade.

Microsoft has so far failed to replicate the algorithm that powers Google search but if they incorporate the AI generating power of ChatGPT into Bing, or a new search engine, this could be “a game changer”, an industry commentator has suggested.

Web3 for enterprise expert Filippo Chisari told Yahoo Finance UK: “I believe Microsoft are most likely looking to build a search engine that will give them a competitive advantage over others.

Beauty

L’Oréal is launching a new motorised lipstick tool designed for people with limited mobility

January 18, 2023

Called Hapta, it helps make cosmetics more inclusive

BY PERDITA NOURIL

Beauty has come on leaps and bounds when it comes to diversity and inclusivity, yet there is one frontier it’s still yet to fully conquer. Disability.

The World Health Organisation reports that around 15 percent of the world’s population lives with some form of disability and yet only 4 percent of beauty and personal care brands create products that cater for physical disabilities, according to research carried out by Procter & Gamble.

Daily gestures like applying lipstick are often taken for granted by able bodied people, yet an estimated 50 million people globally live with limited fine motor skills, making these rituals somewhat challenging. Pleasingly L’Oréal is looking to change that by launching the HAPTA device, the world’s first handheld computerised make-up applicator that’s designed for users with limited hand and arm mobility, offering them a way to steadily apply lipstick at home.

Electric Vehicles

Rollo introduces electric delivery fleet in Las Vegas, Nevada

January 18, 2023

A Rollo delivery van.

The launch marks the first test market for the company, which plans to expand the service to other metropolitan areas.

US-based shipping service provider Rollo has launched an electric vehicle (EV) delivery fleet in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The company will offer free collection for legacy carriers, tracking via global positioning systems (GPS) and same-day deliveries for packages within the city.

The launch marks the first test market for Rollo, which plans to expand it into other metropolitan areas.

Rollo will use an entirely electric delivery fleet as part of its efforts to make its last-mile deliveries more efficient.

The service will be available for all customers using the Rollo mobile app. It does not require a Rollo printer or shipping materials.

Rollo founder and CEO Kevin Faro said: “We are bringing legacy shipping into the 21st century, which of course includes using electric vehicles to prove that shipping can and should be painless for everyone, including the environment.

2023 CES

Sony unveils Project Leonardo: a modular PS5 controller designed for players with disabilities

January 17, 2023

During its CES presentation Sony showed off the Mocopi system for full-body tracking for use in games and the metaverse. The company also revealed Project Leonardo, a new modular controller designed to help players with disabilities.

The controller has a big, round base that is designed to lie flat on a table, there are several mounting options as well. A player can use a single Project Leonardo controller or two, a DualSense controller can be added to the mix as well. This way, one, two or three controllers can be combined into a single virtual controller.

2023 CES

Pee and me: The gadget that turns toilets into urine labs

January 17, 2023

Turn your pee into liquid gold.

By Cecily Mauran

Why 2023 could be the year of personal pee-testing.

Withings has a new streaming platform. No, not that kind of streaming.

The health tech company announced U-Scan at CES 2023 on Tuesday. It’s a smart device that analyses your pee from the comfort of your bathroom.

The pebble-shaped gadget fits in a toilet bowl and captures urine, which is then analyzed internally by cartridges that assess various biomarkers. The user can check the results through the Withings Health Mate app and share it with their doctor.

But U-Scan isn’t just for one-off urinalysis. Your pee contains a continuous treasure trove of information about your health, fitness, and fertility. Separate cartridges in the U-Scan allow you to monitor hydration, nutrition, metabolism, vitamin levels, or ovulation and menstruation. All health data is compliant with Europe’s GDPR privacy regulations.

Space

Join the hive: send your ideas for CubeSat swarms

January 17, 2023

We all know the saying that there is strength in numbers. The next revolution in space technology could be the use of swarms of tiny spacecraft, called CubeSats, that work together to achieve things greater than what any lone spacecraft can. CubeSats, assemble!

A CubeSat is a miniature satellite made up of one or more standard-sized ‘units’. Each unit measures just 10 cm×10 cm×10 cm and weighs less than two kilograms. They are quick and cheap to produce and can carry all sorts of instruments on board. Almost 2000 of these tiny spacecraft have already been launchedinto space; while these have mostly operated alone, technological developments in recent years mean that we may soon use ‘swarms’ of tens of CubeSats that operate autonomously.

2023 CES

S.Korea to complete preparations for Level 4 autonomous car by 2024

January 15, 2023

This file photo provided by Motional shows the IONIQ 5-based robo taxi.

In October, Motional signed a 10-year deal to supply Hyundai’s IONIQ 5-based autonomous vehicles to U.S. ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc.

South Korea will set up safety standards and an insurance system for the launch of Level 4 autonomous vehicles in the country by next year, the transport ministry said on Sunday.

Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Won Hee-ryong also said the government will “dramatically” ease regulations involving autonomous cars, at this year’s ‘CES 2023’ in Las Vegas, reports Yonhap news agency.

Motional is a 50-50 joint venture set up in 2020 between Hyundai Motor Co. and U.S. mobility startup Aptiv to test fully autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing services.

AI

World’s First Robot Lawyer to Defend Human in Speeding Ticket Case in US

January 15, 2023

The CEO of DoNotPay, Joshua Browder, introduced the A.I lawyer to the world on his Twitter. In his tweet, he shared a screen recording of the futuristic technology at work.

Technology is taking over the world at a lightning-fast speed. If you are impressed by self-driving cars, brace yourself for an AI-powered robot lawyer. The impressive world’s first-ever robot lawyer will represent a client in an actual court. The CEO of DoNotPay, Joshua Browder, introduced the A.I lawyer to the world on his Twitter. In his tweet, he shared a screen recording of the futuristic technology at work. Browder mentioned that this clip showed DoNotPay’s ChatGPT bot talking to the Comcast Chat. This was the first ever Comcast bill negotiated. It is meant to save DoNotPay’s engineers $120 per year on Internet bills. This service will be publicly available soon. It will work on online forms, chat, and email. Browder also mentioned that the A.I is not perfect yet, saying that it is a bit too polite. But it will be improved before launch. Check it out here:

Watching the bot going at it in the clip was both entertaining and impressive for social media users. They were laughing over the A.I trying to get the final ‘thank you’ in, totally understanding what Joshua Browder meant when he tweeted it was “a bit too polite”. A social media user wrote, “For a second I thought there’d be this infinite loop when the agent said ‘You are very welcome’ and GPT said ‘Thank you again’.”

2023 CES

Amazon-backed Cinderella-style robot cart carries dishes and laundry

January 15, 2023

The robot trolley can last a whole day on a single charge / Labrador Systems

By Saqib Shah

The Labrador Retriever is a self-driving trolley that can be summoned using Alexa.

Amazon has another robot helper up its sleeve as part of its grand plan to bring domestic droids to homes.

The online shopping giant is backing Labrador Systems, the maker of a robot cart that can carry your dirty dishes and laundry around for you.

The droid, known as the Labrador Retriever, uses advanced 3D vision to map and navigate your home, in the vein of a robot vacuum. In essence, it comes across as a high-tech food trolley that can self-drive and automatically lift and lower items to you.

You can summon it using your voice through an Alexa-enabled device, like a smart speaker or display, and even pre-set it to bring or collect items at specific times. All told, the Retriever can carry food and laundry baskets weighing up to 25 pounds.

At the recent CES tech event, Labrador Systems showed the bot retrieving drinks from a fridge based on voice commands made through an Amazon Echo Show 10 smart display, which was placed atop the cart. Just don’t expect it to get your dinner out of the oven or pop to the garden to collect your clothes from the line. After all, it’s a self-driving cart, not a humanoid robot with arms and legs.

It’s no coincidence that the robot plays nice with Amazon’s products. The e-commerce titan previously co-led a $3.1 million funding round in the startup alongside iRobot, the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum that Amazon is in the process of acquiring.

Biotech

MIT researchers developed self-assembling proteins that can store ‘cellular memories’

January 14, 2023

The proteins can record histories of cellular events

By Ayesha Gulzar

Researchers from MIT developed a technique to induce cells to record the history of cellular events in a long protein chain that can be imaged using a light microscope. The technique could help understand the critical steps involved in the processes, such as memory formation, response to drug treatment, and gene expression.

Studying the molecular processes within cells can provide important insights into their function and how they contribute to the overall functioning of an organ. However, most techniques for imaging cells only allow researchers to obtain a snapshot of a single moment in time, which can be limited in understanding the dynamic processes occurring within cells.

“Biological systems are often composed of a large number of different types of cells. To understand those kinds of biological systems, we need to observe physiological events over time in these large cell populations,” said Changyang Linghu, Assistant Professor at the Michigan Neuroscience Institute and author of the study.