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

Robots

Nvidia’s robot simulator adds human co-workers

January 13, 2023

Simulators have been a godsend when it comes to testing robots. Real-world testing is lengthy, expensive and potentially dangerous, so anything you can do to work out as many kinks as possible ahead of time is a big win. Isaac Sim has thus far proven a success for Nvidia, as the chipmaker has looked to aggressively enter the world of robotics and automation, while roboticists search for a way to run simulations of real-life working conditions.

Today at CES, the company announced some key improvements to the system. Accessible via the cloud for robotics developers everywhere, the system is adding a very important piece of the puzzle: humans. Well, virtual humans. After all, for all the talk about robots replacing human jobs, the two are going to be working side by side for the foreseeable future.

“To minimize the difference between results observed in a simulated world versus those seen in the real world,” Nvidia notes, “it’s imperative to have physically accurate sensor models.”

Farming

To boldly grow: how space agtech shapes farming on Earth

January 13, 2023

Baby red romaine lettuce growing in a vertical farm, technology made possible thanks to space agtech innovation.

Space innovation can transform terrestrial agriculture, as it has other sectors.
Vertical farming and LED lighting are two past examples of agtech developed in space.
Seeds could be the next frontier for space agtech.

The effects of climate change are impossible to ignore, particularly as record-breaking temperatures, tides and weather events wreak havoc across the globe. Worldwide, 12 million hectares of land valuable to agriculture are lost every year, and global agriculture production will need to increase by 70% to meet the demand of an expanding population. It’s no surprise that we are seeing steady growth, investment and, most importantly, innovation in the agtech market, including the space industry.

The value that space innovation has already created here on Earth is immeasurable. NASA says its return on investment on the US economy is more than three times its annual budget. From cellular data and hurricane predictions to robotics and health science, many aspects of our lives are made significantly easier, more efficient or more enjoyable thanks to the breakthroughs and utilization made in space. We are now seeing tremendous potential for research and technological advancement for agtech in space, with applications that will both enable future prolonged extraterrestrial habitation, as well as improve agricultural practices here on Earth.

Developing sustainable and scalable food sources for astronauts will be critical to our ability to successfully establish and expand new destinations in space. A few commercial companies, including Voyager, are actively developing new commercial space stations to replace the International Space Station (ISS), and with these new destinations comes a need to provide nutrient-dense food for inhabitants.

AI

Seoul-based Deep Brain AI launches paid service to speak to the dead

January 13, 2023

The company’s image synthesis technology can realize an AI human that is complete in non-verbal parts such as lip-syncing, movements, and facial expressions.

By Sahil Pawar

Seoul-based Deep Brain AI launched a paid service called Re;memory for those who would like to speak again with their deceased loved ones, even if it is just virtually.

When a loved one dies, a family is often left with only digital memories such as photos and videos. However, these are only one-way modes of communication where one can see or hear their loved ones but cannot interact back with them.

DeepBrain AI takes this trove of information and a pre-interview to put together a private virtual meeting in their studio where one can have unfinished conversations with their loved ones.

2023 CES

Samsung’s New AI-Powered Oven Will Tell You If Your Food Is Burning

January 12, 2023

The oven, unveiled at CES, will also live stream your cooking to social media.

BY JOHNNY BRAYSON

Samsung’s Bespoke line of appliances contains some of the most advanced and most attractive options on the market, functioning as a sort of Holy Grail for design-forward techies. At CES 2023, Samsung has unsurprisingly added to the line with new Bespoke Side-by-Side and Top-Mounted Freezer Refrigerators along with a new flagship fridge, the Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with Family Hub, which doubles the size of its predecessor’s touchscreen display to 32 inches.

AI

Deep learning tool’s ‘computational microscope’ predicts protein interactions, potential paths to new antibiotics

January 12, 2023

Examples of protein complexes modeled by AF2Complex residing between the inner and outer membranes of E. coli.

by Audra Davidson

Though it is a cornerstone of virtually every process that occurs in living organisms, the proper folding and transport of biological proteins is a notoriously difficult and time-consuming process to experimentally study.

In a new paper published in eLife, researchers in the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Computer Science have shown that AF2Complex may be able to lend a hand.

Building on the models of DeepMind’s AlphaFold 2, a machine learning tool able to predict the detailed three-dimensional structures of individual proteins, AF2Complex—short for AlphaFold 2 Complex—is a deep learning tool designed to predict the physical interactions of multiple proteins. With these predictions, AF2Complex is able to calculate which proteins are likely to interact with each other to form functional complexes in unprecedented detail.

“We essentially conduct computational experiments that try to figure out the atomic details of supercomplexes (large interacting groups of proteins) important to biological functions,” explained Jeffrey Skolnick, Regents’ Professor and Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair in the School of Biological Sciences, and one of the corresponding authors of the study. With AF2Complex, which was developed last year by the same research team, it’s “like using a computational microscope powered by deep learning and supercomputing.”

In their latest study, the researchers used this “computational microscope” to examine a complicated protein synthesis and transport pathway, hoping to clarify how proteins in the pathway interact to ultimately transport a newly synthesized protein from the interior to the outer membrane of the bacteria—and identify players that experiments might have missed. Insights into this pathway may identify new targets for antibiotic and therapeutic design while providing a foundation for using AF2Complex to computationally expedite this type of biology research as a whole.

Robotics

WORX Introduces New LANDROID Vision Robotic Lawn Mower, Industry’s First Robotic Mower with Neural Network Technology

January 12, 2023

Zero-Boundary installation. VISION AI brings sight to Landroid, detecting every area of your lawn!

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Worx, a global leader in autonomous mowing, today announced the introduction of its latest robotic lawn mower, the LANDROID Vision, equipped with the top-level neural network – artificial intelligence that is trained to distinguish between grass and non-grass. Through its on-board HDR camera and VISION AI, Worx’s new LANDROID Vision Robotic Lawn Mower sees yards, eliminating the need for cumbersome boundary wires or antennae. As a truly “drop and mow” solution, LANDROID Vision is ready to use right out of the box – no installation, no hassles.

With the same AI technology used in modern autonomous cars, the new LANDROID Vision analyzes frame-by-frame images from its on-board cameras to recognize and distinguish grass from anything else – roads, sidewalks, flowerbeds and even pets and humans! Not only does the new Vision avoid obstacles with zero mapping or wires, it can cross over sidewalks, driveways or other areas to access multiple lawn zones. The LANDROID Vision also adjusts automatically to variations in lawn elements, such as grass density, while affording cutting height adjustment from 1.5 inches to 3.5 inches.

Space

“Machine to produce oxygen”, Europe’s plan to create a long-term human presence on the Moon

January 11, 2023

Europe’s plan to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon

By SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA

A machine for the production of oxygen on the moon will go to space.

The European Space Agency is building the device to test whether astronauts can use the oxygen trapped in the lunar regolith (the layer of dust and rock that covers the surface of the Moon).

The device is expected to reach the moon by 2025, and if it works as hoped, the agency plans to add to this technology by building an oxygen production plant on the moon in the 2030s.

In addition to providing oxygen for humans, the machine can also help produce fuel for the spacecraft.

2023 CES

TCL Introduces Groundbreaking Augmented Reality Glasses at CES 2023

January 11, 2023

TCL Introduces Groundbreaking Augmented Reality Glasses at CES 2023

TCL RayNeo X2; It offers a true smart wearable experience that unlocks a deeper connection between users, devices and the real world.

A pioneer in display technology and affordable, world-class smart experiences, TCL launched the TCL RayNeo X2023 augmented reality (AR) smart glasses at CES 2. These revolutionary glasses benefit from pioneering binocular full-color Micro-LED optical waveguide displays along with a host of new interactive features to enable users to experience unparalleled AR.

TCL RayNeo CEO Howie Li said in a statement: “TCL RayNeo has created the world’s first binocular full-color Micro-LED optical waveguide AR glasses. This glasses developed by RayNeo; It will set the bar for future innovations in wearable AR, without sacrificing high-end technology, style or ease of use. The RayNeo X2 is the new frontier of AR glasses and we’re just getting started.”

2023 CES

Neutrogena Reveals AI-Powered 3D Printed Custom Vitamin App

January 11, 2023

Printed vitamins.

Normally we do not cover topics related to cosmetics, being a website focused on the more industrial, loud, and explosive applications of additive manufacturing.

But we are interested in production-grade 3D printing, as well as AI, computer vision, and computer software. And this new story from cosmetic giant Neutrogena has all of those components, so we’ll cover it.

Read on to find out how we let an AI pass judgment on this writer’s face skin!

2022 CES

CES 2023 Piloting Self-Driving Stroller Powered by Artificial Intelligence; Is It Family-Friendly?

January 10, 2023

By Joshua Stan

CES is a technology event that showcases and demonstrates new and innovative technologies. It is a place where major companies conduct business and find new partners and where innovative individuals can present their ideas. The Consumer Technology Association organizes the event and covers all aspects of the technology industry.

Gluxkind, a baby gear startup based in Canada, was showcasing its Ella AI-Powered Smart Stroller at CES (a technology event in Las Vegas that showcases innovative new technologies). The smart stroller is equipped with technology similar to that found in autonomous cars and delivery robots, such as a dual-motor system for uphill walks and automatic downhill brake assist.

NASA

NASA’s unusual experiment will plant potatoes on Mars

January 10, 2023

By SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA

After the success of lettuce on the ISS (International Space Station), NASA continues its “agricultural” experiments to understand if vegetables can be grown in space.

This time it’s the turn of potatoes: from March the American agency, together with the Peruvian International Potato Center (CIP), will conduct experiments in a laboratory in Lima to understand whether potatoes can be grown on Mars.

NASA has selected one hundred types of tubers: forty from the Andes, used to reproduce even in dry and rocky terrain, and sixty genetically modified to resist various pathogens and survive with little water and salt.

One ton of these potatoes will be transported to a special laboratory in Lima, where the Martian atmosphere, consisting mainly of carbon dioxide, will be simulated.

2023 CES

Aeolus Debuts Autonomous Dual-arm Humanoid Robot at CES2023

January 10, 2023

Autonomous Dual Arm Humanoid Robot Aeolous is waiting for its new owners.

Aeolus debuted its new first-generation household robot assistant at this year’s CES, Called Aeo, it is, the first humanoid robot in the world that can recognize its owner’s face.

The goal of Aeolus Robotics is to use robots to improve everyone’s quality of life. Aeolus brings together expertise from Europe, America, and Asia to produce the most capable service robot available today.

It has a solid financial foundation and a global presence was established in 2016 and has had robots operating in Japan since 2019. The company is presently moving to new international markets. For this reason, they are well suited to develop the very best in cutting-edge robotics, like the Aeo.

Named in honor of the deity who guards the winds, it has also been designed to patrol and clean hospitals. Aeo has the capacity to carry out ultraviolet disinfection, making it well-suited to manage the difficulties facing the healthcare sector.

But, it is more than just a cleaning robot.