AI translates Hokkien, an unwritten language, for the first time
... This is a daunting task, because while languages like Mandarin, English, and Spanish are both written and spoken, Hokkien — which is widely spoken within the Chinese diaspora — is primarily oral. In fact, Chen and his team of researchers are among the first to use artificial intelligence (AI) to construct a translation system for languages like Hokkien that lack a formal or widely known writing system. While the initial stage of the project translates between English and Hokkien, researchers plan to allow the translation of more unwritten languages. It’s part of Meta’s ongoing effort to develop a Universal Speech Translator that will allow the translation of many languages in real time and could eventually help millions of people around the world like Chen’s father become more effective communicators. ...
See the full story here: https://tech.fb.com/artificial-intelligence/2022/10/ai-translation-unwritten-language/
DALL-E 2’s Unique Solution to Double Meanings
... Prior work from 2021, the authors note, had already observed that CLIP’s embeddings don’t explicitly bind a concept’s attributes to the object itself. ‘Accordingly,’ they write. ‘they observe that that reconstructions from the decoder often mix up attributes and objects.’ ...
See the full story here: https://www.unite.ai/dall-e-2s-unique-solution-to-double-meanings/
I Tried the $1,500 Quest Pro and Saw the Best of the Metaverse
... There’s a valuable lesson amid all the hype surrounding virtual (augmented, mixed, whatever-you-want-to-call-dorky-looking) goggles: We shouldn’t spend our dollars on a company’s hopes and promises for what a technology could become. We should buy these headsets for what they currently do. And based on what I saw, for the foreseeable future, the Meta Quest Pro will primarily be a gaming device. (I predict the same outcome for the Apple headset expected for an unveiling next year.) ...
At Meta’s Burlingame office, I strapped on the Quest Pro to see what was new. Meta highlighted three features: the headset’s higher-definition picture, which is receiving quadruple the number of pixels of its predecessor, the $400 Quest 2; the array of cameras embedded into the headset, which can now create a real-time rendering of your facial expressions and eye movements; and new motion controllers with improved pressure sensitivity so you can squeeze a virtual object gently or grab it aggressively. ...
I found the improved graphics and controllers impressive (and my animated avatar a bit creepy), but after I removed the headset and returned to reality-reality, I could only imagine wanting to use these new features to play games. ...
See the full story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/19/technology/personaltech/quest-pro-review-metaverse.html
Meta reveals new research: avatars, AR and brain-computer interface
PhilNote: this is a lengthy article giving updates on a number of projects
Content
- Augmented Reality
- Neural interface
- AR navigation for the visually impaired
- Simple 3D scanning
- Codec Avatars
- Meta Connect 2022: Watch the research update on Youtube
See the full story here: https://mixed-news.com/en/meta-reveals-new-research-avatars-ar-and-brain-computer-interface/
Sony Files Patent to Enhance Implementation of Facial Animations For Game Developers
... The patented technique, submitted on April 1, 2022, by Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, uses mesh information from a human actor. He has been photographed in three dimensions to record the depth of the face. This polygonal mesh is often hand-made by animators utilizing the vertices dots on a mocap actor’s face as a reference source.
It is used in game development to create precise human models. Currently, most triple-A videogame production uses this technique, including the forthcoming Spider-Man 2 from Insomniac. While employing a combination of 3D and 2D cameras to train an artificial intelligence program that can precisely record facial expressions and construct mesh data without human involvement, this system would automatically generate mesh data.
This invention utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to create tasks that previously required a lot of manual effort, which aligns with industry trends. The usage of AI in the video game business has significantly increased recently. Tasks range from interpolating frames for smoother gameplay to upscaling texture resolution. In truth, using AI in triple-A games isn’t new to the gaming community. Recently, Rockstar Games faced criticism for employing AI upscaling in their GTA Trilogy remake, which resulted in some unpleasant spelling errors on various items. ...
See the full story here: https://appuals.com/sony-ai-patent/
