Scientists create a cyborg eye that mimics the real thing
Scientists have been working on artificial eyes for years, but mimicking the shape and behavior of a real eye has been difficult. A breakthrough might just lead to a practical design, though. Researchers have created (via New Scientist) a cyborg eye whose function and structures share many things in common with its human counterpart. A nanowire photosensor array formed inside a hemispherical aluminum oxide membrane serves as the retina, while wires formed from a liquid metal (eutectic gallium-indium alloy) replicate nerves by sending signals from those sensors to external processing. It even mimics the vitreous humor (the gel between the lens and retina) with an ionic liquid.
With enough refinement, this could lead to implants that restore eyesight while preserving the natural look. The scientists also believe they could one day power the eye with sunlight — you might not need a separate power source, at least until it gets dark.
See the full story here: https://www.engadget.com/biomimetic-cyborg-eye-022130469.html
Sphero appoints new CEO, spins off robotics startup for first responders
Sphero just announced that it has spun off another company. Once again, the new startup has a decidedly different focus from its parent company’s core of education-focused products. While still a robotics company at its heart, the underwhelmingly named Company Six will create robotic systems designed for first responders and other humans whose work requires them to put themselves in harm’s way.
See the full story here: https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/20/sphero-appoints-new-ceo-spins-off-robotics-startup-for-first-responders/
Blumhouse Plans Film Shoot on Universal Lot Despite Insurance Risks
As Hollywood yearns to get back to work in the COVID-19 era, Universal Pictures and producer Jason Blum are working out a daring plan to shoot a low-budget film on the studio lot. Cast and crew would live in a hotel nearby and a set of safety protocols would be in place. Forget craft services, for example.
Also, forget about insurance that would cover a shutdown due to a coronavirus-related outbreak of illness.
This source adds: "Blumhouse and Universal aren't moving forward with any plans until we get the green light from city, county and public-health officials. None of this preproduction planning work is being conducted on the lot itself. A small team of filmmakers and studio executives are currently working on those plans remotely. Safety of everyone involved is a huge priority, and nobody wants to rush into anything."
If the $6.5 million project goes forward, the source continues, "There will be a lot we'll be able to learn from this when the time comes as we think about starting up other productions."
The challenge is such that the MPA and the Independent Film & Television Alliance — which advocates on behalf of such non-MPA companies as Lionsgate and Millennium Films — are pushing for a federal approach. Insurance broker Kingman likens the current era to post-9/11, when no insurer would write a policy covering terrorism.
But Marshall says one big silver lining to the insurance crisis is that it will force productions to be zealous in enforcing measures to protect cast and crew: "One of the beauties of insurance is it can actually promote good behavior."
See the full story here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/blumhouse-plans-film-shoot-universal-lot-insurance-risks-1294936
How Can Augmented Reality and AI Better Help us Adapt to the (New Normal)?
[PhilNote: this is a light opinion piece.]
However, what if there was a safer way to more slowly reopen the world without sacrificing the engagement, immersion and stories you’re looking to bring to end users?
With AI and AR, that could be possible.
Particularly in the case of AR (and its siblings virtual reality and extended reality), virtual experiences can be developed that deliver true immersion without unnecessary gathering or contact.
What if there were specific points throughout the space where, simply by using their mobile device, employees could get access to real-time information about safety measures, meetings, and more?
In short, it’s all about understanding the needs of the end user and delivering a unique, multisensory experience that inspires.
In the quest for robust and innovative AI and AR solutions, AV solutions and integrators will lead the way in helping the world keep pace, just as they have for innumerable technologies in the past.
See the full story here: https://marketscale.com/industries/pro-av/augmented-reality-and-ai-adapt/
Kaleido, a project offering seniors unique experiences via virtual reality, seeks active support in the Hack the Crisis virtual hackathon
The Flying Kale team has completed the initial testing of the entire concept at the Chodov Seniors’ Home and has received an outstanding response. However, the development of the Kaleido tool and its introduction to the market has been significantly complicated by the pandemic, which has hindered access to all funding for additional services and redirected all energy toward ensuring safety and basic care. “Therefore, we launched a crowdfunding campaign on HitHit, where people can contribute any amount to the project. In return, they can choose from a broad offer of handmade products from the seniors themselves, such as a candle or crocheted seat cushion, or they can plan their own trip with us and such! If we succeed in collecting the target amount, we will be able to deliver VR headsets and tailored trips for seniors to homes completely free of charge, thus beautifully enriching their lives and making this extremely difficult time more pleasant,” Marek adds. The HitHit campaign runs until 18 June 2020
Two Projects Are Filming Again. Here’s How They’re Doing It.
Armed with expansive medical staffs, stringent protocols and imposing security guards willing to yell “Two meters!” whenever anyone gets too close, Kormakur and Foster are the unlikely trailblazers at the dawn of a new era in filmmaking.
See the full story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/movies/virus-filming-details.html?fbclid=IwAR3sIa7WuromPyWvIoA3QGvL_AGsLFdRn1DLV-4pssV17B1EJXqd6Wi8dDo
Ethical artificial intelligence: Could Switzerland take the lead?
Thanks to its unique features – a strong democracy, its position of neutrality, and world-class research – Switzerland is well positioned to play a leading role in shaping the future of AI that adheres to ethical standards. The Swiss government recognizes the importance of AI to move the country forward, and with that in mind, has been involved in discussions at the international level.
The European initiative – the Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing initiative PEPP-PT – advocated a centralized data approach that raised concern about its transparency and governance. However, it was derailed when a number of nations, including Switzerland, decided in favour of a decentralized and privacy-enhancing system, called DP-3T (Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing). The final straw for PEPP-PT was when Germany decided to exit as well.
"In Switzerland, the central government does not impose an overarching ethical vision for AI. It would be incompatible with our democratic traditions if the government prescribed this top-down," Daniel Egloff, Head of Innovation of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) told swissinfo.ch. Egloff added that absolute ethical principles are difficult to establish since they could change from one technological context to another. "An ethical vision for AI is emerging in consultations among national and international stakeholders, including the public, and the government is taking an active role in this debate," he added.
Pascal Kaufmann, neuroscientist and founder of the Mindfire Foundationexternal link for human-centric AI, ... In order to be ethical, I suggest to hurry up and create AI for the people rather than for autocratic governments or for large tech companies. Inventing ethical policies doesn't get us anywhere and will not help us create AI.''
Anna Jobin, a postdoc at the Health Ethics and Policy Lab at the ETH Zurich, doesn't see it the same way. Based on her research, she believes that ethical considerations should be part of the development of AI: "We cannot treat AI as purely technological and add some ethics at the end, but ethical and social aspects need to be included in the discussion from the beginning."
For Peter Seele, professor of Business Ethics at USI, the University of Italian-speaking Switzerland, the key to resolving these issues is to place business, ethics, and law on an equal footing.
If Switzerland were to take a lead role in defining ethical standards, its political system based on direct democracy and democratically controlled cooperatives could play a central role in laying the foundation for the democratization of AI and the personal data economy.
See the full story here: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/regulation_ethical-artificial-intelligence--could-switzerland-take-the-lead-/45754096
Cloud wars target local agricultural space
Hand holding light bulb against nature on green leaf with icons energy sources for renewable, sustainable development. Ecology concept. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.
“So, whether you’re a smaller farmer, a larger co-op, or a company supplying the agricultural industry, you are now able to make use of the latest infrastructure that can be paid for as it is used without the upfront Capex investment requirements. The clincher is that you can easily dabble in new technologies, regardless of your size, with access to the best in cognitive learning, AI engines, predictive forecasting, weather apps, and so on, right at your fingertips.”
And the time to use AI to help us solve massive problems is now, he adds. “Today, it’s all about the data – data from farms, from transactions and from customers – and how AI can be applied to this data to help us make the right decisions around areas like irrigation, planting, livestock, ensuring the best yield and more, by learning from technology.”
“Datacentrix believes we need to bring both worlds together, getting humanity and technology to work together as a single solution. We need to look beyond the ‘Industrial Revolution 4.0’, and instead aspire towards ‘Humanity 4.0’, a place where technology is embraced as an integral part of our everyday lives; where it helps us to move forward.
The missing link is education at root level, he says. “We’ve seen many successful programmes in South Africa, but our children must be exposed to understanding code and taught how to access technology. Once we start opening up, we’ll see how AI is aiding so many sectors – medicine, finance, construction, architecture, contact centres and more – and how it has a critical place within agriculture too. It is time to start the cloud journey.”
See the full story here: https://www.itweb.co.za/content/P3gQ2MGxy1gqnRD1/p6GxRKMYDa7b3Wjr
TikToks new augmented reality ads seeks new audiences
TikTok is getting ready to launch a new ad feature to level the playing field with Snapchat and Instagram. The unofficially named “AR brand effect” will allow TikTok users to incorporate augmented reality brand advertisements in their videos. The ads will create visual effects that interact with the filmmakers’ physical environment as if it exists in real life. The ads will include music that can be played over the film.
TikTok also offers an ad product called Brand Effect, a 2D advertisement filter that users can add to their videos. The in-house product development team at TikTok created this feature for a reported cost of $100,000 according to Digiday.
Snapchat charges anywhere from $50 to $500,000 for augmented reality advertisements. The lower tier starts with a 10-second ad between videos that users can choose to “swipe up” and interact with. The higher tiers get advertisers a day-long spot with a Sponsored Lens.
Its users skew young with 41% between the ages of 16 and 24, and its global following boasts 800 million users worldwide.
See the full story here: https://theamericangenius.com/business-marketing/tiktoks-new-augmented-reality-ads-seeks-new-audiences/
Untitled Is Bringing the First-Ever Art Fair to Take Place in Virtual Reality to Your Screen This Summer
Untitled has teamed up with online platform Artland to create what it claims is the first true virtual reality art fair.
Unlike online viewing rooms, with Untitled’s virtual fair “you’ll get to walk through the space like you would a real fair,” Lawson tells Artnet News. “That’s what makes fairs so interesting you can always discover new things and interact with hundreds of galleries in one session.”
Because of the current lockdown, “we’re pushing it faster to debut because the market needs it,” Lawson says.
Even though the fair is virtual, Untitled is still selling booth space by the “square foot.” Participating exhibitors can choose between a 200-square-foot booth priced at $1,000 or a 400-square-foot booth priced at $3,000.
There will also be a sliding-scale commission structure wherein the fair will take a cut of sales. Collectors will be able to acquire works with a “Buy Now” button, as well as engage in live digital chats.
See the full story here: https://news.artnet.com/market/untitled-new-virtual-reality-art-fair-1863774