Author: hack.tomorrow

Five AI developments will shape 2021 and beyond

January 19, 2021 /

1. AI and vaccine development
It typically takes years, if not decades, to develop a new vaccine. But by March 2020, vaccine candidates to fight covid-19 were already undergoing human tests, just three months after the first reported cases.

2. Fully automated driving and the rollout of robotaxis
Autonomous driving technology continued to mature in 2020, with the industry’s leading companies testing driverless cars and opening up robotaxi services to the public in various cities.

3. Applied natural language processing
In 2020, natural language systems became significantly more advanced at processing aspects of human language like sentiment and intent, generating language that aligns with human speaking and writing patterns, and even visual understanding, meaning the capability to express understanding about an image through language.

4. Quantum computing
Quantum computing has the potential to supercharge AI applications compared to binary-based classical computers

5. AI chips
Chips can already cope with a small amount of AI processing, but with the need for more AI we will need to develop chips that can focus on the deep learning processing required.

Read the full article on MIT

Coin sized smart home amazon competitor

January 14, 2021 /

Josh.ai have developed a few products to compete with the amazon suite, one of these products that caught my eye was the Josh Nano, the reason being that over the past few years smart home devices are always quite large in size, I know they are always trying to make them look futurist and or beautifully designed so they almost look like a sculpture, BUT what if you had a device that had all the same functions but was hidden into you already beautifully designed home.

I’m a big fan of amazon and must admit every room in my house has a device, but if i could have the option to change a few to these hidden Josh Nano’s then I would jump at the chance.

Personally I haven’t trying the tech to give a full review..
*hint hint @josh.ai

AI Powered Parking

January 11, 2021 /

A trail project led by Fetch.ai and a blockchain company called Datarella has launched in Munich to A.I a parking facility of a company called Connex.
The purpose behind the technology is to control pricing on the buildings parking spaces and rewarding employees whom don’t use the parking with public transport passes.

“It could say okay if you park closer, you’re going to be charged more; if you park farther away, you’ll be charged less,” says Humayun Sheikh, CEO of Fetch.ai. “We reward you for doing certain actions and we discourage you from doing certain actions.”

This sort of system has shown that putting a price on parking based on demand has shown a reduction in vehicle miles travelled and greenhouse emissions.

From a commercial point of view: Fetch.ai’s approach aims to streamline the process of finding a parking spot using an app that drivers can set to automatically book parking spaces when available, based on predetermined price and location settings.

Full story on FastCompany

Google FREE AI assisted monster maker

January 11, 2021 /

This is one of those tools you will spend hours on without getting the result you really wanted.

Google has launched a fun tool that takes your strange sketches and turns them into a kind of 3D monster.

Its fun and I am sure lots of AI and tech behind the scenes, but not something to use in the real world where monster don’t exist, well not looking like these ones.

Check it out if you have a spare 10 mins at chimera

The Future of clothes shopping?!

December 17, 2020 /

Zozo have made a second version I assume of their try it on suit, I base this on the fact its called ZozoSuit2.
The suit takes all your measurements along with your mobile device to make sure you don’t have any ill fitting clothes in the future when ordering online.
In a covid world this is genius, while looking into the suit i saw they also do a mat for shoes.

References:
Matt
Suit

Create 3D worlds via speech

November 24, 2020 /

Create 3D worlds using half a million different 3D objects.
you can create with and without code and also by recognition speech.

Once your world is created you can view on a number of platforms including VR headsets.

The concept seems great, the telling will be in how the interaction with the worlds works and how easy is it to
manipulate the objects to move and interact with each other.

Product site here {Anything World}

Makeup you can only wear online via L’oreal

November 19, 2020 /

As we live a massive amount of our lives online currently the makeup brand L’Oreal have launched the first ever virtual make up that can only be worn online using AR.

Back in 2018 L’Oreal purchased an augmented reality filter company called Modiface which you can now use with the likes of snapchat and insta to place the makeup on the wearer.
The Snap Camera support in particular enables the selfies to be used across plenty of video chat services like Houseparty and Zoom.

The support website is here

VR Meetings – The Future?

November 16, 2020 /

With the majority of the world in lockdown and a most people meeting on zoom / teams / skype / Google to hold meetings its taught us a couple of things.
1. we can actually run business and meetings over video
2. it gets a bit lonely.

I saw this post by Vox where recode and spatial had a meeting in mixed reality and looked pretty awesome.

they said it felt a bit awkward at first but 2 minutes in and that faded away.

Could this be the future or at least part of the future?

Being a massive VR fan I hope it does, watch out for Spatial i think we will be seeing more of this team in the future

Camera for the visually impaired

November 16, 2020 /

Oren Geva a very talented inventor who won the Asia design prize last year created a camera for the visually impaired.

Quote from the website
“2C3D is a camera that enables the blinds to see. The camera, is a development and design of a tactile camera concept for the vision impaired. The camera creates 3D photos and videos and has a 3D screen. The screen, inspired by “Pin Toy,” is built by numerous 3D pixels that shift depending on the photo to forms the 3D shot on the screen surface (giving the term “touch screen” a new and more literal interpretation).

The user can touch the screen while photographing and feel what the camera is seeing, in real time. When the users like what they feels, they can click and save the photo. The saved 3D file can be felt again later. The 2C3D performs as a camera for blind and as physical-digital photo album.“

Product website here

Fresh Food? check the Label

November 16, 2020 /

Are you the sort of person that throws food out once it reaches the expiry date on the product or are you the sort that takes an educated gamble and goes for it?

Both are risky; firstly you could be throwing out good food.. meaning wasting food.. meaning BAD. Or you could be eating something that will likely come back to visit you, not in a good way.

Most labels give you expiry dates based on worse case scenarios, but we normally put out products in worse case scenarios… normally!

Enter Mimica a product label that can tell you the real expiry of your product via touch, if its good the label is smooth, if bad it goes bumpy.

They are already trailing this on some diary and meat produce, so watch out, if you go to the store and your expiry label has changed, don’t throw it out until the label goes bumpy.

VR & AR enhancing the way we learn

October 20, 2020 /

I feel this has way more usecases than just learning which is where zspace seem to be focusing.
Imagine in store and brand experiences, the deconstruction of products and even virtual building and play (Lego).

This is all using current hardware with the zspace addition to bring a VR / AR experience via laptops and desktops.

I would love to demo this product to see if the video holds up to the experience.

Wearable Electronic Tattoos

October 14, 2020 /

Wearable electronic tattoos that can sense electrophysiological signals like heart rate and brain activity or monitor hydration and glucose levels from sweat are under development. They can even be used for controlling mobile devices, for example shuffling a music playlist at the touch of a tattoo, or for luminescent body art that lights up the skin.

The professor in the TedTalk above has created and tested a tattoo that uses UV radiation sensors, so it can change colour when your sun lotion needs replacing.

These tattoos are not as permanent as normal tattoos and not as ‘comfartable’, but neither is electronics placed under your skin which are being developed by biohackers.

Some more on this story over at FastCompany

Samsung to produce and transparent phone

September 21, 2020 /

Samsung are reported to be creating a fully transparent phone.
The patent was filed in January this year, the details of
the technology are available and it can also be used for TVs,
monitors, laptops, and so on.

“This display, in specific, is equipped with a transparent luminous display panel, through which light can shine. Therefore, the content can be displayed on it, and yet the light goes through it.

This display can be both flat and flexible, while a rollable display can also be created out of it, it seems. Patent sketches basically showed a modern-looking smartphone, which Letsgodigital recreated in the provided renders.”
Quote from Android Headlines

Remote Robot Shelve Stackers

September 15, 2020 /
A Japanese supermarket chain is testing remote working,
but in a new way via remote controlled robots.
Family Mart is working with Telexistence a Japanese robotics firm,
The Model-T is remote controlled by a human equipped
with a VR set using their “Augmented Workforce Platform.”

The Robot’s main function with the aid of an operator would
be to stack shelves, enabling the human staff to interact
and engage with the customers.
According to soranews24
its very hard to get store workers and this solution will
help by making it so they only need cashiers and not shelve stackers.

Are we a step closer to the Will Smith Film iRobot?!

 

‘Impossible Tattoo’ Inked Remotely by Robot Arm over 5G Network

September 11, 2020 /

T-Mobile has demonstrated the potential of its #5G network with an #advertising
campaign involving the world’s first remote #tattoo.
The tattoo artist worked on tattooing a false arm in one location, while
tattoo client sat in a different building where the robot arm – controlled by,
and precisely replicating, artist’s actions – drove the needle and ink into her skin.

 

Thanks to Mert Tol for the sahre

Virtual and physical world come together.

September 10, 2020 /

Water and electronics don’t normally mix well, but here they have combined the thrill of the water slide with the thrill of VR. I can honestly say this passed me by, its been around nearly two years, but i am posting because I am seeing VR getting stronger and stronger with more consumers engaging with the devices and may experiences.

the next step will be the hacking together of other technology such as haptic sound and touch to take the experience to a completely new level.

Really feel the sound

September 2, 2020 /

 Woojer uses haptic feedback to make you feel sound in a totally new way.

I was lucky enough to try some hardware similar to this at CES 2020 and the sound intensifies massively, the biggest difference in the base you feel it hitting your body which intensifies the music even more.

This could be used in so many ways, for example add Oculus + Woojer to create gaming immersive experiences with visual and sound to enhance and take you to the next level of gaming.

Brand experiences could also be intensified and imaging watching a film with this on.

@Woojer, If you want a real demo send my way.  

The Strap is currently on offer for $129 and the vest is $349