Important Innovations

Augmented Reality's 3 Dimensional Precision Source:  AR Tech in the Operating Room AR Goggles in the OR AR is a technology that superimposes computer generated information on the user's view of the real world.  It's being tested at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.  And it seems to greatly help surgeons visualize complex medical data particularly during heart surgery. Surgeons with AR Goggles A new self-contained AR device provides surgeons with the opportunity to interactively explore data in 3 D and real time during complex surgical procedures.  Here's how it works.  The surgeon wears  AR goggles that are similar to the glass screens worn by divers.  The AR images are projected onto the surgeon's facial screen to augment their view and vital information on their patient during complex surgical procedures.. NIH Funded Successful Test Pilot Program This is a pilot program and has been used successfully on 5 animal models.  The program is

IDC Forecasts AR/VR Spending Source:  Stock Augmented vs Virtual Reality Big Escalation through 2022 Global spending on AR/VR will soar at a 5 year CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 72% over 2017-2022.  By the end of 2018 it will hit $27 billion, up 92% year over year.  What's happening to fuel the growth is escalating use across industries, including a number of new industries.  This is the latest tracking by the International Data Corporation, IDC. Industry Use Rising, Along with China's IDC is tracking a number of global industries increasingly using AR/VR. The number of industries is on the rise and is now up to 39 including consumer, education, media and government.  Another big growing user is China. Industry Rankings Consumer industries are the biggest user through 2022, reaching $53 billion by 2022.  This is followed by retail, manufacturing and transportation.  Gaming is the biggest user in 2018.  But by 2022 the biggest percentage increase users in

Using Augmented Reality to Sell Limited Edition Sneaks Source:  Adidas AG Cuts Sales Process from Hours to a Few Minutes It's a time consuming and often frustrating process to buy much in demand, limited edition sneakers.  Adidas AG is changing the playing field.  It has just started deploying augmented reality to upend the process. Adidas AR App The company debuted an AR app at its big ComplexCom event in Long Beach, California.  Interested attendees downloaded an AR app that told them where to go in the complex to "Unlock the Drop".  Once there, they used their smartphones to follow instructions to pick a size, check out and where to pick up the sneakers.  All done with no sales staff interaction.  And most importantly the process took a few minutes, instead of hours. Ramping Up AR Adidas says it's focusing heavily on utilizing augmented reality as a means of increasing access to their most desired products.  Company officials say what they just unvei

AI ID From Face to Deep Space Source:  Dr. Chen Wu & Dr. Ivy Wong, Radio Galaxy Predictions from ClaRan ClaRan Faces off in Space Researchers have taught an AI program that's routinely used to recognize faces on Facebook to find galaxies deep in space.  Its mission has been transformed from face to space.  The artificial intelligence bot is called ClaRan.  It's been created by researchers at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) who also serve on the faculty of the University of Western Australia. Radio Galaxies ClaRan scans images taken by radio telescopes.  It spots radio galaxies, which are galaxies that send strong radio jets from the huge black holes located in them. This new AI system was just created by big data specialist Dr. Chen Wu and astronomy expert Dr. Ivy Wong of the University of Western Australia and ICRAR. Millions of Unknown Galaxies Dr. Wong says black holes are found at the center of most galaxies. They send out &q

Targeted Neurotechnology Restores Ability to Walk Credit:  EPFL - Participant David Mzee Able to Walk Again Significant Breakthrough for Spinal Cord Injuries This is medicine at the cutting edge of innovation.  3 patients with paraplegia were able to walk again when their spinal cords received electrical stimulation via a wireless implant.  And after a few months of training the patients were able to control their previously paralyzed leg muscles without electrical stimulation.  The 3 had significant spinal cord injuries. Swiss Precision The study was led by the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and the Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland.  It establishes a new framework for improving recovery from spinal cord injuries. Speedy and Effective Treatment The patients, who had been paralyzed for years, regained voluntary control of their leg muscles within a week of treatment.  The patients are able to walk on their own with the aid of crutches or a walker.  T

Pizza Hut's Pie Maker on the Road with Zero Emissions Source:  Pizza Hut As Fresh as It Gets - Green Pizza Pizza Hut has a prototype robot that cooks pizza on the way to customers' homes.  It's a mobile pizza factory in a Toyota pickup truck.. The pizzas are as fresh as they can get. Zero Emissions Pizzas The pizza robot with 4 wheels includes a refrigerator, a pair of robotic arms and a portable conveyor oven.  The system runs on the truck's hydrogen fuel electric powertrain.  It was unveiled at the SEMA show on automotive specialty products in Las Vegas.  It's a green delivery system of green pizzas with zero emissions. "The Kitchen" The robotic pizza system is called "The Kitchen" and Pizza Hut thinks it has the potential to deliver fresher pizzas to wider delivery areas.  Futuristic means of food delivery are in vogue.   Uber reportedly is looking into delivering food by drones.  And Alphabet, Google's parent, is teamed w

Human and Machine Interactions Source:  DARPA Supersonic Jet DARPA and Sikorsky Autonomy Flights The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, and Sikorsky are demonstrating ways for pilots to interact with autonomy.  The purpose is to help military pilots build trust and confidence in autonomous flight systems.  The progressive training is being performed in simulated military missions in Virginia. This will have eventual impact on commercial passenger flight too. Building Pilot Trust for Autonomous Systems This is part of DARPA's Aircrew Labor in-Crew Automation System (ALIAS) program.  DARPA believes that cockpit assistance builds pilots' trust in autonomy.  The October 2018 flights started introducing pilot inceptors as a way for them to interact with the autonomous system in addition to a tablet interface for interaction.  The pilot is in command and can choose to engage autonomy to help operate, plan, adjust or execute responsibilit

Musk New Track to United Arab Emirates Source:  Hyperloop to Dubai Innovators Journeys Elon Musk's startup Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has announced it has another destination to deliver hyperloops..  It's going to build a commercial Hyperloop track, an XO Square Innovation Center and Hyperloop Experience Center in Abu Dhabi, the capitol city of the United Arab Emirates.  It appears that long train track of innovation is starting at six miles from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.  The trip would take 12 minutes.  What a great journey of innovation and entrepreneurship! Competition from Virgin Musk Hyperloop and its competing startup Virgin Hyperloop One have each about $200 million in investment respectively.  They're in competition right now.  The Virgin Group is going to build a test track for its "Kitty Hawk" in Dubai.   All-aboard and stay tuned. Hyperloop Green Machine Hyperloop is a highly advanced green means of transportation.  It is composed

YuMi, the Robot Conductor, to Do Duty on Factory Floor Source:  ABB's YuMi conducting Lucca Philharmonic Orchestra in Italy ABB's New Shanghai  Robot Factory At the new ABB robot factory in China, the Swiss engineering group will use robots to make robots.  It's a $150 million, state of the art facility in Shanghai that the company just announced today.  ABB is building the factory to strategically secure and defend its place as China's largest maker of industrial robots.  YuMi, the highly acclaimed robot conductor, will be part of the workforce.  YuMi humanoid robots are designed to work side by side with people. China 2020 The new factory will open in 2020.  It's close to ABB's China robotics campus.  It will build robots for China and for export elsewhere in Asia.  China is ABB's #2 market after the US. Shanghai Global Technology Center In a statement announcing the project, ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer said:  "Shanghai has become a vital

 Innovative Bird Brains Source:  Max Planck Institute Max-Planck Institute and Oxford University Discoveries Scientists at the renowned Max-Planck Institute of Science in Germany and Oxford University in the UK have researched and shown how New Caledonian crows combine single wood parts and build long distance stick tools. It's a remarkable discovery. Crows are able to combine individual parts to form a tool to work on what they want at a distance.  It proves a crow's brain is something significant and very special. Only humans and great apes have been able to do this. Scientific Significance - Brilliant Crows The tools that the crows create are compound tools and complex, designed solely by them to reach at long distances.  The birds are able to combine two or more otherwise non-functional elements to reach their goal.  Until now, that's a task only humans and great apes have been able to do. Crows Calling What the New Caledonian crows are able to do is an am

Cleveland Clinic Landmark Research Source:  Stock Photo Cardiorespiratory Fitness is Key Here's another great reason to even more enjoy your favorite exercise like running or biking.  It's now proven to lead to a longer life.  Researchers at the renowned Cleveland Clinic have found that cardiorespiratory fitness leads to a longer life.  And they say there are no limits to the benefits of aerobic fitness. Substantive, Long Term Research Results This is a very substantive study.  The research team retrospectively studied testing results on 122,007 patients who exercised on treadmills.  The time frame is from January 1, 1991 thru December 31, 2014... almost 2 decades.  The researchers measured all causes of mortality relating to fitness and exercise. Aerobic Fitness Extends Life The researchers say aerobic fitness is the key to a long life.  And there is no limit on how much exercise is too much.  According to the study's key author, cardiologist Wae

Breakthru for VR & AR - New Ultra Lite Gloves Source:  ETH Zurich Enables Touching Virtual Objects for Real It's the ultra-lite glove that's less than 8 grams per finger.  The gloves enable you to feel, grasp and manipulate virtual objects.  The system developed by Swiss scientists provides extremely realistic feedback and could run on a tiny battery. That allows unparalleled freedom of movements for VR and AR.  This is a big development in VR, AR tech. Global Quest for This Tech Globally for years, scientists, engineers, and software developers have been trying to achieve what the scientists at ETH Zurich and EPFL have just done.  It's the quest for tech that lets users grasp, touch and manipulate virtual objects while feeling they're touching something real. Swiss Scientific Achievement The gloves are called DextrES.  They've been successfully tested on volunteers and will be presented at  an upcoming international symposium.  The gloves are comp

Emory University's Dog Project Source:  Emory University - Eddie in an MRI Fido's Brain Scientists at Emory University have concluded that dogs have at the very minimum a basic neural representation of the meaning of words they've been taught.  They differentiate between words they know and those they've never heard before. Brain Imaging with Owners On Hand Giving Commands This is one of the first studies using brain imaging to study how dogs process words associated with objects.  We all know dogs learn to understand and obey verbal commands.  But there is no substantive scientific evidence on how they do it. Eddie and Friends 11 dogs joined Eddie, pictured above, in the Dog Project, along with their owners.  The dogs were trained to voluntarily enter an MRI and remain motionless without any sedation while scanning occured.  2 objects, a stuffed animal and rubber toy, were used to monitor how the dogs associated the objects with words.  The MRI's sho