Tag: robots

Top 5 Tech Innovations In 2018
Humans have reached an era where technology is growing faster than ever. We are able to innovate and develop new technologies that were previously only considered fantasy. The year 2018 has been remarkable not only in terms of new breakthroughs but a lot of old technologies which are now consumer ready. Here is a list of five such technologies that are as revolutionary as they sound.

In-display Fingerprint Sensor:

Fingerprint recognition technology has been around since the early 70s. However, the equipment to record and verify the fingerprint was bulky and difficult to carry. But with the advancement of technology, engineers are able to shrink the size of these sensors greatly. In the past decade alone, these sensors have shrunken so much that they can now be integrated into modern day smartphones. Apple was the first company to feature this tiny engineering feat on their smartphones (iPhone 5S). Now, this technology has matured so much so that they can now be equipped under the display of a smartphone.

Vivo was the first company to launch a smartphone (Vivo X20 Plus UD) with an in-display fingerprint sensor which was not globally available. OnePlus launched the OnePlus 6T smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor which is globally available. Fingerprint sensors are available in four types which are as follows:
- Optical Scanner
- CMOS Scanner
- Ultrasound Scanner
- Thermal Scanner
The Current in-display fingerprint sensors make use of the Optical Scanner technology. These types of scanner are quite secure but cannot match the accuracy and speed of an Ultrasound Scanner. Qualcomm, an American chipmaker has readied a fingerprint scanner that uses sound waves to record and identify the ridges of a human fingerprint. This technology can match biometrics even if the user’s hands are dirty or oily as sound waves can penetrate these substances and accurately verify the correct fingerprint. The reason we don’t have a commercial phone with this technology is the high price of technology. However, future smartphones will feature this technology.

Commercial 3D Printing

3D Printing is a process of making a three-dimensional tangible object that works by laying multiple layers of a material in succession. The first manufacturing equipment and filaments for 3D printing were seen in the 1980s. The technology then was only limited to plastics and polymers. Over the years, scientists have experimented with various materials that can be 3D printed. A handful example of 3D printing technology includes concrete buildings, plastic parts, food, and even metal parts.

3D Printed Shoes

The shoemaker Adidas has collaborated with Carbon 3D inc, a 3D printer manufacturing company to launch a shoe with a 3D printed midsole. Carbon makes use of Stereolithography (SLA) which is a form of 3D printing. The printer UV projects a laser in a bath full of resin which hardens it a forms the desired shape. Till now SLA was only used to manufacture large industrial parts because of its slow speed. Carbon has now managed to control the amount of oxygen which plays a major role in forming a part. The combination of laser projection and controlled oxygen has allowed the company to create high-resolution parts rapidly.

The Adidas AlphaEdge 4D is made to order as per the size and shape of the customer’s feet. The shoes are very lightweight and flexible which provide a lot a comfort to its wearer. Adidas claims without the use of 3D printing it is not possible to make such a midsole. As the current injection molding technology is incapable of producing such a complex shape. Most companies currently mass-produce shoes, and therefore, the customer needs to settle with existing sizes that are available in the market. But, 3D printing can reshape how shoes are made in the future. In the future, one would walk into a store and get a custom shoe made in no time. Furthermore, if the technology evolves, even more, the whole shoe including the outsole and the upper part can be 3D printed.

Artificial Intelligence

AI(Artificial Intelligence) is also referred to as machine intelligence. It is a concept with which the machines can make decisions themselves without much interference from humans. Artificial intelligence ranges across a wide variety of platforms like speech recognition to language translation to visual perception. AI is a branch of computer science that involves the development of computer programs which would otherwise require human intelligence. Developers intend to create algorithms that can self-learn by understanding the actual functioning of that particular field.

AI In Smartphones

Modern day smartphones have AI algorithms which allow for better system optimastion. The smartphones are able to analyse the usage patterns and enable or disable features which can prolong the battery backup. Additionally, smartphone cameras also have AI scene detection. The devices are able to select the best scene modes dependent on various aspects like the subject and the amount of light.

Blade-Less Air-Flow Technology

Dyson was founded in the year by 1991 a British inventor, James Dyson. James Dyson redesigned the induction motor and the air impeller. This redesign allows Dyson products to pump air without a visible fan blade. The exit vent is designed in such a shape that it creates a vacuum-like effect. This vacuum-like effect forces in up to 15x air than what was originally pumped by the impeller.

Dyson Bladeless Hairdryer

The Dyson Supersonic bladeless hairdryer has a hollow vent that blows hot air. It has a small turbine motor in the handle which can reach speeds of up to of 1,10,000 rpm (rotations per minute). It also has a built-in temperature sensor which connects to a microprocessor. The sensor and processor duo continuously measure the air temperature and ensure that they stay under 320 Fahrenheit. As air above this temperature has a tendency to damage the hair.

Airless Tires

Airless tires, unlike the conventional tire, do not have an inner tube and do not use compressed air to the create cushion like effect. Rather its side walls are made in the shape of a mesh which provides the cushion required to drive comfortably on roads. It is of great use in heavy vehicles that work in non-paved terrain. As the sharp rocky surface can easily puncture a normal tire.

Michelin Tweel

Michelin first started developing an airless tire back in 2005. The company has dubbed their airless tire as Tweel. The word Tweel is derived from the combination of two words ‘tire’ and “wheel”. Although, the company showcased their early prototypes in 2013-2014 the commercial product was released in 2018. The current range of tires is available for devices like ATV’s (All Terrain Vehicles), Forklifts and Golf carts. The wheels are designed in such a shape that they also act as shock absorbers for heavy vehicles. The technology looks promising and if it can match the life and stability as regular tires they will make their way on to transportation vehicles and cars.
December 7, 2018
Sad Security Robot Drowns Itself Outside The Building It Was Supposed to Keep Secure

It might not be the first time when K5 mall security robot made the news. Last summer, the K-5 robot tripped a 16-month-old toddler and drove away. The security patrol robot is a five-foot, 300-pound machine which reportedly hit the toddler on the head and then ran over his leg. Breaking Asimov’s first law of robotics: “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”, the Knightscope bot might have to work on its people skills. Whereas this time, the K-5 bot seems to have taken the ” be more human” phrase way too seriously. A DC based Knightscope K5 security robot decided to take a dip in a fountain inside the office building it was apparently supposed to keep secure. Though it is unknown as to why the bot chose to drown itself in a fountain inside the office vicinity, two of the bystanders, @bilalfarooqui and @gregpinelo tweeted the following images of the drowning bot.

Our D.C. office building got a security robot. It drowned itself.

We were promised flying cars, instead we got suicidal robots. pic.twitter.com/rGLTAWZMjn — Bilal Farooqui (@bilalfarooqui) July 17, 2017

It’s a fun day here at @gmmb. The super high-tech security robot at our office complex has had a mishap. pic.twitter.com/nhRshrJA9w

— Greg Pinelo (@gregpinelo) July 17, 2017

K5 security robots are designed to patrol areas like office buildings and malls, “gather data with smart eyes and ears,” and “guide themselves” through “complex environments.” The bots are meant to automatically detect “concerns” (definitely failed to detect its own concerns though) and “threats”. The bot’s rocket-like shape and armless design makes it difficult to get up after toppling over, but something tells us that this Knightscope robot wasn’t looking to get back up. The robot’s free fall in the fountain seemed like an act of giving up. So much for free will.

It is 2017 , but, suicidal and toddler knocking robots are all we get for now. Hoping that the future with better robots is here quicker, at least before all our robotics end up in the drink !

July 18, 2017
MWC 2016 : Futuristic Robots on Display

The recently concluded Mobile World Congress, despite its tag of being the biggest Mobile Phone Expo in the World was witness to a host of other technological advancements. From innovative technologies that promise to charge your phone in 15 minutes, to modular attachments for phones, Mobile World Congress, 2016 had it all.

But more importantly for the tech enthusiast inside all of us, Barcelona bore witness to number of bots from the future which could pretty soon be helping us in our daily lives. So without further ado, here is the list of the top bots on display at the Mobile World Congress, 2016.

Pepper the Human-like Robot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJwNoaCN0TY

“Pepper,” the humanoid is programmed to be a home-helper and business assistant. The bot can dance and hold a conversation as well as act as a reminder system; it also has a tablet that can access the internet and operate apps. But it’s most salient quality is its ability to read people’s emotions and react in kind.

Aldebaran, the french based parent company of “Pepper” hopes to make the humanoid capable of caring for the elderly, a growing population around the world with little support. The humanoid robot speaks and interprets 20 languages. “Pepper” also comes with a set of gestures such as high-fives and fist bumps but can also be equipped with more such gestures through customization.

Making all this work is the tech hidden Inside Pepper’s little head. Pepper boasts of four microphones, two HD cameras (in the mouth and forehead), and a 3D depth sensor (behind the eyes) which helps it to pick up on speech patterns and facial expressions, and to use these cues to recognize the emotional state of anyone Pepper interacts with.

Sony Xperia Agent

The Xperia Agent as Sony intends it to be is a mix of a watchdog, butler, and an assistant which can be controlled with your voice, gestures, and more. This bot is essentially a smart hub equipped with a rotating camera, a two-way microphone, a speaker system, a projector, and Wi-Fi so that it can perform a wide range of tasks, including information retrieval, message delivery, and even automated control of your home appliances for you.

Xperia Agent can do tasks like recognize when you walk into your house, and then automatically turn on your lights for you, play your favorite playlists, and tell you about the calls you missed. The project is still under development, but upon its completion, the Xperia Agent is to possess a more of a natural, human interface you can have a conversation with.

Sharp RoBoHoN

Sharp’s new RoboHon look like a cross between “Pepper” the Robot and a Lego figure. RoboHon is a small robot phone that is 8 inches tall and can take calls, read emails, and be of great help snapping pictures of you and your friends at your the next house party.

RoboHon is majorly controlled through voice commands and unlike Pepper isn’t adept at gestures and understanding human emotions, but it does come with a small touchscreen on its back for tasks that are more complex. It is possible to ask the RoboHon questions. It connects to the net to find answers and speaks instead of showing a result on a screen.In addition to answering questions, the uber cool droid can be asked to dance and it responds ‘look how good I am,’ before showing some smooth robotic moves.

Starship Technologies Delivery Bot

Move aside humans, future of pizza delivery is here! This delivery bot that goes by the name of Starship is an autonomous delivery robot from Starship Technologies, that can drive on footpaths, and sideways and hopefully in the future will do most of the delivering for you. Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, the brains behind this project want the Starship to become a common thing for our cities as they see huge potential in the idea to help small suburban businesses by making low-cost deliveries with almost no added infrastructure.

Starship can reach maximum speeds of 6.5 KM/h and has a capacity of carrying weight of 10 KG. But the what works in the Starship’s favour is that it seems inherently safer than the delivery drones and autonomous trucks that Amazon and Google are planning for us. Starship’s onboard cameras and AI help it avoid running into objects, and the robot will even move out of the way of nearby pedestrians.

February 27, 2016
Hasbro Helps You Fight Loneliness With its New Robotic Kitty

Good bye, ‘forever alone’ moments as Hasbro comes up with a solution for the lonely. The company has come out with a robotic cat which purs, meows and responds to touch. You don’t have to worry about cleaning up after them, feeding them, deciphering their unpredictable mood swings and selective affection with these new kitties.

The Joy for All companion pets are primarily designed for the elderly who often find themselves struggling with loneliness. But feel free to get yourself one of these furry robots if they catch your fancy. They are up for sale at a price of $99.99 or about Rs. 6,600.

Just recently, Japan had introduced us to Pepper, the first ever fully functional humanoid robot meant to provide companionship. A lot of people seem to be welcoming the idea of finding warmth and comfort in Artificial Intelligence and its various forms. Would you be willing to try and connect with an AI a la ‘Her’? Let us know in the comments below.

November 19, 2015
Google Might Be Trying To Turn Robots Into Domestic Helpers

Google-owned robots are somewhat like YouTube stars, however, Google still is not ready to discuss their robotics operations publicly. Reports suggest, that they are currently laying a foundation for ‘intelligent and multipurpose robots’.

Further reports also have suggested that Google wants to separate their internet services from their research arms and unrelated businesses. So, going ahead with that goal, they will be creating a separate robotics division for robotics within Alphabet. Boston Robotics, which is a company that makes robots for the US military will be operating within Alphabet with some independence.

Google’s robotics division has made great strides towards their goals especially with the autonomy they get under Alphabet. They have eight robotics acquisitions including Boston Dynamics and are using their resources to build domestic helpers or security droids for the future.

To update us on what they’re working on, Google sometimes publishes research papers and one of these papers was recently published in Cornell University’s Arxiv repository. This particular paper revealed that the company has been “experimenting with feeding short video clips into machines’ electronic brains to improve their vision.”

All signs point to the fact that Google is making an effort to make robots a part of our domestic lives soon. Till then, let’s just hope we don’t really have to ever be in an I-Robot type situation ever.

October 5, 2015