Tag Archives: evolving
#431957 Is Conversation with Humans the Best ...
Robots are evolving in fascinating ways. Cloud computing, big data and the Internet of Things have all helped open new doors for artificial intelligence. Robots are also learning from much simpler mediums, such as human speech. Researchers Hit Roadblocks With AI Development Some experts believe that engaging in conversations with humans is going to play …
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#431671 The Doctor in the Machine: How AI Is ...
Artificial intelligence has received its fair share of hype recently. However, it’s hype that’s well-founded: IDC predicts worldwide spend on AI and cognitive computing will culminate to a whopping $46 billion (with a “b”) by 2020, and all the tech giants are jumping on board faster than you can say “ROI.” But what is AI, exactly?
According to Hilary Mason, AI today is being misused as a sort of catch-all term to basically describe “any system that uses data to do anything.” But it’s so much more than that. A truly artificially intelligent system is one that learns on its own, one that’s capable of crunching copious amounts of data in order to create associations and intelligently mimic actual human behavior.
It’s what powers the technology anticipating our next online purchase (Amazon), or the virtual assistant that deciphers our voice commands with incredible accuracy (Siri), or even the hipster-friendly recommendation engine that helps you discover new music before your friends do (Pandora). But AI is moving past these consumer-pleasing “nice-to-haves” and getting down to serious business: saving our butts.
Much in the same way robotics entered manufacturing, AI is making its mark in healthcare by automating mundane, repetitive tasks. This is especially true in the case of detecting cancer. By leveraging the power of deep learning, algorithms can now be trained to distinguish between sets of pixels in an image that represents cancer versus sets that don’t—not unlike how Facebook’s image recognition software tags pictures of our friends without us having to type in their names first. This software can then go ahead and scour millions of medical images (MRIs, CT scans, etc.) in a single day to detect anomalies on a scope that humans just aren’t capable of. That’s huge.
As if that wasn’t enough, these algorithms are constantly learning and evolving, getting better at making these associations with each new data set that gets fed to them. Radiology, dermatology, and pathology will experience a giant upheaval as tech giants and startups alike jump in to bring these deep learning algorithms to a hospital near you.
In fact, some already are: the FDA recently gave their seal of approval for an AI-powered medical imaging platform that helps doctors analyze and diagnose heart anomalies. This is the first time the FDA has approved a machine learning application for use in a clinical setting.
But how efficient is AI compared to humans, really? Well, aside from the obvious fact that software programs don’t get bored or distracted or have to check Facebook every twenty minutes, AI is exponentially better than us at analyzing data.
Take, for example, IBM’s Watson. Watson analyzed genomic data from both tumor cells and healthy cells and was ultimately able to glean actionable insights in a mere 10 minutes. Compare that to the 160 hours it would have taken a human to analyze that same data. Diagnoses aside, AI is also being leveraged in pharmaceuticals to aid in the very time-consuming grunt work of discovering new drugs, and all the big players are getting involved.
But AI is far from being just a behind-the-scenes player. Gartner recently predicted that by 2025, 50 percent of the population will rely on AI-powered “virtual personal health assistants” for their routine primary care needs. What this means is that consumer-facing voice and chat-operated “assistants” (think Siri or Cortana) would, in effect, serve as a central hub of interaction for all our connected health devices and the algorithms crunching all our real-time biometric data. These assistants would keep us apprised of our current state of well-being, acting as a sort of digital facilitator for our personal health objectives and an always-on health alert system that would notify us when we actually need to see a physician.
Slowly, and thanks to the tsunami of data and advancements in self-learning algorithms, healthcare is transitioning from a reactive model to more of a preventative model—and it’s completely upending the way care is delivered. Whether Elon Musk’s dystopian outlook on AI holds any weight or not is yet to be determined. But one thing’s certain: for the time being, artificial intelligence is saving our lives.
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#431399 How Is Technology Evolving Over Time?
What was humanity’s first invention? Some say it was the wheel, while others say it was fire. But perhaps it was our invention of communication. Without this, no tool can be conceptualized, built, replicated, and improved upon by others over time.
Over the years, how we communicate has evolved immensely. Today, many of our inventions are focused on creating faster ways of communicating with each other, and in the process, we’re creating more data than humans can comprehend. Now, a new tool, artificial intelligence, is emerging at the nexus of all this.
How will AI aid and even accelerate technological progress?
Watch this episode of Tech-x-planations and learn more about the evolution of technology and the incredible potential of AI.
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#431130 Innovative Collaborative Robot sets new ...
Press Release by: HMK
As the trend of Industry 4.0 takes the world by storm, collaborative robots and smart factories are becoming the latest hot topic. At this year’s PPMA show, HMK will demonstrate the world’s first collaborative robot with built-in vision recognition from Techman Robot.
The new TM5 Cobot from HMK merges systems that usually function separately in conventional robots, the Cobot is the only collaborative robot to incorporate simple programming, a fully integrated vision system and the latest safety standards in a single unit.
With capabilities including direction identification, self-calibration of coordinates and visual task operation enabled by built-in vision, the TM5 can fine-tune in accordance with actual conditions at any time to accomplish complex processes that used to demand the integration of various equipment; it requires less manpower and time to recalibrate when objects or coordinates move and thus significantly improves flexibility as well as reducing maintenance cost.
Photo Credit: hmkdirect.com
Simple.Programming could not be easier. Using an easy to use flow chart program, TM-Flow will run on any tablet, PC or laptop over a wireless link to the TM control box, complex automation tasks can be realised in minutes. Clever teach functions and wizards also allow hand guided programming and easy incorporation of operation such as palletising, de-palletising and conveyor tracking.
SmartThe TM5 is the only cobot to feature a full colour vision package as standard mounted on the wrist of the robot, which in turn, is fully supported within TM-Flow. The result allows users to easily integrate the robot to the application, without complex tooling and the need for expensive add-on vision hardware and programming.
SafeThe recently CE marked TM5 now incorporates the new ISO/TS 15066 guidelines on safety in collaborative robots systems, which covers four types of collaborative operation:a) Safety-rated monitored stopb) Hand guidingc) Speed and separation monitoringd) Power and force limitingSafety hardware inputs also allow the Cobot to be integrated to wider safety systems.
When you add EtherCat and Modbus network connectivity and I/O expansion options, IoT ready network access and ex-stock delivery, the TM5 sets a new benchmark for this evolving robotics sector.
The TM5 is available with two payload options, 4Kg and 6Kg with a reach of 900mm and 700mm respectively, both with positioning capabilities to a repeatability of 0.05mm.
HMK will be showcasing the new TM5 Cobot at this year’s PPMA show at the NEC, visit stand F102 to get hands on the with the Cobot and experience the innovative and intuitive graphic HMI and hand-guiding features.
For more information contact HMK on 01260 279411, email sales@hmkdirect.com or visit www.hmkdirect.com
Photo Credit: hmkdirect.com
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