Important Innovations

  D A ILY INNOVATION BRIEF               By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane RACE TO BUILD NEW COMMERCIAL SPACE STATION                                                                 Source:  Voyager Space & Airbus France-based aerospace and aviation giant Airbus has officially partnered in a JV with Denver-based Voyager Space to develop, build and operate a commercial international space station to replace the soon-to-retire ISS (International Space Station) Here are some pertinent facts: Voyager's space station under development is called Spacelab Spacelab has received significant funding from NASA and has cleared most spaceflight and operational requirements Airbus just became the co-owner of Spacelab The goal is to become ISS' permanent successor when it retires in 2030 Spacelab is in competition with several other spacelab concepts, including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, Northrup and Axiom, all of which also received NASA funding Starlab expects to launch a

  D AILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                          By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane  MIT'S FAST-THINKING AI FOR VERY SMART ROBOTS                                                                           Source:  Stock Home Robots MIT researchers have created a new AI system for household robots that makes them smarter & faster by enhancing their capabilities to plan & problem solve by 80% Called PIGINet, the AI quickens the robot's reaction time and decision-making on how to respond to owners' orders in the fast-paced dynamics of a family household Until now, household robots have relied on a pre-determined set of actions and, as a result, are seldom quick PIGINet stands for "Plans, Images, Goals, Initial Facts"  The neural network assimilates the facts and then helps to quickly determine the robot's responses to requests from the household The roboticists fe

   D AILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                          By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane FISKER'S E-SUV SETS NEW RANGE RECORD                                             Source:  Fisker California-based Fisker just announced the range on a charge of its new electric Ocean SUV - 360 miles which makes it #1 in the affordable new electric vehicle category Ocean is a compact, 5-seat e-SUV, designed by Henrik Fisker, whose credits include the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9 Unique tech features:   PowerBank - allows appliances and electronics to be charged by the SUV PowerShare - Can transfer power from the EV to another EV in an emergency Solar roof that produces 1500 extra clean miles a year Central touchscreen on dash that rotates from portrait to landscape 360 mile range on top model with starting price of $68,999 2nd level model has 340 mile range Base EV with 250-mile range starts at $37,499

  D AILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                          By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane YOUR PERSONAL 1-SEAT eVTOL                                                                          Source:  McClic MC One Monaco-based eVTOL company McClic just launched the MC One, a personal flying machine that's a coaxial octocopter It's a streamlined, easy to use, one-seater that's essentially a fuselage connected to 4 beams with 2 propellers on each beam Range:  12 to 15 minutes on a charge Top speed:  50 mph  Cost:  $150,000  Flies like a drone with a flight control system that automatically balances the electric vehicle, makes adjustments based on wind conditions & allows the pilot to enjoy the flight Can be flown after 10 minutes of training Flies at an angle up to 55-degrees Can carry a pilot up to 198 pounds Can be ordered for delivery next year. GM'S BIG ADVANTAGE:  GM CHINA DESI

  THE TESLA TEASE                                                                                      Source:  Tesla Tesla CEO Elon Musk is teasing that big news will be announced on Tesla Investors Day on March 1st, including the possibility of a new Tesla concept car The surprise car could be one of the concept vehicles that Musk has been teasing about:  a fully autonomous robotaxi, a new van or a $30,000 small passenger car for dense urban areas Analysts expect Musk to reveal the mass production version of the long-awaited Cybertruck Cybertruck is Tesla's 1st electric pickup, that's expected to be a cash cow and go into production this year CEO Musk will present his Master Plan 3 to transform transportation and save the planet through a fully sustainable energy future Musk says his presentation will offer "great hope and positivity for the future". ROBOTS TO DO 40% OF HOUSEHOLD TASKS                                                  Source:  Sony Experts predict th

AI's Big Future:  Retail and Banking Are the Biggest Users Source:  AI Stock Image $110 Billion Global AI Spending by 2024 Artificial intelligence, also known as deep machine learning, has a very big global future.  According to a new forecast by the global market intelligence firm IDC, global spending on AI will reach $50 billion in 2020 and more than double to $110 billion in 2024.  According to the IDC study, AI is the primary tool that will enable businesses to be "agile, innovative and scale". Big Drivers of AI The big drivers for AI adoption are delivering better customer experiences and helping employees to get better at their jobs.  The retail and banking industries are the biggest AI spenders.   And, in terms of 2020 market shares, the biggest AI deployments are: Robotic customer service reps (11.3%) Sales process recommendations and automation (7.1%) Cybersecurity/ automated threat intelligence and prevention (6.6%) IT automation (6.3%) Fraud analysis and inves

Big Partnership: Microsoft & US Dept. of Energy Source:  DARPA  AI Targets Include Extreme Weather, Natural Disaster Predictions  Microsoft and the US Department of Energy (DOE) are spearheading a   new partnership to create artificial intelligence (AI) tools capable of  predicting natural disasters like the global extreme weather events and historic California wildfires that we are experiencing from Climate Change.  The AI partnership includes the Pentagon's Joint AI Center, the Pacific Northwest National Lab along with Microsoft and the US Department of Energy.  The AI partnership was just announced. Climate Change and Extreme Weather One of the most exciting potential applications of AI is to forecast and predict Climate Change and extreme weather conditions, like the historic flooding in China, the record breaking back to back hurricanes hitting Louisiana and the blistering heat much of the world endured in the summer of 2020. Global weather services have satellites, comput

Added Layer of Safety Stanford University scientists have just developed an artificial intelligence camera that could be used to help robot cars avoid obstacles and better navigate the roads. Image Recognition System The image recognition technology underlying this breakthrough relies on artificial intelligence.  The computers teach themselves to recognize objects like a pedestrian crossing the street, a dog running across a road and stopped cars. Stanford System "Lightning Fast" The problem has been the computers currently running AI algorithms are too big and slow for applications like the rapid decision making needed for autonomous cars or hand-held medical devices.  The Stanford team combined 2 types of computers to create a faster and less energy intensive image process.  They say it works lightning fast and circumvents millions of calculations. Next Steps The system has been successfully tested by simulation and in the real world.  It accurately identifies

I am Not a Robot! Yesterday, I blogged about robot attorneys.  It's forecasted that by 2030, robotics and artificial intelligence will dominate the legal profession and totally restructure it. The robotic revolution goes across industries. Oxford University researchers forecast 47% of all US jobs will be held by robots within 20 years.  As a journalist, I wondered if similar disruptions could possibly happen in the world of news and sports reporting.  Much to my chagrin, the answer is yes. Robo News on a TV and NewsStand Near You Robotics have had a significant photographic role in the news business.  Robotic cameras have been in television studios for news and entertainment programs in the US for about 15 years.  And drone cameras are used by the print and broadcast press to shoot stills and video particularly in breaking news situations. Drone cameras are common even in small news markets, like Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  But traditionally the live observations and fact

My Attorney The Robot The robotic workforce is on the rise.  Oxford University estimates that 47% of all US jobs will be held by robots within the next twenty years.  The most vulnerable jobs are repetitive tasks such as assembly line work and restaurant wait and kitchen staff.  But more intellectual, creative positions are also being claimed by robots.  Case in point: robot attorneys. Scales of Justice Tilt Robotic Instead of an army of lawyers and paralegals reviewing reams of documents and billing on an hourly basis, robots can do it efficiently and at a fraction of the cost.  A Palo Alto, California company has developed software that can analyze 1.5 million documents for under $100,000.  That means law firm staffs billed out to do document reviews are becoming passe, thanks to artificial intelligence and robotics.  As one law firm managing partner put it, robots don't get bored, don't get headaches and don't make mistakes.  They also don't bill at astronom

MIT's Drones with NanoMaps MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has developed new technology that guides drones to avoid collisions as they fly.  It's an artificial intelligence "Artful Dodger" system.  And it's important new innovation. No Collision Course MIT's NanoMap models in the uncertainty of changing conditions as the drones fly.  The system includes depth sensors that constantly measure the distance between  the drone and objects around it.  This creates an image for the machine of where it's been and where it's headed.  That information storage allows the drone to plan its motion and avoid crashing into objects in its path. Passed the Pilots Test DARPA,  the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, is part of the funding behind this research. And, the "Artful Dodgers" have been successfully tested.  The drones flew through dense forests and warehouses at 20 mph without any

Sherlock Holmes with AI Israel is a global center of innovation in a number of sectors, including 3D Printing, cancer research and Artificial Intelligence.  Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev are putting AI to work to predict, deter and fight crime.  It's fascinating research developing AI innovation that could be highly beneficial to fight crime globally.  You might call the program "Sherlock Holmes empowered by artificial intelligence." Ben-Gurion University of the Negev- Israeli Police AI Program Israeli researchers are using AI tools, incorporating advanced cyber and big data, to predict and prevent crime.  They believe they're on the threshold of the next big crime-fighting breakthrough.  Specifically, analyzing big data to uncover patterns that result in crime prediction and prevention.  It's an AI pre-emptive strike on crime. University Center for Computational Criminology The University just launched the Center for Com