10 Breakthrough Technologies

MIT Technology Review presents these 10 breakthrough technologies. They will affect the economy and our politics, improve medicine, or influence our culture. Some are unfolding now; others will take a decade or more to develop.

One of those technologies is PAYING WITH YOUR FACE, which you can do now. Face-detecting systems in China now authorize payments, provide access to facilities, and track down criminals. Will other countries follow?

Support Group for Bots: Coping with Humans

IBM Watson is a cognitive system that''s ushering in the new era of cognitive business. Recently, a group of battered science fiction bots spoke about their yen to take over the world and their dislike for working with humans. Unlike them, Watson works with humans to out-think competitors, challenges, limits.

Robots in our Brains

Google's Director of Engineering, Ray Kurzweil, predicts that humans will be hybrid robots by 2030.

That is when nanobots will be implanted into our brains so we can expand our intelligence by directly tapping into the Internet.

Hybrid robots, we understand that.

DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals

NASA's quadrupedal RoboSimian

The DRC is a competition of robot systems and software teams vying to develop robots capable of assisting humans in responding to natural and man-made disasters. It was designed to be extremely difficult. Participating teams, represent some of the most advanced robotics research and development organizations in the world, 

To qualify for the DRC Finals, the teams had to submit videos showing successful completion of five sample tasks: engage an emergency shut-off  switch, get up from a prone position, loco-mote ten meters without falling, pass over a barrier, and rotate a circular valve 360 degrees.

25 teams will compete during the two-day event, to be held June 5-6, 2015, at Fairplex in Pomona, California.

DARPA Robotics Challenge

2015 Top 10 Tech Tips for Resolution

We computed your Top 10:

1. Check your backup procedure: Backup solutions are not a “set it and forget it” process. Definitely need to verify the process is still working and that the destinations drive(s) are functioning.

2. Check your anti-virus software program: Make sure it is up to date, that it is scanning regularly. (Microsoft Security Essentials is available to small businesses on up to 10 PCs for free)

3. Tidy the desktop: Clear off old icons, files, and folders.

4. Organize: Keep your computer software all in one place and easily accessible.

5. Insurance: Inventory all your computing hardware.

6. Establish one location: Use one notebook, one folder, whatever it may be, for all your User ID’s, login passwords, email passwords, router settings and anything to do with computing.

7. Change passwords: Time for a better password then yesterday. Help keep the bad guys out of your account by using both your password and your phone. Always sign up for 2-Step verification.

8. Replace power strips: Use a power surge protector. Power strips are great for plugging in lamps, speakers, pencil sharpeners, but not your monitors, routers, backup drives, computers, etc.

9. Replace worn devices: All computing devices fail.

10. Maintenance your computers: Every 3-6 months - clean out temp files, patch it, updated it, stop unwanted startup programs, check the antivirus and backup process.

These 2015 Top 10 tech tips for resolution have been brought to you by tech3Support. Happy shiny new tech year. Best of luck with your other resolutions too.

Robot Pilots

In this video, the pilot is itself a humanoid robot, learning how to fly an airplane in a flight simulator. With a panel of controls in its mechanical fingers, the PIBOT uses visual information, presented on a computer monitor, to inform its flying. 
Right now, the concept is limited to piloting simulators, but the researchers hope to have PIBOT actually steer a plane some day.

Jibo: The World's First Family Robot

Muscle-Powered Bio-Bots

Engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign demonstrated a class of walking “bio-bots” powered by muscle cells and controlled with electrical pulses, giving researchers unprecedented command over their function.

“This work represents an important first step in the development and control of biological machines that can be stimulated, trained, or programmed to do work. It's exciting to think that this system could eventually evolve into a generation of biological machines that could aid in drug delivery, surgical robotics, 'smart' implants, or mobile environmental analyzers, among countless other applications.”

via New Bureau | Illinois

"Luke Arm" Receives FDA Approval

After nearly eight years of development and testing, this robotic arm for amputees has been approved for commercialization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The "Luke Arm," whose official name is DEKA Arm System, is one of the most advanced robotic prostheses ever built. Its creators nicknamed it the "Luke Arm," after Luke Skywalker’s ultra-advanced bionic limb.

What makes the DEKA Arm unique is that it can carry out multiple, simultaneous powered movements, and its wrist and fingers can adjust its positions to perform six different user-selectable grips. In addition, force sensors let the robotic hand precisely control its grasp.

via IEEE SPECTRUM

iREX 2013 Robot Mashup

Countless robots were on display at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo. Here is the best of the IREX robots, all mashed up. 

NASA's Super Hero Robot

G.I. Joe Bot

In 20 to 40 years, humanoid robots, using human tools, could precede soldiers into dangerous areas, performing tasks such as turning a wrench to open valves, opening doors and climbing ladders. Some day, the Army might send autonomous robots into battle to physically engage with the enemy.

To get some of the “smarts” into the robots, the Army is working with 5D Robotics Inc., a robotics software company, which in turn is working with DRS Technologies and Segway Inc. 5D said it is trying to integrate human behaviors into robots, such as robotic assistants that carry soldier’s packs or small wheeled robots the size of a big shoe box that can carry cameras into dangerous areas.

Jackie Fenn, an analyst with Gartner Inc., said the hardest part about building military robots will be making them able to move easily and quickly over tough, often dangerous, terrain. That, she added, will be harder to do than making them smart enough to act autonomously.

The largest unmanned vehicle ever deployed with U.S. ground forces, the Lockheed Martin Squad Mission Support System leverages robotic technologies for unmanned transport and logistical support for light, early entry and special operations forces. It solves capability gaps by lightening the Soldier’s load and serving as a power management resource.

via Computerworld