Alphabet (Google) announced through its urban planning subsidiary CommonSpace a new application that will allow people to conduct surveys of how residents use open spaces, such as parks.  The idea is to let people collect data on how parks and other public spaces are used, what is popular, and what is forgotten, and then use that data to plan for future renovations, projects or even brand new parks so that they optimize the value of the spaces.

The new app, CommonSpace, follows a standard data collections process in accordance with the Public Life Data Protocol, an open data standard.  It also is aware of the obvious privacy concerns, since data could include people in the park not aware of the data collection going on, so privacy parameters are set up and the app is using Privacy by Design.  This app seems like a great tool to collect important data about how we use important public resources, but at a reasonable cost.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/29/sidewalk-labs-launches-an-app-to-crowdsource-public-space-surveys/

The federal government is buying 300 CT machines to replace the x-ray machines currently being used at airports to screen carry-on bags.  The new machines can create 3-D images of the contents of the bags so that passengers do not have to remove items, like liquids and computers, during screening. The new machines should make it easier for passengers, although during the testing phase of the new machines it has not reduce wait times yet.  The TSA thinks eventually the wait times should go down once passengers get used to the new rules, but the TSA might also have to hire more workers when the machines are installed.

https://about.bgov.com/news/laptops-to-stay-in-bags-as-tsa-brings-new-technology-to-airports/

The Forbes article “Eight Sectors That Could Benefit From Open Source Programs” breaks down the value attributed to the growing ‘open source movement.’ According to the ‘Forbes’ article, the appeal of open source is growing as “53% of companies across all industries either have an open source software program or plan to develop one (hyperlink) . Three sectors in the article proved how beneficial these programs could be for the average citizen as open source effects new businesses, academics, and medical care. These three areas benefit significantly from the foundational elements of open source software.

The open source setup enables organizations to focus on the quality of service and efficiency rather than building and dealing with the unique and possibly unsupported operating system. By reviewing this article, I now see the direct positive effect these non-patented systems can have on a variety of communities. Overall this new topic has taught me that ‘open source programs’ like ‘Linux’ promote flexibility while granting organizations access guidance in managing data methodically.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/03/22/eight-sectors-that-could-benefit-from-open-source-programs/#4d8e6eb47863

While some people fish for entertainment, others do it to make a career. For those who have seen the deadliest catch, it is obvious this can be a dangerous job at times. Sometimes fishermen risk their lives to try and find fish or crabs that may not even be in the area. PowerVision has created an underwater drone called a “PowerDolphin” that can obtain information about the fish in a certain area and take pictures and videos of the water below or above and live stream them back to the controller. It can not only carry information about fish distribution but topography as well. This way, fishermen have the ability to find the patterns and locations of fish to create an easier and safer job. The PowerDolphin automatically scans the area and is able to be wirelessly controlled no matter the water conditions.

For sport use, the PowerDolpin is able to recommend smart fishing points based on patterns and is equipped to tow a fishing rod and greatly extend the bait to seize an optimal fishing opportunity. Once the fish is caught, the PowerDolphin can drag the fish back using it’s the auto-return feature – this navigation is able to work no matter the weather conditions it will not be stranded in the middle of the ocean. With this, the PowerDolphin is also equipped with technology to remotely find those who are unable to swim and deliver a life preserver to them.

This is the first major underwater drone advancement that is able to capture both photo and video with a high tech dual camera while also assisting in life saving advancements for fishermen. The PowerDolphin is essentially able to save lives while making fishing for fun an easier and less time-consuming activity. This invention could lead to progress on the exploration of 95% of the ocean that is still unexplored. This technology could be used for environmental, scientific, and even medical advancement.

PowerDolphin

https://www.thedrive.com/aerial/17533/the-powerdolphin-underwater-drone-was-just-unveiled-at-ces

      We’ve all seen or heard of those films that take what we call artificial intelligence, and make them into sentient or human-like beings. Examples include the films Ex Machina directed by Alex Garland, I, Robot directed by Alex Proyas, and Avengers: Age of Ultron directed by Joss Whedon. All are drastically different films, but share one unsettling concept, can AIs ever develop a sort of consciousness? The go-to answer is no; of course not. But people constantly try and test the question of how close we can get.

      Mindy Weisberger from Live Science references a professor from University of Oxford named Edith Elkind, whom states that we’re not even close to creating machines that are self-aware. Weisberger analyzes what the scientists call the “three stages of consciousness”, the last stage being able to backtrack and analyze your own actions, and fixing them. Thinking about AIs, even if some can perform such tasks, it’s easy to say that they are not self-aware, they are programmed to fix their errors. If we cannot achieve such a thing as AIs with self-awareness with our modern technology, what are the real issues with developing more advanced AI?

      Well, everyone can agree that the purpose of AI is to make our lives easier. AI do things for us infinitely faster than we could ourselves. This, of course, is why the idea of self-aware AIs makes people so uncomfortable. They’re programmed to do anything that we want them to. Vishal Marria on Forbes talks about AI’s in a work environment, and how they can replace jobs. Another concern many have about the advancement of AIs is that they replace people in the workplace, and where are those people going to find jobs if their job was taken by an AI? Of course, a lot of people believe that this will make businesses better and that AI is a benefit to workers, not a hindrance. AIs can perform a variety of tasks much better than the average person, and will essentially make everything easier in our society. But if AIs are replacing people, than it’s hard to think about what’s in store for the less privileged side of our communities. Does the advancement of technology and AIs mean negative things for us in the long-run? If there’s a machine for everything, and people do nothing, it could mean disastrous things for the human race. Not to mention that AIs would have access to everything, and people’s privacy would be slim to none. Although there are both benefits and drawbacks for the technological advancement of AIs, it’s a valuable asset to continue developing, but it’s important to think of the consequences as well.

References:

Marria, Vishal. “The Future of Artificial Intelligence In The Workplace.” Forbes, Forbes          Magazine, 11 Jan. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/vishalmarria/2019/01/11/the-future-        of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-workplace/#68e4f3c73d4d.

Weisberger, Mindy. “Will AI Ever Become Conscious?” LiveScience, Purch, 24 May              2018, www.livescience.com/62656-when-will-ai-be-conscious.html.

AR (augmented reality): We can know a little with the name of AR. It applies virtual information to the real world through computer technology. The real environment and virtual objects are superimposed in real time on the same picture or space.

VR (virtual reality): It use computer simulation to generate a virtual world in three-dimensional space, provide users with simulations of visual, auditory and tactile senses, so that users can observe things in the three-dimensional space without restriction in time, as immersive.  VR is different with AR that it build a world without the reality.

The device of AR is more portability than VR. Moreover, we can experience AR use ipad and our cellphone instead of the glasses sometimes.

   Nowadays, we apply the technology of VR and AR in various ways. People put them in games, medicine and military. However, with the development of the VR, I think maybe one day we can build a new imaginative world with the foundation of VR, like the movie of “Avatar”. Or, we can build a world that correspond our world. Then we can discuss political problem or fight when nations can’t reach an agreement in the virtual world. It not only can avoid the death of people and damage of the cities in the real world, but also can save time for flying to another country.

VR and AR have more ways to apple than games and military. Also, people still have a huge space to develop the new technology.

Unmanned drone delivery service was a plan that brought up by Amazon a long time ago, but it seems like being trapped due to the limitation of practicality and environment conditions. However, UPS is making progress on it recently. They have collaborated with Matternet which is a company that focuses on delivery drone services in order to test the possibility of using the drone as one of their future transportation methods.

UPS is currently using drones to carry medical samples in Raleigh, North Carolina. The drones UPS using are called M2 which have the ability to carry 2.2 kilograms package and transport them to a place within a range of 20 kilometers. The drone delivery service is especially suitable for medical uses since it can save times and efforts by avoiding traffic problem.

Since this is the first permitted drone delivery services in the US, FAA is paying special attention to it. They assign people to keep watching over the drones when they are using. North Carolina government and UPS are all paying high attention to this program. They hope to collaborate more in the future and use the drone delivery service in other ways.

By Zian Wang

Dickey, Megan Rose, and Megan Rose Dickey. “UPS Partners with Drone Startup Matternet for Medical Sample Deliveries.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 26 Mar. 2019, techcrunch.com/2019/03/26/ups-partners-with-drone-startup-matternet-for-medical-sample-deliveries/.