DailyDirt: Welcoming Our Robot Overlords...

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Despite our supposed intelligence, humans don't actually know how our own brains work. But even in our ignorance, we're still developing algorithms and machines that might catch on to how we learn and think. Google's autonomous vehicle project has a pretty good driving record, except that the world is messy, and predicting how human drivers will react isn't always certain -- especially when they drive buses. Our relationship with robots is going to be more and more complex in the next few years. We'll need to recognize when robots are faulty, and that might get harder and harder to do.

• We've seen people blindly follow GPS navigation directions that endangered the driver's safety, so would you expect people to follow a robot unquestioningly in an emergency? Yup. A study at Georgia Tech created a "guide robot" that was purposely made to be unreliable (and human participants in the study were told the robot was broken), but during a faked emergency, humans still followed the robot's bad directions to evacuate a building -- even when they conflicted with clearly-marked exit signs. [url]
• A "Data Science Machine" might have better intuition than teams of humans when it comes to big-data analysis. MIT researchers entered their data machine in three data science competitions, and the machine placed ahead of more than half of the human contestants. [url]
• It's difficult to really grasp exponential improvements in technology -- other than to look back and be amazed that things like the iPhone didn't exist just a few short years ago. And it's even more challenging to predict where technology is headed when artificial intelligence projects look so primitive now (and have for some time), but by 2040, we could have significantly more autonomous devices performing complex tasks for us. (Assuming the robots haven't enslaved us instead....) [url]

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Filed Under: ai, algorithms, analytics, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, big data, data science, hmi, predictions, robotics, robots, trust

DailyDirt: Combining Biology And Machines...

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Nature has had a few billion years to evolve some pretty useful abilities, but people are always trying to improve upon what's already available. One of the big challenges is creating an interface between biological mechanisms and various electronic devices. Implanting electrodes into brains or having insects control robot bodies are ongoing experiments -- and there are a few other projects combining biology and machines that could be even more cutting edge.

• Cyborg roses have been grown with electrically-conducting wires in the flower's xylem -- its vascular system that usually transports water throughout the plant. This could be an important first step towards making plants that can be controlled or used as sensors. Or it could start some kind of cross between The Happening and Terminator. [url]
• Phil Kennedy has developed brain-computer interfaces since the 1980s, but he took his research to an extreme by getting his own brain implant. It was getting difficult to find healthy people to volunteer for a brain surgery to implant electrodes, so Kennedy paid a surgeon to do it to himself. Complications forced him to remove the implants after about a month, but he gathered some data during his time as a cyborg that might help further brain research in speech decoding. Still, it's not exactly the best way to conduct brain research when there are concerns about safety and reproducibility. [url]
• Ray Kurzweil predicts a lot of far out stuff, and he thinks nanobots will connect our brains directly to external computers -- allowing us to access information and ideas at a faster and broader scale than ever before. Kurzweil says our abilities will become "godlike" -- but it depends on which gods we become like, really. (e.g., tormented gods or jealous ones or...) [url]

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Filed Under: brain computer interface, brain research, cyborg, hmi, implants, nanobots, phil kennedy, plants, ray kurzweil

DailyDirt: Connecting Brains To Other Stuff

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If artificial intelligence doesn't seem to be making as much progress as we'd like, there are some other ways to try to create more intelligent beings on demand. If we can't breed smarter animals, perhaps we can make some animal cyborgs to do our bidding. We'll need some better brain interfaces, and it looks like plenty of folks are already working on them.

• Neurobiologists have figured out how to connect multiple brains together by implanting microwire electrode arrays in animals -- and proving two heads are actually better than one. Researchers accomplished this feat with rat and monkey brains (not mixing the species, mind you, that would be crazy...), and they found multiple brains could perform tasks that single brains could not. These 'brainets' could someday be used on human brains... so imagine a Beowulf cluster of human brains? [url]
• A low-cost headset called the Brainwriter can control digital interfaces with thought-detection and eye tracking sensors. It's not exactly a finished product yet, but... similar gadgets could become much more useful in the near future. [url]
• Brain implants might be far less invasive with injectable electrode meshes that can unfurl onto various kinds of nerve or brain cells. Injecting flexible electronics into mice brains via a syringe has been a demonstrated way to monitor brain activity, and researchers might be able to create a brain interface -- so we could create a super-intelligent rat brain network to take over the world. [url]

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Filed Under: ai, animal intelligence, animals, brainet, brains, brainwriter, cyborg, hmi, implants, intelligence, lab rats, smart animals

DailyDirt: Brain-Controlled Robots... And Vice Versa?

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The general population might not be ready for brain implants for mind-controlled robots, but research on brain interfaces could eliminate the invasive surgery requirements for interacting directly with brain activity -- and then everyone might be able to test drive their own thought-controlled robots. Becoming a cyborg might not appeal to everyone, but remote controlled robots that are easy to operate might be a cool toy.

• Next-generation prosthetic limbs will be controlled by a user's thoughts. Some amputees are already testing prosthetic hands and limbs, and a few patients have reported being able to feel texture using devices that interface with remapped nerves. Modular Prosthetic Limbs (MPLs) have a long term goal of not requiring any surgeries or implants to control a dexterous robot, and the price tags will also need to come down from the half million dollar cost of the prototypes. [url]
• Mind-reading robots can help paralyzed patients interact with common objects more easily. Robot arms are getting much better, but the interface still requires a brain implant. [url]
• A startup called Thync is working on a wearable device that could control your mood using electronic signals to cranial nerves. This brain interface uses transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) which has been tested for treating depression and other medical uses, but this wearable would be used like an electrical replacement for caffeine or alcohol. [url]

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Filed Under: brain, brain implant, cyborg, hmi, neural interface, prosthetic limbs, robots, tdcs, trans-cranial direct current stimulation, wearables

DailyDirt: It Turns Out People Want Keyboards... Until They Don't

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We've seen plenty of different input devices, but it's pretty hard to displace the traditional keyboard and mouse combination. Touchscreens have their usefulness (but perhaps not on a 20" 4K display), and maybe someday gesture recognition will be more common outside of gaming. Ultimately, we're likely to see more and more options for how to best interact with various kinds of software, and that's a good thing. Here are just a few more examples of cool digital interfaces.

• Chinese company Dexta has developed an "exoglove" (aka Dexmo) that's an exoskeleton glove for detecting hand movements and providing some haptic feedback. This input device had a Kickstarter project, but it's been cancelled without much explanation. Pre-ordering appears to be available still (for $175 per hand), but buyer beware if you think this exoglove will be a plug-and-play accessory. [url]
• Flow is a (yet another) mouse alternative that includes gesture recognition and some haptics and a kind of dialing mechanism. It's a neat programmable tool that aims to be a controller for almost any computing device (phone, tablet or desktop/laptop), but it might be a bit too customizable for people who don't use Photoshop or CAD software on a regular basis. [url]
• In 2003, Steve Jobs commented on the Newton, saying "It turns out people want keyboards" -- but that obviously wasn't the end of input innovation. Virtual reality interfaces may be getting better and better, but it could still take a while for the "killer UI" that doesn't make you want to vomit in 3D. [url]

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Filed Under: controller, crowdfunding, exoglove, exoskeleton, flow, gesture recognition, haptics, hmi, input devices, keyboard, mouse, newton, steve jobs, ui
Companies: dexta, indiegogo, kickstarter

DailyDirt: Who Needs A Mouse And Keyboard Anymore?

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Tech news headlines often imply that a new gadget will completely kill off older devices by making them obsolete. Tablets were supposed to "kill" the PC, but that hasn't happened. On the other side of the spectrum, some folks have suggested that no tool ever completely dies. However, that's an extreme position, too. Innovation involves a succession of minor improvements, and occasionally, there are advances that are so significant that people can't help but try to explain the shifts in exaggerated black-and-white terms. The actual story is usually much more complex. We're getting more and more cool input methods beyond simple keyboards, and here are just a few nifty gadgets that probably won't replace keyboards (or mice) but might make human-to-computer communication a bit easier for people.

• The Sprout by HP is a PC with a novel interface that uses a camera, a projector and a touchmat (but it can also use a keyboard and mouse). Similar user interfaces have been proposed before (eg. 10/GUI), and sci-fi movies are always promoting floating gesture UI systems that replace keyboards and mice. [url]
• HaptoMime is a mid-air touch interaction system that uses floating images from a holographic display and provides haptic feedback to mimic a touchscreen interface. The focused ultrasound aimed at your fingertips looks cool -- but also a little bit strange and probably something you'd have to use for a bit to get accustomed to. On the other hand, no more greasy fingerprint-covered touchscreens, yay! [url]
• The SideSwipe system provides a gesture recognition system for mobile phones. It's far from perfected, however. It has an accuracy rate of about 87% for 14 different gestures, but it doesn't require a camera -- it relies on wireless signal reflections off a user's hand. [url]

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Filed Under: 10/gui, gesture recognition, haptic feedback, haptomime, hmi, holographic display, input devices, sideswipe, sprout, touchscreen, ui, user interface
Companies: hp

DailyDirt: Cyborgs All Around Us

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Technology is becoming ever more essential in our daily lives, but as long as the devices we use are still separate things outside of our bodies, we haven't yet fully adapted to technology. However, as technology gets a bit more advanced, it won't seem too strange to start implanting technology in ourselves. If you wear contact lenses, maybe you think you're a pioneer. But there are far more extreme examples, and some folks are really taking it to the next level.

• Artificial hearts have been under development for decades, but one that adjusts blood flow based on physical activity allows a 75yo Frenchman to perform everyday tasks normally -- without becoming breathless or exhausted easily. The Carmat artificial heart is powered by a lithium-ion battery and contains membranes from a cow heart to improve biocompatibility. The technology has come quite a ways from the Jarvik-7 that was implanted in Barney Clark in 1982. [url]
• Transhumanists are exploring the world of do-it-yourself cyborg technologies. Some well-known cyborgs like Kevin Warwick and Steve Mann are just the tip of the iceberg of people who are willing to implant various objects/devices in their bodies. [url]
• The Cybathlon, the first international olympics specifically for athletes with prosthetics, will be held in Switzerland in 2016. There will only be six events, and unlike the traditional olympics, competitors will be encouraged to achieve superhuman abilities (if possible) with technology. [url]

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Filed Under: artificial heart, bionic, carmat, cybathlon, cyborgs, hmi, implants, jarvik-7, kevin warwick, prosthetics, steve mann, transhumanism

DailyDirt: Need More Input?

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We've covered plenty of strange and interesting input devices, and usually, the aim of these things is to simplify and make it faster to input information into our technological gadgets. Sometimes, though, you can only simplify a user interface so much, and it's still really, really complicated. Designers can "make things as simple as possible, but not simpler" -- and here are just a few examples of some interfaces that enable an amazing amount of input choices.

• The Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog is not your average joystick, and it's not cheap, either. This game controller is not for button-mashers. It has thousands upon thousands of possible inputs for the most complex flight simulators, and it will definitely take some time to learn how to use. [url]
• The Ableton Push makes digital music seemingly easy to create on a keyboard that has all kinds of hardware UI features. It looks like the 80s game Simon on steroids, and it literally demonstrates what it means to have a lot of bells and whistles. [url]
• Formula One steering wheels are a bit more complicated than your typical sedan's instrument panel. Ferrari test driver Marc Gene briefly explains the various buttons and knobs on his personalized steering wheel, and it looks like it could be a bit of a distraction while driving at high speeds. [url]

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Filed Under: gadgets, game controllers, hardware, hmi, human machine interface, input devices, joystick, steering wheel, ui

DailyDirt: Animals Augmented With Technology

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Computers have undoubtedly changed how people live, and as computers get smaller and wearable, they'll only become more and more intertwined with our lives. And it appears that we can't leave our animal friends behind in this technological evolution. Here are just a few projects for getting other creatures addicted to gadgets.

• Second Livestock is a virtual reality environment designed for farm animals, specifically chickens. Imagine a chicken computer interface -- like an Oculus Rift for chickens -- that tricked the birds into thinking they were actually free-range animals when, in fact, they were still caged on an omnidirectional treadmill with a Matrix-like virtual world fed into their brains. There is no spoon, chicks. (And this Second Life adaptation is only a suggestion.) [url]
• Maybe we can start talking to dolphins with technology developed by one of the inventors of Google Glass. Researchers are just starting to hear dolphins "talk" in computer-recognizable whistles, so maybe we'll hear they say, "So long and thanks for all the fish" someday. [url]
• Bonobos controlling a robot sounds like a cool idea, but apparently not $20,000 on Kickstarter cool. Perhaps we're lucky that crowdfunders didn't kickstart a planet of the apes.... [url]

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Filed Under: animals, bonobos, dolphin, hmi, interspecies communication, oculus rift, second life, second livestock, virtual reality

DailyDirt: Space Robots

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The robots in science fiction are a bit more entertaining than most of the robots that actually exist today, but the "coolness" gap is narrowing as robots get to go to more interesting places -- like space. Robots tweeting observations from the surface of Mars have a fairly impressive number of followers (even though they weren't talking during the recent government shutdown). It probably shouldn't be too surprising, since space robots have always been the coolest robots (eg. R2D2, Data, the "Class M-3 Model B9 General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot"). Here are just a few examples of actual space robots that might be famous someday.

• SpaceJustin is a humanoid robot designed for space missions that gives human operators some haptic feedback when controlling its robot arms. If it ever makes it into space, Earth-based humans would remotely control SpaceJustin and help perform tasks for astronauts that are dangerous or just time-consuming. [url]
• Robonaut 2 (aka R2) is a humanoid torso that NASA sent up to the International Space Station. R2 could get an upgrade that would include a pair of legs, but so far, it's just happy to have survived the bumpy ride into space and prove its capabilities (without having to be carried around on the back of a Wookie). [url]
• Kirobo is the first robot in space that will hold a conversation with a human astronaut. No, Kirobo hasn't beaten the Turing test (in Japanese, the only language Kirobo speaks), but it's the first step towards a protocol droid specializing in human-cyborg relations -- as long as it doesn't say anything like, "I know you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and that is something I cannot allow to happen." [url]

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Filed Under: astronauts, droid, haptics, hmi, humanoid, iss, kirobo, r2, robonaut, robots, space, spacejustin, turing test
Companies: nasa