Weekly Piece of Future #84
From Neuromorphic Computing to Smart Cooking Robots and Virtual Touch
Hey there, fellow future-addicts!
Welcome to this week's edition of Rushing Robotics! In this issue, we bring you a wealth of groundbreaking advancements that are redefining the boundaries of technology and enhancing our understanding of the world.
🤯 Mind-Blowing
OpenAI has recently scored an impressive 120 on the Mensa IQ test, showcasing genuine advancements beyond mere memorization. Additionally, neuromorphic computing has made strides with a device that mimics brain functions, operating at 4.1 tera-operations per second per watt. We also explore an innovative brain-computer interface that empowers ALS patients to control smart devices with their thoughts, and a novel quantum computing protocol that extracts energy from seemingly empty space. Plus, MIT researchers have captured images of rare electron behaviors, promising new energy solutions.
🔊 Industry Insights & Updates
In the world of robotics, Google DeepMind has unveiled two cutting-edge systems designed to enhance robotic learning and task execution. ALOHA Unleashed and DemoStart aim to improve precision in complex movements, making robots more efficient than ever. Meanwhile, Hestia Technology Limited is set to revolutionize the food service industry with its advanced robotic kitchen systems, managing every aspect of meal preparation and service. On the solar energy front, ONGi has achieved an incredible 34.6% efficiency in its tandem perovskite solar cells, marking a significant milestone in renewable energy technology. Lastly, researchers at University College London have developed a haptic device that simulates human touch, potentially transforming remote interactions.
🧬 BioTech
In biotechnology, groundbreaking studies have revealed that metformin, a common diabetes medication, may also slow aging processes in various tissues. This exciting discovery suggests new applications for the drug beyond diabetes management. Elon Musk’s Neuralink has gained FDA designation for its "Blindsight" device, aiming to restore vision for those with total vision loss. This innovative neural implant represents a major leap forward in brain-computer interface technology. Additionally, a new robotic tool is set to dramatically reduce lung cancer diagnosis wait times at Wythenshawe Hospital, enhancing early detection capabilities.
💡 Products/Tools of the Week
This week’s featured products are designed to empower users and enhance efficiency. Sutra’s Conversational Courses leverage AI to create immersive learning experiences, driving engagement and collaboration. Aicado offers a no-code hub for seamless AI integration into business operations, allowing users to implement customized AI solutions without technical expertise. Helicone AI provides advanced observability tools for developers, streamlining AI application monitoring and optimization. Finally, Intellectia.AI equips investors with comprehensive insights and research tools, simplifying the investment process with real-time data.
🎥 Video Section
Don’t miss this month’s exciting videos! Explore how DeepMind is pushing the boundaries of robotics in AI Revolution: DeepMind Just Made AI Robots Shockingly Human-Like! Discover the impressive skills of Pollen Robotics' Reachy 2 in Practicing His Skills, and meet Isaac, the first home robot assistant by Weave Robotics, in Meet Isaac.
Join us as we navigate through these incredible advancements and envision the future together! Stay hungry, stay futurish!
🤯 Mind-Blowing
OpenAI's o1 preview has achieved a significant breakthrough, scoring an IQ of 120 on the official Mensa IQ test. It has also approached a score of 100 on questions never posted publicly or indexed by search engines, ensuring they were safe from AI training data. These results confirm that the AI's improvements are not due to memorized information but rather true advancements. If we extrapolate from current progress, we can expect AI to surpass an IQ of 140 by 2026.
Neuromorphic computing has reached a new milestone with the development of a brain-like device that operates at an extraordinary 4.1 tera-operations per second per watt. This groundbreaking neuromorphic hardware platform, created by an international team of researchers, is designed to significantly enhance the performance of AI-driven computing applications. Neuromorphic devices replicate the architecture and functionality of the human brain and nervous system, making them crucial for advancing brain-like computing systems. Beyond its impressive computational efficiency, this new device also has the unique capability to study, control, and manipulate the molecular structure of materials.
Recent advancements in technology have allowed a man suffering from a degenerative disease to control Amazon’s Alexa using only his thoughts. On Monday, Synchron, a pioneering brain-computer interface (BCI) company, made a groundbreaking announcement. They revealed that a 64-year-old patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is now able to perform a variety of tasks, such as streaming television shows, controlling smart devices, and even shopping online, all without any physical movement. This remarkable achievement was made possible by a sophisticated brain implant that was placed in a blood vessel on the surface of the patient’s brain. The tiny device enables direct communication between the patient’s brain and the digital world, showcasing the potential of BCI technology to significantly improve the quality of life for individuals with severe physical limitations.
A novel quantum computing protocol has been introduced that enables the extraction of energy from regions of space that appear to be empty. This process involves harvesting energy from these voids, teleporting it to a new location, and then storing it for future use. Although the creation of energy from nothing remains an impossibility, scientists have devised a method to harness and utilize energy from what seems to be empty space. This technique leverages quantum principles to extract and relocate energy, making it available for practical applications. The protocol's effectiveness has been demonstrated through successful testing with a quantum computer, marking a major advancement in both theoretical research and practical energy solutions.
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), researchers have achieved a remarkable scientific milestone by capturing images of a rare “edge state” phenomenon in ultracold atoms. This groundbreaking discovery provides a novel perspective on electron behavior, specifically the edge state where electrons travel along the edges of materials rather than within their bulk. By studying these edge states, scientists at MIT are exploring new methods to control and utilize electron behavior in different materials. The implications of this research are significant, as understanding and harnessing edge states could potentially lead to the discovery of virtually inexhaustible energy sources.
🔊 Industry Insights & Updates
Google DeepMind has introduced two groundbreaking AI systems aimed at enhancing the capabilities of robots to learn and execute complex tasks requiring precise and skillful movements. The first of these innovations is ALOHA Unleashed, an advanced iteration of the previous ALOHA 2 system. This upgraded version is equipped with two arms and can be operated remotely to collect high-quality training data, enabling robots to master new tasks with fewer demonstrations. The second system, DemoStart, represents a significant advancement in reinforcement learning. It allows robots to acquire a variety of behaviors from just a few simulated demonstrations, significantly accelerating the learning process.
Amidst rising operational costs and a shortage of skilled labor, Hestia Technology Limited is poised to revolutionize the food service industry with its state-of-the-art robotic kitchen systems. Hestia is dedicated to enhancing restaurant efficiency and accessibility. The company's recently unveiled fifth-generation robotic kitchen represents a major breakthrough in culinary automation. These sophisticated robots manage every component of the cooking process, including the retrieval and preparation of ingredients, serving the finished dishes, and cleaning up afterward. This complete automation eliminates the need for human involvement in the kitchen.
ONGi, a leading Chinese manufacturer of solar modules, has recently announced a groundbreaking achievement in solar technology. The company has attained an impressive power conversion efficiency of 34.6% with its two-terminal tandem perovskite solar cell prototype devices. This significant milestone was revealed during the publication of a scientific paper in the prestigious journal Nature, which detailed the advancements in their perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell technology first introduced last December. The newly achieved efficiency level marks the highest ever recorded for this type of solar cell.
Researchers at University College London have made a groundbreaking advancement with the development of a new device that simulates the sensation of human touch, opening the possibility for virtual hand-holding across vast distances. Named the bioinspired haptic (BAMH) system, this innovative device has the potential to revolutionize how we experience tactile interactions remotely. In addition to its future applications in virtual touch, the BAMH system offers significant benefits in medical diagnostics. Traditionally, clinicians assess touch sensation loss by using single-fiber brushes of varying weights to gently stimulate the patient's skin and gauge their ability to feel the stimuli. This process helps determine the location and severity of sensory loss.
🧬 BioTech
Researchers have found that metformin, a widely prescribed and cost-effective diabetes drug, may offer additional benefits by slowing the aging process across multiple tissues. In a detailed 40-month study, it was observed that metformin effectively slows aging in male monkeys, impacting organs such as the lungs, kidneys, liver, skin, and particularly the brain. The study showed that daily administration of metformin led to a slower rate of age-related cognitive decline in monkeys compared to those not treated with the drug. These findings suggest that metformin could be a valuable tool in delaying the aging process in humans, offering new potential applications for this common medication beyond its use in managing diabetes.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink, a company at the forefront of brain-computer interface technology, has recently achieved a milestone with the US-FDA device designation for an ambitious neural implant aimed at restoring sight to visually impaired individuals. This new device, named "Blindsight," is designed to enable those with total vision loss, including individuals with damaged optic nerves, to regain the ability to see, provided that their brain's visual cortex is functional. The FDA designation marks a critical step towards public involvement in the device's development process. According to Musk, the first version of Blindsight will interface with the visual cortex, offering visually impaired people, even those who have been blind since birth, the chance to see. However, Musk has tempered expectations by describing the visual output as being of low resolution, similar to "Atari graphics," emphasizing that while groundbreaking, the technology is still in its early stages.
The introduction of a new robotic tool has the potential to significantly reduce the wait times for lung cancer diagnosis, potentially shortening them by several months. Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester has taken a leading role in Europe by adopting the advanced Ion Endoluminal System, developed by Intuitive. This state-of-the-art system enables clinicians to insert a highly flexible and maneuverable catheter into a patient's lung through their mouth. Once in place, the catheter allows for precise targeting of lung nodules that are suspected to be cancerous. This innovative approach not only speeds up the diagnostic process but also enhances the accuracy of early-stage lung cancer detection, providing patients with a more timely diagnosis and subsequent treatment options.
💡Products/tools of the week
With Sutra’s new Conversational Courses, users can now craft immersive, AI-powered learning experiences that drive greater engagement, course completion, and collaborative peer exchanges. The platform makes it remarkably easy to design these interactive courses, transforming online learning into a more dynamic and personalized experience. Sutra’s approach to learning stands out by using AI as a virtual facilitator, akin to having a skilled professional guide learners through the course. This innovative method maximizes participation, keeps learners motivated, and ensures higher completion rates by fostering deeper peer-to-peer interactions.
Aicado is a powerful No-Code AI Implementation Hub designed to help businesses integrate AI solutions without any coding expertise. With Aicado, users can easily select their preferred AI model, customize it to meet specific requirements, and seamlessly implement it into their business operations. The platform enables limitless integrations, allowing every AI model to be adapted for different purposes and connected with various domains. Aicado’s versatility ensures that each integration can address unique business challenges, empowering users to harness the potential of AI across multiple industries without the need for technical expertise.
Helicone AI is an open-source platform designed to offer developers advanced LLM observability tools, helping them monitor, debug, and optimize their AI applications with ease. As a robust observability platform, Helicone allows for seamless integration with just one line of code, giving developers instant access to features such as cost tracking, agent tracing, prompt management, and more. With these capabilities, Helicone helps streamline the development process and improve the performance of AI applications. Best of all, developers can get started with this powerful tool for free, making it a practical choice for those looking to enhance their AI projects.
Intellectia.AI is an innovative AI-driven platform designed to support investors and traders by delivering advanced insights and research tools. Combining financial data access, stock analysis, technical analysis, news aggregation, and research recommendations in one place, Intellectia.AI simplifies the investment research process. Users benefit from AI-powered insights that save time and enable more informed decision-making. With its comprehensive suite of tools and real-time data, Intellectia.AI empowers investors to make well-informed financial decisions and stay ahead of market trends.
