These last few weeks of winter weather have been harsh to say the least. Some areas of the country bottomed out at -50°F, leaving many stranded until the temperatures rose to safe levels. During the polar vortex, hundreds were house bound, and for smaller medical emergencies, leaving the home seemed pointless. A healthcare system in…
How Technology Can Aid in Managing Road Conditions
The winter plows bring springs of potholes that litter roads like Christmas tree pine needles. When weather temperatures drop, roadways expand and contract allowing water to seep into the asphalt and create gaps just waiting to be pulled up. Potholes don’t happen right away, usually trouble brews beneath the surface long before a hole forms.…
Fostering Human-Machine Partnerships
Teamwork is successful when it’s based on mutual trust and respect. This becomes complicated when teamwork is meant to occur between humans and autonomous systems. Humans do best by observing and gaining insights regarding team member’s skills, experience, and reliability. Unfortunately, autonomous systems are not yet capable of giving real-time feedback for changing conditions. The…
Will Big Brother Technology Compromise Privacy?
Vast amounts of material exist that warn against “Big Brother” using technology against its citizens. One thing that comes to mind is the Bourne Series, where governments use people and technology at their disposal to complete desired missions. While the films are fictional, they open the doorway to a larger conversation regarding privacy. One topic…
Shortened Work Week Powered by AI
Autonomous machinery and smart technology have slowly begun integration within big business. From Amazon using autonomous warehouse vehicles to college campus delivery bots, innovation technology is everywhere. One place where people aren’t happy about artificial intelligence (AI) enhancement is the workplace. People fear that they will be replaced by machines. It’s a valid worry considering…
Social Activism & Technology
It’s the hope of most that technology advances are used for the good of the world. However, that fantasy must be taken with a grain of salt. There is evil in the world, capable of unspeakable acts, and sometimes the technology meant for good can be turned into something utterly wicked. Technological advances offer so…
Space ‘Tow Trucks’ Will Use AI to Remove Deceased Satellites
When a car breaks down or stops serving a purpose, we often get rid of it either by selling or bringing it to a junkyard. In space, there is no junkyard or seller to take a satellite that is out of commission to another location. Stanford researchers have developed a resolution to that problem in…
AI Makes the Cut in the Operating Room
Doctors and surgeons hold patient lives in their very skilled hands. One key component to medicine is being able to see a problem clearly, so a solution can be determined. A Seattle startup company, Proprio Vision, has set their sights on enhancing how surgeons see in the operating room. Recently granted $7 million in funding,…
AI ‘Aimee’ to Transform Air Traffic Control
One of the U.K.’s busiest airports is London’s Heathrow which sees millions of passengers come through its gates every year. Orchestrating security, arrival, departures, and delays 24/7 is a big task that requires meticulous attention. Airports seem to run under the guise that when things go wrong, the show must carry on. Even the slightest…
5G Impacting Safety in Smart Cities
Everything in the tech world is ablaze with the intended 5G technology set to roll out shortly. In addition to the advantages for the everyday user, 5G could have a substantial impact on the operation of smart cities. A smart city refers to an urban area that utilizes numerous types of electronic data sensors to…