Relying on technology for information has become commonplace. We expect our smartphones and computers to bring us the information we ask for, whether it be ordering food, finding insurance, or asking a basic question; smartphones have our back. Due to this reliance, Staffordshire University deployed a chatbot app called Beacon, which was available for download…
How Will 5G Change the Way We Do Things?
Twenty-first century life is embedded in smartphones and smart technology. It’s difficult to imagine what we would do without it; how we used to survive without constant connection to everyone and everything. Smartphones shot to popularity when 3G came on the market, and ever since faster networks have continued to emerge. With 5G just on…
AI System Enables Communication Without Uttering a Word
Sci-Fi lovers rejoice, soon we may be able to communicate with only our brains. In what is considered to be a significant breakthrough, scientists have developed an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of translating brain signals into comprehensible speech. This development demonstrates how close technology is to brain-controlled communication devices. Neuroengineers faced substantial challenges…
Eliminating Bias In AI
Ryan Cotterell of Johns Hopkins’ University was named the first Facebook fellow, chosen from more than 800 applicants. Cotterell joins 13 other PhD students granted the esteemed award, each of them chosen for their involvement “in innovative and relevant research” within engineering and computer sciences. The award gives substantial funding for tuition, $5,000 for travel…
Automated Dog Lavatory Lets Your Pet Take Itself to the Bathroom
Every pet owner has had the wish that their pet could take themselves to the bathroom instead of having to brave the extreme cold or heat to let their pet do their business. In situations where a pet is left at home for long periods, making sure they are able to go relieve themselves is…
Bluetooth’s New Direction Finding Feature
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) declared a new feature that is capable of amplifying performance for Bluetooth location services. This innovative component permits devices to determine the direction of Bluetooth signals and enable the development of proximity solutions. These proximity solutions are capable of understanding device direction and Bluetooth positioning systems that can execute…
AI-Engineered Prosthetics
Prosthetics have come a long way from a wooden leg or peg. Engineers are constantly working on ways to reduce challenges for amputees with new and better prosthetics that give them back certain abilities. Robotic limbs revolutionized the prosthetics market in 2015 by combining sensor technology with prosthesis movement. While robotic limbs are quickly becoming…
From Selling Cookies to Cybersecurity: Girl Scouts Can Do It All
Girl Scouts of the USA are most notable for their delicious cookies (looking at all the Thin Mint lovers) sold a few times a year to raise funds. Last year, the organization announced a new array of STEM-oriented badges, including three cybersecurity challenges. In collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Girl Scouts of Nations Capital…
VR Coming to a Theater Near You
Cinemark, one the leading movie theater chains, and Spaces, the world’s first virtual reality (VR) satellite for cinematic, live, and virtual tourism, have partnered on opening VR entertainment centers in a movie theater in San Jose, Calif. In lieu of staying home and watching Netflix on the couch, the companies hope they can persuade visitors…
Can AI Predict Parking Availability?
Limited parking can put a damper on any outing. Travel apps can only help so much when it comes to traffic and popularity of a certain location. Driving around aimlessly doesn’t always yield results, but a new solution is on the horizon. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) recently published a paper describing an innovative…