Welcome to the July 24, 2023, edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for IT professionals three times a week.
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Sweaty Robot May Help Humans Understand Impact of Soaring Heat
The Japan Times
July 22, 2023
Arizona State University (ASU)'s Konrad Rykaczewski described the Advanced Newton Dynamic Instrument (ANDI) robot his team developed as "the world's first outdoor thermal mannequin that we can routinely take outside and ... measure how much heat he is receiving from the environment." The epoxy/carbon fiber skin covering the humanoid robot envelops a sensor network that evaluates heat diffused throughout the body, while an internal cooling system and pores allow breathing and perspiration. The team is testing ANDI outdoors in the city of Phoenix under various conditions, accompanied by the Mean Radiant Temperature mobile weather station to measure heat reflected by the surrounding buildings.
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Top Tech Firms Sign White House Pledge to Identify AI-Generated Images
The Washington Post
Cat Zakrzewski
July 21, 2023
On Friday, the White House announced that Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Open AI, along with tech startups Anthropic and Inflection, had signed a voluntary pledge to have their artificial intelligence (AI) systems verified by independent security experts before their public release. The companies also pledged to share safety data with the government and researchers and to develop "watermarking" systems that would identify AI-generated images, videos, or text. The agreement, which a senior White House official said would strengthen industry standards, comes as the Biden administration plans an AI-focused executive order, Congress works to create bipartisan legislation to regulate AI, and government agencies look to leverage existing laws for AI regulation.
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Enabling Autonomous Exploration
Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science
Aaron Aupperlee
July 19, 2023
A suite of robotic systems and planners developed by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) researchers allows for autonomous exploration and more accurate and detailed mapping. The robots operate in three modes: one in which their movements and directions are controlled by a human, one in which they navigate to a predetermined point on a map, or one where they explore an entire space on their own and produce a map. CMU's Ji Zhang said, "You can set it in any environment, like a department store or a residential building after a disaster, and off it goes. It builds the map in real time, and while it explores, it figures out where it wants to go next." The robots feature a three-dimensional scanning LiDAR sensor, a forward-looking camera, internal measurement unit sensors, and an exploration algorithm and can operate in low-light hazardous conditions with limited communications.
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Brain-Computer Interface Connects via Ear Canal
The Independent (U.K.)
Andy Cuthbertson
July 19, 2023
Scientists in China have built a non-invasive interface that can connect a human brain to a computer through the wearer's inner ear. The SprialE brain-computer interface (BCI) sets up a digital link to the brain via a flexible in-ear material. The interface can slide in and out of the ear canal without obstructing hearing. The researchers explained, "The hollowness of SpiralE ensures that all subjects could hear audio stimuli in the outside world in real time," while its novel structure indicates that "natural and discreet wearable electronics can be integrated into real-life applications." A 2019 report from the Royal Society, however, warned that such BCIs raise ethical concerns regarding privacy and human rights.
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Dreaming in Technicolor
Waterloo News (Canada)
July 20, 2023
A tool developed by computer scientists at Canada's University of Waterloo leverages machine learning to improve the use of color in graphic design. Created with input from both design experts and ordinary users, the De-Stijl tool determines a color palette based on the graphical elements input by the user, separating them into background, image, decoration, and text, and making color suggestions based on layout, color proximity, and proportion. The software features a two-dimensional color palette that University of Waterloo's Xinyu Shi said helps users "better perceive how their current graphic designs look, focusing on the color itself."
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'Metaversities' Face Virtual Learning's Financial Realities
Inside Higher Ed
Lauren Coffey
July 11, 2023
Colleges trying out "metaversities" and virtual classes must face the high cost and complexity of widescale implementations. Metaversity-participating faculty and students use virtual reality headsets to engage with each other in an immersive educational environment. Social media giant Meta selected 10 institutions to test a metaversity program last year, and the biggest challenge is keeping pace with the costs to maintain and extend the program, especially following its conclusion. New Mexico State University's Robbie Grant said the headsets' high costs and regular equipment upgrades complicate expansion. Meta made a $20-million donation to education technology company VictoryXR to fund the metaversity program over the last two years; VictoryXR's Steve Grubbs said the funds are "stretched as far as they can go" across the 30 participating schools.
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Algorithm Mines Fungi for Useful Molecules
University of Wisconsin-Madison News
Chris Barncard
July 20, 2023
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) created an algorithm that searches fungal genomes for biosynthetic gene clusters that synthesize isocyanide to operate. Former UW-Madison researcher Milton Drott said the team produced a gene-cluster atlas with which users can see patterns signaling potentially significant functions. UW-Madison's Nancy Keller aims to find clusters surrounded by genes that tailor enzymes for different functions or shuttle them to "promoter" genes that switch enzyme production on or off based on cellular conditions. The researchers classified their discoveries on a searchable website that other laboratories can access to research their fungal species for isocyanides, said Drott.
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Flexible Implant Treats Heart Disease, Dissolves
IEEE Spectrum
Charles Q. Choi
July 14, 2023
Researchers at George Washington University (GW), Northwestern University, and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital designed a soft implant for treating heart disease that dissolves when no longer necessary. The flexible device contains a grid of molybdenum electrodes roughly 140 micrometers thick and 16 milligrams in weight. The electrodes can detect and stream electrical data to doctors to enable real-time heart monitoring, and help to restore normal heart rhythms via electrical pulses. The device's transparency also allows doctors to view the heart during procedures, and it biodegrades after six weeks. GW's Luyao Lu said the implants "complement traditional approaches and are aimed for short-term applications that only require temporary mapping and control of cardiac functions."
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Rescue Drones Tested Within Italian Volcanoes
The European Space Agency
July 21, 2023
As part of the European Space Agency's Pathfinder project, a consortium of researchers is testing interconnected drones in Italy for disaster response. The prototype Pathfinder fleet management system merges satnav-based positioning, navigation, and timing and communication technologies to monitor disaster sites, collect samples, and provide situational awareness for rescue teams and others. The system combines airborne drones, ground rovers, and underwater vehicles as necessary to support rescue efforts. Pathfinder was tested at the active Mount Stromboli volcano and the Astroni Nature Reserve's volcanic crater. Sistemtica's Marco Nisi said, "A separate Mobile Mission Unit is utilized to collect all the acquired data and enables mission planning for the interconnected drones, ensuring efficient coordination and execution of tasks."
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A Whole New Dimension for 3D Printing
The University of Tokyo (Japan)
July 24, 2023
Researchers at Japan's University of Tokyo (UTokyo) created a technique for three-dimensionally (3D) printing objects rapidly without generating waste material, using software based on a key algorithm in the field of origami. The algorithm can transform a 3D input object, which can be a scan of an existing object, into a printable two-dimensional pattern. The algorithm is fundamental to rapid four-dimensional (4D) fabrication, and works in conjunction with an inkjet ultraviolet-light printer. UTokyo's Koya Narumi said, "Essentially, we're creating flat sheets with origami patterns on them, and these patterns can be complex, taking even a skilled origami artist hours to form. But thanks to our special process, you can pour hot water over these flat sheets and watch as they spring into complex 3D shapes in a matter of seconds."
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Juul Asks FDA to Authorize New High-Tech Vape Product
The Hill
Nathaniel Weixel
July 20, 2023
Electronic cigarette company Juul has requested the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorize a new high-technology vaping product that can electronically confirm a user's age and thwart bogus and unauthorized refills. The company said the new Juul2 product will offer a "technological solution for two public-health problems: improving adult-smoker switching from combustible cigarettes and restricting underage access to vapor products." Juul claims the device can ensure users are adults by linking to a Web or smartphone application that uses third-party verification; the e-cigarette also can lock itself. Vendors in the U.K. and Canada already are selling the Juul2, and Juul has applied to sell tobacco-flavored pods in the U.S.
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AI That Teaches Other AI
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Greg Hardesty
July 18, 2023
Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC), Intel Labs, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences demonstrated that robots can be trained to train other robots by sharing their knowledge. The researchers developed the Shared Knowledge Lifelong Learning (SKILL) tool to teach artificial intelligence agents 102 unique tasks whose knowledge they then shared over a decentralized communication network. The researchers said they found the SKILL tool's algorithms speed up the learning process by allowing agents to learn concurrently in parallel. The work indicated learning time shrinks by a factor of 101.5 when 102 agents each learn one task and then share.
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