BEIJING: China is planning to build the world’s first deep sea “artificial intelligence colony on earth” using robot submarines that can map out and survey seabed with depths of up to 11 kilometers, the state media disclosed.
So far, only 1 percent of the earth’s seas and oceans have been explored. The Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, which is leading the project, hopes their underwater exploration will lead to more data about marine life and analyzing mineral ores which could be used for industrial and scientific purposes.
The project named after the ancient Greek underworld of Hades involves having the robot submarines connected to floating docking platforms through cables to explore the deepest parts of the sea, the media reported.
Beijing has yet to specifically name the exact location with which it wants to build the AI colony but analysts surmise it could be in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea where it has already began building structures.
China earlier said it wants to build 20 floating nuclear power plants in the contested chain of small islands by 2020, a potential violation of international laws, after a United Nations court ruled in 2016 China has no historical rights to the South China Sea.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and China are locked up in a dispute over ownership claim in the Spratly Islands which is believed to be rich with oil and marine resources.
ABU DHABI: The capital of the United Arab Emirates launched in March a AED520 million (USD$142 million) new platform known as “Hub 71” to support high tech startup companies in the region.
H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and Chairman of the Executive Committee, said an additional AED535 million fund has been set aside to invest in technology businesses established in Hub71, raising the total government investment in the Abu Dhabi tech sector to more than AED1 billion (about USD$272 million), reported the Emirates state news agency WAM.
Starting April 28, 2019, the fund will co-invest with VCs in Hub71 based tech start-ups through a government matching scheme, as well as invest in first-time fund managers to support their establishment and growth in the Emirate. Hub71 is also offering fully subsidised housing, office space and health insurance for seed- stage tech companies. For more established tech ventures, 50 percent subsidy packages will be available.
Hub71 was established by the government to further underpin the Emirate’s status as a vibrant destination of digital transformation, innovative initiatives and high-tech entrepreneurs in collaboration with key global technology companies.
The new platform is a key initiative of Ghadan 21, the Government’s economic accelerator program announced last September by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
“Abu Dhabi has proven itself as a place where innovation can succeed and inspire. Through the Abu Dhabi Government’s economic programs and plans, we’re doubling down on our efforts to make Abu Dhabi a global beacon for technology and innovation,” Jassim Mohammed Buatabh Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, said during the project’s launch.
As part of the initiative, the AED535 million fund will be administered by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, to invest in startups and venture capitalists, VCs, at Hub71.
Mubadala Investment Company, Microsoft and SoftBank Vision Fund are founding partners of this new initiative, working in close collaboration with Abu Dhabi Global Market, ADGM, to create a dynamic business environment for innovation and entrepreneurship.
DUBAI: Using drones, the UAE has completed the pilot phase of a research project to map agricultural areas across the country designed to enhance food production despite challenging geographic conditions.
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) said the project is aimed at facilitating future agricultural support services with the scheme providing a wealth of raw data for analysis, such as the number and
size of crop, livestock, and mixed farms as well as cooled and regular greenhouses, soil typeand condition, crop diseases, and irrigation methods.
The Ministry said the initiative will also help monitor agricultural productivity, including seasonal crops (vegetables and field crops) and year-round crops (fruits) in its ambit, to devise adequate marketing plans for farmers. In addition, areas cultivating feed crops will also be assessed as part of the mapping exercise to help MOCCAE identify the types of feed that need to be imported.
“Through leveraging drones for spatial data collection on farms, we seek to establish an accurate database of actionable statistical information to inform decision making and planning. The scheme will assist us in optimizing the allocation of agricultural resources,” said Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and
Environment.
Once completed, the project will place the UAE among the top five countries in the world in terms of area surveyed using unmanned aerial vehicles, and the first to employ this technology to map as many as 22 categories of statistical data
ABU DHABI: The UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways, and Microsoft have teamed up to launch the first ever in-house AI Academy in the region.
As part of the AI Academy, all Etihad employees will be given access
to an online training program, and instructor led classes, to drive company wide AI literacy, empowering every employee to deliver more value to the company and its customers. Microsoft specialists will also conduct a series of AI business workshops and hands-on technical lab sessions to help identify business challenges that can be
optimised with AI.
Etihad is currently embarking on a digital transformation journey to enhance the capacity and quality of its services.
“There is a simple reason that we are long-term partners with Microsoft – we think alike,” said, Tony Douglas Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group. “Our people make us who we are. By upskilling
them to use technology powered by AI, we are future-proofing our organisation. We believe that human
interaction augmented by technology delivers an enhanced experience for our guests giving
us a competitive edge”
The airline plans to provide structured, flexible education programmes for its employees that will allow them to use AI and other smart technologies to ‘supercharge’ their productivity and innovation.
“In a world where every company is becoming a digital company, it’s great to see Etihad and its leadership set an example by investing in their people, and in embracing what we refer to at Microsoft as tech intensity,”
said Ihsan Anabtawi, Chief Operating and Marketing Officer, Microsoft Gulf. “
TALLIN: The world’s first digital nation, Estonia, has once again demonstrated its unparalleled tech capabilities with the introduction of the first robot courier prototype.
Created by the Estonia-based Cleveron, a company specializing in creating robotics-based parcel terminals and developing last mile click and collect pickup solutions for retail and logistics sectors, the self-driving robot courier is designed to manage the growing ecommerce parcel volumes more effectively.
Cleveron said the self-driving robot courier will arrive at the client’s house, place the parcel to the personal parcel locker and technology,” said John Crecelius, Walmart’s VP of Central Operations.
“BrainOS is a powerful tool in helping our associates complete repetitive tasks so they can focus on other tasks within role and spend more time serving customers.”
Dr. Eugene Izhikevich, CEO of Brain Corp., said the AI-powered machines can safely maneuver themselves even in crowded environments.
“BrainOS technology allows robots to effectively and safely function in complex, crowded environments, ensuring increased productivity and efficiency across applications. We look forward to continuing to work alongside Walmart to help build intelligent, connected stores,” he said in a statement.
Brain Corp. specializes in the development of intelligent, autonomous navigation systems for everyday machines. The company is funded by the SoftBank Vision Fund and Qualcomm Ventures.
SAN DIEGO: If you’re shopping at Walmart, don’t be surprised seeing robots cleaning up the aisles as the world’s largest retailer opts for the unpaid machines to tidy up its stores across the United States.
The San Diego-based software tech company Brain Corp. says it’s providing AI services to Walmart’s fleet of commercial floor scrubbers with autonomous navigation and data collection capabilities, all tied into a cloud based
reporting system.
Walmart’s 360 BrainOS-powered machines should be all in operation by January 31, 2019. Brain Corp. explains store personnel will first take the machines to an initial training ride to quickly map a route before pressing a button to activate them to self-clean the aisles.
The robots use multiple sensors to scan its surroundings for people and obstacles, providing the industry’s highest level of safety and performance, Brain Corp said.
“We’re excited to work with Brain Corp in supporting our retail operations and providing our associates with a safe and reliable technology,” said John Crecelius, Walmart’s VP of Central Operations.
“BrainOS is a powerful tool in helping our associates complete repetitive tasks so they can focus on other tasks within role and spend more time serving customers.”
Dr. Eugene Izhikevich, CEO of Brain Corp., said the AI-powered machines can safely maneuver themselves even in crowded environments.
“BrainOS technology allows robots to effectively and safely function in complex, crowded environments, ensuring increased productivity and efficiency across applications. We look forward to continuing to work alongside Walmart to help build intelligent, connected stores,” he said in a statement.
Brain Corp. specializes in the development of intelligent, autonomous navigation systems for everyday machines. The company is funded by the SoftBank Vision Fund and Qualcomm Ventures.
TOKYO: Japan is getting a new addition in its animated and eclectic world with the launch of the household robot named “Lovot”—an amalgam of “love” and “robot.”
Groove X, a Japanese startup, with funding of about US$71.1 million from investors that include Toyota Motors Corp., chat app operator Line Corp., and the Japanese government, unveiled its first creation in Tokyo on Dec 18.
The AI-powered cuddly robot resembles a penguin with cartoonish human eyes and can interact with owners. It’s capable of showing affection when shown kindness and can be used to watch over the house via a camera that users can access through a mobile app while they are out.
Groove X founder and CEO Kaname Hayashi told the media the Lovot “will draw out your ability to love.”
FINLAND: Using sensors, cameras and Rolls- Royce intelligence technologies, Falco successfully crossed the waters off Turku, Finland last month, unmanned, becoming the world’s first autonomous ferry.
The return to the shore of the 53.8-meter double-ended car ferry equipped with twin azimuth thrusters from Rolls-Royce was even more astonishing with only a remote control used to navigate its voyage.
Rolls-Royce and Finferries, which acquired the ferry in 1993, began collaborating on a new research project called SVAN (Safer Vessel with Autonomous Navigation), to continue implementing the findings from the earlier
Advanced Autonomous Water borne Applications (AAWA) research project, funded by Business Finland.
Mikael Makinen, Rolls-Royce, President Commercial Marine, said Falco’s success is “a huge step forward in the journey towards autonomous shipping and reaffirms exactly what we have been saying for several years, that autonomous shipping will happen.”
“This is a very proud moment for all of us and marks our most significant milestone so far. Today’s demonstration proves that the autonomous ship is not just a concept, but something that will transform shipping as we know it,” he added.
Mats Rosin, Finferries CEO, says history was made in the maritime industry with Falco’s launch which had some 80 VIP guests aboard.
“We are very proud that maritime history has been made on the Parainen-Nauvo-route once again. First with our world-renowned hybrid vessel Elektra and now Falco as the world’s first autonomous ferry. As a modern ship-owner our main goal in this cooperation has been on increasing safety in marine traffic as this is beneficial for both the environment and our passengers. But we are also equally excited about how this demonstration opens the door to the new possibilities of autonomous shipping & safety,” said Rosin in a statement.
TOKYO: It won’t be long and the visually impaired can independently travel at airports with the development of the “AI suitcase.”
This AI-powered lightweight suitcase for the blind developed by IBM is equipped with image-recognition camera to detect surroundings and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging to measure distances to objects), reported the BBC.
It’s the brain-child of Dr. Chieko Asakawa who at age 14 lost her vision after damaging her optic nerve in a swimming pool accident. Since then, the Japanese computer scientist has devoted her time to help transform the lives of other visually impaired people across the world through her inventions and innovations at IBM Japan where she works as a researcher, mainly developing software programs for the visually impaired computer users.
Her condition didn’t deter Dr. Asakawa from going to the university. She studied English literature and a computer science course for the blind before earning her Ph.D. in Engineering at the University of Tokyo. She is credited for creating the early digital Braille innovations and creating the world’s first practical web-to-speech browser.
She also developed NavCog, a voice-controlled smartphone app that helps blind people navigate complicated indoor locations. The app is currently available in Tokyo and the US but IBM Intends to make it public globally later on.
DUBAI: Holding the record as the world’s longest driverless metro line, Dubai is about to outdo its own record with the introduction of Sky Pods, the AI-powered autonomous vehicles traveling at speed of 150 kph.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, described the pods as “a futuristic mobility system that requires one tenth the infrastructure of conventional transit systems.”
The project is part of the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) continuing research on how to utilize artificial intelligence, autonomous mobility and shared mobility/transport for public benefits.
“Dubai thinks out-of-the-box… It is taking bold steps with the aim of kick-starting a revolution in transportation by undertaking new projects such as the Dubai Sky pods, a futuristic mobility system that requires one tenth the infrastructure of conventional transit systems,” tweeted Sheikh Hamdan who inspected this month two models of Sky Pods that will be introduced in the city which will host World Expo in 2020.
Unibike, the first Sky Pod model, can hold 1 to 5 riders traveling at maximum speed of 150 kph. In an hour, that could translate to 20,000 riders.
Unicar, the other model, is designed to travel up to a distance of 200 km, with 6 maximum passengers. That’s about 50,000 riders per hour traveling at maximum speed of 150KPH.
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