2009 July | Singularity Hub

Haptics Unleashes Virtual Reality and Telepresence Revolution

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by Keith Kleiner on July 31st, 2009

Exohand - Its Haptic Baby!

Prepare to be blown away with this post! Here at the Hub one of the things that we are all about is the coming merger of the physical world with the virtual world. Programmable matter, moving beyond the outdated mouse and keyboard interface model, immersive environments, and so on. Now we are here to tell you about a seriously game changing technology that is absolutely busting apart the traditional barrier between the physical and virtual worlds. Its called haptics, and if you haven’t heard about it yet then read on and prepare to be thrilled.

Dramatic opening paragraph, I know, but I am just so excited about the possibilities of haptics that it is hard for me to hold back. Haptics is the set of technologies that causes a person operating a device to engage in a sensory feedback loop between what the device is feeling and seeing and what the person is feeling and seeing. Sound confusing? Keep reading, it will make sense!

Today most graphics designers draw things on a computer the old fashioned way using the mouse and keyboard to interface with their design software. Haptics changes all of this. Imagine instead of a mouse that you have a wand or joystick that can serve as your paintbrush, eraser, scalpel, etc as you design an object on the computer. As you push down on the virtual object you are designing on the computer with your joystick you can actually feel pressure push back on you from the joystick. Its a completely different way of graphics design that will rewrite the rules of the game. Speaking of games, haptics also has the potential to revolutionize the gaming industry. Check out this video to see what I am talking about:

After watching the video hopefully you agree that this is some pretty cool stuff! To fully grasp the potential of this disruptive technology, you have to keep in mind that the haptic device you are controlling does not have to be in the same physical location as the object, game, or target you are manipulating.

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by Keith Kleiner on July 30th, 2009

Traditional media outlets have been tripping over each other this week with sensational titles such as “Chinese Scientists Reprogram Cells to Create Mice” to describe the work of Chinese stem cell researchers. Indeed, the study by hot shot Chinese stem cell researcher Qi Zhou of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing is notable, but not for the reasons most headlines would make you believe.

First, lets set the record straight. Chinese scientists did not create an entire functioning mouse simply by reprogramming some mouse skin cells. What they did do was reprogram mouse skin cells back into their more versatile, pluripotent embryonic state and inject them into an already healthy early stage mouse embryo. The embryo, now partly its original self, and partly augmented with the foreign cells that were injected, was able to continue to grow normally into a fully mature, reproductively viable mouse. What is the point, and why do we care?

The first point of interest here is that the study joins a growing mountain of studies that show that mouse and even human skin cells can be reprogrammed into pretty much anything. In this particular study, skin cells from a mouse were essentially reprogrammed into embryonic stem cells. These reprogrammed skin cells were injected into an early stage embryo and then multiplied and mutated into all of the many different types of cells and tissues required to make a mature mouse. In the coming decades this type of research could unlock the ability to take your own skin cells and create any cell, tissue, or organ you need for your body without any fear of rejection by your immune system. Immortality anyone?

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by Keith Kleiner on July 29th, 2009

Props to the guys over at smart-machines for digging up an awesome video (see below) of the Toyota humanoid robot running at 7 Km/hr (4 mph), besting Asimo’s 6Km/hr. Making humanoid robots that can run and walk was once a formidable challenge for robot engineers, but advances in computing now make the problem of calculating split second compensations for balance less of a headache. Surprisingly, there still aren’t many bipedal humanoid robots that can walk, let alone run. The Asimo robot from Honda and also the upcoming Dexter robot from Anybots are two of the more famous examples, but now Toyota has jumped into the ring in a big way. The Toyota humanoid robot is part of a now multi-year effort by Toyota to create robots that are designed to help humans, aptly called partner robots.

The Asimo robot from Honda has been around for over a decade, so at first the humanoid robot from Toyota might not seem like much of an achievement. Perhaps this is true…but after watching the video you will have to agree its still pretty darn cool. Apparently the Toyota robot can only operate on conventional flat surfaces, whereas the Asimo robot is capable of walking up stairs and handling more diverse situations (except when it falls). But then again the Toyota robot can play the violin, so who is the real champ here? In the end, the best thing is that there are multiple big money players all jumping into the humanoid robot market, and thus the field is rapidly advancing through natural competitive pressure. It surely won’t be long now before Honda or some other company bests this 7 Km/hr achievement. And then of course if we allow the robot to have more than two feet, my money is on the big dog kicking everybody’s butt, humanoid or human.

Surprisingly there is very little information I can find about the Toyota running robot other than the info in this post. If anybody can dig up more videos or information please post it in the comments.
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3D Scanner Recreates Real-Life Objects on the Computer Screen

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by Andrew Kessel on July 29th, 2009

The line between computers and reality has been blurred. We have murders committed because of World of Warcraft, Second Life romances (an activity normally reserved for the three dimensional world), and now there’s a way to turn any real-life object into a computer model. Yes, the NextEngine 3D Scanner does just what it’s name implies. It scans any object with a bunch of lasers and makes it into a fully workable CAD assembly right on the computer screen. We’ve seen 3D printers and Claytronics here on the Hub but, with the NextEngine now on sale, reverse engineering will never be the same again.

Lots of lasers and stuff...

The idea behind it is fairly simple. Well, as simple as one can get when lasers are involved. The laser scans the object and takes a 3D snapshot of the face, employing the devilishly tricky wave-particle duality theories to get 400 data samples per square inch. The computer then automatically takes the data points and strings them together to make a 3D computer model that is easily imported into other CAD software.

Depending on how big the item is, a couple of scans at different angles might be required. That might sound daunting but, with the visual editing software that comes bundled with the package, it’s a cinch. What, you say? Too lazy to go through and put your own 3D scans together into one image? Then sit back and let the AutoPositioner automatically move the sample. No, serious. It’s pretty neat. Check it out in the video below.

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by Keith Kleiner on July 28th, 2009

Prominent New York Times reporter John Markoff just came out with a story titled “Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man” that has raised some eyebrows. Several friends that aren’t even in the science/tech space have since asked me about it so I thought I would chime in. Are machines really about to outsmart us? What is the future of man and machine in the next 5, 10, and 20 years?

Man Vs Machine...Or Is It Man And Machine?

First, some background from the Markoff story. Sadly, because of the New York Times’ twisted broken old school business model, you can’t even read their story directly unless you have a subscription an account. But there is a way around it…go to Google News (news.google.com) and search for Markoff’s story and the New York Times lets you read it for free if you come from Google News. Anyway, the Markoff story cites a conference on Feb 25, 2009 that was held at the Asilomar Conference Grounds on Monterey Bay in California in which prominent AI and robotics researchers sounded the alarm about the stunning advances machines are making. The concern wasn’t so much that a super intelligence that exceeded or even matched human ability was coming – at least not right away. Rather the immediate concern was that machines are right now making significant advances in several small niches of society that will seriously disrupt human labor demand, war tactics, and civilization as a whole.

The researchers apparently want to help shape the discussion around disruptive machine advancement before crisis does it for them. In other words, be proactive about the issue – start the conversation now and prepare society for the changes that are coming as best as possible. In this regard I applaud the researchers, as this blog to some degree, and Singularity University specifically, are working toward this same goal. To Markoff’s credit he mentions Singularity University as an emerging center for this debate, but sadly no mention of Singularity Hub.

Big changes are coming. In fact that is the entire founding premise of this blog. Our focus is more broad of course, documenting not only the daily advances in AI and robotics, but also the advances in genetics, brain engineering, medicine and other fields that are all converging to create a transformative future for mankind.

Machines have already made major inroads against a huge array human abilities and tasks. Machines are largely making humans in the factory obsolete, as evidenced by the flexpicker and the kiva robots. Robots are rapidly seeping into the worldwide war apparatus from many different angles, whether it be surveillance machines, armed drones, or advanced strategic planning bots. From soccer, to surgery, to climbing, the list of robotic achievements goes on and on. So what does the future hold for man and machine then?

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by Andrew Kessel on July 28th, 2009

Here’s a piece of genuine elderly-friendly technology. It’s simple enough that Grandma can use it, but the whole thing rings to the tune of Body 2.0. The MEDSignals device is a convenient and handy pillbox that makes sure our overmedicated population don’t miss a beat. Alongside its ability to task master and make sure pills are administered periodically, the MEDSignals box also lets patients, doctors, family know (via the web) that the pills are being taken regularly. Although it is quite large (a welcome change from the usual nano-sized gadgets that the older generation generally does not care to learn how to use), the MEDSignals really does its job well.

What will it be, Neo? The red pill or the blue pill?

Now, thorough isn’t an adjective used when describing many things made or designed in this great country. Our cars have worse build quality than the Italians (and when have you seen a Lamborghini that is not on fire?), we don’t read our laws before we pass them, and we were just so certain that there were WMDs in Iraq. But MEDSignals: boy are they thorough. There is an LED next to each of the four pill bins that can hold up to a month’s supply of pills. The bins are numbered, color-coded and have Braille identifiers just to cover all the bases. When it is time to take a pill, a pre-recorded voice tells the user that it is time, specifies the bin as well as the number of pills to take and also says any other instructions that have been programmed into the system.

If that isn’t enough, then worry not: the pill taking process is far from completed. Coinciding with the voice, the LED beside the pill compartment flashes according to the number of pills to take while the same information is displayed on the screen. But what if it’s a late dinner and the pills need to be washed down with some food? Well, there is a snooze button that allows the alarm to be pushed back by convenient 30-minute intervals. And at a cost of nearly $400 with additional monthly fees for data upload access, this thing better be thorough!

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by Keith Kleiner on July 27th, 2009

Two months ago Wolfram Alpha launched its question answering engine in one of the most eagerly anticipated product launches of the year. Although sensationalists wanted to call Wolfram Alpha a Google killer, here at the Hub we have consistently viewed Wolfram Alpha as a valuable complementary tool to Google rather than a direct competitor. Just a few weeks ago at sci foo 2009 I was able to sit in on a presentation from Wolfram Alpha Co-founder Theodore Gray in which he gave an update on the status of the service. My takeaway was the same as before: Wolfram Alpha is the real deal. This is a serious company backed by some really smart people and a formidable technology.

Computing The Answer To Your Question...

As I noted earlier, the presentation from Theodore Gray was quite an experience given that more than half of the 12 or so people in the room joining me to watch the presentation were serious big hitters at Google (VP’s and higher) that I know personally. So we’ve got the co-founder of Wolfram Alpha basically revealing some pretty juicy details of his service to a very interesting crowd – quite a setting.

One of the most interesting insights I gathered from Theodore is that Wolfram Alpha is not simply sitting on its laurels letting its service stagnate and languish. Quite the opposite is true in fact – these guys are modifying and innovating their service at light speed. With hundreds of thousands of users now pounding on the service everyday, Wolfram Alpha is able to learn about bugs and kinks in the system at a blistering pace. In fact this is one of the primary reasons that the service was launched when it was, even though it wasn’t as polished as Wolfram Alpha might have hoped. Wolfram Alpha wanted to leverage the power of millions of users to largely automate the detection of the service’s myriad flaws. Each day the Wolfram Alpha engine is improving as tiny problems are identified either by users directly or by analyzing the logs, and then fixed. The website’s interface itself, just like Google, remains ever the same with only a deceivingly simple search box, but behind the scenes the service is constantly evolving.

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by Aaron Saenz on July 27th, 2009

No matter how much it begs, never give your robot a knife – it will want to play surgeon. Engineer, medical doctor, and inventor Catherine Mohr is pushing the boundaries of medicine by pioneering new robotically assisted surgery methods and devices. Using a simulator interface and remote controlled instruments, Mohr’s operating room of the future will be more video game than butcher’s slab. By focusing on fewer incisions, more flexibility, and more versatility the robotic surgeons of the future will allow you to heal faster and better. The good doctor described her vision at this year’s TED talks a few months ago. Stay tuned after the break for the video.

Catherine Mohr is on the cutting edge of robotic surgery. Photo by Liz Hafalia

The wonderful thing about robotic surgery is that it is already here. Thousands of robotically assisted surgeries are performed every year in the U.S. The da Vinci robot, which has been around since 1999, and which Singularity Hub has discussed before, has become the most popular method for conducting prostatectomies. Surgeons are able to use 3D imaging, and intuitive controls to manipulate da Vinci’s pincers and clamps in a way that is more precise than typical manual surgeries. More importantly, they can do these procedures through just a few incisions rather than opening up the entire chest cavity. The combination of precision and minimal invasion allows these robots to sew a blood vessel onto a beating heart.

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by Aaron Saenz on July 23rd, 2009

We still tell our children “you can be anything when you grow up.” It’s time to start telling them “you’re going to be able to make anything…right now.” Similar work at MIT and Carnegie Mellon is pointing towards the next revolution in computers and manufacturing: programmable matter. In the future you won’t use computers to design a car, the car will form from billions of tiny computers that arrange themselves into anything you want. The physical and computational world will merge. Hope you’re ready.

Claytronics is developing tiny computers that can form shapes. Here is their cylindrical protoype.

Claytronics is developing tiny computers that can work together to form shapes. This cylindrical prototype is about 3cm across, 10 times bigger than the goal.

How can a material be intelligent? By being made up of particle-sized machines. At Carnegie Mellon, with support from Intel, the project is called Claytronics. The idea is simple: make basic computers housed in tiny spheres that can connect to each other and rearrange themselves. It’s the same concept as we saw with Modular Robotics, only on a smaller scale. Each particle, called a Claytronics atom or Catom, is less than a millimeter in diameter. With billions you could make almost any object you wanted. See the concept video after the break.

Carnegie Mellon isn’t the only university pursuing intelligent materials. MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) is actively trying to merge physics and computer science. Neil Gershenfeld, CBA’s director and one of the leaders in computational physics, is seeking to design, build and program computers that are what they compute. He’s taking the “bit” and turning it into an “it,” instead of the other way around.

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by Keith Kleiner on July 23rd, 2009

In a radical shift from previous years, the fourth annual Singularity Summit is slated to take place October 3-4 in New York instead of technology hotbed Silicon Valley. The Singularity Summit, hosted by the SIAI, for several years has been the premier singularity focused event of the year. Last year the hub attended the summit in San Jose, CA and produced the web’s most comprehensive review of the event – we hope to do the same this year as well.

Headlining the event will of course be de facto singularity frontman Ray Kurzweil. Also speaking at the event will be dozens of other distinguished individuals from the scientific and philosophical community, including David Chalmers, Ben Goertzel, Aubrey De Grey, Eliezer Yudkowsky, Peter Thiel, and William Dickens. The full list and schedule of speakers is located here.

Below is a promotional video about the summit:

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by Keith Kleiner on July 22nd, 2009

With the first three weeks of the Singularity University summer session complete the Hub is here to give you a summary of what has been happening. My personal impression is that the school is off to a fantastic start. Call me biased if you want, but considering the quality of students involved, the prestige of the faculty and guest speakers, and the vast array of activities that have occurred it is hard to deny that something really special is happening over at the University. This is going to be mostly a review in pictures with some commentary in between. I think this is a powerful way to report on the University’s progress. Let me send a huge shout to Dr. Daniel Kraft, chair of the Medicine, Neuroscience & Human Enhancement track at Singularity University, for a substantial number of these pictures.

Of course, the main attraction at Singularity University is supposed to be the amazing faculty and guest speakers and the University has definitely delivered! Vint Cerf, Peter Norvig, George Smoot, Yossi Vardi, Bob Metcalfe, Ray Kurzweil, Peter Diamandis, Aubrey De Grey, Raymond McCauley, Terry Grossman, and Ralph Merkle are just a few of the names that have been passing through the University. If you haven’t already, take a moment to check out the impressive full roster of faculty and advisors. Below are the few pictures I have been able to take or acquire of faculty and speakers that have been at the University:

The Future Is Here Today...Robots, Genetics, AI, Longevity, Singularity

Russia Is Making Flying Saucers. DUN-DUN-DUN!

Kurzweil Critiques Avatar – Technology Applied Unevenly, Cast as Enemy

Mitsubishi Smallest Robot Arm Builds Lego Van (video)

Haptics Unleashes Virtual Reality and Telepresence Revolution

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Growing Mice From Stem Cells? The Real Story About The Stem Cell Breakthrough From Qi Zhou

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Toyota Humanoid Robot Runs At 7 Km/hr

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3D Scanner Recreates Real-Life Objects on the Computer Screen

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Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man

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MEDSignals Creates a High Tech, User Friendly Pillbox

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Wolfram Alpha – A Force To Be Reckoned With

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Catherine Mohr Promises More Robotic Surgery

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Programmable Matter: Claytronics or Gershenfeld

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Singularity Summit 2009 In New York October 3-4

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Singularity University First Three Weeks In Pictures

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