From launching hardware to the International Space Station to hosting events in San Diego, New York City, and Amsterdam—it was a big year for Singularity University. The summer’s Graduate Studies Program inspired 21 team projects, including ventures in quantified self and health sensors and a foray into 3D printed houses. Here are a few of the year’s highlights.
Made in Space Fires Up First 3D Space Printer
As we eye future missions beyond Earth orbit, Singularity University company, Made in Space, offered a way to make space exploration more independent. The startup, founded at the 2010 SU Graduate Studies Program, spent the last few years building and testing a low-gravity 3D printer. They launched their printer in September and fired it up for the first time last month. The upshot? Nevermind rockets—we can now email the printer designs in orbit for on demand manufacturing.
Lowe’s Hires Customer Service Robots and Makes a Holoroom
A pair of robots are assisting customers at a San Jose Orchard Supply Hardware store. Called OSHbot, the robots can identify items held in front of their cameras, check inventory, guide customers—even summon Orchard Supply Hardware experts to answer questions on video chat. Meanwhile, at a Toronto store, Lowe’s built the Holoroom—an augmented reality space where customers arrange potential purchases in a virtual room and take a tour on a specially rigged tablet.
OSHbot and the Holoroom were projects spearheaded by Lowe’s Innovation Labs. Corporate groups like Lowe’s join up with Singularity University Labs to extend their horizons, get a feel for technologies in the pipeline, and strike up mutually beneficial partnerships with startups immersed in those technologies.
SU Talks Finance in New York and Hosts Its Biggest Program Yet
After a successful inaugural year in Budapest, over 900 attended Singularity University’s second Summit Europe—its biggest turnout to date. The two-day Amsterdam event was a whirlwind tour of exponential technologies featuring startup pitches and a pair of onstage microchip implant procedures. Earlier, SU visited New York to host the first Exponential Finance conference. And the ever-popular Exponential Medicine returned to San Diego for the second year running.
More new summits are coming in the US and globally in 2015—stay tuned!
Bill Clinton Chats to Peter Diamandis About His Favorite New Book
Peter Diamandis, executive chairman and cofounder of Singularity University, got a new fan this year. Former President Bill Clinton read Abundance and was so intrigued he invited Diamandis to the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative for an onstage interview. The two chatted about why, despite headlines to the contrary, there’s reason to believe, as Clinton summed up Abundance, “The 21st century will be a time of more shared prosperity and more ‘good news’ than ‘bad news’ stories.”
SU Documentary “The University” Is Wrapping Up Production
Matt Rutherford’s film documentary “The University” charts Singularity University from the very beginning. As the crew put the finishing touches on the film, they reached out to the community to raise funds for post-production, marketing, and distribution—the film’s Indiegogo campaign exceeded its $30,000 goal and two subsequent stretch goals to raise over $98,000. What’s up next? The crew says, “We want to share the beautiful work Singularity University does and to inspire others to think big and realize that we CAN and WILL make this world a better place to live in.”
Singularity Hub Launches New Look and Vision
Since 2008, Singularity Hub’s writers have documented trends and breakthroughs in exponential technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and more. This year, supported by our membership and publisher Singularity University, the site got a new look better tailored for mobile and free of ads. In the coming year, expect our usual perspective, analysis, and news from an expanded roster of writers and expert contributors. We couldn’t be more excited!
Thank you for your continued support.
Image Credit: Made in Space
