As with previous months, May, too, has seen some very interesting advances in the AI and tech space.
So just in case you haven’t been keeping up – we’ve got you!
This month we’re looking at:
- Tiny remote-controlled robot crabs,
- Ways to scale efficiency in machine learning and
- How to use AI in museums to educate and enthrall,
That said, let’s take a look at some of the latest progress that we’ve made in the field of AI.
The First-Ever Smallest Remote-Controlled Robot (SPOILER: It’s A Crab!)
Engineers at Northwestern University have created an extraordinary, and rather tiny, piece of technology.
A remote-controlled, half-millimeter wide robot crab. (Yes, you read that right).
Although it’s quite literally smaller than a flea, the capabilities of this tiny piece of tech are awe-inspiring. To say the least.
“Just a half-millimeter wide, the tiny crabs can bend, twist, crawl, walk, turn and even jump. Although the research is exploratory at this point, the researchers believe their technology might bring the field closer to realizing micro-sized robots that can perform practical tasks inside tightly confined spaces.”
Scaling Efficiency In Machine Learning
In the ongoing race to advance the power of machine learning, researchers have found new methods to make models more efficient.
“Problems in distributed optimisation appear in various scenarios that typically rely on wireless communications… Latency, scalability, and privacy are fundamental challenges,” says Rick Blum, the Robert W. Wieseman Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Lehigh University.
Gradient Descent method with Sparsification and Error Correction, or GD-SEC, is the method that the researchers propose would be best to improve the communications efficiency of ML conducted in a “worker-server” wireless architecture.
Blum explains that with GD-SEC, there’s a significant reduction in communication requirements. By employing a data compression approach where each worker sets small magnitude gradient components to zero.
“The worker then only transmits to the server the remaining non-zero components. In other words, meaningful, usable data are the only packets launched at the model.”
“Current methods create a situation where each worker has expensive computational cost; GD-SEC is relatively cheap where only one GD step is needed at each round,” says Blum.
Using AI In Museums To Keep Kids Engaged
Visiting museums might be on track to becoming a favourite recreational activity amongst the youth.
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) have demonstrated a more effective way to support learning and increase engagement.
They used artificial intelligence to create a new genre of interactive, hands-on exhibits that includes an intelligent, virtual assistant to interact with visitors.
When the researchers compared their intelligent exhibit to a traditional one, they found that the intelligent exhibit increased learning and the time spent at the exhibit.
“What’s particularly impressive to me is how the system engages kids in doing real scientific experimentation and thinking,” said Ken Koedinger, a professor in HCII, “The kids not only get it, they also have more fun than with usual exhibits even though more thinking is required.”
Get Familiar With AI & Digital Transformation
May has given rise to a range of interesting new findings. Each of which offer more benefits to society as a whole.
Taking the time to identify with new reports, changes and developments in the tech space will offer your business a list of advantages in the long run.
You can learn about how the cloud, machine learning and big data are changing the game. For the better.
Check out our blog and take your transformation journey to the next level!
