tools

Tech giants grapple with the ethical concerns raised by the AI boom [Simonite]

On 04/01/2017, in 21st century, analytics, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, bots, business, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, data related items, emerging technologies, ethics, global / globalization, morals/values, society, tools, trends, vendors, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Tech giants grapple with the ethical concerns raised by the AI boom — from technologyreview.com by Tom Simonite
As machines take over more decisions from humans, new questions about fairness, ethics, and morality arise.

Excerpt:

With great power comes great responsibility—and artificial-intelligence technology is getting much more powerful. Companies in the vanguard of developing and deploying machine learning and AI are now starting to talk openly about ethical challenges raised by their increasingly smart creations.

“We’re here at an inflection point for AI,” said Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft Research, at MIT Technology Review’s EmTech conference this week. “We have an ethical imperative to harness AI to protect and preserve over time.”

Horvitz spoke alongside researchers from IBM and Google pondering similar issues. One shared concern was that recent advances are leading companies to put software in positions with very direct control over humans—for example in health care.

21 bot experts make their predictions for 2017 — from venturebeat.com by Adelyn Zhou

Excerpt:

2016 was a huge year for bots, with major platforms like Facebook launching bots for Messenger, and Amazon and Google heavily pushing their digital assistants. Looking forward to 2017, we asked 21 bot experts, entrepreneurs, and executives to share their predictions for how bots will continue to evolve in the coming year.
…
From Jordi Torras, founder and CEO, Inbenta:
“Chatbots will get increasingly smarter, thanks to the adoption of sophisticated AI algorithms and machine learning. But also they will specialize more in specific tasks, like online purchases, customer support, or online advice. First attempts of chatbot interoperability will start to appear, with generalist chatbots, like Siri or Alexa, connecting to specialized enterprise chatbots to accomplish specific tasks. Functions traditionally performed by search engines will be increasingly performed by chatbots.”

From DSC:
For those of us working within higher education, chatbots need to be on our radars. Here are 2 slides from my NGLS 2017 presentation.

From DSC:
For you ed tech vendors, programmers, and/or entrepreneurs out there, would you please create the software to do this? By the way, for purposes of equal access, this could be done in class — it doesn’t have to be done outside of normal school hours.

Description:
A portrait of the tools and technology that students of the future might encounter.

A smorgasboard of ideas to put on your organization’s radar! [Christian]

On 03/15/2017, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, active learning, adult learning, Amazon, analytics, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, Augmented Reality (AR), Blockchain, bots, business side of he, career development, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, CMS/LMS, colleges, communications, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, credentialing, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, disruption, education, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), IBM, ideas, immersion, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interactivity, internet, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning spaces, lifelong learning, machine-to-machine communications, Microsoft, Mixed Reality (MR), MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Near Field Communication (NFC), New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, online learning, online tutoring, pace of change, personalized/customized learning, platforms, reinvent, robotics, RSS, social learning / networks, society, staying relevant, strategy, streams of content, student-related, surviving, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, technology (general), tools, trends, universities, user experience (UX), vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
At the Next Generation Learning Spaces Conference, held recently in San Diego, CA, I moderated a panel discussion re: AR, VR, and MR. I started off our panel discussion with some introductory ideas and remarks — meant to make sure that numerous ideas were on the radars at attendees’ organizations. Then Vinay and Carrie did a super job of addressing several topics and questions (Mary was unable to make it that day, as she got stuck in the UK due to transportation-related issues).

That said, I didn’t get a chance to finish the second part of the presentation which I’ve listed below in both 4:3 and 16:9 formats. So I made a recording of these ideas, and I’m relaying it to you in the hopes that it can help you and your organization.

Presentations/recordings:

Audio/video recording (187 MB MP4 file)

Again, I hope you find this information helpful.

Thanks,
Daniel

The number of VR companies grew 40% in 2016 [Takahashi]

On 03/09/2017, in 21st century, Asia, human-computer interaction (HCI), tools, trends, United States, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, by Daniel Christian

The number of VR companies grew 40% in 2016 — from venturebeat.com by Dean Takahashi

Excerpt:

The Venture Reality Fund reported that the landscape of companies it tracks in the virtual reality market grew more than 40 percent in 2016. The largest area of growth was in content companies that create apps for head-mounted VR displays, said Marco DeMiroz, cofounder of The Venture Reality Fund with Tipatat Chennavasin. The fund invests in VR and augmented reality startups. Gaming and entertainment nearly doubled in size, with major players as well as well-funded new companies in both the U.S. and Asia, he said.

Also see:

Millions pour into China’s virtual reality industry –from scmp.com by He Huifeng
Excerpt:
More than a dozen Chinese virtual-reality (VR) start-ups raised fresh funding of at least 10 million yuan each last month as venture capitalists continue to flock to this nascent market. The Nanfang Daily also reported on Monday that 60 listed domestic companies have entered the VR industry since July last year through investments in content developers and device makers. The VR consumer market will explode within a year in China, according to a white paper released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) last week. The market size of China’s VR industry will triple this year to 5.66 billion yuan from 1.54 billion yuan last year, according to the white paper. It also estimates the industry revenue is on track to cross 55 billion yuan by 2020.

From DSC:
Vinay Narayan, from HTC Vive, described 2016 as “ground zero” for VR (i.e., it’s just getting started).

So while there certainly is hype going on (and there often is when we’re talking about potentially-promising emerging technologies), so are the investment dollars. It may take a few years to get there, but I don’t see these new forms of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) going away (here’s another reason why).

Savannah College of Art & Design Publishes First College Catalog with AR Capabilities [Palladino]

On 03/07/2017, in art, business side of he, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, community colleges, creativity, design, higher education, ideas, innovation, tools, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Savannah College of Art & Design Publishes First College Catalog with AR Capabilities — from by Tommy Palladino

Excerpt:

When it published its 2016-2017 catalog last year, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) became the first college to leverage augmented reality technology for a college catalog.

By hovering their smartphones over the catalog’s pages, prospective students are able to view videos of student creative sessions, play video games designed by students, take tours of residence halls, and more using the SCAD mobile app, which is available from the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.

Powered by Layar augmented reality technology, the catalog contains more than 150 digital assets, 200 micro-interactions, and 85 trackable pages, including the cover.

A sharp, nicely-done video that explains what mixed reality is

On 03/06/2017, in human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, Microsoft, Mixed Reality (MR), tools, trends, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, by Daniel Christian

Video via:
Acer’s Windows Holographic headset will ship to developers this month — from theverge.com by Nick Statt

OxSight uses augmented reality to aid the visually impaired [Williams]

On 03/03/2017, in Augmented Reality (AR), health, human-computer interaction (HCI), society, tools, universities, by Daniel Christian

OxSight uses augmented reality to aid the visually impaired — from techcrunch.com by Felicia Williams

Excerpt:

A new startup that spun out of Oxford last year, OxSight, is looking to change that. The company built and is testing augmented reality glasses to help the visually impaired recognize and navigate objects in their environment. Think of it as a hearing aid for the blind.

OxSight is a potential replacement for canes and seeing-eye dogs. Those give you immediate localization of obstacles near you, but don’t give you a sense of awareness of the environment that you are in.

Most of the people who have tested the OxSight previously had some level of sight that has degraded over time. The product uses the sight they still have, whether it’s detection of light, movement or a small amount of shape, and amplifies it inside a pair of augmented reality glasses.

From Revit to VR [aecmag.com]

On 03/02/2017, in architecture, creativity, engineering, tools, trends, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, by Daniel Christian

Review: From Revit to VR — from aecmag.com
Greg Corke gets hands-on with three Virtual Reality (VR) applications that work seamlessly with Autodesk Revit, weighing up their capabilities and assessing how well they combine with the HTC Vive and workstation GPUs

Excerpt:

Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the most exciting technologies to hit the AEC market in years. Architects, engineers and clients alike can experience a realistic virtual prototype of a building long before it is built.

A fully immersive VR experience gives you a sense of scale, depth and spatial awareness that simply cannot be matched by a rendering, walkthrough or physicalscale model. The feeling of presence – of existing inside the 3D model – is quite incredible. Users have the freedom to explore a building at their own pace, to understand how it will feel and function. Walking across rooms, teleporting through doors, peering around corners – it’s all possible with a fully tracked roomscale experience.

The impact on the design process can be huge – but only if VR can be used at the precise moments where it adds most value.

Stryker is using Microsoft’s HoloLens to design operating rooms of the future [Coppock]

On 02/28/2017, in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, architecture, health, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, interactivity, Microsoft, Mixed Reality (MR), tools, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Stryker is using Microsoft’s HoloLens to design operating rooms of the future — from digitaltrends.com by Mark Coppock

Excerpt:

Augmented reality has a number of increasingly important applications in a variety of industries, from engineering to retail to interior design. One of the most exciting applications of AR, and the one that promises perhaps the most immediate impact on our lives, is in medicine, where AR can help educate, diagnose, and even treat disease in new and innovative ways.

Microsoft’s HoloLens AR solution is perhaps the most advanced today in terms of becoming a part of the real world, even while it’s not yet a retail option aimed at consumers. Global medical technology company Stryker, which is using HoloLens to redesign the operating room, provides a clear example of the potential of AR in this setting.

From DSC:
Microsoft uses the term “mixed reality” when they are discussing their Hololens product:

Using HoloLens and Stryker’s new By Design solution, hospital stakeholders are now able to envision the ideal operating room configuration with the power of holograms and the benefit of mixed reality.

Move over tablets? This tech could be the future of learning [Schwab]

On 02/27/2017, in 21st century, attention, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, future, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, physics, platforms, science, tools, vendors, youth, by Daniel Christian

Move over tablets? This tech could be the future of learning — from fastcodesign.com by Katharine Schwab
Fluid dynamics are a lot cooler when you can see them at work with your own eyes.

Excerpt:

Physics can be difficult to grasp—even for adults. So how do you teach the subject’s abstract ideas to middle schoolers?

Show some of the concepts in action. That’s the idea behind Peer, an experimental project from New York-based design firm Moment that uses mixed reality to teach middle schoolers scientific ideas such as aerodynamics, sound waves, gravity, and acceleration. The project, though purely conceptual, is a tantalizing hint at where technology in the classroom could be headed next.

Also see:

Want assistance on an AR-related project? Perhaps one of these companies can help you out!

On 02/23/2017, in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, Augmented Reality (AR), business, collaboration, corporate / business world, emerging technologies, global / globalization, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, tools, user experience (UX), vendors, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

The 10 Best Augmented Reality (AR) App Development Companies in the World

Excerpt:

Finding the best way to position and utilise your business when you’re dealing with future technologies like AR can be a difficult proposition. The skill set required is a relatively new thing, and the mobile developers who can do it, and are good at it, are likely to already be seeing offers from other companies. All of this adds up to mean that finding new talent to drive your AR business forward isn’t easy, and this is compounded if you’re new to the game and haven’t established a foothold. In an attempt to make it easier for you, we’ve already covered the top 10 IoT (Internet of Things) developers – and 3 ways to overcome your app backlog before that – and this week we’re looking at AR developers. Using our number crunching based on Alexa rankings, here’s who came out on top.

The example images below were taken from this video clip from eonreality.com

From DSC:
Given the exponential pace of technological change that many societies throughout the globe are now on, we need some tools to help us pulse-check what’s going on in the relevant landscapes that we are trying to scan.

Below, I would like to suggest 2 methods/tools to do this. I have used both methods for years, and I have found them to be immensely helpful in pulse-checking the landscapes. Perhaps these tools will be helpful to you — or to your students or employees — as well. I vote for these 2 tools to be a part of all of our learning ecosystems. (And besides, they also encourage micro-learning while helping us spot emerging trends.)

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This Mobile VR Crane Simulator Showcases the Future of Industrial Training [Brennan]

On 02/13/2017, in business, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, professional development, simulations, tools, training / L&D, trends, user experience (UX), vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, workplace, by Daniel Christian

This Mobile VR Crane Simulator Showcases the Future of Industrial Training — from roadtovr.com by Dominic Brennan

Description from an Inside VR & AR newsletter:

The Mobile Crane Simulator combines an Oculus headset with a modular rig to greatly reduce the cost of training. The system, from Industrial Training International and Serious Labs, Inc, will debut at the ConExpo Event this March in Las Vegas. The designers chose the Oculus for its comfort and portability, but the set-up supports OpenVR, allowing it to potentially also work on the Vive. (The “mobile” in the device’s name refers to a type of crane, rather than to mobile VR.) – ROAD TO VR

Learning Ecosystems

The number of VR companies grew 40% in 2016 [Takahashi]

Savannah College of Art & Design Publishes First College Catalog with AR Capabilities [Palladino]

A sharp, nicely-done video that explains what mixed reality is

OxSight uses augmented reality to aid the visually impaired [Williams]

From Revit to VR [aecmag.com]

Stryker is using Microsoft’s HoloLens to design operating rooms of the future [Coppock]

This Mobile VR Crane Simulator Showcases the Future of Industrial Training [Brennan]

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