Robotics/AI – Lifeboat News: The Blog

Nov 4
2023

This Is How AI Can Use Your WI-FI As A Camera To Spy On You

In recent years, the field of artificial intelligence has witnessed remarkable advancements, with researchers exploring innovative ways to utilize existing technology in groundbreaking applications. One such intriguing concept is the use of WiFi routers as virtual cameras to map a home and detect the presence and locations of individuals, akin to an MRI machine. This revolutionary technology harnesses the power of AI algorithms and WiFi signals to create a unique, non-intrusive way of monitoring human presence within indoor spaces. In this article, we will delve into the workings of this technology, its potential capabilities, and the implications it may have on the future of smart homes and security.

The Foundation of WiFi Imaging: WiFi imaging, also known as radio frequency (RF) sensing, revolves around leveraging the signals emitted by WiFi routers. These signals interact with the surrounding environment, reflecting off objects and people within their range. AI algorithms then process the alterations in these signals to form an image of the indoor space, thus providing a representation of the occupants and their movements. Unlike traditional cameras, WiFi imaging is capable of penetrating walls and obstructions, making it particularly valuable for monitoring people without compromising their privacy.

AI Algorithms in WiFi Imaging: The heart of this technology lies in the powerful AI algorithms that interpret the fluctuations in WiFi signals and translate them into meaningful data. Machine learning techniques, such as neural networks, play a pivotal role in recognizing patterns, identifying individuals, and discerning between static objects and moving entities. As the AI model continuously learns from the WiFi data, it enhances its accuracy and adaptability, making it more proficient in detecting and tracking people over time.

Nov 4
2023

Two former Google engineers have a product and a plan to fix robot vacuums

The Matic is a fully autonomous robot vacuum that its founders claim will clean your floors without getting stuck on cables or toys and without sending a map of your home to the cloud. And it’ll only cost you $1,800.

The Matic is a new robot vacuum with a different approach to cleaning your floors. Built by two former Google Nest engineers, it’s designed to move around your home in the same way most humans would, processing things visually instead of spatially. It uses five RGB cameras to navigate, rather than the sensors, bumpers, and lidar tech found on most of today’s robot vacs. In theory, this makes it less prone to common robot vacuum pitfalls —such as high-pile rugs, cables, and tight spaces — because it can actually see where it’s going in real time rather than relying on a preprogrammed map. It also operates locally — with no cloud component at all. Mapping is done on the device, and it doesn’t require an internet connection to run, so your data should never leave your home. $1,800 robot vacuum thinks it can beat the best of them.

Nov 4
2023

Apple CEO Tim Cook says AI is a fundamental technology, confirms investments in generative AI

Apple CEO Tim Cook pushed back a bit at the notion that the company was behind in AI on yesterday’s Q4 earnings call with investors, as he highlighted technology developments that Apple had made recently that “would not be possible without AI.” Specifically, the exec pointed to new iOS 17 features like Personal Voice and Live Voicemail as examples of its innovation with AI technologies. In addition, Cook confirmed Apple was working on generative AI technologies.

The features Cook called out aren’t necessarily thought of as AI by consumers, and that may be by design. Cook suggested that Apple doesn’t label the features as “AI” necessarily.

“We label them as to what their consumer benefit is,” Cook said. “But the fundamental technology behind it is AI and machine learning.”

Nov 4
2023

Will There Be A Nobel Prize For AI?

The Nobel Awards Season just ended, with the “Oscars of Science” awarded to some of the world’s brightest minds. The entire science world was watching, and just like with the Oscars, there was an element of suspense, drama, envy, celebration, and happiness. Most of the Nobel Laureates are also phenomenal speakers and communicators with decades of teaching experience, and thousands of people across the world are glued to their monitors to hear their inspiring stories. The Nobel Prizes are awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences. Unfortunately, there is no Nobel Prize for Computer Science, Mathematics, or Engineering. So, it seems like it… More.

While there is no Nobel Prize for AI, Jumper and Hassabis may be the frontrunners for a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of AlphaFold.

Nov 4
2023

China’s ambitious plan to tackle Tesla, Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robots

China has announced a plan to produce its first humanoid robots by 2025, as part of its push to develop the future industry.

China has long been eyeing the top spot in emerging fields like AI and quantum computing. Now, it has a new goal: to create realistic robots that can mimic human actions and emotions.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has unveiled a plan to produce China’s first humanoid robots by 2025. The program also aims to foster more startups in the sector, set industry norms, cultivate talent, and enhance international cooperation.

Nov 4
2023

‘AI will do everything’: Elon Musk on the future of jobs

“We will have for the first time something that is smarter than the smartest human,” added Musk at the UK’s AI Safety Summit.

The latest advancements in artificial intelligence are also fanning an anxious frenzy around the technology replacing human jobs. And that’s something that came up in a candid discussion between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak around the sidelines of the AI Safety Summit.

Wikimedia Commons.

The new-age question: Will AI replace jobs?

Nov 4
2023

Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, to release first program tomorrow

Set up in July, xAI aimed to take a path very different from OpenAI. How far it has succeeded will be known soon.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) company, xAI, is ready to showcase its first product to the world and will release it to a select group tomorrow, as per a tweet from Musk.

Musk was one of the founders of OpenAI when the organization worked as a non-profit and for the advancement of AI. Over the years, though, OpenAI started leaning towards profit and teamed up with Microsoft, which has poured billions into its growth. The Tesla CEO eventually fell out with his other co-founders and has often criticized OpenAI for its change in stance.

Musk has also found issues with… More.

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Tomorrow, @xAI will release its first AI to a select group.

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Nov 3
2023

3D printers learn to paint like Jackson Pollock

If you’ve ever drizzled honey on a piece of toast, you’ve noticed how the amber liquid folds and coils in on itself as it hits the toast. The same thing can happen with 3D and 4D printing if the print nozzle is too far from the printing substrate. Harvard scientists have taken a page from the innovative methods of abstract expressionist artist Jackson Pollock —aka the “splatter master”—to exploit the underlying physics rather than try to control it to significantly speed up the process, according to a new paper published in the journal Soft Matter. With the help of machine learning, the authors were able to decorate a cookie with chocolate syrup to demonstrate the viability of their new approach.

As reported previously, Pollock early on employed a “flying filament” or “flying catenary” technique before he perfected his dripping methods. The paint forms various viscous filaments that are thrown against a vertical canvas. The dripping technique involved laying a canvas flat on the floor and then pouring paint on top of it. Sometimes, he poured it directly from a can; sometimes he used a stick, knife, or brush; and sometimes he used a syringe. The artist usually “rhythmically” moved around the canvas as he worked. His style has long fascinated physicists, as evidenced by the controversy surrounding the question of whether or not Pollock’s paintings show evidence of fractal patterns.

Back in 2011, Harvard mathematician Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan collaborated with art historian Claude Cernuschi on an article for Physics Today examining Pollock’s use of a “coiling instability” in his paintings. The study mathematically describes how a viscous fluid folds onto itself like a coiling rope—just like pouring cold maple syrup on pancakes.

Nov 3
2023

Starlink: I was tracking down why the bots on my home machine were unable to mail me at the Lifeboat servers on Linode

And finally figured out that I was using Starlink and they block port 25. So my bots now use port 2,525 since other ISPs also block port 25 and I don’t want to have to deal with this again.

The interesting thing is that I had a problem with my fiber provider so I switched to Starlink and then forgot to switch back. So Starlink isn’t terrible…

High-speed internet. Available almost anywhere on Earth.

Nov 3
2023

Researcher Claims to Crack RSA-2048 With Quantum Computer

A scientist claims to have developed an inexpensive system for using quantum computing to crack RSA, which is the world’s most commonly used public key algorithm.

The response from multiple cryptographers and security experts is: Sounds great if true, but can you prove it? “I would be very surprised if RSA-2048 had been broken,” Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science at England’s University of Surrey, told me.