Manufacturing Technology

Science fiction likes to depict robots as autonomous machines, capable of making their own decisions and often expressing their own personalities. Yet we also tend to think of robots as property, and as lacking the kind of rights that we reserve for people. But if a machine can think, decide and act on its own volition, if it can be harmed or held responsible for its actions, should we stop treating it like property and start treating it more like a person with rights? What if a robot achieves true self-awareness? Should it have equal rights with us and the same protection under the law, or at least something similar? These are some of the issues being discussed by the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs. Last year it released a draft report and motion calling for a set of civil law rules on robotics regulating their manufacture, use, autonomy and impact upon society. Of the legal solutions proposed, perhaps most interesting was the suggestion of creating a legal status of “electronic persons” for the most sophisticated robots. Approaching personhood The report acknowledged that improvements in the autonomous and cognitive abilities of robots makes them more than simple tools, and makes ordinary rules on liability, such as contractual and tort liability, insufficient for handling them. For example, the current EU directive on liability for harm by robots only covers foreseeable damage caused by manufacturing defects. In these cases, the manufacturer is responsible. However, when robots are able to learn and adapt to their environment in unpredictable ways, it’s harder for a manufacturer to foresee problems that could cause harm. The report also questions about whether or not sufficiently sophisticated robots should be regarded as natural persons, legal persons (like corporations), animals or objects. Rather than lumping them into an existing […]

by Colin Paris A call comes through on my tablet. It’s a familiar digital voice letting me know that one of GE’s power generation turbines installed at a utility customer’s power plant was experiencing a change in its operating profile. This change was causing a critical part to wear more rapidly than usual. It would not necessarily cause a problem today, explains the caller, or even in the coming months. But further down the line, it could become an issue that would reduce the overall performance of the power plant and lead to more expensive repairs. That voice on the other end of the line is not a human operator. It is the turbine’s Digital Twin, an exact digital replica of the physical machine built with artificial intelligence algorithms that allow it to see, think and act just like human beings do. In my ten- minute conversation with this Digital Twin, we figure out a solution that would save $12 million for the customer with a simple adjustment in how the turbine operates. The drop-off in performance and higher repair costs will be avoided thanks to a few simple changes the Twin itself recommended based on its assessment of historical data, other turbines in this fleet, and its deep knowledge of the physical stress on the turbine in question. The Internet ushered in the world of connectedness on a level no one had previously imagined. Today, that connectedness has spread from human-to-human, to human-to-machine, to machine-to-machine, and we’ve given it a new name – the Internet of Things. We see the IoT in the home, when we talk to Amazon Echo’s Alexa or to Google and ask them for information or to perform a simple task. To understand those questions and requests, Alexa uses a dictionary that is gained from […]

Intelligent computers that look, think and react like humans are the latest technology being developed at the University of Auckland to become a commercial venture. Artificial Intelligence company Soul Machines was officially launched this week after it attracted US $7.5 million in its initial financing round from Hong Kong-based venture capital firm Horizons Ventures, making it the University’s biggest Series A fund raising deal to date. The company is developing a completely new user interface between humans and their machines, based on technology created by Dr Mark Sagar and his team at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI) at the University of Auckland. Dr Sagar won two academy awards for his work on the Avatar blockbuster. He becomes the CEO of Soul Machines. He also heads the Bioengineering Institute’s Lab for Animate Technologies. “Our engineering team will focus on bringing human life to technology that is intelligent, emotive and adaptive. Our goal is to define the user experience for Artificial Intelligence systems and platforms,” Dr Sagar says. Auckland UniServices CEO Andy Shenk says Soul Machines demonstrates the phenomenal power that comes from the unique combination of art, science and creative insights that Mark Sagar and his team have produced. “In the same way, we at UniServices believe that Soul Machines also demonstrates the unique power that comes from the combination of world-class research at the University of Auckland and the commercialisation expertise that we have built over almost 30 years,” Dr Shenk says. Soul Machines will develop technology in the rapidly accelerating artificial intelligence sector. Its lifelike, emotionally responsive avatars will have the potential to become the interfaces between humans and machines across a variety of platforms. The new company is backed by Horizons Ventures, which were early investors in Siri, acquired by Apple, and Deep Mind, acquired by Google. Phil […]

ARANZ Medical, a specialist in 3D scanning and informatics solutions for the healthcare sector, has been named the winner of the Bayer Supreme Innovator of the Year in the 2016 New Zealand Innovators Awards.  The company was also named the winner of the Innovation in Technology Solutions category for its key innovations Silhouette and FastSCAN. Dr Bruce Davey, CEO of ARANZ Medical says, “This is a wonderful acknowledgement for our dedicated team who are passionate about developing innovative technology to help people heal people.  We’ve replaced some of the most primitive processes in healthcare that hadn’t seen any innovation in decades with highly innovative and sophisticated yet easy-to-use medical technology.” ARANZ Medical’s 3D scanning and information solutions for skin and wound assessment transform clinical assessment processes, improve quality of care, and make healthcare more cost-effective.  Key innovations include: Silhouette, an FDA-approved advanced wound surveillance system which supports precise and productive wound management in clinical practice and research; and FastSCAN which enables the custom-fit of orthotics and prosthetics. Dr Davey says, “We can help improve the lives of millions of people worldwide, including high risk groups such as diabetes sufferers and the elderly, by empowering healthcare providers to address challenging medical problems in wound care and orthotics/prosthetics.  Silhouette and FastSCAN literally shed light on changes in the skin with a level of accuracy and ease that has not been possible before, so healthcare providers can make better-informed decisions that could lead to better healing outcomes.” The company’s technology is being used in over 35 countries in a range of settings from clinical researchers in rural Africa studying the Buruli ulcer, one of the most neglected tropical diseases, to the largest healthcare providers in the US and UK. Dr Davey says demand for their technology is being driven by diseases like diabetes, […]

There’s no doubt that momentous change is underway and that there will be huge employment impact from the disruptive change. In the latest in the Future of Business series, MYOB explores the technological revolution that will transform the way we connect, relate and interact with one another. Yet, while we will have experienced a dramatic shift in the way we work by the 2040s, what might be even more remarkable is the increased value of the human experience. MYOB Chief Technical Advisor and futurist Simon Raik-Allen says, even with incredible advances in technology, people need to be together to truly be creative. “Right now, we’re on the cusp of what the World Economic Forum calls the fourth industrial revolution. There’s no doubt that momentous change is underway and that there will be huge employment impact from the disruptive change. But, like the last industrial revolution, it is more likely to enrich our experiences and provide more opportunities for meaningful work and exciting business.” Mr Raik-Allen believes that, rather than technology isolating or excluding people, it will bring them together. “It doesn’t matter how advanced our technology becomes, in the end, it will come down to people and values. The next revolution will lift humanity, embrace creativity and shape a world that empowers communities. People will always be at the centre of the business, and their experience will be more valued than ever.” “This is our vision at. We understand that business isn’t just business, it’s personal. Although we continue to design, innovate and advance our technology, ultimately it’s the human connection that enables our business and our clients to succeed. We’ve believed this for the last 25 years and we’ll be doing this for the next 25.” Looking back to look forward While not all the technologies promised for the […]