Five remarkable Artificial Intelligence projects

The project is aptly called « 3D printed dog nose » and is being led by a team of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), affiliated with the MIT and the FDA. Using a 3D printer, scientists have produced an artificial nose, based on a female golden retriever’s.  This allows them to detect explosives (and drugs, pathogenic agents… dogs can even detect cancer tumours) sixteen times better. It is thought that man’s best friend uses his breathing techniques to detect certain molecules. Instead of breathing in deeply, a dog breathes in and out at a speed of 5 breaths per second. It even has a special way of breathing out.
Will the « 3D printed dog nose project » put sniffer dogs out of business ?

Dextra Robotics, a young Chinese company, is not the only company that uses haptic technology. But Experts are impressed by their exoskeletal glove called Dexmo. This prototype haptic glove can convert the manipulation of virtual objects into real physical contact. The glove conveys the shape, size, stiffness of the object in a virtual reality environment … This enhances the virtual reality experience. The possibilities are endless : videogames of course, but also many professional or recreational uses in medicine, surgery, design, industry,…

Master-painter Rembrandt died in 1669, and can no longer deliver new works ? No worries, artificial intelligence is taking over. The Dutch project « The Next Rembrandt » is backed by art historians, developers and Microsoft. They analysed and scanned the work of the painter and used that data to create an algorithm that captures every detail of Rembrandt’s artistic personality. They then used a 3D printer to paint a « Rembrandt-style » painting. The result is amazing.

Microsoft is also involved in a project that is a blessing for public health. Project Premonition uses mosquito traps with intelligent robot technology.
The robotic trap analyses the way insects move their wings. This allows them to distinguish between “ordinary” mosquitos and mosquitos that may spread the Zika virus, dengue fever, chikungunya or malaria. The traps are attached to autonomous drones that contain a biological miniature laboratory. The data gathered is then analysed in the cloud. The project then aims to predict epidemics, allowing scientists to take precautionary measures. It may even be possible to discover unknown viruses or mutations.

Is your doctor too busy to see you any time soon ? Do you suffer from annoying or alarming symptoms ? Your MD (short for “ medical device”) is a health assistant that can replace your doctor. Patients describe their symptoms and the app will give them in approximately 75% of all cases a pre-diagnosis. They can then use this information to contact the appropriate medical service. The database contains about 500 illnesses. The app is already a big success in the United Kingdom where the app has been approved by the (much troubled) National Health Service.