Treating Fears, Enabling Creativity, and More — Tech Does It All
Emerging Tech Roundup — March 19
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: VR helps treat trypanophobia, Pizza Hut launches a new AR campaign, AI is used to create self-walking robots, HTC’s Facial Tracker can be accessed across some devices, Ford partners with the University of Michigan, and an AI non-profit president expresses his opinion on the industry.
VR Treatment Launched to Help Needle-Averse Prepare for COVID-19 Vaccines
(Medical Device Network, March 15)
Vita Health Group used virtual reality (VR) to develop a free UK NHS treatment plan for patients who have trypanophobia, which is a fear of needles. The program aims to provide patients with techniques to manage their fear before getting the COVID-19 vaccination. With this virtual experience, patients are exposed to medical scenarios they would usually avoid in order to help them become more comfortable with facing their fear. Once enrolled in the program, patients are supplied with a free pair of VR goggles along with a 45-minute assessment to ensure the VR therapy is a good fit for them.
Pizza Hut Spins Boxes Into Pac-Man AR Game for ‘Newstalgia’ Campaign
(Marketing Dive, March 15)
Pizza Hut launched a campaign, “Newstalgia,” which provides a modern twist to the company’s different branding elements. As part of this campaign, the company placed QR codes on limited-edition boxes of large pizzas. Once scanned, customers are able to play an augmented reality (AR) version of the classic game, Pac-Man. Players that share their scores on Twitter are then entered to win a custom Pac-Man game cabinet.
Engineers Combine AI and Wearable Cameras in Self-Walking Robotic Exoskeletons
(UWaterloo, March 15)
Robotics researchers are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to create exoskeleton legs capable of making their own decisions. The system combines computer vision and deep-learning AI to mimic the walking of able-bodied individuals by seeing their surroundings and adjusting their movements. Exoskeleton legs are powered by motors and are manually controlled by users via smartphone applications or joysticks. One challenge is that every time a user wants to make a new move, they would need to pull out their phone to select a mode. To fix this limitation, researchers are looking into wearable cameras that can process video feed to accurately recognize surroundings and select a mode.
HTC’s VR Facial Tracker Works on Quest & Index, With Some DIY
(UploadVR, March 16)
Originally available only on Vive Pro headsets, HTC has announced the launch of its VR Facial Tracker across a wider range of devices. Facial Tracker captures the movements of a user’s mouth and mimics them on compatible virtual avatars. The feature has been demonstrated to work on Valve Index headsets, as shown by YouTuber VR Oasis, and MRTV proved to get the kit operating on the Oculus Quest 2.
Ford Expands Robotics Research Into $75 Million University of Michigan Facility
(Tech Crunch, March 16)
Ford Motor Company is placing 100 of its researchers and engineers in a new $75 million robotics and mobility facility on the University of Michigan’s campus. The partnership is not an incubator but rather an extension of Ford’s global research and advanced engineering network. Ford will now be able to collaborate with students on conducting robotic research, and this effort will also provide access to a high-bay garage space in which to test autonomous vehicles.
OpenAI’s Sam Altman: Artificial Intelligence Will Generate Enough Wealth to Pay Each Adult $13,500 a Year
(CNBC, March 17)
Sam Altman, co-founder and president of AI-focused nonprofit, OpenAI, believes AI will generate so much wealth that every single adult in the United States could be paid around $13,500 annually, 10 years from now. Altman refers to it as the “AI revolution,” comparing it to the likes of the agricultural and industrial revolutions. He also goes on to elaborate more specifically on how AI will benefit the economy.
