Alan Kay Talk on Future of Technology

Alan Kay was an early inspiration to us.  Here an overview and link to video:

Computer Pioneer Alan Kay Says Tech Industry Ignores The Future
Alan Kay is a computer pioneer, he was part of the the Xerox PARC team of about 30 researchers who developed many of the key concepts of the PC and notebook. Here he talks about the lack of forward thinking in technology design and innovation.

He advocates designing products for how we expect to use technologies decades from now instead of trying to replicate old technologies ... " 

Google's Neural Turing Machine

This still does not mean we can replace our conventional machines with such neural networks, but it can have profound implication for analytics.

Google's Secretive DeepMind Startup Unveils a "Neural Turing Machine"
DeepMind has built a neural network that can access an external memory like a conventional Turing machine. The result is a computer that mimics the short-term memory of the human brain. ....  "

IBM Streaming Analytics

We did considerable work in using real time data to predict maintenance operations in high speed manufacturing.  Some of the methods we developed were ultimately licensed out.

Recent press release:

" ... Among the seven vendors evaluated, "IBM scored highest on performance and scalability." The report notes that "IBM InfoSphere Stream is industrial strength" and "has comprehensive stream processing operators and development tools that can satisfy the gnarliest of use-cases." It also credits IBM's "significant investments in research."

IBM’s status as a leader in the big data streaming analytics market is based on the evaluation of its InfoSphere Streams software. Developed by IBM Research, InfoSphere Streams rapidly ingests and continuously analyzes massive volumes and varieties of streaming data from thousands of sources to help improve business insight and decision making and enable predictive and cognitive analytics. The technology can process millions of messages per second.

IBM’s Big Data and Analytics capabilities are helping to drive transformation in areas such as energy, financial services, healthcare and telecommunications, while C-suite executives including CMOs, CFOs and CHROs across industries are now using IBM analytics to deliver better business results. ... "

Optimization Direct for Operations Research

In the early days of my career, most of my work was done with optimization analytics,  primarily in R&D, Supply Chain and Manufacturing.  We utilized methods that had been developed during the second world War to improve complex transport systems.  Called then, and still now:  Operations Research.   These are predictive analytics methods, but did not typically have the richness of data we have today.

A couple of encounters in the past few weeks have led me to think about how the OR techniques are being used used effectively today.  A number of companies are still successful in this area, for example Optimization Direct, just met one of their execs.

HP Embraces 3D Printing, Immersion

In CWorld:  Will this change manufacturing?  The move is good to watch.  It is blended reality, they say. New term to me, I  prefer 'remote manufacturing' as more descriptive

" .... HP today announced a new 3D printing technology called Multi Jet Fusion that it said will enable mass production of parts with a technology traditionally reserved for rapid prototyping.

The new industrial 3D printer,  about the size of a washing machine, is 10 times faster and 50% less expensive than current systems on the market, HP said. The printer can also use a myriad of colors and materials. .... " 

A further good idea, they announce the supporting  " ... Sprout  ... a new immersive computing platform that combines a 23-in touch screen monitor and horizontal capacitive touch mat with a scanner, depth sensor, hi-res camera, and projector in a single desktop device. .... "

Fast Track Back to Kanban

It has been a considerable time since I have worked with Kanban, the lean,  just in time manufacturing process.   This InfoQ piece outlines what it is and a workshop that addresses how to achieve it.  Even including a Kanban game to teach the concepts.

" ... So you are considering getting started with Kanban, but where do you start? In this article we describe the approach we used in Danske Bank to get teams off to a good start with Kanban. You are free to use the material and content to get started yourself and the purpose of the article is to explain the what and how of the workshop to enable you to use it. .... " 

This also makes me think of electronic or e-Kanban, which has been integrated into corporate systems such as ERP.   I often thought of Kanban as 'activated' business process models.   Now with more data and better analytics, might we take e-Kanban further, analyzing the streams of data now created in the enterprise to create new kinds of Kanban intervention?   What might that look like?  Thoughts?

Manufacturing and the IOT

Manufacturing and the Internet of Things.  "... Manufacturers like GM and Stanley Black and Decker are creating this platform for innovation by deploying open standards–based Internet Protocol (IP) technologies that converge their enterprise and plant floor networks.  ... " 

Marketing and the Internet of Things

It is about data.  Its about reach.    Anna Russell writes:

" .... Let’s take a step back and look at just what the Internet of Things contains that might excite marketers.  IoT, the result of a growing number of M2M and internet enabled devices, produces vast and diverse amounts of machine created data such as log files, GIS coordinates, thermostat data, and other sensory data. This data is transmitted to a location (or many locations) outside the device, and can trigger actions in other devices that either guide manufacturing efficiency, change environmental factors or overtly assist human users in selecting a course of action, be it workout intensity, room temperature or driving route.

These data driven decisions and suggestions, when well designed, have the power to surprise and delight device users with their perceptive power. And its that feedback loop -the expectation of users that these devices are trustworthy and will advise them of best thing to do - that presents unparalleled albeit slightly big-brother-ish marketing potential. ... "  

Analytics Unleashed Meeting

Saw this late, but there will be an event at Wright State University this Thursday. Analytics Unleashed.  I plan to be there.

" ... Join the Raj Soin College of Business, and Teradata Chief Operations Officer Bruce A. Langos for a special look into transforming business and higher education through the power of analytics.

Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, 1:00-2:00pm, Student Union Atrium

Bruce A. Langos, COO Teradata
Bruce Langos is Chief Operations Officer for Teradata Corporation. He oversees all operational functions across the company worldwide including supply line management, global procurement, advanced manufacturing, logistics, real estate, aviation, corporate security, intellectual property licensing, and designs and implements programs that strengthen the company’s processes and increase operating efficiency. He also leads the company’s sales support and order management functions. In his current role, Langos is a member of the Teradata leadership team reporting to Mike Koehler, president and chief executive officer of Teradata. ... " 

@WSUBusiness

Nanotech Assembly Lines

Used to follow nanotechnology for potential product manufacturing applications.  Less so now, but there are some areas where breakthroughs are key.  Now a new one:  " ... To develop a productive nanosystem for molecular manufacturing/atomically precise manufacturing it would be very useful to have a nanoscale assembly line. A month ago we posted here about a proof of principle for one such assembly line based upon biomolecules. This month Christine Peterson sends word of an assembly line for complex artificial organic molecules. An article on SingularityHUB led to this news release from the University of Bristol “Chemists create ‘assembly-line’ for organic molecules“: ... "

Robotic Fabrics for Active Clothing

Out of Purdue University, new developments.  Robotics need not be standalone, they can combine with  us in surprising ways.

Robotic fabric could bring 'active clothing,' wearable robots

Researchers are developing a robotic fabric that moves and contracts and is embedded with sensors, an approach that could bring "active clothing" and a new class of "soft" robots.

Such an elastic technology could make possible robots that have sensory skin, stretchable robotic garments that people might wear for added strength and endurance, "g-suits" for pilots or astronauts to counteract the effects of acceleration, and lightweight, versatile robots to roam alien landscapes during space missions.

The robotic fabric is a cotton material containing sensors made of a flexible polymer and threadlike strands of a shape-memory alloy that return to a coiled shape when heated, causing the fabric to move.

"We have integrated both actuation and sensing, whereas most robotic fabrics currently in development feature only sensing or other electronic components that utilize conductive thread," said Rebecca Kramer, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. "We also use standard sewing techniques to introduce the thread-like actuators and sensors into the fabric, so they could conceivably be integrated into the existing textile manufacturing infrastructure."   ... ' 

Presentations on the Future of AI

On the Future of AI, In GigaOM.  " .... Gigaom recently hosted a meetup featuring thought leaders and entrepreneurs in the world of artificial intelligence and deep learning. Watch the videos of their presentations here. ... ".   Interesting set of presentations.  Nice view of whats going on, without a mention of Watson.

MIT AI Influencing Sensor Work

Had a reminder of MIT work with AI.  They influenced us, especially in manufacturing and sensor based applications of data AI.  And more about their history and projects underway.

Preferences for Autonomous Control

Some research that seems to indicate how people think about robots that take control.  We will ultimately have to deal with these questions.

" ... If a company wants humans and robots to work more seamlessly together, they need to give the robots more freedom to work on their own.

A study released today from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab shows that despite decades of fear-inducing movies and TV shows like Terminator and Battlestar Galactica , people do want robots to have a lot of autonomy - especially robots working side-by-side with humans.

Giving robots control over manufacturing tasks, for instance, that were once the sole domain of humans is not just more efficient -- it's actually preferred by the workers, according to MIT ... " 

Capturing Sentiment from Financial News

From the ACM:   Talk on determining sentiment and prediction from text analysis in financial news.  This requires filling out a registration.  " ... Can the choice of words and tone used by the authors of financial news articles correlate to measurable stock price movements?  If so, can the magnitude of price movement be predicted using these same variables ... " 

Human Computer Interaction: Present and Future

In Computing Now:  Very good,  extensive view of the topic. Increasingly important was we use systems in new ways. Current and future trends.

" ... Human-computer interaction (HCI) is a multidisciplinary research area focused on interaction modalities between humans and computers; sometimes, the more general term human-machine interface (HMI) is used to refer to the user interface in a manufacturing or process-control system. In other words, the HCI discipline investigates and tackles all issues related to the design and implementation of the interface between humans and computers. Due to its nature and goals, HCI innately involves multiple computer science-related disciplines (image processing, computer vision, programming languages, and so on) as well as disciplines related to human sciences (ergonomics, human factors, cognitive psychology, and so on). Research about HCI primarily concerns the design, implementation, and assessment of new interfaces to improve the interaction between humans and machines. The term improve can be related to several aspects, including intuitiveness of use and interface robustness ... "  

Rethinking Computer Aided Design

Quite an interesting article, especially with regard to the integration with 3D printing.

" ... The future of computer-aided design (CAD) tools, in light of recent developments in three-dimensional printing and additive manufacturing, was the focus of a recent workshop by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Information Science and Technology group. Industrial and academic experts from manufacturing and mechanical design fields noted most CAD tools provide limited or no integrated models of physical and material properties to designers. Panel members also said current tools are very limited in terms of their ability to capture and make use of design requirements in such a way that they become testable during the design process. Moreover, it was clear to all participants that the exploration of design spaces requires automated or semi-automated synthesis. ... " 

3D Printing Moves into Production

Good view of examples of how realistic commercial 3D printing is being used in manufacturing and how it may realign supply chain systems.  Still narrow domains of application, but worth paying attention to.

Learning to Operate with Wearables

In Engadget: Another example of  the potential use of Google Glass like wearables for augmentation.  Learning operating room procedure. Hands free and augmenting training that contains visual and highly tacit support for process.  Similar to what we experimented with in manufacturing maintenance.  Inevitable we will see more specialized examples.

Internet of Everything Discussion

Cisco sponsored a panel discussion yesterday that I was pointed to.  Still, not sure I agree with the differences between the use of the term versus using 'Internet of Things', but do see what point they are are attempting to make.    Recording and background here.  " ... featuring executives from Stanley Black & Decker, AeroScout Industrial, salesforce.com and FH Celebration Health--which spotlighted how the Internet of Everything (IoE) ...  "