Robotics Challenge Finals 2015- Humanoid Robots Continue to Advance Each Year

Just a couple weeks ago, teams from all over the globe competed in the Robotics Challenge Finals 2015 put together by DARPA (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). Check out this video from Yahoo! Tech to get a summary of what went down at this event.

Each year the robots entered into these challenges advance greatly. While the technology is rapidly growing, it is still in its infant stage according to DARPA's own Gill Pratt, the person in charge of the Robotics Challenge. "'These are still the Model Ts,' Pratt told me. 'In coming years, reliability will go up, prices will go down. And the technology here can be applied to robots for many, many purposes- in particular, robots for an aging society. In the United States right now, 13 percent of the population is over age 65. In 15 years that number will rise to 20 percent. Who's gonna take care of us? Wouldn't it be better if I could age in place, if I wouldn't have to go to a nursing home? If there would be technology in my home to make life better, so that I can have a more dignified life as I grow old?'"

Society is slowly gaining more and more acceptance of humanoid robots, and moving away from the fear of AI world domination. What is your opinion on robots, and their progression throughout the past 5 years?  
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Trusted Retailers Innovate the Traditional Customer Service Approach by Adding Robots as Staff

Photo Credit: newsroom.cisco.com

Over the past few years, online sales have increased tremendously and are expected to continue to rise to 10% of all US retail sales (Fitting Room Robots and Smart Mirrors: Can Retail Tech Save Stores?) Brick and mortar stores are trying to pull shoppers into the store, and are using advanced technologies to entice them to do so. 

As everyone is in the middle of holiday shopping, companies have been incorporating new technologies to accommodate the increased volume of shoppers, while still being able to provide excellent customer service. Orchard Supply Hardware is one of the companies focusing on customer service and innovation, and plans to appeal to customers by integrating OSHbots with staff. OSHbots are robotic customer assistants that help customers locate products in the store and provide them with information on the product and current promotions. Not only can they find products, but they can connect with employees from other Orchard stores when human intervention is needed. Check out this video to see OSHbots in action: 

Amazon is also utilizing robots to make sure packages get delivered on time this holiday season. Kiva's [company Amazon purchased in 2012] robots bring shelves of goods out of storage and carry them to employees, allowing Amazon to retrieve more items for more customers simultaneously. Amazon began using these robots in July of this year, and there are now more than 15,000 of them in 10 of the company's warehouses." (Robots Shipping Your Order this Holiday Season)

Artificial Intelligence and robotics are working together to revolutionize how we look at customer service. Do you think other retailers are going to adopt robotic sales associates? If so, how do you think customers will react?
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Artificial Intelligence to Help Improve Communication Skills in Autistic Children – How Siri Did It

In the spirit of the holidays and being grateful for all we have, I wanted to share this heartwarming story I read titled, “To Siri, With Love – how one boy with autism became BFFs with Apple’sSiri.” It was written in the form of a letter from a mother whose son was born autistic. She took the time to write a thank you letter to Siri for being a friend to her son and teaching him many things that he might not have understood before; for example, showing him the essence of companionship.

Technology has been proven to be one of the most effective ways for children with autism to improve communication and social skills, and enhance learning abilities. The technology is advancing as well. According to experts in this field, next generation virtual assistants are going to be able to do more than just retrieve information – they'll be able to have a more complex conversation within that persons area of interest. "Your son will be able to proactively get information about whatever he’s interested in without asking for it, because the assistant will anticipate what he likes," said William Mark, Vice President for Information and Computing Sciences of a leading independent research center. Relating this back to the story above, this boy could actually have an intuitive, fluid conversation with a virtual assistant about topics that interest him; in this case, the weather.

Virtual Assistants and self-service are a trending option in today’s market but as you can see, their benefits can go far beyond the scope of support or sales. People want to be able to do things their own way, on their own time, and that includes socially. Some people are just more comfortable chatting with Artificial Intelligence than others. And in this particular case, that allowed this autistic boy to feel comfortable but still get that social interaction that human beings desire.

Here is a video from ABCNews.com describing just how Siri helped this teenage boy.

More ABC US news | ABC World News

What is your opinion on children with disabilities and technology? Is it pushing them away from human interaction or better preparing them? Should children in school classrooms have access to a virtual assistant to facilitate learning? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.  

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"Big Hero 6": Predicting the Future of Robots as Healthcare Professionals

Photo Credit: Disney

Just a few weeks ago, Disney released their newest movie, "Big Hero 6." Just as you would expect from a Disney movie, it is full of laughter, action, and a heart-warming plot, but instead of the typical princess movie, it is about a robotics prodigy, Hiro, and his best friend Baymax, a robot designed to help people.  As the plot thickens, Hiro, Baymax, and friends band together to become a group of high-tech superheroes. 

To make the personal health care robot as accurate as possible, creators of "Big Hero 6" went straight to the experts themselves to do research, including a professor at the Robotics Institute and Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, Chris Atkeson. The concept of a 'soft' robot came from Atkeson and his colleagues. Disney was intrigued by this type of robot because it is one that most people have never seen before in a movie. It is distinct from the rigid transformer-looking robots, and the soft edges give Baymax more of a warm, caring appearance. 

In an recent interview with Atkeson, he stated that he doesn't think this sort of technology (personal health care robots) is too far off. "I think it's very soon. We haven't gone for a complete system. But we have gone for parts of it. The design that we could do very soon, like a carbon fiber skeleton and pneumatic actuators internally, is possible. It's not clear, though, that making a big balloon and putting stuff inside of it is the right way to go. Do you know what water wings are? They're like a sleeve. That's probably a much better way to do the inflatable part –essentially putting sleeves on all the limbs and torsos. Space suits are already inflatable robots, so the armored Baymax exists. The space suits rely on the human inside to actually guide it. They have to deal with micrometeorite damage and things like that, so these are serious, robust systems." 

Here is a short clip of the inflatable arm that inspired the design of Baymax.

We are already seeing artificial intelligence/robots become more accepted in the medical field. For example, earlier this year, industry analysts talked about the day if/when computers will replace doctor. They found that the majority of people actually preferred interacting with the artificial intelligence compared to a human doctor. Similarly, kiosks are making their way to more and more doctor's offices; used as a Virtual nurse for patients to get quick answers to non-emergency questions. 

Another example is a company in the medical industry using Virtual Customer Assistants(VCAs) to provide their partners with a quick and easy way to answer questions about products and solutions. View the slideshare below to learn more about how they offered their VCA to their Partners.

   

We've posed this question at the beginning of the year, but it would be interesting to see how opinions might have changed in the span of a year. Where do you think the future of medicine and technology will take us? Will robots replace nurses and doctors? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. 

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How Will the Internet of Everything Impact Your Healthcare?

Greetings! I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend!

I wanted to start off this week by sharing a video from Cisco's YouTube channel. As the acknowledged leader in the Internet of Everything (IoE), Cisco gives a great practical example of how the IoE can be utilized within the Healthcare space.   

As you can see, the IoE is working to improve the way we view healthcare, but it isn't stopping there. In the past, we have talked a lot about the use of Artificial Intelligence (more specifically Virtual Assistants) in the healthcare industry. As time progresses, there is an increasing amount of automation in the doctor's office. In fact, in a podcast shared earlier in the year, experts in this arena debated whether robots had better bedside manner than a human doctor. In the end, there were quite a few people who preferred the Artificial Intelligence.

People are beginning to warm up to the idea of letting robots and/or Artificial Intelligence play a major role in their lives. Take wearable devices for example. Most wearable devices are designed as a health monitor; tracking exercise, diet, blood pressure, etc. With the IoE, your personal physician can retrieve the data from your health monitor and sync it with your digital file. This way, if you have to see a doctor, he/she will have accurate data and be better equipped to diagnose the problem. 

Do you think the IoE is going to impact healthcare, or is it just an over-the-top fantasy? What do you think about Virtual Assistants becoming nurses? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. 

Cheers!

www.nohold.com 

A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week: August 18th-22nd

Happy Friday!

Let me tell you about some of our top stories from this week. 

1. Traveling All the Way From Italy to the Silicon Valley, noHold Welcomes Interns for a Month.
Check out this brief introduction to each of the interns. And stay tuned to see what progress they are making and how it all turns out!

From left to right: Brandon Liu, Victor Gobbo, Stefano Masserini, Eleonora Marzadro, Asraful Islam

2. Here are some tips on getting your kids ready for back-to-school. Great suggestions on the latest laptops, tablets, and PC's on the market. 

3. On August 20th, we recognized National Radio Day and remembered one of the most infamous moments on public broadcasting, the Orson Welles Alien invasion scare. 

Photo Credit: slate.com

4. Fast forward to our current generation, the public is worried about robots taking over their jobs! See what we have to say about that in the blog, 'Throwback Thursday: Are Robots Threatening Your Job Security?'

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Thanks for sharing another exciting week with us! Cheers!
www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: Are Robots Threatening Your Job Security?

Photo Credit: apps.carleton.edu

If you look back at past T.V. shows/movies, it is almost as if they were foreshadowing a future with robots and interactive technology. Take the 1960's cartoon series, The Jetsons, for example. They enhanced the futuristic vibe of the show by adding a robot as their housekeeper. Now, in today's World, the public is more afraid than ever of robots replacing humans in the job market. I recently read a funny article, making light of the public's worry about a 'robot take over'. The article is titled, '7 Roles That Robots Will Never Fill (Although We Kind of Wish They Would).' 

Read the full article to find out why the author thought a robot could never replace a human in certain occupations.

While most of these seem like a joke, their are many other jobs that robots cannot replace, either. For example, an occupation in creative arts. While, a computer can enhance art (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), a robot uses logic and lacks the element of a 'creative eye.' Some of the most beautiful art is abstract and that would be a hard concept for a robot to grasp.

What about teachers? We wrote a blog about Jibo, the social robot, being used as a tool to help teach children. While it was proven successful, it does not mean that the presence of a human teacher is obsolete. Young, developing minds require human interaction, and much more to thrive. 

In the end, it is important to look at robots/technology as supplementary to human jobs, instead of a threat to job security. Industry experts and trusted brands envision a work place where technology and humans work together. Creating efficiency, streamlining processes, responding quickly and reducing costs are just a few of the benefits that automation can provide. According to our metrics, we see millions of consumers interacting with Artificial Intelligence a month. People feel more comfortable with A.I. and in most cases, prefer the immediacy of using such tools. Not only are consumers getting to the answers they want quicker, but they are leaving the conversation feeling satisfied as well.       

What do you think about robots, automation and Artificial Intelligence becoming more predominate in the job market? Are you worried, or do you see it as a benefit? How do you interact with AI today in your occupation, and how does it make your job easier? 
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A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week: July 21st-25th

Happy Friday! 
Here is a snapshot of noHold's top stories of the week. 

1. Meet Jibo, the first family robot to hit the market. Katie Couric interviews the woman who created this social robot, Cynthia Breazeal. Click here to check out noHold's perspective and the full interview.

Photo Credit: wearethefrontier.com

2. This weeks Virtual Agent tip...sharing coupons, promotions, and hot offers via a Virtual Agent. Offering coupons through the Virtual Agent encourages prospective buyers to make the purchase. 

3. A recent implementation is receiving great feedback from users. This Call Center Virtual Agent is reaching ratings of 91% effectiveness.     

4. [PRESS RELEASE] noHold Joins the LANDESK One Partner Program to Create the Next Generation Help Desk.  

We are very excited to announce our involvement with the LANDESK One Partner Program. Together we are working to bring smarter self-service to the Help Desk. 

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Thanks for sharing another great week with us! I'll leave you with this photo...

Photo Credit: cloudways.com

Enjoy your weekend!

www.nohold.com

The First Social Robot to Hit the Market, Jibo

Throughout time we have used robots to accomplish many different missions: sending them to space, using them within the military, efficiently running a manufacturing line, and more. Now, social robots are hitting the market, such as Jibo, the world's first family robot. 

Photo Credit: wearethefrontier.com

Jibo is a compact robot with a huge personality, designed by a pioneer of social robotics, Cynthia Breazeal. Similar to Virtual Personal Assistants (such as Siri and Google Now), Jibo can greet you and remind you of appointments throughout the day. More importantly, social robots (like Jibo) have been seen to have a greater impact on literacy and second language learning than standard computers. The interactive element of Jibo makes learning easier because of it companionship feel, unlike a regular application on a device (Meet Jibo: The World's First Family Robot).

Click here to watch an interview with Breazeal talking about her inspiration for Jibo and its different functions.

With robots gaining popularity, some people are concerned about robots replacing humans within jobs, and/or replacing human roles in general. As Breazeal said in her interview with Katie Couric, "It's about human empowerment." Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is being used to augment human actions, not take over.  

How do you feel about a personal, social robot for your home? Would you buy one, why or why not? 

www.nohold.com

A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week: July 14 - July 18

As another week is wrapping up, lets take a look back at some of noHold's top stories of the week...

1. Check out this video of a Virtual Agent in Action

2. noHold announces their efforts in the charitable initiative, Virtual Volunteers!

"Over the past year or so, noHold has been working on a charitable initiative called Virtual Volunteers. A Virtual Volunteer is a Virtual Agent aimed to provide nonprofit organizations with a self-service solution that will guide users to answer their own questions, quickly. Our mission is to serve as a Virtual Volunteer for your organization. This means working to help your cause provide real answers to real questions in a fast and efficient way. Our goal is to fill the overall need of getting accurate and important information to your audience."

Click here to ask Vint a question!

3. Increasing support and service revenue with the help of a Virtual Agent. 

A company in the consumer electronics industry leveraged their Virtual Agent to help get their customers the services they need, while increasing revenue for the company.

"Humans are programmed to reject typical forms of advertisement, but everybody still appreciates a helping hand when they are trying to solve a problem." 

-noHold, Inc. 

Does your company leverage self-service to generate revenue? How do you offer the right services at the right time? 

4. Throwback Thursday: Here we talked about the evolution of movie robots, and the evolution of the brains behind the robots, Artificial Intelligence. 

                                                                                                                   

To conclude this week, I want to share with you some pictures I stumbled across of this years best photos taken from a drone. I'll leave you with a couple of the top pics. Cheers!

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

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Throwback Thursday: The Evolution of Movie Robots and Artificial Intelligence

Trivia Question: Does anyone remember the first movie a robot appeared in?

...Give up?

The first robot debuted on the big screen in the 1919 film, ‘The Master Mystery’, except they weren't called robots yet; they were called automatons. For today’s audience, robots are a common thing to see in movies and they have only gotten more technologically advanced…and bigger! Check out this Yahoo! Movies video that takes you through a short tour of the evolution of movie robots.

As you can see, robots, and the brains behind the robots, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), have continued to evolve throughout time. The beginning years of A.I., the technology did not have the diagnostic, conversational ability. Before, humans would interact with A.I. but it could only pick out keywords. In essence, there was no logic behind it. For example, if you asked an A.I., “I need directions to the grocery store from noHold”, it would pick out the key words (directions, grocery store, noHold), but it wouldn't be able to decipher the connecting words. The A.I. might interpret your request incorrectly and give you directions to noHold from the grocery store instead.

Now, A.I. is more advanced, and does not only use logic to process information, but also customizes responses. 

One way to provide custom responses (that is gaining popularity in the market) is using predictive technology. Taking the example from above about directions, if you ask a Virtual Agent where the nearest movie theater is, and it can respond with the solution AND give you options of nearby restaurants or the latest reviews on a current movie as well. Predictive interactions make it easier for users to get relevant information, without having to ask.

Location-based awareness is also a trending technology for new devices. Using GPS tracking to pinpoint your location, a Virtual Agent can use that information to provide users with location-specific content.

By combining logic, predictive interactions, and location-based awareness, Artificial Intelligence has evolved to become more user-friendly and personalized.

Do you remember your earliest interaction with a robot or Artificial Intelligence (AI)? How has the experience evolved over time? In your opinion, what will AI be capable of 5 years from now? 

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A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week

Happy Friday all, hope you had a great work week, and have an even better weekend! But before you rush out of the office, take a look back at some of our top posts of the week. 

1. Cruise: A start-up company markets the first version of their highway autopilot system. What does this mean for Google's self-driving car? 

2.  4/5 Users Prefer Using a Virtual Agent to Traditional Support Options 

This week, after completing multiple A/B test sessions, we have found that 4 out of 5 people who tried both, the current support options of 'Brand X' and a Virtual Agent of 'Brand X', preferred using the VA to guide them to what they were looking for. For a description of the A/B testing done, check out the blog, Majority of Users Preferred Interacting with a Virtual Agent as a First Line of Support. 

3. Throwback Thursday: Evolving from computer bots to humanoids

What is your opinion on robots that look exactly like humans? If you have used a Virtual Agent for Customer Support, Care, or sales questions, do you prefer to know that it is an automated solution before interacting?    
                                                                                                                   
Cheers!
www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: Traditional Robots vs. Human-Like Robots

Photo credit: ucsddigitaljournalism.blogspot.com

Do you remember the times when a person would mention a robot and the image in your head would resemble the picture to the left? Big, bulky, square body parts, with antennas and computer features on the exterior completely validated the "I am a robot" phrase. 

Photo credit: dunckelnews.com

Today, when we see pictures or movies of what robots of the future will look like, they typically have more human features (see example on right), but are still recognizable as machines. 



     

Photo credit: news.yahoo.com

Now, robots are becoming more human-like than ever. To the left is an image of what appears to be a woman, but in reality, it is a robot. In Japan, one company is experimenting with robots, designing them to look, move, and talk like a human.  Japanese robotics expert, Hiroshi Ishiguro says "Making androids is about exploring what it means to be human," he told reporters Tuesday, "examining the question of what is emotion, what is awareness, what is thinking." (Woman or Machine? New Robots Look Creepily Human) 

Imagine adding Virtual Agent technology to a humanoid robot to provide it with the proper knowledge to answer questions. For example, the humanoid robot could be a store clerk, knowledgeable about your favorite product, customer service, etc. Or imagine an employee Help Desk with a human-like robot to answer your questions about BYOD, corporate policies, and more. How would you react? 

What is your opinion on robots that look exactly like humans? If you have used a Virtual Agent for Customer Support, Care, or sales questions, do you prefer to know that it is an automated solution before interacting?   

www.nohold.com

A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week

This week has been full of exciting news. Take a look back at noHold’s top stories of the week.

1. Eugene Becomes the First Robot to Pass the Turing Test

2. Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: “How Do I Check for Outages in my Area?”

"How do I check the status of my order?" "How do I log into my new router?" Consumers always have 'how to' questions, such as these, when dealing with any company, regardless of the industry. Each company has the power to provide immediate answers to these questions, while increasing customer satisfaction. 

3. noHold Virtual Agent Recognized by Satisfied Customer

4. Throwback Thursday: The Past, Present, and Future of Online Shopping

I’ll leave you with this photo to start of your weekend off with a little laughter. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: bentspine.com

Eugene Becomes the First Robot to Pass the Turing Test

Video Source: Yahoo! Tech

A few weeks ago, Russian researchers made history when they created the first robot to pass the Turing Test; they named him, Eugene. Alan Turing created this test to measure the intelligence level of a computer through the interaction of man and machine. The computer passes if more then 30% of humans can not identify that the conversation they are having is with Artificial Intelligence (A.I.).

There are a lot of mixed feelings surrounding this topic; what do you think? Does a robot tricking humans into believing A.I. are human make them a danger to mankind? Or is our society so accustomed to interacting with robots/technology already (Siri, Google Now, etc.), that making them more "human-like" is a benefit? 

I'll leave you with a quote from Professor Warwick, the organizer of the test, "In the field of Artificial Intelligence there is no more iconic and controversial milestone than the Turing Test, when a computer convinces a sufficient number of interrogators into beleiving that it is not a machine but rather is a human. Having a computer that can trick a human into thinking that someone, or even something, is a person we trust is a wake-up call to cybercrime." (Turing Test, Bested, Robot Overlords Creep Closer to Assuming Control).

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FIFA World Cup Recruits Robots to Enhance Security

Happy Friday! The 2014 FIFA World Cup hosted in Brazil is approaching fast. The first match is scheduled to kick off on June 12th, and end with the final game on July 13. It is going to be a month full of excitement and energy with hundreds of thousands of people coming from all over the world to experience the action. With so many people going to the games, security is a top concern for the Brazilian government. 

Photo Credit: ibtimes.co.uk

For extra protection, "Brazil has secured a $7.2m (£4.3m, €5.25m) deal with iRobot, a US-based company that makes domestic robots for consumers, as well as [defense] and security robots for the military" (Brazil Using Military Grade Robots for FIFA World Cup 2014 Security). These security robots, known as PackBots, are going to be used to examine suspicious objects and provide extra surveillance during all matches. 

What's your opinion about using robots as an aid for security? Is there room to add a Virtual Agent into the robot so people can communicate their problem to the robot in case a live guard is not near? EX: my child is lost or someone stole my wallet. The VA can provide a list of steps to take, while sending out an alert to all security and requesting service from the nearest guard. Maybe for World Cup 2018?    

www.nohold.com

President Obama meets ASIMO, Honda’s Humanoid Robot

During a youth science event at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (AKA Miraikan) in Tokyo, Japan, President Barack Obama was introduced to ASIMO, Honda’s humanoid robot. For those of you who don’t know, ASIMO is an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility. For 14 years now, Honda has been developing and enhancing ASIMO’s capabilities of interacting with its physical surroundings. ASIMO has improved so much since its inception; it can now walk up stairs, pour and serve a cup of juice, run, recognize faces, and talk.  

President Obama also saw a demonstration of Atlas, DARPA’s (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) creation of a humanoid robot designed to save lives from the rubble of natural disasters. As advances are being made in robotics, the technology that are fueling these parts are being widely utilized in other aspects of innovation; driver-less cars, wearable devices, drones, and more. People are becoming increasingly more optimistic about the future of high tech.

“…Obama professed his belief in the importance of science and math programs, telling students they ‘have more technology and more power than even the greatest innovators of previous generations, so there is no limit to what [they] can achieve,’ he said" (President Obama Plays Soccer with ASIMO the Robot). The power of technology gives future generations the ability improve innovations and create things that we never thought possible. What do you think the next capabilities for ASIMO are going to be? What would you like a humanoid robot to be able to do? 

www.nohold.com

Robot Breaks Record, Solving a Rubik's Cube in 3.253 Seconds

     Have you ever wondered how to solve a Rubik's cube? In the 80's, it was a great accomplishment just to solve the puzzle; today, it is all about who can solve it the fastest. Below is a video of the Guinness World Record Holder for solving a Rubik's cube...a robot! This robot (the Cubestormer 3) is built from Lego's and powered by a Samsung Galaxy S4. It set the new record for solving a Rubik's cube at 3.253 seconds, cutting off about 2 seconds from the previous record holder. Check out the demonstration video to see for yourself.

     Robots are utilizing today's technology to accomplish things no human can accomplish (i.e. solve a Rubik's cube in 3.253 seconds). How do you feel about this? Are we stepping into dangerous territory with the advancement of robots or are they our friends? 

     To read more about this recording breaking achievement click here. 

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Robots Learn to Express Human Emotions

This is a short clip from technologynewsvideos entitled "Robot Baby Learns How to Express Human Emotions." It is an interesting video showing the advances the robotics community is making with Artificial Intelligence in relation to cognitive functioning. Robots (as well as Virtual Agents) are incorporating more of a human element to their user interface to augment the friendly feel and personable connection between man and machine.

Developing "humanoid" robots that are able to, in a sense, feel emotions, is a controversial topic. Are robots created to enhance our lives? Are we venturing into uncharted territory? Where do we draw the line? To learn more about the future of humanoid robots check out this 2014 documentary, Future Humanoid Robots- From Fiction to Reality.

Cheers!
www.nohold.com