Hal Evans has constructed a fully functioning replica of the Polish cyclometer from the 1930s. The machine is an electromechanical cryptological device, built by cryptologist Marian Rejewski. It helped to decode the messages sent by the Nazis, encrypted with Enigma, which automatically changed the text to completely unclear for the third parties. The importance of the invention created by Rejewski was incredible and changed the course of the war. The created replica is located in King’s College in Cambridge.
At the Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition conference, the Habitat ObjectNav Challenge competition was held, which was won by a navigation system – SemExp, created by Carnegie Mellon University and Facebook AI Research (FAIR). The system is designed so that the robot can move from point A to point B, understanding that e.g. point A is the couch in the living room, and point B is a refrigerator. By understanding and distinguishing certain objects, the system has become more efficient than the classic one and can operate successfully in an unfamiliar place. SemExp uses machine learning to train the robot to recognize objects and understand where they may be at home. Classic navigation systems explore space and build a map showing obstacles. The robot reaches a place, but the route can be circular. The system presented in the competition recognizes objects, which is key to creating the fastest route
Drones and artificial intelligence can help protect birds in agricultural areas – the number of birds in these areas is decreasing for most of Europe. Birds are nesting on the ground, which can be dangerous for them because they are exposed to the mechanical action of agricultural machinery (ploughing, sowing), which accidentally destroy the nests. In order to protect the birds, researchers used drones equipped with a thermal camera and flew over agricultural fields to record images. Images were then transferred to the artificial intelligence algorithm capable of accurately identifying nests. The scientists tested the system in southern Finland near the Lammi Biological Station of Helsinki University. Technology will make it easier to locate the nests and thus protect the birds – link
Neuralink (Elon Musk’s start-up) announced that next month they will share their progress in the company’s mission to connect the human brain with the AI. Neuralink showed that the company’s technology had already been successfully introduced into the rat’s brain and was able to record information transmitted by its neurons – link
Elon Musk has announced that by the end of this year Tesla will be able to make its vehicles fully autonomous. The current cars produced by Tesla require the driver to remain alert and ready for action, with hands on the steering wheel – link
The public consultation of the European project – White Paper On Artificial Intelligence – a European approach to excellence and trust – has ended. In February 2020, the European Commission presented this paper as part of the new European digital strategy. It is not a legal act, but a set of proposals for measures that can be taken to increase innovation and competitiveness in Europe. Its main elements are an ecosystem of excellence and trust. The first element is based on strengthening research cooperation between countries, thereby increasing AI research funding from the European Investment Fund. The second ecosystem – trust – is intended to lead to the creation of control and surveillance of systems using artificial intelligence. You can download the book here. On 17 July 2020, the European Commission summarised the comments and opinions received during the public consultation – from the creators of systems using artificial intelligence, entrepreneurs, employees of public institutions and researchers – link
