Big data is getting even bigger. The average consumer will access and generate vast amounts of information over the course of any normal day. Yet power users, or “prosumers” like myself who also rely on data for all their work, need (or at least want) even more connectivity than your regular 4G devices are able to offer.

Big data is getting even bigger #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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At the same time, emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, 5G and IoT are all converging to enable use cases that will dramatically impact business and the way we all live. Enterprise and business use cases such as Virtual Reality and telemedicine also require military-grade data security and encryption.

The average consumer will access and generate vast amounts of information every day #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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High throughput, speed and bandwidth, combined with low latency have long been the promises of 5G. A lot of folks in the industry have talked about that in theory, but with real-world trials now happening with various operators, what kind of performance can actually be delivered in reality?

Inseego has a rich history in advancing connectivity dating back from the 1990’s, although you might be more familiar with their previous name of Novatel Wireless. Two years ago the company famous for inventing the MiFi® and the mobile hotspot category rebranded as Inseego, but regardless of the name they operate under, this is a company with some serious pedigree where it comes to delivering next-generation end device connectivity. Having quietly powered the 2G, 3G and 4G revolutions, they are now delivering 5G through their MiFi IQ technlology which is set to become the overarching 5G technology device brand for both mobile and fixed (in-home/in-office) wireless – for consumers as well as prosumers.

Power users rely on data for work and will need more connectivity than your average 4G devices is able to offer #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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A large number of Tier One telecommunications operators around the world are actively working with the company on bringing their 5G NR services to life – both mobile (hotspots) and fixed/in-home 5G (routers, gateways and more) – through MiFi IQ device technology throughout 2019. Availability with numerous carriers are in the works, although Verizon, Telstra, Optus and several others have already made public announcements.

While mobile 5G (hotspots) will bring next-generation networks to life on-the-go, in-home 5G is already emerging as an alternative to traditional in-home broadband internet from cable providers. In fact, there have been reports in the United States that early customers of Verizon 5G Home, the leading carrier’s recently launched fixed wireless service, are converts who previously purchased their broadband Internet connectivity from traditional cable companies.

Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, 5G and IoT are converging to dramatically impact business and the way we live #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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Whether it’s their emerging in-home or mobile devices, MiFi IQ 5G NR technology has been performing in real-world trial scenarios
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Whether it’s their emerging in-home or mobile devices, MiFi IQ 5G NR technology has been performing in real-world trial scenarios. In fact, data points to the devices already having achieved more than 2 Gbps of speed and sub-10 milliseconds of latency in multiple component carrier aggregation (CA) scenarios. This was also showcased in Barcelona, with MiFi IQ 5G hotspots being the only devices of their kind to be running live on 5G NR network infrastructure at the conference.

To showcase the capabilities of the MiFi IQ 5G NR hotspot at MWC, they performed the world’s longest live 5G data call alongside network infrastructure partner Ericsson, streaming video and other data for almost seven hours at the show.

“This is an exciting milestone for 5G NR. And our MiFi IQ 5G NR hotspot is the only hotspot to be running live at Mobile World Congress this week,” said Ashish Sharma Chief Marketing Officer, EVP IoT & Mobile Solutions at Inseego.

While the MiFi IQ lines are focused on consumers and prosumers, Ctrack by Inseego and Skyus by Inseego highlights the convergence of 5G and IoT device-to-cloud solutions.

IoT device-to-cloud intelligent solutions include Ctrack by Inseego (this is a widely used IoT device-to-cloud telematics/fleet tracking solution around the world – including with prominent fleets, airlines like Lufthansa/KLM Equipment Services/etc.) and Skyus by Inseego – Industrial IoT 5G/LTE gateways/routers/etc. as well as intelligent cloud software.

Inseego has a rich history in advancing connectivity dating back from the 1990’s where they were known as Novatel #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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MiFi IQ 5G Fixed Wireless

MiFi IQ technology is powering 5G NR in-home/in-office deployment – starting with Verizon 5G Home, Optus in Australia and expanding worldwide. Routers/gateways and other equipment brings 5G “indoors,” giving consumers/prosumers another choice for broadband Internet service. The next generation in home connectivity will be available to areas that aren’t currently served adequately by cable companies, adding extra benefits like superior bandwidth and security. Now, it’s coming from the air instead of cables.

A number of Tier One operators around the world are working with Inseego to bring their 5G NR services to life #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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SoftBank-backed CloudMinds also marked the global debut of its technology powered by the HARIX Cloud Brain platform and connected with MiFi IQ 5G NR technology at MWC.

At MWC I checked out their XR-1 robot in action. This is the first humanoid service robot with vision-controlled manipulation capabilities powered by Cloud AI via 5G connectivity. It features Smart Compliant Actuator (SCA) technology for precision grasping, and Human Augmented Robotics Intelligence using the company’s eXtreme Reality (HARIX) platform, the robot can be controlled remotely by a person in a different location wearing VR goggles, but can also perform a range of intricate tasks autonomously. such as threading a needle or shaking hands with someone, applying the right amount of pressure as they do so. These “tactile capability” tasks might seem simple, but are actually incredibly difficult to perform to what would be deemed an acceptable level of competency in an average human.

Inseego performed world’s longest live 5G data call with their partners Ericsson at #MWC19 #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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One of the robots at the show, named Rachel, was able to find and grab a bottle as it was placed around a table, then “serve” it to a guest. Two other robots were performing an intricate dance with, I have to say, considerably more grace and rhythm than I’ve seen on many a wedding dance floor.

All of these demonstrations were great fun to watch, but the point they were demonstrating is that in order to enable all that to happen, the robots needed to be plugged into a high throughput/speed infrastructure with virtually no delay (latency) all of which were brilliantly delivered by MiFi IQ 5G connectivity. It helps to paints a vibrant picture of how cloud artificial intelligence, robotics and 5G connectivity are coming together to transform various industries and society as a whole.

One of the #CloudMinds robots at MWC, named Rachel, was able to find and grab a bottle as it was placed around a table, then serve it to a guest #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is an Emerging Technologies Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She regularly contributes to publications such as Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Alice also curates the Inside VR & AR Newletter. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Re-imagining 5G Connectivity appeared first on Tech Trends.

A new robot to tackle UK’s STEM skills gap.

Danish company Shape Robotics has premiered its latest educational teaching robot Fable Spin at BETT, the world’s biggest education technology event 23-26 January, this week. Designed to make it easy to teach STEM skills and for students to become creators of technology, the new Danish robot aims to inspire students to engage with science, technology, engineering and mathematics to alleviate the shortage of qualified candidates that is estimated to cost UK businesses £1.5 billion per year.

Danish company @ShapeRobotics has premiered its latest educational teaching robot Fable Spin at @Bett_show this week
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Fable Spin is the latest offshoot from the Fable System from @ShapeRobotics which gives everyone the fantastic feeling of being able to programme a robot
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“We have chosen London for the world premiere of Fable Spin, which makes robot technology widely accessible and inspires imagination while teaching multidisciplinary skills in the classroom. Fable Spin is the latest offshoot from the Fable System, which gives everyone the fantastic feeling of being able to programme a robot. The Fable System ensures successful programming, innovation and creativity in teaching and is robust enough for rough treatment in the classroom,” says David Johan Christensen, CEO of Shape Robotics

Originally developed in 2011 by a Ph.D. student and an associate professor at the Technical University of Denmark this clever system was launched as a start-up business in 2015. Shape Robotics, located in Copenhagen, where the robot parts are assembled after having been produced all over the world.

The Fable Spin has strong magnetic joints, can easily be clicked together and has no wires or cables, so it is fast to get ready and clear up, leaving more time for teaching. The programming is easy, and the unique open-ended system can be extended with LEGO® and your own 3D-prints. Fable Spin has 4 available connectors, 2 rotating connectors, 360-degree rotation, 3 colour sensors, 3 ambient light sensors, 3 distance sensors, 3 gesture detection sensors and 2-meter long IR communication.

The @ShapeRobotics Fable Spin has strong magnetic joints, can easily be clicked together and has no wires or cables, so it is fast to get ready and clear up, leaving more time for teaching
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From small children to geeks

The Fable System assists learning at all levels, from the comprehension of technology in primary and secondary school, through to the teaching of more advanced mathematics and informatics in vocational training programmes in industry and construction. After just 18 months in the market, the Fable System is used by more than 200 schools and educational institutions in more than 20 countries.

“We were thrilled when Fable arrived, and we found it easy to get started. It is really well made and easy to put together. We also loved the blocky editor and found it easy to navigate round. It complimented the other work on blockly we had been doing.” Said Karen Fleming, Keble Prep School, UK. “We set it up and got a few pupils to try it out. They got Fable to monitor movement, then wave and smile. The best thing though was the discussion between the pupils. The problem solving and thinking skills were a joy to witness.”

Pupils can easily programme the Fable Spin to move, play football, tidy up, dance, wrestle, monitor rooms, be social or transport items from A to B
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Pupils can easily programme the Fable Spin to move, play football, tidy up, dance, wrestle, monitor rooms, be social or transport items from A to B. Fable Spin has wheels and a number of integrated sensors that allow it to avoid obstacles, perform search and rescue missions and navigate by lines. The Fable System invites anyone from the age of three through to grown-ups to get to grips with the programming languages Blockly or Python.

“Due to its ease of use and applicability, Fable can be used to teach everyone – from inexperienced children to robot scientists. Its resemblance with professional robots also means that it can be used at vocational training programmes for training programming, automation, computer vision, CAD design and artificial intelligence. Fable covers the entire spectrum and is designed for 21st century learning,” explains Moises Pacheco, CTO and co-founder.

Shape Robotics’ system is already widely deployed in Danish schools, helping to sustain the country’s position as one of the most advanced nations for robotics and automation. It is hoped that widespread adoption in the UK help it shake off its undesirable status as the least automated G7 country and the only one with a robot density below the worldwide average.

@ShapeRobotics system is already widely deployed in Danish schools, helping to sustain the country’s position as one of the most advanced nations for robotics and automation
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The Fable System invites anyone from the age of three through to grown-ups to get to grips with the programming languages Blockly or Python
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This innovative system enables teachers and pupils to be innovative and creative by solving real-world problems. It is composed of three types of modules: function modules, build modules and extension modules. The build modules can be purchased or 3D-printed in various formats so that they can be integrated with both simple and complex robots.

The extension modules make it possible to combine Fable with other systems such as a smartphone running Skype, a robot hand, a 3D-printed robot head or a laser pointer.

Combining function, build and extension modules gives pupils untold possibilities to create different types of robots, a key feature which is in great demand in the industry right now
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Combining function, build and extension modules gives pupils untold possibilities to create different types of robots that are able to walk, drive, see, throw, use laser or ‘pick and place’, i.e. to pick things up and place them correctly, which is in great demand in the industry right now. The system can be used for various subjects other than comprehension of technology and informatics such as innovation. More information available here.

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dep. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post The Shape of Things to Come appeared first on Tech Trends.

This Microsoft artistic collaboration blends the real and virtual worlds and blurs the line between human and machines

Transformation Mask is an experiential sculpture piece that brings art and technology together as it morphs from bird mask to human-merged-with-machine. It the result of a collaboration between Canadian artist Shawn Hunt and Microsoft Vancouver’s in-house maker space, The Garage. It Leverages electronics and mechanical engineering in a physical transformation, before beginning an immersive holographic experience for the viewer with the HoloLens.

This Microsoft artistic collaboration blends the real and virtual worlds
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But while the project is certainly interesting enough from a technical perspective – the way it blends 3D-printed and robotics elements with HoloLens mixed reality holograms via Bluetooth is sure to get anybody with a penchant for geeky tinkering very excited – what makes it truly ground-breaking is the way it uses those technologies to explore aesthetics, identity, and artistic expression in new ways.

Transformation Mask is an experiential sculpture that merges art and tech
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Shawn Hunt is a successful Vancouver-based artist who – like many people in British Columbia – is of mixed descent, combining Scottish, French and indigenous Heiltsuk heritage. Rather than seeing that conflict of identities as a problem, however, Hunt has always leveraged it as a part of his art:

“I have never felt like I really belonged to any one particular movement, culture, category, or clique. As an artist this has given me an incredible amount of freedom. I don’t feel that my work is conceptual, traditional, artefact or craft. It is neither ancient nor modern. Instead, I feel as though my work has elements of all of these categories. This is a freedom that allows me to distort, subvert, hijack and remix these categories in order to offer new points of view. I want to challenge the viewers’ preconceptions. I like the idea of art being like a catalyst, or a flash point. I think art is most powerful when it poses questions, not when it gives the viewer the answers. My goal is to make the viewer think.”

So it made perfect sense for him to take this subversion and remixing to the next step by incorporating cutting-edge technologies in his work. That led him to accept Microsoft’s invitation to essentially come and play with all the shiny toys in their impressive Vancouver HQ. Hunt and his team of artists then collaborated with a host of designers and engineers to explore how Robotics, 3D-Printing and Mixed Reality could help tell traditional stories in a new and powerful way.

The raven in Heiltsuk mythology is seen as the ultimate trickster and that fluid identity seemed like a perfect idea to explore using Mixed Reality
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The raven in Heiltsuk mythology is seen as the “ultimate trickster” and that fluid identity seemed like a perfect idea to explore using those tools. The interactive installation they came up with features a bird mask in a traditional indigenous design which gradually morphs into a cyborg through a mixture of physical robotics mechanisms and virtual Mixed Reality elements. As the experience unfolds, the mask appropriates the traditional aspects of metamorphosis with the transformation from bird mask to human, yet in this adaptation the human mask has been altered, upgraded, and merged with the machine. Incorporating aspects of technology, sound and space, each part of the work reflects Hunt’s interest in how we understand and identify with the term indigenous.

“This work presents a new trajectory for engagement and exploration of First Nations practice; one that points towards technology and innovation as aspects that expand traditional practices and opens new avenues for interpretation,” says Hunt.

The process started with the production of a paper prototype of the mask, and the team also employed a variety of traditional methods, from initial hand drawn sketches to a full size foam core mock up. These were then replicated into a digital prototype mounted on an aluminium skeleton for hinge measurements. True to traditional form, there are no straight lines on the raven (a concept diametrically opposed to polygonal hard surface 3D modelling) and complex compound curves were lofted to generate the primary beak and head surfaces while procedurally generated hex patterns filled the voids for the raven’s eyes and nostrils.

The process started with the production of a paper prototype of the mask, and the team also employed a variety of traditional methods
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At every step, the structures were digitally recreated and animated to avoid complications in the hardware build phase. Overall, the mask required nearly 300 hours of 3D-printing time. The model was digitally sliced into over 20 sections to meet printer specifications, with components assembled on open beam aluminium rails with interlocking elements between the printed pieces. The finished mask was made up of over 20 individually 3D-Printed components and measured over a meter.

At every step, the structures were digitally recreated and animated to avoid complications in the hardware build phase
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The mask’s behaviour was achieved through an array of electronics, sensors, processors and mechanical elements. An ultrasonic range finder detects the presence of an attendee and automatically triggers the experience. Three linear actuators attached to an aluminium skeleton drive the primary phases of motion. Several microcontrollers work in unison to control individual addressable LEDs and behaviour states for the raven’s eyes projected through Windows phones. The mask transforms with the help of three linear servos driven by two microcontrollers, and communicates with itself and the outside world through electromagnetic and optical signals.

The mask’s behaviour was achieved through an array of electronics, sensors, processors and mechanical elements
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The 3D drawings were enhanced with purpose-built skeletal systems to create organic animation
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Modified LED strips line the inside of the mask triggering the hardware and software cues throughout the various stages of the experience. The HoloLens impressive computing power orchestrates all these elements, synchronizing the software and hardware over a Bluetooth connection.The holographic experience, where the animated volumetric drawings appear in concert with particle simulations and spatial sounds, was sequenced and rendered in real time using Unity3D. To design it, Shawn started by familiarizing himself with a range of technologies. Drawings that started as volumetric digital sculptures in Tilt Brush were later refined using 2D digital inking to perfect the traditional lines and forms Hunt intended to express. The 3D drawings were further enhanced with purpose-built skeletal systems to create organic animation. Sound was also a key part of the experience, with custom sound design being implemented first, inspiring the timing and intensities for visuals rather than adding it at the end. The result is a powerfully synchronized audio-visual-mechanical experience.

Modified LED strips line the inside of the mask triggering the hardware and software cues throughout the various stages of the experience
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“Art comes in many forms, can easily transcend cultures and utilize technology to become something new. Life is all about these infinite possibilities and combinations,” says Andy Klein, HoloLens Mixed Reality Designer.

And that’s precisely what makes the Transformation Mask such an interesting use case for HoloLens and Mixed Reality Technology: Rather than separating artistic and technical functions, these were very closely blended throughout the conceptual, design and execution phases of the project. Just as the traditional indigenous masks blurred the line between human and animal, reality and myth, technology brings together human and machine, the physical and the virtual. It is clear that if we are to create compelling, engaging and inspiring content that also resonates culturally with audiences, that’s an approach that content makers would do well to learn from and adopt.

Rather than separating artistic and technical functions, these were blended throughout the conceptual, design and execution phases of the project
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How 3D-Printing, Robotics and Mixed Reality created this Transformers-style HoloLens art piece https://t.co/pdPrt3jD5Z

— TNW Contributors (@TNWcontributors) July 18, 2017

This article was originally published on The Next Web

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance and support on how best to incorporate these into your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedInand follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Transforming Art with Mixed Reality appeared first on Tech Trends.

We hear a lot about the digital skills gap and the need to get more kids interested in STEM  – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics but there’s a missing element in that line of thought, which more people are starting to notice.

We should be encouraging STEAM – in other words adding “Art’ (in its broadest sense) to that list because creativity is an essential ingredient of technological innovation. And like any other skill, it needs to be taught, developed and encouraged from an early age and throughout our lives.

In this Huffington Post article I talk to Creative Director Chris Waind from Canadian start-up Finger Food Studios (the company behind Sphero’s app and collaborative platform) about how designers and other professionals in the technology industry need to develop diverse skil-sets and embrace divergent thinking, and what he looks for when recruiting his own creative tech talent.

Creativity and Technology go together like a horse carriage
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From STEM to STEAM: How Science Needs Creativity to Flourish https://t.co/R4FV42C3SQ via @HuffPostBlog @Sphero… https://t.co/MhlbWBdYoW

— Alice Bonasio (@alicebonasio) January 8, 2017

For companies looking to get into VR/AR/MR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance on how these technologies can enhance and support your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post Beyond STEM and into STEAM: How We Need Creativity to Power Technology appeared first on Tech Trends.

Technology is becoming an inseparable part of us, and the next step in this ongoing symbiosis is to bring it inside our bodies.

Implants, programmable gels, smart tattoos… If you thought this was all about robots and teledildonics, think again. The future will, quite literally, blow your mind
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We’re experiencing a huge surge of interest in the field of Human-Robot interaction, reflected not only in news and documentary, but in the sheer amount of cyborg-themed films and TV shows flooding our screens. And what these all have in common – from Westworld to Humans, Ex Machina to the highly anticipated Blade Runner sequel – is how they question what our relationship with machines will look (and feel) like in a future that is both dystopian and titillating.

So it was no real surprise that the Second International Congress on Love and Sex With Robots attracted a lot of attention, in spite of being a rather civilized and low-key academic affair. With the adult entertainment industry already evolving Virtual Reality much more quickly than it evolved streaming video or webcams, and advances in fields such as Natural Language Processing (NPL) we are getting much closer to the point where Artificial Intelligence will be able to pass the Turing Test and become effectively indistinguishable from humans. We might have once laughed at the concept of Woody Allen’s Orgasmatron, but sex with robots is pretty much a foregone conclusion, and it will probably happen much sooner than experts previously thought. In fact, David Levy says that when he first wrote the book that eventually inspired the conference he predicted that the first human-robot marriages would occur by 2050, but when asked the same question at a panel on Monday he told the audience it is entirely possible this will happen much sooner.

Implants, gels, tattoos... The future of #SexTech is much weirder than robots, teledildonics and #VR porn
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Among the philosophical discussions there was also opportunity to showcase some eye-catching gadgets such as Teletongue, a pair of ear-shaped lollipops developed by researchers at Keio University in Japan, programmed to react to each other based on the users’ licking sounds and movements. There was also a device named Kissenger, which connected two mobile phones for a “Real-time Internet Kiss Communication Interface.” Its creator, Emma Yann Zhang explained that such haptic devices were actually very effective in conveying feelings and emotions and helping to evoke a sense of presence in a remote environment. According to her, the importance of physical interaction to the quality of our relationships is still grossly underestimated.

We’re experiencing a huge surge of interest in the field of Human-Robot interaction
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This is something that Ghislaine Boddington has been researching for over 20 years. She believes that so-called “body technologies” have enormous potential to connect people romantically, emotionally, physically and sexually through devices that blend with our physical selves. She coined the term “Internet of bodies” to describe the way that such devices will eventually enable us to network out responses, giving a whole new meaning to “keeping in touch.”

“Physical intimacy goes way beyond sex, or even romance,” she explains. It’s rather about attachment, and this includes how we feel about each other, our environment, and all the objects that surround us. What excites me now is actually the convergence of these technologies and bringing them into our bodies to create new types of intimacy and hyper-enhanced sensualities.”

From Wearables to Implants

Boddington believes that our quest to augment our existence and indulge in new experiences will lead us to turn our bodies into “digital interaction canvas.” Our relationship with technology have already become much more intimate since the widespread adoption of devices like the FitBit, which monitor a broad range of physical data, but wearing such devices round-the-clock can have its drawbacks. The next generation of wearables is likely to be much less cumbersome and intrusive, such as these DuoSkin tattoos made from gold leaf. They’re not only quite beautiful, but easily customizable to a variety of designs, and can be used to control a variety of mobile devices. “Through the user-friendly fabrication process, we enable people to design and create their own skin technology,” explains Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, the MIT researcher leading the project. The transfers communicate using NFC tags made from chips connected to coils and are surprisingly hard-wearing, comfortable, and relatively inexpensive.

What excites me now is actually the convergence of these technologies and bringing them into our bodies to create new types of intimacy and hyper-enhanced sensualities
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The next logical step would then be for implants to become increasingly accepted, and we’re already much further along that path than you might think. When Donna Haraway published her seminal Cyborg Manifesto back in the 90s she already pointed to many kinds of common implants, and that number has gone up dramatically since then, ranging from tooth and breast implants to pacemakers and devices that provide deep brain stimulation to Parkinson sufferers. Tiny implants in your hand can already replace functionalities such as you payment card or key fob, and we will see this become a lot more pervasive in years to come.

“There are probably over 200 kinds of implants around at the moment, and these are all very programmable, so as these become increasingly integrated into our lives and less of a taboo, we’re potentially looking at a sort of “Body Hacking” scenario that takes us beyond this traditional – and rather artificial – mind-body separation,” says Boddington.

Programmable Gels

One intriguing and rather mind-blowing possibility is that of embedding nanotechnology in gels, which could be used to stimulate our erogenous zones. This type of technology effectively means that microscopic robots within the gel can be programmed to collect data from our body and react to it in a variety of interesting ways according to our preferences.

Boddington makes clear that this type of application is still speculative, but the technology itself already exists and is being used to (no pun intended) lubricate robot joints.

“There’s nothing to stop us developing this into gels we could apply to our erogenous zones,” she explains. “These could provide straightforward tactile stimulation, or help you sync your reactions to that of your partner.” We could even be looking at scenarios where data from your body could be used to personalize Virtual Reality content in real time to fulfill needs and fantasies you didn’t even know (or admit) you had.

Virtual Presence

Advances in Virtual Reality will help us create a sense of “hyper-presence” which will allow us to project ourselves into virtual worlds in unprecedented ways, according to Boddington. That might be hard to imagine in the context of the cartoon-like avatars we see in most VR platforms these days, but advances in technologies such as Morphing, sampling and 3D-scanning will soon allow us to create much more personalized avatars capable of conveying emotion reflecting body language signals.

The importance of realistic movement is something that she’s very aware of, coming from a dance and performing arts background: “the intimate interplay between body language and presence is a key part to enabling a sense of full immersion in VR,” she explains. “Touch, caress gaze, it all feeds into it. The way your skin brushes against another, the feel of a heartbeat or the sound of someone’s breath. Over the next 10-15 years we will see a convergence of these technologies with things like Virtual and even Mixed Reality holograms to enable ways for us to meet each other and be intimate in new ways, whether you’re in the same room or over distance.”

The most exciting possibilities of the next decade are therefore not in creating autonomous machines to be become our proxy lovers, but in incorporating those machines into our own bodies, creating a true symbiosis between our “real” and “virtual” identities. When the wealth of data collected by these embedded devices is leveraged to connect our bodies both to our fellow humans and to other machines it will open up an entirely new array of possibilities. It could forever change how we relate to our physical selves, because pleasure – sexual and otherwise – would no longer be tethered to any particular space and time; It would live within us.

we’re potentially looking at a sort of Body Hacking scenario that takes us beyond the traditional – and rather artificial - mind-body separation
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This article originally appeared in Playboy

Humans could be marrying robots by 2050. https://t.co/5HwIYhEVHU pic.twitter.com/icmdyHHChX

— Playboy (@Playboy) January 6, 2017

For companies looking to get into VR/AR/MR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance on how these technologies can enhance and support your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post SexTech Beyond Teledildonics appeared first on Tech Trends.

When I was about ten, I desperately wanted one of the cute alien robots from Batteries Not Included * but in those days, the most you could hope to find under the Christmas tree was a toy that looked a bit like a robot and made some obliging beeping noises.

The best I could hope for under the Christmas tree when I was a child was a toy that looked like a robot
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Fast-forward to last Christmas, however, and my dream of owning a fully-fledged cute robot finally came true. After watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the sixth time I decided to ‘treat my husband’ to a BB-8. And while the dogs were distinctively unimpressed, we sure had a blast spinning the little guy around.

Yet when I got sent a SPRK+ to test (I DO love this job) I didn’t’ immediately realize that it came from the same people as made the BB-8. As it turns out, Sphero has been making little round robots for quite a while, ever since they graduated from the Techstars accelerator in Boulder, CO, back in 2010.

Sphero has been making little round robots for quite a while
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Like BB-8, Sphero’s latest ball-bot is on an important mission: Teaching kids to code. The company sold over a million robots in 80 countries so far, but the SPRK+ is designed to be their most tinker-friendly and hardwearing robot yet, with a scratch-resistant, waterproof outer shell, it can take a good bouncing.

While it’s not exactly cheap – the SPRK+ retails at around $130 – the fact that you can buy and program your own robot for less than it costs to buy a fancy pair of shoes is a testament to how far technology has come since my own childhood.

What I love about it – as someone with admittedly limited technical skills – is that you can casually start playing around straight away. Tap the ball to your phone and the app syncs the devices automatically. The transparent outer shell lets you see what’s going on inside the robot, and you can drag and drop modular puzzle elements in different sequences to make it do simple things like change colour or roll in different directions.

you can casually start playing around straight away. Tap the ball to your phone and the app syncs the devices automatically
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As well as over 150 learning activities, you can tap into a host of programmable features like sound effects, LED lights, sensors, accelerometer and gyroscope
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For those who want to dig deeper though, the sky is the limit. As well as over 150 learning activities, you can tap into a host of programmable features like sound effects, LED lights, sensors, accelerometer and gyroscope. There is a healthy global community of users that collaborate on projects through the Lightning Lab app which works across iOS, Android and Amazon Fire devices. It lets you easily share programs – using Sphero’s own programming language called OVAL – much as you would on GitHub, which is great for building up real-world programming skills.

Users can share their Sphero coding projects much like on GitHub
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SPRK teaches all sorts of valuable 21st century skills, disguised as play
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David Millage, General Manager of Education at Sphero, says that the beauty of SPRK is that it teaches all sorts of valuable 21^st century skills, cleverly disguised as play: “Learning is evolving and we are seeing a transition from consumption to creation in the classroom. Our robots are being used to teach everything from art to physics in a fun and hands-on way that engages students on a new level.”

Who wouldn’t want to build their own Solar System?
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I never tire of preaching the gospel of coding, because as much as not everybody can be good at it, we all should learn as much as possible about the technology that makes the world go around. If nothing else, it’s great exercise for your brain, and with things like Sphero, it’s also fantastic fun. After all, who wouldn’t want to build their own Solar System? And BB-8 also enjoyed meeting his new friend:

Like BB-8, Sphero’s latest ball-bot is on an important mission: Teaching kids to code
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*Classic 80s feel-good film, look it up if somehow you’ve managed to grow up without seeing it.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post How Robots Make the World Go Round appeared first on Tech Trends.

It’s another improbably sunny day in Helsinki; I’m told by the locals it’s not usually like this, but so far in a country best known for its Winter Wonderland landscapes I’ve been getting a tan.

Mehackit teaches young people programming through robotics, music and visual arts
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Finns are hospitable people and they also feel the urge to soak up the sun while it shines, so we head out to have our chat at a charming local restaurant to make the most of it. My hosts are (Co-founder & Troublemaker) Pia Henrietta Kekäläinen and (Chief Communications Officer & Wizard) Reetta Heiskanen from Mehackit, a start-up that teaches young people programming through an engaging mix of robotics, music and visual arts.

We want to teach young people technological self-confidence and the attitude that they can learn anything
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I start off by asking Henrietta about the road that led her to becoming an entrepreneur. Anecdotally, my impression of the start-up sector in Finland is that it has a healthy dose of female representation at all levels, and I ask her if it might have something to do with the country’s progressive laws which, for example, allow either parent to take generous parental leave as they choose.

I don’t have any official figures around female entrepreneurship in Finland compared to other countries, but I feel it is getting better. The biggest issue is still around investment, because a lot of the investor networks were traditionally male-only clubs, which made it extremely difficult for female entrepreneurs to make the connections needed to fund their ideas.

That said, it seems like Finland is well-placed to lead the way in addressing that problem. Back in 1906, while they were still part of the Russian Empire, the Grand Duchy of Finland was the first country in Europe to grant universal suffrage, which meant that all women, without exception, were eligible to vote and run for office as equals. In 1907 they elected an unprecedented 19 female members to its parliament. Today, with 40% female representation in government, they stand only behind Sweden in that particular metric.

Finland was the first country in Europe to grant women universal suffrage
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Six years ago Henrietta also considered embarking upon a government career, as she has always been interested in diplomacy. She spent a very interesting few months working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, where she organised the media program for dignitary visits, such as that of Vladimir Putin.

I learned a lot and had a lot of fun, but in the end my boss advised me that he thought that I needed something more fast-paced. That’s when I got involved with the Aalto Entrepreneurship Society.

This was back in the early days of Startup Sauna, which began as an informal gathering and eventually gave rise to hugely successful initiatives like Slush and fostered the growth of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Finland.

Henrietta also became involved in teaching digital skills through her involvement in Rail Girls, a non-profit organisation that equips women and girls with the tools and inspiration to engage with technology.

We're great at being consumers but we want students to get their hands dirty with wires, sensors, and syntax errors
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These experiences helped pave the way for co-founding Mehackit in 2014, which she describes as a one-stop shop for schools to jump into creative technology education. The format focuses on providing a human mentor to initiate youths into technology principles and spark their interest developing digital skills.

I think that we are great at being consumers, but there’s a huge paradox in making the products so easy to use you don’t need skills, and thus keeping many people away from the process of actually creating it. We want to take down that curtain of simplicity, so to say, and get people’s hands dirty with wires and sensors and live loops and syntax errors.

During the 7-week course, pupils advance at their own pace and build personal projects, which can be as diverse as they like. Local university students are recruited as instructors, but school teachers can also participate and learn without the pressure of being the “technology experts” that can often be daunting when teaching digital natives.

During the 7-week course, pupils advance at their own pace and build personal and diverse technology projects
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The education system in Finland is one of the most well-regarded in the world, but it is also one that’s not prone to rest on its laurels. This makes it a good environment to test out innovative technology-based solutions, and it often leads the way in educational policy. So much so that starting this year coding will become a mandatory part of the school curriculum.

Coding became part of the school curriculum in Finland in 2016
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Mehackit are now looking to expand from high school to upper secondary level, and is also gearing up for international roll-outs in other Nordic markets like Norway and Sweden before moving on to countries like the UK, where the government has acknowledged the seriousness of the digital skills gap problem.

We want to bring technological self-confidence to youth, and the “I can learn anything” attitude is what is going to be extremely important to progress us as a species as the world around us shifts to a more automated society.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post Teaching Programming with Creative Hacking appeared first on Tech Trends.