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AI needs to create jobs for all, not the few

Stephane Kasriel CEO, Upwork ‘For the majority of us, AI will take away the most repetitive and boring tasks’ Whenever I talk to people about the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, it’s clear there is a lot of anxiety surrounding these developments. And no wonder: these technologies already have a huge impact on the world of work, from AI-powered algorithms that recommend optimal routes to maximise Lyft and Uber drivers’ earnings; to machine learning systems that help optimize lists of customer leads so salespeople can be more effective. We’re on the verge of tremendous transformations to work. Millions of jobs will be affected and the nature of work itself may change profoundly. We have an obligation to shape this future — the good news is that we can. It’s easier to see the jobs that will disappear than to imagine the jobs that will be created in the future but are as yet unknown. If, as The Wall Street Journal suggests, we think of AI as a technology that predicts, it’s much easier to map its impact. We must push ourselves to do that and understand the future of work. Here are six principles to keep in mind as we imagine how the world of work will evolve. 1. Expect massive disruption As Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains, we’re in the midst of a “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, after steam power (the first), electric power (the second) and digitisation (the third). The fourth, which incorporates AI and robotics as well as other technologies, will have an even greater impact. Of course, most new technologies create new opportunities at the same time as they eliminate old jobs, but there is rarely a perfect correspondence between these two forces. The people whose jobs […]

Continuing success for Konecranes mobile harbor cranes in South Korea

South Korean Terminal Operator Pyeongtaek Dangjin Central Terminal Co. Ltd. (PDCT) has put a Konecranes Gottwald Model 4 Mobile Harbor Crane into operation. The new diesel-electric crane handles bulk and general cargo in the terminal, situated around 80km south of Seoul on the west coast of South Korea. For particularly eco-efficient operation, it is equipped with an external power supply to hook up to the terminal’s mains. With this machine, PDCT, a joint venture of the two leading South Korean logistic groups KCTC Co., Ltd (KCTC) and Sebang Co., Ltd. (Sebang), has taken the next step in its long-term business relationship with Konecranes. J. H. Park, Executive Director, PDCT said: “PDCT ordered its first Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Crane in 1989, and a second one in 1996. KCTC now operates three cranes, and Sebang operates two. “The cranes have significantly contributed to the sustainable growth of the companies’ handling rates. It was logical to also rely on technology from Konecranes in our terminal in Pyeongtaek, where the new machine replaced the first crane that was almost thirty years old.” Giuseppe Di Lisa, Sales & Marketing Director, Mobile Harbor Cranes, Konecranes, is pleased with the positive market development for Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes in South Korea: “Since summer 2016, three Konecranes Gottwald Quaymate M50 Mobile Harbor Cranes were delivered to South Korea, and we are now proud to continue our recent success with a Model 4 machine. “With this crane, we further strengthen our market leading position in the country. This success is also due to the excellent relationship between PDCT and our local organisation. The service that we have provided has satisfied the customer and, as a consequence, the recent order will also include a tailor-made service package.” The new crane is a Model 4 Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor […]

Move Fast and Break Things

-Jonathan Taplin (Jonathan Taplin is Director of the Annenberg Innovation Lab and a former tour manager for Bob Dylan and The Band, as well as a film producer for Martin Scorsese. An expert in digital media entertainment, Taplin is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and sits on the California Broadband Taskforce and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Council on Technology and Innovation. Fake news. Digital monopolies. Stealth Marketing. This is the story of how the internet, which began as a dream, has become a nightmare and the people that did it. The modern world is defined by vast digital monopolies turning ever-larger profits. Those of us who consume the content that feeds them are farmed for the purposes of being sold ever more products and advertising. Those that create the content – the artists, writers and musicians – are finding they can no longer survive in this unforgiving economic landscape. But it didn’t have to be this way. In Move Fast and Break Things, Jonathan Taplin offers a succinct and powerful history of how online life began to be shaped around the values of the entrepreneurs like Peter Thiel and Larry Page who founded these all-powerful companies. Their unprecedented growth came at the heavy cost of tolerating piracy of books, music and film, while at the same time promoting opaque business practices and subordinating the privacy of individual users to create the surveillance marketing monoculture in which we now live. It is the story of a massive reallocation of revenue in which $50 billion a year has moved from the creators and owners of content to the monopoly platforms. With this reallocation of money comes a shift in power. Google, Facebook and Amazon now enjoy political power on par with Big Oil and Big […]

How to make robots that we can trust

Can we trust a robot that makes decisions with real-world consequences? Michael Winikoff, Professor in Information Science, University of Otago. Self-driving cars, personal assistants, cleaning robots, smart homes – these are just some examples of autonomous systems. With many such systems already in use or under development, a key question concerns trust. My central argument is that having trustworthy, well-working systems is not enough. To enable trust, the design of autonomous systems also needs to consider other requirements, including a capacity to explain decisions and to have recourse options when things go wrong. When doing a good job is not enough The past few years have seen dramatic advances in the deployment of autonomous systems. These are essentially software systems that make decisions and act on them, with real-world consequences. Examples include physical systems such as self-driving cars and robots, and software-only applications such as personal assistants. However, it is not enough to engineer autonomous systems that function well. We also need to consider what additional features people need to trust such systems. For example, consider a personal assistant. Suppose the personal assistant functions well. Would you trust it, even if it could not explain its decisions? To make a system trustable we need to identify the key prerequisites to trust. Then, we need to ensure that the system is designed to incorporate these features. A trustworthy robot may need to be able to explain its decisions. What makes us trust? Ideally, we would answer this question using experiments. We could ask people whether they would be willing to trust an autonomous system. And we could explore how this depends on various factors. For instance, is providing guarantees about the system’s behaviour important? Is providing explanations important? Suppose the system makes decisions that are critical to get right, for example, […]

Light curtain system improves flexibility and industrial safety

As production processes become increasingly automated and robots play a larger role on the production line, manufacturers are looking for more ways to maintain and reinforce a safe work environment. The new GuardShield 450L safety light curtain system is a flexible, cost-effective solution that enhances safety while improving productivity through innovative transceiver technology. Unlike traditional safety light curtains based on pre-defined transmitter and receiver units, this next-generation light curtain system features a patented transceiver design that employs plug-in modules to establish each unit’s function as a transmitter or receiver. Once powered up, the transceiver learns its functionality from the plug-in module. When light curtain systems are developed on the traditional transmitter/receiver architecture, customers need to buy multiple light curtain models to accommodate different features. Now, they can purchase identical GuardShield 450L sticks and customize the features with different plug-ins. Five-pin plug-ins are available for basic on/off functionality, while eight-pin plug-ins provide manual and auto restart with external device monitoring (EDM). To further simplify setup, advanced function settings are configured through dual in-line package (DIP) switches located on the plug-in module. Ideal for hand and finger detection, and offered in a wide range of protective heights, the light curtain system is also equipped with an active protective field that senses the entire length of the transceiver. This feature reduces the inactive sensing areas that generally appear at the top and bottom of other light curtains. Unlike traditional light curtain systems, the active sensing field and compact design allow customers to install the GuardShield 450L light curtain system inside a machine frame as opposed to outside or on the machine. Additionally, flexible mounting kits and built-in alignment indication allow for quick, trouble-free installation.

High-Performance computing for industrial IoT

By Remco Tolsma, Central Europe Regional Manager, RS Components The opportunities are many in the paradigm of the Internet of Things (IoT) and especially so in industrial IoT applications. Naturally all the major semiconductor vendors are making strategic forays into this arena, and among them is perhaps the best known of them all. Intel has made no secret that it is looking to expand its horizons and empower innovators, developers, makers and entrepreneurs in new and fast emerging applications that are being enabled by the IoT and industrial IoT. To this end, RS Components has been chosen by Intel to be an important instrument in its strategy to address these markets. This has culminated in the recent signing of an agreement enabling RS to supply a wide range of Intel products that target computing and embedded development across numerous applications and IoT-based projects. Thanks to this agreement, there are now a range of Intel-branded and Intel processor-based products shipping at RS. These include two Intel NUC single-board computers, based respectively on the Intel Atom E3815 processor and the high-performance Intel Core™ i5 processor based 5300U , in addition to the complete Intel Edison development platform, the Intel Compute Stick, and the Arduino Genuino 101. Single Board Computers The Intel NUC Core i5 5300U is a highly compact single-board computer that integrates a 2.9GHz dual-core i5 5300U processor with 3MB cache memory, along with integrated graphics, Gigabit Ethernet connectivity and four high-throughput USB 3.0 ports. The processor is excellent for demanding (Digital Signal Processing (DSP) applications and engineers are currently using this powerful resource today to develop IoT applications. Intel Edison The Intel Edison platform is a very significant suite of tools for open-source development that targets IoT and wearable computing products. The platform is based around the ultra-small Intel Edison compute module, which works with the Intel Edison breakout […]

FARO introduces next generation FaroArm

The QuantumS is certified to ISO 10360 -12:2016, the most rigorous international measurement quality standard in existence. This global standard, unlike the various regional standards such as VDI/VDE 2617, establishes the consistent, critical testing procedures that enable objective performance comparisons across any and all Articulated Arm Coordinate Measuring devices. Also, the QuantumS sets a new standard for ruggedness as it tests to the International Electrical Commission (IEC 60068 -2) standards for shock, vibration and temperature stress relief. With the addition of the FAROBluT Laser Line Probe HD, the QuantumS continues the FARO tradition of delivering maximum measurement consistency for both direct-to-parts contact and non-contact requirements in every working environment. It enables users to capture more, richer detail faster than any other comparable product on the market. Usability The advanced man-machine interface and enhanced ergonomics make the FARO QuantumS a virtual extension of the human arm and enables up to 15% less effort and fatigue for the operator with direct, contact only units. This dramatic increase in both comfort and portability increases operator productivity by facilitating continuous use over extended periods during the workday. Portability QuantumS advances the concept of true portability and ensures additional floor reach by up to 40%. Advanced wireless capability ensures that the reliability of cable-free scanning and probing is comparable to scanning and probing with a cable attachment. Furthermore, the availability of dual, hot swappable batteries supports continuous operation anywhere on the factory floor without the need for external power.

Creaform expands its 3D expertise to the aerospace industry

Creaform, a worldwide leader in portable and highly accurate 3D measurement solutions and engineering services, will extend its expertise in non-destructive testing (NDT) to the aerospace industry. By expanding access to its inspection solutions, the company aims to better enable airlines, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service companies, to more efficiently perform the evaluations of in-service aircraft safety, while cutting costs and saving downtime. As predictive maintenance becomes more prominent, aviation maintenance professionals and aircraft MRO providers are increasingly on the lookout for innovative methods that enable quicker and safer decisions to be made on the outcome of part defects. The mapping of external surface defects on aircraft parts, which can prove difficult to obtain using traditional methods—namely hail damage, bird impacts and lightning strikes on the fuselage and wings—can be assessed with 3D scanning. When paired with advanced inspection tools, such solution cuts down on the operator’s impact on measurements, shortens time to get the final report, and reinforces decision-making.” To ensure that the solution matches aviation maintenance industry requirements and properly reflects the market needs, Creaform is partnering with major aircraft manufacturers for beta testing. The surface inspection solution dedicated to aerospace applications is set for release in October 2017. Earlier this year, Creaform announced that the HandySCAN 3D metrology-grade laser scanner had made its first major step into the aerospace industry. It was added to the Airbus Technical Equipment Manual (TEM) which is referenced in the Airbus Structure Repair Manual (SRM). Well-known for its NDT solutions for the oil and gas industry, Creaform’s NDT product solution is comprised of its flagship HandySCAN 3D portable metrology-grade 3D scanner and its Pipecheck NDT software, both of which allow automatic on-site inspection, detection, and characterisation of pipeline defects. With traceable and repeatable inspection data and results, operators […]

America’s Cup success for small NZ company

A small New Zealand firm made a giant contribution to the America’s Cup. ‘YachtBot’ – GPS tracking systems invented by Dunedin firm Igtimi – was on nearly 40 boats operated by America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA) including official, photo, television, mark-setting and VIP boats. YachtBot lets the race organisers build a “virtual stadium” on the water, and establishes a “seating plan” for nearly 1,000 Superyachts, VIPs, and the public. As weather conditions change, ACEA dynamically adjusts the race course and spectator areas to ensure that everyone is as close to the racing action as possible. Igtimi Co-director, Brent Russell, says “The America’s Cup has never been able to do this before, YachtBot is a critical part of on-water operations”. Using iPads, YachtBot also helps the organisers place the buoys on the course, and displays the AC45 race boats and helicopters to provide “full view” management. It allows skippers and passengers a first-hand account of where they are relative to the imaginary race boundaries. Mr Russell says YachtBot’s goal was to provide cutting-edge training and tracking tools at all levels of sailing from the Olympics to clubs. They customised that technology for the America’s Cup. “Our first tracking devices were on the 33rd America’s Cup boats in Valencia in 2010. Since then, we’ve made them accessible for club yachting. It’s great that America’s Cup picked up on our hardware again at the elite level. The bonus is, we’ll bring this upgraded technology back to club yachting, so it’s a win for everyone,” he says. Co-director, Kylie Robinson, says the YachtBot technology proved to be very popular during the America’s Cup World Series in Japan. “They were impressed to find that the volunteers using our technology to place the race markers did so faster and more accurately than those who were fully […]

Is Asia the new engine room for globalisation?

Countries like Singapore, along with its developing neighbours in ASEAN, are driving greater connectivity between Asia and the rest of the world. The world’s economies remain highly connected despite rumours of globalisation’s demise. That’s one of the main findings of DHL’s latest Global Connectedness Index (GCI), which charts the progress and current state of globalization using hard data about trade, capital, information, and people movements worldwide. The latest GCI discovered that despite growing protectionist sentiment in some parts of the world, globalisation has continued to advance.“Asia Pacific economies have grown increasingly connected to the rest of the world as their industries and talent bases mature,” says globalisation expert Professor Pankaj Ghemawat, who led the research on the GCI. “Given the rhetoric that we’re seeing in Europe and America, businesses should expect an even greater role for Asia in globalisation moving forward, creating significant opportunities for sales and supply chain networks based in the region.” The region’s geography and cultural commonalities have lent themselves well to greater interconnectedness. Of the five countries that outperformed expectations most on the depth dimension of global connectedness, four of them hailed from South East Asia: Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. Countries in East Asia and the Pacific also have, on average, the second-highest intra-regional share of international flows in trade, capital, information, and people. And Singapore turned out to have both the deepest and largest international flows of any city surveyed, with Hong Kong close behind. “Hotspots” exhibit both great depth and volume in their connections with other cities. “Initiatives like the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and Belt and Road foreshadow greater cross-border economic ties between East Asian countries, supported by increasing integration across supply chains and migration policies,” says Ghemawat. “At the same time, Singapore and Hong Kong have engineered a renaissance in digital […]

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