I am a self-identified nerd, but I’ve never considered myself a Trekkie. While it’s true that I have watched The Next Generation series more times than I can count, and I have had long debates with colleagues about the leadership styles of both Kirk and Picard, and I tried to learn Klingon in my 20s…wait a minute. Am I a Trekkie? Regardless of my personal fandom identification, I’ve always been a fan of the communicator badge seen in the later Star Trek series and movies. The badge, which bears the Starfleet insignia, is activated by a light tap and allows officers and personnel to speak directly to one another. While countless toys and replicas have been created for fans throughout the decades, we’ve yet to see a real working example of this technology, until now. Laura Davis, the editor in chief of New Equipment Digest, recently reported on a wearable from Humane Inc. that allows you to do everything you already do on your phone, except it's in the form of a pin that clips onto your clothing.
Below is an excerpt from her blog post:
The Humane Ai Pin touts being the world's first wearable artificial intelligence (AI) computer that acts as an assistant and a second brain. Its AI gives answers to questions, takes notes for you, takes pictures, makes calls, and sends messages. What sets it apart from a standard smartphone is that it promises to allow users to "stay in the present" by not needing to interact with it as you would with constantly having your head in your phone.
The pin is a standalone wearable device that requires a monthly subscription plan providing unlimited AI queries, unlimited talk, text, and data, and unlimited storage of photos and videos for all customers.
"The potential of Ai Pin is it learns from you and understands you. You can naturally capture a moment, it can remember something for you, or answer questions," said Bethany Bongiorno, CEO and Co-Founder, Humane. "The more you tell your Ai Pin about you, the more useful it will become for you."
Read the entire blog post
The Lighter Side of Manufacturing
Created by the editors of Plant Services and New Equipment Digest, The Lighter Side of Manufacturing is a feel-good blog that showcases how advances in science, math, engineering, and technology are making our world more whimsical. Here’s another post that is guaranteed to brighten your day.
Graffiti-fighting drone is making maintenance workers’ jobs easier and safer
Mike Gauger, a WSDOT maintenance superintendent, came up with the idea after working with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge team, which used drones for bridge inspections.
