Who Wants To Help Steve Cohen Build A Trading Cyborg? – Dealbreaker

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Ross Garon is living the dream, retiring at the age of 48 after what has been by this account a very successful 10-year-run at the helm of Cubist Systematic Strategies, Point72 Asset Managements quantitative arm. Of course, one mans desire for rest and relaxation and not getting yelled at all the time is not the same thing as Steve Cohen abandoning the nerd game in which hes invested so much time and energy in recent years. Far from it! For Cohen is not only dedicated to keeping Cubist goingand why wouldnt he be, given how successful it apparently isbut in building upon it, in a Robocop kind of way.

In an email to employees, Mr. Cohen said he was still committed to his quant-trading operation, as well as the idea of combining quant and traditional investing, something he calls person + machine.

I expect us to continue to expand the use of systematic strategies across the firm, he wrote.

Point72s Head Quant Is Leaving the Firm [WSJ]

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Who Wants To Help Steve Cohen Build A Trading Cyborg? - Dealbreaker

Alita’s got nothing on this mind-controlled robotic arm that links to your nerves – SYFY WIRE

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Alita may be able to take on robots twice her sizebecause she's a cyberneticpowerhouse, but while sentient robots aren't a thing (yet), cyborg limbs you can control with your brain now are.

Ingenious scientists at the University of Michigan have developed a prosthetic arm that can be controlled with just your brain. The non-invasive process requires almost negligible muscle grafts and machine-learning algorithms from a brain-computer interface (BCI). This isnt the first attempt at merging robotics with mind control, since DARPA (which also funded this study) is developing weapons with this kind of technology, but it is the first prosthetic limb that successfully does this. There was one amputee who described it as feeling like he had his arm back.

This is the biggest advance in motor control for people with amputations in many years, said Paul Cederna, University of Michigan professor of plastic surgery and biomedical engineering, who recently published a study in Science Translational Medicine. We have developed a technique to provide individual finger control of prosthetic devices using the nerves in a patients residual limb. With it, we have been able to provide some of the most advanced prosthetic control that the world has seen.

Mobius (if that name is giving you dj vu, think Mobius Final Fantasy) Bionics' LUKE arm takes advantage of an often-neglected group of nerves to give amputees the use of a limb that is supposed to feel eerily real. Peripheral nerves extend outside the brain and spinal cord. They have been ignored in the past because they tend to transmit weak signals, which needed invasive probes to pick them up. These nerves are already fragile, and implanting probes created scar tissue that muffled the signals even more.

Enter the regenerative peripheral nerve interface. Cedernas team tapped the potential of peripheral nerves by figuring out how to untangle bundles of them into smaller fibers they could actually work with. These nerve fibers could then be manipulated to give the patient more precise control than any prosthetic ever has.

This was achieved by a muscle graft wrapped around nerve endings in patients arms, and the procedure amplified nerve signals. Electrodes implanted in the arms of two patients were then able to record these otherwise faint signals and transmit them to the prosthetic hand.

The regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI) serves as a biologically stable bioamplifier of efferent motor action potentials with long-term stability in upper limb amputees,"Cederna said in the study.

Such tech differs form Neuralink in that Musks company is looking to create AI that specifically targets neurological diseases and could eventually give the brain a proverbial hand with artificial intelligence. Both Neuralink and the LUKE arm rely on brain-computer interfaces that connect the brain to a computer so communication can happen. The difference is that Neuralink would work to reverse illnesses like Alzheimers and Parkinsons by targeting neurons in the parts of the brain that are degenerating rather than putting the focus on peripheral nerves that can control a limb.

The Michigan team found that voltage recorded from nerves ended up being not just higher than previous results, but the highest recorded so far. They were able to pick up the first millivolt signals ever. Signals coming from individual finger movements could be accessed, and another plus was that no learning was required from the patient, since the BCI algorithms were already there in the prosthetic arm. Patients have been able to play a modified version of rock, paper, scissors and pick up objects just by thinking of the action. The tech also lasts without degrading and creating scar tissue.

Cederna and his team are determined to keep upgrading the LUKE arm and doing more investigation into neuroprosthetics. If this sounds sci-fi now, just wait.

(via University of Michigan/Science Translational Magazine)

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Alita's got nothing on this mind-controlled robotic arm that links to your nerves - SYFY WIRE

5 Things About Nebula The MCU Changed (& 5 They Kept The Same) – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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One of the most intriguing aspects of the MCU is seeing how the creative minds at Marvel Studios translate characters and concepts from page to screen. Not everything makes the transition intact, as some ideas just aren't practical, and some are just outdated. With alien characters like Nebula, being not as well known and inherently sci-fi, there's a lot more flexibility.

RELATED:MCU: 5 Of The Most Heroic Things Nebula Has Done (& The 5 Most Foolish)

Still, that doesn't mean that Nebula showed up in Guardians of the Galaxy exactly as she appeared in the comic books. Far from it. Let's take a look at some of the ways Nebula is the same as her comic inspiration, and some of the ways she's different.

The biggest difference is the most obvious. When Nebula first appears inThe Avengers #257way back in 1985, she has long, shiny dark hair. The blue skin and purple-ish costume carry over to the big screen pretty much intact, but sadly, not the hair. The creative team behind Guardians decided to make Nebula totally bald, emphasizing her cyborg parts, and sadly for Karen Gillan and fans of gingers everywhere, she had to shave her head. One wonders if we may see Nebula with hair in the future, as her character continues to grow and evolve from a villain.

Much like her counterpart on screen, Nebula is a straight-up villain in the comics. She's introduced as a space pirate in The Avengers and displays some pretty big ambition. When the team encounters her, she's taken over the Sanctuary II, a massive spaceshiponce under the command of Thanos (more on him in a bit). She wants to take over the Skrull Empire, and she's already massacred a race called the Xandarians. Not exactly the type of girl you bring home to mom. Nebula never really drifts too far from her status as a villain in the comics.

Nebula in the films is virtually all cybernetic, a product of the unimaginable brutality of Thanos. Thanos pitted her against her adoptive sister Gamora, and whenever Nebula would lose - which turned out to beoften - Thanos would punish Nebula by replacing a part of her body with a cybernetic implant. Harsh.

RELATED:5 Most (& 5 Least) Heartbreaking Deaths In Infinity War That We're Still Not Over

This eventually transformed Nebula into a bitter, competitive weapon hellbent on proving her worth to her father, and eventually on his destruction. In the comics, she starts off without any cyborg parts and only gets them after a violent run-in with Thanos.

Both versions of Nebula can and do kick butt. In the films, her skills are honed through all those years and years of conflict with Gamora, and in service of Thanos. Nebula is often present or spearheading one of his nightmarish campaigns to cull the galaxy to fit his grotesque visions. Though she's paired with Ronan The Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy, she really only has one or two interactions with him in comics. In the original Marvel comics, she doesn't need much help. She's naturally gifted. With a blaster, a sword, or her bare hands, she's one space pirate you don't want to mess with. But she probably wants to mess with you, anyway.

In the films, Nebula and Gamora are both the adoptive daughters of Thanos, beneficiaries of his charity (at least, that's one way of looking at it). They grow up as rivals and combatants, before eventually coming to realize they are both tools of a megalomaniacal villain who doesn't really care for them at all. In Avengers: Endgame, their relationship comes full circle as Nebula helps a past version of Gamora realize the error of her ways. We don't know where their relationship goes next, but in the comics, there is no such relation between them.

You can never keep Nebula down for long. She runs into the brick walls of the Avengers, or Thanos, and she still gets back up. In the films, her fierce determination is most obvious in her endurance of unimaginable suffering at the hands of Thanos. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, her only ambition is to find and kill Gamora. She goes so far as to crash her ship headlong into the ground to do it. Nebula displays the same dogged persistence in the comics, never abandoning her ambitions for galactic dominance, or letting a pesky little thing like death get in the way.

In the MCU, Nebula's goal is pretty singular: prove herself worthy to her father, Thanos. In the comic books, she's got way more ambitious plans. In addition to her early ambitions to take over the Skrull Empire (nothing you do on a whim), Nebula later nearly annihilated the entire universe in a bid for ultimate power. The Avengers stopped her, but just barely.

RELATED:MCU: 5 Reasons Nebula Is A True Avenger (& 5 She Will Always Be Thanos' Daughter At Heart)

And then, most famously, she briefly wielded the Infinity Gauntlet after seizing it from a distracted Thanos. This doesn't exactly work for her; her revenge blinded her to the fact that using the gems to restore herself would also benefit Thanos. MCU Nebula never even gavethe Gauntlet a thought, even with the knowledge her sister had been killed by Thanos.

Though she didn't get her cyborg status until a bit later in the comics, the original version of Nebula did for a time share the same undead quality as MCU Nebula. Remember that we first meet Nebula aboardthe Sanctuary II, a spaceship once commanded by Thanos. He eventually gets it back from her, and she pays the price. Thanos used the Infinity Gems to transform Nebula into something of a zombie, a living corpse mutilated by his anger. Despite her horrific condition, Nebula maintained her focus and desire for revenge, ultimately taking the Gauntlet from Thanos.

Though Nebula introduces herself as the granddaughter of Thanos in the comics, this apparently is a lie. It angers Thanos enough that he zombifies her for it, along with stealing his ship. The relationship with Thanos in the comics remains... nebulous, but in the films, it's one of the more defined aspects of the Guardians corner of the MCU. Nebula, along with Gamora, is introduced as the Titan's adopted daughter and ruthless enforcer. Their dynamic, twisted and heartbreaking, plays out across several films, culminating in Avengers: Endgame.

After her ordeal with Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, Nebula is a lot worse for wear. Being a zombie will do that to you. Her brain is damaged, necessitating major, major repairs. As a result, she loses those dark locks and gains the unique baldness that will eventually inform her MCU counterpart. This metamorphosis occurred throughout several issues of Silver Surfer, a title intrinsically linked to The Infinity Gems storyline of the 90s and was executed mostly by a space surgeon called Dr. Mandibus. Mandibus had a long history with Nebula: he was her first mate aboard the Sanctuary II when we first meet her, back in Avengers #275.

NEXT:10 Best Marvel Titles For The Cosmic-Curious

NextSailor Moon: 10 Characters We Completely Forgot About

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5 Things About Nebula The MCU Changed (& 5 They Kept The Same) - CBR - Comic Book Resources

‘Don Giovanni’ breaks fourth wall, fuses cyborgs with Mozart classic – Indiana University The Penn Online

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This article contains opinion.

The classic Mozart opera, Don Giovanni, broke the fourth wall during its performance from Thursday until the final performance Sunday.

Directed and produced by Dr. See-Yin (Oliver) Lo, the performance featured students from the theater and music departments.

Don Giovanni (Gino Parillo), an Italian, old-fashioned playboy, tries to woo the girls of the village. He tries to win the heart of the wrong girl, whose father rushes to her defense. A fight ensues, and Il Commendatore is killed in the process.

Donna Anna finds her fathers body with her fiance, Don Ottavio. She vows vengence on the mysterious killer and enlists the help of Donna Elvira, one of Giovannis former lovers.

A wedding between two peasants, Masetto and Zerlina, is crashed by Don Giovanni and his servant, Leporello. The two invite them back to Don Giovannis house for dinner, where a scream from Zerlina brings everyone to her rescue.

Giovanni manages to escape while Leporello takes the blame.

Eventually, guilt gets the better of Giovanni in the form of Il Commendatores possessed statue who commands Giovanni to repent of his ways before it is too late.

The production was in Waller Hall, mainstage. While certain actors performed on certain nights, Parillo portrayed Giovanni the whole weekend. Alexandra Dee conducted the orchestra.

Overall, the performance was well-done. The actors portrayed the characters well and the fusion of cyberpunk with Mozarts classic opera was a fresh take.

Since the take on Don Giovanni was fused with cyberpunk, four screens displayed different ads for futuristic, technological businesses throughout the performance. When Il Commendatore was killed, the screens displayed the Miz & Mizzus Funeral Services, and when Masetto and Zerlina were making up after an argument as an engaged couple, the screen displayed a new app for futuristic lovers.

Had microphones been added to the performance, the singers would have been easier to hear. Without the use of microphones, the performers were difficult to understand with certain areas.

However, operas are normally performed without microphones. Don Giovanni stayed true to the opera form with the option of foregoing microphones.

The set design, which featured futuristic binary codes, gears and even lighting, was a great addition to the performance. With two balconies helping separate the outside world from the inside, and a small stage on the actual stage to help separate the world of Giovannis house from the outside, it was easy to imagine the scenery in which the actors were.

Leporello broke the fourth wall multiple times during the performance by addressing the audience solely. Notable was the first time, while he and Giovanni were discussing a secret and Giovanni kept asking if they were alone. Leporello would continuously look toward the audience throughout the dialogue.

Another time was when the orchestra began playing a song and Leporello broke character, asking the audience, Hey! We know this one, dont we?

All in all, the performance was an interesting take on Mozarts personal opera while combining modern-day technology.

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'Don Giovanni' breaks fourth wall, fuses cyborgs with Mozart classic - Indiana University The Penn Online

Enforce Earbud-Only Zones For The Jerks Infecting The Public With Noise – The Federalist

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The sound of a cellphone speaker hits the ear like slow-dripping battery acid. It seeps into your auditory canal and spirals down the cochlea, drop by pernicious drop, where it floods the brain and dissolves your train of thought.

As smartphones proliferate, oblivious half-wits are blaring their digital media in public. Its rude behavior, like spitting on the sidewalk or farting in an elevator. This aural menace must be stopped now, before its too late.

The metallic drone can be heard all over the world. It suddenly erupts in a quiet coffee shop or pierces the din of a favorite restaurant. Its coming down a hiking trail or from the next aisle over. More and more you hear it in the bookstore, orcurse you allin the library.

This audio pollution is the next global crisis. For those of us with acute hearing and little patience, the artificial vibration of that little speaker strikes the ear drum like a hammer and rattles every bone in our bodies. What the strobe light is to an epileptic, the smartphone is to a peace-loving curmudgeon.

Color and creed are irrelevantif you play your tinny smartphone in public, the rest of us hate your guts. We hate your clanging pop songs and your stupid sports clips. We cant stand your kids cartoons or the squealing voice on the other end of your FaceTime session. We pray that the genderfluid robot barking directions from your dashboard will short circuit.

Theres hope for reconciliation, though. This could all end with love and understandingif youd just frame your mug with a pair of earbuds.

These days, we acknowledge that texting while driving is deadly, enough so that its illegal in48 states. Likesecond-hand smokeandmercury thermometers, obnoxious cellphones are a public health issue. Before long, someones gonna get killedeither because one of us snaps on a smartphone cyborg, or because there are just too many of them, and those of us in the wetware remainder have to join hands and jump off a bridge.

If we dont want to involve the government, the obvious solution is to create voluntary earbud-only zones. The first step is to raise awareness. Begin by creating a 10-foot radius of rabid intolerance around yourself. If you hear something, say something.

I do it all the time, risking life and limb for the greater good. But one Luddite vigilante isnt enough. To regain the organic serenity of espresso grinders and wailing babies, we need an army of scolds to start nagging now: Please buy some earbuds.

Most people dont want to be jerks. They dont mean to blow cigar smoke in your face or drag wooden chair legs across the librarys tile floor. They just dont know any better. So when a fellow patron annoys you with yapping dog videos, just tell him politely: Buy some friggin earbuds! And if youre a parent with a tech-addicted brat, stuff em in that kids ears before one of us does.

The private sector has an important role to play in the resistance. Business owners who adopt an earbud-only policy will see their clientele surge, if not in quantity, then surely in quality. Caf owners should create a safe space for the literate and the contemplative.

In any sane establishment, the earbud-noncompliant would get the boot. If youre a flight attendant, explain to noisy passengers that if they dont shut that thing off, youre willing to hijack the plane and crash it into a mountainside for one sweet moment of peace. Then hand them a free pair of earbuds.

Failing a voluntary solution, we may have to resort to coercion. Hopefully, my prototype for a personalEMPgun (patent pending) will be ready for production by next year. The device looks like a Nintendo Zapper and fits neatly into a hip holster.

Imagine youre enjoying a good book on a public park bench. Suddenly you hear a squawky YouTube video playing nearby. No need to say a word. Just draw your hi-tech peacemaker and fire an electromagnetic pulse that fries every circuit in that dudes phone. Then enjoy the silence. Itll take out whining aerial drones, malodorous vape pens, and those ridiculous electric scooters, too.

If worse comes to worst, well have to legislate this thing.CFCsgnawed holes in the ozone layer, andDDTgave bald eagles flimsy eggshells, but no one wanted to give these chemicals up. So today we sendarmed Environmental Protection Agency agentsto keep things under control. Bureaucratic measures are never ideal, but desperate times call for authoritarian measures. It may be time to form a Luddite Enforcement Agency, where my EMP guns will be standard-issue.

This is ultimately a matter of personal liberty: the cyborgs freedom to make synthetic sounds versus humankinds deliverance from aural oppression. Its often said that the mutually hostile tribes of our planet will never come together unless theres an alien invasion. Well, the invasion is here, and its time to unite. Together, we can drive this scourge through the gates of hell and cork that hole with an earbud.

Joe Allen is a writer and fellow primate who wonders why we ever came down from the trees.A lifelong student of religion and science, he has kept his hands dirtyas a land surveyor, communal farm hand, kitchen servant, andfor over a decade, climbing steel as an arena rigger.His work appears in various outlets from left to right because he prefers liberty to security. Daily interjections:@EvoPsychosis.

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Enforce Earbud-Only Zones For The Jerks Infecting The Public With Noise - The Federalist

Altered Carbon Season 2: Where You Know Trepps Actor From – Screen Rant

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InAltered Carbonseason 2, Simone Missick plays a strong-willed, loyal bounty hunter named Trepp, but youmay have seen her before on-screen in several different roles. As Trepp inAltered Carbon she isa tough, professional bounty hunter who values her family's safety more than anything. On several occasions she savesprotagonist Takeshi Kovacsand his other allies, andshe proved to be truly reliable backup.

Missick's Treppis one of the best newcharacters inAltered Carbonseason 2 due to her competence and strength. Unlike Detective Ortega inAltered Carbonseason 1, who became somewhat of a damsel in distress, Trepp remains a valuable and key member of the team up to the season finale.Trepp also could not be further from a love interest for Takeshi Kovacs, which was refreshing for a female character in the show.

Related: Altered Carbon Timeline Explained: When Season 2 Takes Place

Missick'saptitude for playing tough talkers and fightersis also seen elsewhere in her filmography. She appeared in guest roles in shows like Tell Me A Story and Wayward Pines, but here's where you're most likely to have seen Missick on screen before.

Simone Missick is best known for her portrayal of Misty Knight in several Marvel shows on Netflix.She makes her first appearance in the universe inLuke Cageas an NYPD detective with a very intense moral code and strong belief in justice. Misty later becomes allies with more of Marvel's Netflix characters and is a main character in bothThe DefendersandIron Fistseason 2, where she teams up with Colleen Wing. Knight fights fiercely alongside her superhero allies and even loses an arm inThe Defenders,which is later replaced with a powerful cyborg arm.

The CBS legal dramaAll Risepremiered in September 2019. Missick plays a Lola Carmichael, a former prosecutor, newly elected judge, and the show's main character. The show has received average to good reviews, with critics complimenting Missick's performance.All Riseis Missick's first starring role and she is making the most of it. With her consistently impressive performances forThe DefendersandAltered Carbon,more opportunities will certainly follow.

Simone Missick has made a name for herself playing no-nonsense characters on Netflix shows, and Trepp has one of the more complex character arcs in the second season of Altered Carbon. It remains to be seen if she will return forAltered Carbonseason 3, butfans would surely be happy to have her back.

More: Altered Carbon: Every Actor Who's Played Takeshi Kovacs So Far

Star Trek: Picard Finally Gave Us The Riker TNG's Movies Never Did

A writer and musician from Naples, Florida. Loves to write fiction stories as well as news pieces, movie reviews, etc. Earned a degree in Creative Writing from Florida State University. Has had articles published by The Nashville Scene, Music Neighbors and This Wonderful World.

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Altered Carbon Season 2: Where You Know Trepps Actor From - Screen Rant

8 books that inspired fashion collections – Dazed

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From The Shining to A Clockwork Orange, Mumbo Jumbo and A Cyborg Manifesto

When Juergen Teller shot literary heavyweight Joan Didion for Celines SS15 campaign the world, bizarrely, came to a standstill.The image of the author wearing oversized glasses, a black top, and a gold necklace went viral so viral,it prompted Didion to make a statement on the matter. I dont have any clue, she told the New York Times when asked what she made of all the fuss.

And with countless other examples of authors breaching into the realms of fashion, there are also the designers who have looked to books to inform their own work.

From Alexander McQueen who looked to H.G Wells The Island of Doctor Moreau to create his wild and animal-like Its a Jungle Out There collection to Alessandro Michele who created Gucci cyborgs for his AW18 show after being influenced by Donna HarawaysA Cyborg Manifesto, here, on World Book Day, we explore the relationship between fashion and literature. Outlining some of the industries most favoured books, influencing the likes of Grace Wales Bonner, Rei Kawakubo, and Vaquera, these are eight of fashions favourite texts.

Virginias Woolfs Orlando tells the tale of an Elizabethan nobleman who wakes up one morning a woman. Following this, Orlando goes on a 300-year time-travelling journey, meeting some of literatures key figures on the way. Adapted into a film starring Tilda Swinton, Woolfs novel has gone on to become a cultural touchstone, notably in the LGBTQ+ community. With its extensive timespan and gender-fluid approach to fashion, a number of designers have looked to the book for inspiration. From Ann Demeulemeester and her AW07 collection to Christopher Bailey for his AW16 Burberry show, there is also Rei Kawakubo who has dedicated both her SS20 men and womenswear shows to the novelas part of a three-part project. With a demure mostly black menswear collection which saw models styled in frock coats, pinafores, and petticoats, the collection then evolved for the womenswear presentation which was a maximalist lesson in theatrical fashion. The final iteration of this came last December with Kawakubo costuming an opera performance ofOrlando.

Written in 1823, Frankenstein is one of the most influential gothic novels in the English language. A story about human limitations, Shelley tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who undertakes the experiment of creating a sentient being. With its rich and dark descriptive passages, Frankenstein has become one of the most referenced works of literature on the runway. From its very obvious interpretations where visual depictions of the books monster have been printed on Prada and Christopher Kane shirts to the more subtle references found in Feng Chen Wangs SS19 andAlexander McQueens SS99 show, its most recent iteration, however, comes from Alessandro Micheles AW18 Gucci presentation. We are all Dr Frankensteins of our lives, he wrote in his show notes, where he also referenced Donna Haraways A Cyborg Manifesto.

A post-modern text, A Cyborg Manifesto is a critique of the traditional notions of feminism which pushes forward socialist and anti-identitarian politics. Using the cyborg as a metaphor to reject binaries and challenge the notion of identity, Michele created his own Gucci cyborg for AW18. Set in a medical style room, decorated with hospital beds and clinical lighting, models walked down the runway carryingmoulds of their own heads, miniature dragons, and chameleons. Along with Haraway and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, Michele also cited French philosopher Michel Foucault for this collection.

A Clockwork Oranges imagery has become iconic. The story, written in 1962, tells the tale of a 15-year-old named Alex. Following him and his group of droogs who go around a raping, stealing, and harassing civilians, Burgess dystopian tale delves into themes of morality, and law and order. With the looks detailed in the book instantly recognisable, mostly due to Stanley Kubricks 1977 film adaption of it, the novel has been referenced by Jun Takahashi for Undercover. Taking the book to the runway for his AW19 collection, models wore the theatrical masks, bowler hats, and canes symbolic of the novels characters. Elsewhere, tops were also embossed with some of the books integral made-up language.

Another of fashions favourite books to be adapted by Stanley Kubrick comes in the form of Stephen Kings The Shining. A horror novel, The Shining tells the story of a writer who takes the job as an off-season caretaker at a hotel. Joined by his wife and psychically gifted son Danny, who is able to see the hotels terrifying past, a snowstorm then leaves the family stranded, all the while supernatural forces torment the protagonists sanity. Alexander McQueen took this as the setting for his AW99 show, The Outlook. Set in a Lucite box filled with artificial snow and bare trees, models walked and later ice-skated around the runway. An eerie and dramatic presentation, the show also referenced one of The Shinings most iconic scenes of twin girls standing in a hallway. Although this was not actually part of the book, Jun Takahashi also used this idea to inform hisUndercover SS18 show. Wearing 50s-styled dresses decorated with landscape motifs, models made their way down the runway in pairs, walking hand in hand.

Set in the 1920s, Mumbo Jumbo details an epidemic called Jes Grew a virus carried by black artists causing half of America to recklessly dance and enjoy jazz. A satirical tale which embraces jazz, magic, and conspiracy theories, it was this book that Grace Wales Bonner looked to for her AW19 collection of the same name. With the showaccompaniedby a special piano performance by Ishmael Reed and Ben Okri, who recited a poem at the presentation, the collection sought to explore African Intellectualism. With the British designer renowned forher intense and academic research process, in her show notes the LVMH prize winner outlined: The collection considers the role of writers as oracles, connecting to a rich and magical lineage, serving as the custodians of ancestral wisdom passed down and reinterpreted. Words are collaged and transformed, becoming spells woven in cloth.

For his AW97 collection entitled Its a Jungle Out There, Alexander McQueen referenced the work of H. G. Wells and his science fiction novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau. A book which explores ideas of what it means to be human, the story follows Edward Prendick, a shipwreck survivor who lands on an island belonging to Doctor Moreau, a scientist who practices vivisections. McQueen took this story and transformed it, giving his models exaggerated cat-like make-up and wild, crazy hair. With the rest of the collection accented with hints of animal prints and fur, the show is considered to be one of his most iconic. Elsewhere McQueen has looked to the Italian poet Dante to inform his work which came in the form of his AW96 collection of the same name.

Written in 1985, A Handmaids Tale has had a cultural resurgence in recent years, thanks to the TV adaptation which hit our screens in 2017. A dystopian tale set in a future where the American government has been overthrown by a quasi-Christian group which dictates, among other things, that women lose control of their bodies, too many the novel became bizarrely reflective of our current times. With the female characters dressed in red robes and a white hood, it was New York label Vaquera which took Atwoods words and transformed them on the runway with a collection created to promote the TV show.

In light of World Book Day, clickhere to view our favourite books to read this month.

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8 books that inspired fashion collections - Dazed

Sponsored content: Vitafoods Europe 2020 set to drive the global nutraceutical industry forward in the new decade – Nutritional Outlook

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Vitafoods Europe 2020 (12-14 May, Palexpo, Geneva) is returning once again, to provide a key platform for the entire nutraceutical supply chain to find practical business solutions and discuss its greatest opportunities and challenges. With the aim of supporting more health for more people, the three-day event will promote collaboration and encourage visitors and exhibitors to share opinions on topical issues such as increased consumer demand for transparency from ingredient to shelf and the need to work together to achieve a more sustainable future.

As the meeting place for the nutraceutical industry, Vitafoods Europe will continue to lead the way in championing sustainability on the global nutraceutical stage, following its milestone achievement of being awarded the ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System certificate in 2019. The standard is designed to help organizations in the events industry have confidence in the sustainability credentials of their event-related activities, products, and services.

Chris Lee, managing director, Health and Nutrition Network, Europe, at Informa Markets, comments: Market and consumer needs continue to evolve at a rapid pace and it is essential that we look ahead and consider how to most effectively and efficiently turn challenges into opportunities, including how to balance sufficient and sustainable production. As we enter a new decade, it is becoming increasingly vital that we create a more circular global food economy for generations to come.

Having confirmed our commitment to making Vitafoods zero carbon/zero waste by 2025, sustainability will once again take center stage at this years event. We want to inspire both the industry and the end consumer, to help shape the future of the food industry for optimal health through the development of innovative new products, processes and packaging. Ultimately, we hope that the insights we take from this years event will encourage positive change in the nutraceutical community as we work towards a greener future together.

As part of its focus on championing best practice, the event will be debuting the Vitafoods Insights stage, which will feature three days of free sessions addressing five macro issues that affect multiple areas across the supply chain. With topics such as sustainability and traceability, diversity and inclusion and marketing to the end consumer, the Vitafoods Insights stage will be an opportunity for the worlds leading nutraceutical, supplement and functional food industry experts to share knowledge and help the global industry connect, develop and progress.

Other highlights will be a series of interactive zones, including the New Ingredients Theatre, Sustainability Corner, and new for 2020, the Start-Up Pavilion, and Plant-Based Bar. Presenting the latest innovation in the sector, the Plant-Based Bar will showcase consumer insights on the growing demand for plant-based food, in line with the trend towards products that promote both a sustainable supply chain and a healthy lifestyle.

The Vitafoods Europe Conference will run alongside the exhibition, giving delegates the chance to discuss and debate the latest trends and research. Eight summits have so far been confirmed, with topics including nootropics, sports nutrition, gut health, and CBD. The full program will be announced in the coming weeks.

To register for Vitafoods 2020, please visit: http://www.vitafoods.eu.com.

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Sponsored content: Vitafoods Europe 2020 set to drive the global nutraceutical industry forward in the new decade - Nutritional Outlook

Challenges and successes of poultry robotics – Poultry World

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A review of agricultural robotics research applicable to poultry production has shown there are both challenges and huge potential for the global poultry sector.

The desk research, Agricultural robotics research applicable to poultry production, looked at agricultural robotics research from 24 global universities and 8 commercial robots. It found that most of the published work on agricultural robotics had been in the areas of perception and reasoning. This emphasis had been on the identification of objects, evaluation of product quality, monitoring of animal growth and development, yield production and machine guidance.

Robots, drones and other autonomous tools can be used to better monitor birds. Photo Jan Willem van Vliet

The research also found that there has been limited published work on the task execution and systems integration aspects of agricultural robotics. Among the challenges that need to be addressed are developing robots for specific agricultural tasks. Examples in poultry production include monitoring environmental conditions and chicken health, egg picking and encouraging chicken movement. The approaches to addressing the technical needs have been creating movable machines for us alongside the chickens in the poultry house.

Innovative farming:

Is changing the face of poultry. Find out the latest information on housing innovations, automation and robotics.

Some of the most noticeable results include:

Tibot

Tibot has been listed in EU circles as one of the key start-ups to watch during 2020. Although they have been operating since 2016, their 2 robotics solutions have attracted considerable interest from poultry breeding companies. Spoutnic is an autonomous rechargeable robot designed to increase the technical and economic performance of poultry operations and to improve the breeders work conditions. Sputnic NAV, which uses an indoor navigation system to stimulate the movement of poultry and aerate litter are being used by major players such as Hubbard, Le Helloco, Agrial and Prodavi. The start up is believed to have raised around 4 million to date.

The paper, published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, concludes that this trend of research is expected to continue, adding that an emerging emphasis would be the study of interactions of automated tasks to achieve high efficiency in whole poultry house management.

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What the Japan Olympics Teaches Us About the Role of Robots – Grit Daily

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I departed from Narita airport in Japan last weekwithout seeing an Immigration Officer.

No, this wasnt a Carlos Ghosn type stunt of being smuggled out in a cello case. The departureimmigration was handled via robotic lanes using a scanned passport and facial recognition. Itwas a great feeling. I now know what a fenced-in dog feels like when it comes across an open gate. A feeling of is this really possible, or will I get yelled at the minute I step through the gate?

It went smoothly, nobody yelled, and I was through without facing an immigration official. I have nothing against them as a breed, and Japanese immigration officers are certainly among the nicest. Its just that all immigration staff give me a feeling of standing in court in front of a magistrate. After 30 seconds youre ready to confess to all your transgressions. All right, all right, Ill spill the beans, please go easy on me. I didnt use the cross-walk yesterday when crossing the road!

Japan has always been on the forefront of robotics. But the upcoming Tokyo Olympics promises to take it up a notch with the intent of having visitors experiencelife in a future universal society. Expect tablets worn around the neck to translate Japanese into 10 languages, robots carrying your luggage, and of course self-driving cars.

Japan has a long history of mixing robotics and the Olympics. The 1964 Olympics introduced the bullet train (Shinkansen) to the world. The return of the Olympics to Japan will showcase the possibilities of robotics in the current world. Beyond the examples already mentioned, expect to see robots picking up athletes javelins in the stadium, artificial meteor lightshows,the next generation of maglev trains, hydrogen powered vehicles and use of algae fuel for flights to Japan. And of course, itwouldnt be Japan if we didnt have the future of television with broadcasts in 8K.

All this investment in robotics isnt just showmanship. Prime Minister Abe has pledged to triple spending on Robotics. Theres a strong economic case for investing in robots. Japan has a major workforce challenge due to an ageing population. Not only to replace retiring workers, but also to provide care to the elderly. Add to that the nationalistic rhetoric floating around the world against immigration, and whats left is the strategy of automation. So, Japan is turning this issue into an opportunity to leap into the future. In doing so, its providing us with several lessons about using robots.

Adoption is cultural: Western culture has been fed a diet of scary Terminator robots, whereas Japanese culture (perhaps influenced by Shintoism) has the ability to respect inanimate objects. Is the use of cuddly robots in nursing homes for providingmental stimulation to patients with dementia creepy, or a smart humane idea? This is true in corporate settings too. Familiarity with technology eases adoption issues.

The reality of job losses due to robots is nuanced:Japan and Korea are relying on robotics to replace an ageing workforce. Companies like Foxconn in China who will implement 10,000 to 30,000 Foxbots have a choice to use labor. Or do they? I honestly dont know. Is the use of sweat factories any better?

Robotics usage is spreading faster than most people think: Were lulled into thinking that robots are clunky and not ready because consumer robotics hasnt reached the C3PO level of sophistication. Not true. Robots can be single-function and not be intelligent. If warehouses in Amazon have more single-function robots than humans, then the issue is no longer robotic capability.

Robots are contentious. They can inspire feelings of hope (e.g. nursing home robots), curiosity (e.g. Roomba cleaning robots) or simply aversion (e.g. unrestricted use of facial recognition by some governments). What if reality was nuanced? What if all of the above had some element of truth?

In the meantime, if other countries are looking for feedback on automated immigration lanes, please call me. I have only three words for them. Just do it!

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INTERVIEW: Star Wars-themed robotics competition getting underway at the DECC – KBJR 6

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DULUTH, MN - KBJR 6's Jessie Slater sat down with Annalise Borman whose the Media Co-Captain of the Duluth East Daredevils robotics team to learn more about a fierce battle getting underway at the DECC.

The FIRST Robotics Regional Competition will be held there this weekend.

Dubbed the ultimate sport for the mind, high school students from all over the area are challenged to raise funds and create an industrial-sized robot to battle other teams on the playing field.

Each team is given six weeks to build up the best bot they can with a trip to the national competition on the line.

The Daredevils coach says this year's Star Wars franchise powers the game, and Disney and Lucasfilms sponsors the game.

The game is Star Wars-themed, and the Daredevils' bot is a female bot named Ashoka, based on a Star Wars character.

For more details on the robotics competition please click here.

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Dexai Robotics Announces Oversubscribed Funding Round to Launch Alfred, a Robotic Sous-chef – Business Wire

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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dexai Robotics, an AI robotics company focused on commercial kitchen automation, announced today that it has raised an oversubscribed $5.5 Mn Seed Round, led by Hyperplane Venture Capital. New investors Rho Capital, Harlem Capital, Contour Venture Partners, and NextView Ventures also participated in this financing round. Vivjan Myrto, a Managing Partner at Hyperplane, joined Dexais board of directors. The company will use the funding to expand its engineering, sales, and product teams, allowing it to serve new cuisines and fuel its growth in the foodservice space.

Dexai was born out of a research collaboration in artificial intelligence for robotics among researchers at The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, MIT, and Harvard. This work, led by David MS Johnson, Dexais CEO and Co-Founder, resulted in breakthrough software innovations that enabled robots to control, for the first time, deformable materials such as ice cream, sushi-grade tuna, pico de gallo, etc. At the same time, Anthony Tayoun, Dexais CFO and Co-Founder, was pursuing an MBA at Harvard Business School, when he was struck by the huge labor gap in the restaurant industry. Each restaurant operator I spoke with complained that their most difficult challenge is finding, training, and retaining staff, said Tayoun. We founded Dexai to address the 150,000-person labor shortage in the restaurant industry, so that restaurants can focus on hospitality and, by robots handling repetitive tasks, workforce satisfaction.

Alfred is the only robot that works in existing kitchens, and prepares meals from different cuisines faster, safer, and more affordably. US consumers' demand for food prepared outside the home continues to surpass that for food at home, growing at double the rate in the last decade, according to the USDAs Economic Research Service.

The restaurant industry faces an acute labor shortage with operators identifying recruiting and retaining employees as their top challenge, said Michael Kaufman, a Dexai adviser and a past chair of the National Restaurant Associations board. There appear to be no signs of that abating. Alfred is an impressive and thoughtfully designed solution for restaurant operators to consider.

Alfred can be dropped into existing kitchens because its artificial intelligence software recognizes its surroundings and adapts to the task at hand, said Johnson. Because Alfred uses standard utensils, it can make ice cream sundaes for one customer, quinoa bowls for another, and poke for a third. Were teaching robots how to see and identify different objects and foodstuff, and prepare the delicious recipes that people already know and enjoy.

Dexai is leveraging the commoditization of robotics hardware and the advancements in machine learning tools, particularly in vision and path planning, to solve real business problems, said Peter Wurman, Dexai advisor and co-founder of Kiva Systems. A lot of necessary pieces are coming together to make it possible for affordable robots to perform activities in these semi-structured environments.

The Dexai team identified a huge need in the food industry, resulting from shifting eating habits where people eat much more away from the home, and the rise of delivery, evidenced by the rapid growth of ghost kitchens and food ordering platforms, said Myrto. As a firm committed to investing in machine intelligence applications, we are excited to have Dexai bring intelligent robots to an everyday activity that we all enjoy: food.

About Dexai RoboticsDexai automates activities in commercial kitchens and anywhere food is prepared, using flexible robot arms. Dexai currently offers Alfred, a collaborative robot arm that uses utensils to scoop and pick ingredients, exceeding human capabilities in speed and precision. Alfred is a plug-and-play solution for quick service restaurants, and can be used to prepare salads, bowls, etc. without any alteration to a restaurants layout or recipes. Visit dexai.com to learn more about Alfred or join Dexais growing team.

About HyperplaneHyperplane Venture Capital is a seed stage firm based in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm partners with exceptional founders who are harnessing machine intelligence, sensor technology, and cloud computing to design solutions at the nexus of perception, communication, and insight. Hyperplanes portfolio covers a wide array of industries including financial technologies, robotics, digital health, industrial automation, and others.

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The robotics tournament returns to the 2020 Kentucky Derby Festival – WHAS11.com

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. Get ready to roborumble! The Samtec RoboRumble Regional Robotic Tournament is returning at the 2020 Kentucky Derby Festival.

The robotic tournament challenges students and teams to design, build and compete with robots. The competition begins on March 7 at 9 A.M. at Marion C. Moore High School with the awards ceremony following at 3 P.M.

Samtec is proud to once again sponsor the KDF Foundation RoboRumble Robotic Tournament, said Doug Wathen, Marketing Director. We are committed to supporting programs that encourage STEM to develop the next generation of engineers, programmers, and technicians in our community.

WHAS11

The 32-ft-long Maker Mobile will also be on-site for the students to experience. The mobile maker space brings education to life by using lasers, 3D-printers, CNC equipment, and more. The Maker Mobile exposes traditional maker equipment to kids of all ages to inspire creativity and future innovators.

As a kid, I would have never imagined how amazing robotics could be, said Mike Moore, JCPS Parent. The RoboRumble gives our students the opportunity to show they have the creativity and imagination to do anything!

The 2020 RoboRumble will include five events:

MORE KDF EVENTS:

Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. ForAppleorAndroidusers.

Have a news tip? Emailassign@whas11.com, visit ourFacebook pageorTwitter feed.

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Local company’s cutting edge way to make working with robots safer – WCVB Boston

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Local company's cutting edge way to make working with robots safer

Updated: 7:51 PM EST Mar 6, 2020

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There are more than three million industrial robots in factories around the world, but many are in cages to protect the people around them. Robots are basically working blindly, if you like, with our technology, were essentially opening the eyes of the robot, allowing to actually work more like a human operator would do. Here are four robots randomly moving about. Neither knows what the other is going to do, but watch how they never hit each other, even stopping to let another move through, then resuming its task once the coast is clear. Jason Barden, a Boston based real time robotics, explains how they made it possible. We just say to each robot, This is where you're starting. This is your goal position on The robots will be able to find a motion plan or a path which is obstacle free and be able to do so autonomously. It's called rapid sense. Ah, collision avoidance system for robots. Real time solution allows people and multiple robots to work in the same space without the need for expensive safety systems or time consuming software programming. Traditionally, it may take months to actually do this programming. We can reduce it by 75 to 80%. They do it by calculating millions of possible pass a robot could take and by using strategically mounted cameras. Software directs the robot. Which way to move or not move to accomplish its goal? Watch what happens when I put my hands in front of a car Welding robot. Very dangerous in most situations on the robot will stop really quickly. Cameras detect my presence and my arm shows up in the program. The robot, in fractions of a second stops and then again, if you go and put your hand in the cell one more time, sometimes it can even find a path right around. I was just going right around my hand. Yes, this technology also allows a robot's movements to be instantly changed. If one baht breaks down, another can quickly step in and take over. We're opening the eyes of the robots to enable them to work on the fly and dynamic environments. The company originally started out of Duke University but moved to Boston in 2016 and now employs 40 people, and the reason they brought it up to Boston was, there's so much talent here in the engineering space robotic space and software engineering. So So what are you telling me? We need more robots like this that can work around people. Yeah, it's kind of surprise you a little very interesting statistic. Manufacturing is increasing the United States, but less people actually seeking manufacturing jobs and baby boomers are retiring from factories at record pace is so it's expected there's gonna be a shortage of two million factory workers in the U. S. In the next 5 to 10 years. And robots may actually fill that void. So when that thing was coming around, we were you afraid? Very. You know, it's it's really pretty neat how it just works right around you, you know, just kind of like, thinks moves. Work, needs to go fasting stuffs. I feel like Mike may be braver than, I assure you. It's very, very safe.

Local company's cutting edge way to make working with robots safer

Updated: 7:51 PM EST Mar 6, 2020

As robots become more and more common, they often interact with people, and in manufacturing that can be dangerous.

As robots become more and more common, they often interact with people, and in manufacturing that can be dangerous.

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Some of the brightest minds in robotics prepare to duel – OrilliaMatters.Com

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Some of the best minds in the world of robotics will be coming to Georgian College's Barrie campus this weekend.

It will be an epic battle of robots as the college hosts the fourth annual FirstRobotics competition on Saturday and Sunday, in collaboration with First Robotics Canada.

There will be 29 teams of high school students, including six from Simcoe County, Grey County and Muskoka,who will compete using robots they designed, built, programmed and tested.

The competition includes900 team supporters,100 volunteers, including many Georgian staff and students, as well as numerous dignitaries who will be on hand to take it all in.

The opening ceremonies are set for 11 a.m. on Saturday, with qualification matches to begin to take place from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., followed by more qualifiers in the afternoon from 2:30 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Sunday will see elimination matches from 1-4 p.m., followed by the presentation of awards and the closing ceremonies from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.

All of the action takes place in the Athletics Centre at the college, which is located at 1 Georgian Dr.

FirstRobotics Canada, which was started in 2002, has more than 1,000 teams in Canada and now reaches in excess of20,000 Canadian students.

For more information on the robotics competition, click here.

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As Industry 4.0 Hits Its Stride, Robots and Automation Technology See Sky-high Sourcing Spikes – Grit Daily

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Considering 2020 is being heralded as the year of Industry 4.0, its no surprise that sourcing for automation equipment and industrial robots is gaining significant momentum. But what may be surprising is the speed at which this industrial sourcing and predicted future growth of these Industry 4.0 technologies is skyrocketing.

In its Artificial Intelligence & Robotics: Industry Report and Investment Case, NASDAQ said industrial businesses worldwide spent $11 billion on robots in 2015. This year, sales are expected to hit a new record of $16.4 billion.

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), shipments of industrial robots are expected to reach 465,000 units by the end of this year before increasing to 584,000 units by 2022. The IFR also notes that more than 2.4 million industrial robots are currently operating in global factories; Between 2020 and 2022, that number is expected to almost double.

This amplified interest in and adoption of automation technology and robots is clearly reflected in industrial buyer behavior. As manufacturing facilities go digital, procurement professionals are hustling to connect with new suppliers who can provide the technologies needed to meet this increased demand.

On Thomasnet.com, the industrys largest and most active buyer/supplier network, our data analysts have been closely tracking sourcing activity for Industry 4.0-related technologies and components. Our data shows that sourcing for automation equipment has increased 137.8% year over year (YOY), manufacturing automation equipment has grown by 184.6% YOY, and automation engineering services has jumped by a massive 284.7% YOY.

Relatedly, sourcing for robots has jumped 91.4% YOY, with sourcing for robotics growing cautiously, yet still substantially, at 26.5% YOY.

By implementing automation technology and robots throughout manufacturing processes, industrial businesses can empower their human employees to work on more intellectually demanding projects; limit employees exposure to dangerous production tasks; expedite production; reduce potential production quality errors; lower costs.

In light of recent advancements, including more intelligent robot components, improved connectivity and inter-robot communication, and enhanced usability, robots can now be integrated into even more diverse applications across the industrial sector. While upfront investment costs are still relatively prohibitive for many industrial SMBs, larger-scale industrial businesses are adopting more robots and incorporating more automation technology than ever before.

This major growth in automation technology and robots worldwide is primarily fueled by the automotive and electrical/electronics sector, which makes up half of the industrial robotics market though other markets, such as logistics, medical, and maintenance, are now also realizing the advantages and adopting similar technologies.

Statista projects the industrial robotics market size will surpass $18 billion by 2025, with $6.9 billion attributed to automotive applications, $5.4 billion in electrical/electronics, and $5.8 billion in other industrial sectors.

As vehicle production becomes increasingly individualized and the broader automotive landscape grows more competitive, the use of automated processes and robots during assembly will become even more essential to this sectors output; automotive companies were responsible for 30% of all robot installations in 2018.

125,580 new industrial robots were installed in automotive production facilities in 2018; the United States ranked fourth worldwide for installations. In 2020, the automotive sector accounted for $5.91 billion of the overall global industrial robotics market.

Close on the heels of the automotive industry and vying to claim the top spot in robot integration, the electrical and electronics sector was responsible for 25% of all 2018 industrial robot installations with 105,150 units.

With 10% of all robot installations in 2018, the metal and machinery market installed 43,500 units that year and is expected to be valued at just over $2 billion by the end of this year.

While it seems current media attention on the cobot segment of the robot market might be a bit overeager IFR says that cobots only accounted for just over 3% of all robot installations its rightly deserved when looking ahead at their future growth potential. While adoption was initially off to a slow start with only 14,000 units installed in 2018, sales are anticipated to jump 110% by the end of 2020 before growing another 357% by 2025.

Considering the varied applications already available for automation and robots in industrial settings, the future is bright for the Industry 4.0 technologies; While only 8% of U.S. companies have already implemented robotic systems, 24% say they plan to incorporate autonomous robots and assistance systems within the next two to five years; 20% plan to do so even sooner, within the next 12-24 months.

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Autonomous Robots aid in patrolling and disinfecting COVID-19 hit China – Geospatial World

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Autonomous robots aided by sensors such as LiDAR and powered by AI are aiding the public safety authorities, health authorities, and businesses in China aiding in the COIVD-19 hit regions.

Robots have come to the aid of Shenzhen police in southeastern China, where they are being used both for patrolling and monitoring the citizens for COVID-19 symptoms according to a Tweet, shared by Velodyne Lidar, Inc.

CRUZR, a Cloud-Based Intelligent Service Robot from UBTECH Robotics, Inc., along with a patrol car version, can be seen deployed in this video from Shenzhen Satellite TV. These robots are helping the police in China fight COVID19 by working at toll gates to monitor mask use, body temps with infrared thermometers, and further allowing police to communicate through a speaker to minimize contact with people.

According to One Shenzhen, during Feb 21, 2020, when work resumed in the Qianhai Free Trade Zone, high-tech driverless sweeping vehicles, were used for street cleaning in the Shekou Wanggu Park of China. The park has nearly 500 well-known companies such as Apple, IBM, Nestle, etc.

These driverless sweeping vehicles are from EVA Robot, which provides the self-driving sidewalk cleaning robot for outdoors and a self-driving square cleaning robot for indoors. Further, a modified version of the Neolix driverless service vehicle was deployed for automatic spraying of disinfectants on the roads.

Further, according to a blog from EVA Robot, indoor disinfectant and scrubbing robots, outdoor disinfection and cleaning robots, and ultraviolet disinfection robots are used to replace humans in cleaning and disinfection operations.

According to the blog, a high-level expert group of the National Health and Medical Commission revealed that 75% of ethanol disinfection could effectively destroy the live coronavirus. The indoor disinfection and scrubbing robots and outdoor disinfection and cleaning robots use 75% alcohol as the disinfection method. According to the set route, they automatically, efficiently, and accurately spray, disinfect, and clean the space. Among them, the autonomous mobile sterilization method for the environmental surface and the air makes up for the deficiency of the traditional fixed air sterilizer.

Further, the EVA Robot blog said that the Pneumonitis Diagnosis and Treatment Program for New Coronavirus Infection (Trial Fifth Edition) issued by the National Health and Health Committee, saw the new coronavirus is sensitive to ultraviolet light and heat. EVA has deployed a UV disinfection robot that can complete comprehensive disinfection of 150 square meters in one hour, which is more than ten times more efficient and effective than conventional manual and fixed disinfection.

Note from the author

Most parts of the text in this post is auto-translated from Simplified Chinese into English and further edited. Please refer to the sources quoted for more information. The blog post is aimed at providing information on the innovative use of autonomous robots in the scenarios mentioned. The blog is not an authority on COVID-19 and does not make any claims or endorsements or recommendations.

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Autonomous Robots aid in patrolling and disinfecting COVID-19 hit China - Geospatial World

I’m Childfree, and I Think It’s Time to Stop Asking Women If They’re Having Kids – GoodHousekeeping.com

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The questions seemed to start as soon as my husband and I made our way back down the aisle. Some well-meaning friends and family use the baking analogy: When will there be a little bun in the oven? Others assume my husband and I can't possibly be happy as a duo: When will you start your family? Still more get borderline graphic: Aren't you going to pop one out? And the most brazen of all just go right for it: When are you having kids?

As a childfree woman in my 30s, it's not like I'm one of a kind. According to the U.S. Census, the percentage of adults without children has climbed 19 points since 1967 to 71.3%. In 2015, 61.5% of 25- to 35-year-olds don't have kids living under their roof. Chances are, you know someone who's taken the first two steps in the popular rhyme, "first comes love, then comes marriage." I'm here to implore you not to finish the verse. Because you never know why the subject of your curiosity hasn't converted the office to a nursery, and their reasons for being childfree may be deeply personal.

Lots of people haven't filled the house with the pitter patter of tiny feet, but not for lack of trying. According to the latest data by the National Center for Health Statistics, the fertility rate in the U.S. has fallen to 62 births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 to 44. In addition, up to half of pregnancies end in miscarriage, according to the March of Dimes.

Asking a woman who's struggled to conceive or suffered a pregnancy loss can dredge up intensely painful emotions. Diane Cot, LCSW, provides treatment support for those with infertility, as well as parents on a prenatal and postnatal journey. She emphasizes that infertility has as deep an emotional impact as dealing with a cancer diagnosis, and can take much longer. Many women undergo fertility treatment for five, 10, or even 15 years and fielding questions from well-meaning loved ones just adds another challenge to an already-overwhelming process.

And depending on the person's communication style, you may not even know they're struggling. "People often self-isolate around it because they feel shame or they feel like their bodies are not doing what they should be doing," Cot says. "And so there's this sort of downward spiral emotionally, especially in a protracted situation."

Even women who have already started a family may have trouble conceiving or carrying to term again. Asking parents when they're going to give little Tommy or Susie a baby brother or sister can hurt just as much.

Of course, many women just don't want to add more people to their household. When I was a kid, I was mystified by the other girls' fascination with mothering their baby dolls. My dolls weren't my children. They were my sidekicks on imagined adventures, and I had much more fun pretending to boss them around than pretend nurturing. I think I always knew I was more destined for middle management than motherhood.

And there's nothing wrong with that. Families come in all shapes and sizes. Some have two moms and a kid. Others have two dads and six of them. Yet others have neither moms nor dads. That's still a household, according to the U.S. Census. If my family counts in the eyes of the law, it should count in yours, too.

If your loved one has disclosed their fertility struggles, or you suspect they may be having trouble conceiving, let them open the doors of communication first. Too many questions, or the wrong ones, can do more harm than good. "The best thing you can do is educate yourself," Cot explains. She especially recommends organizations like The National Infertility Association and The American Society for Reproductive Medicine as resources.

Some women also may be undecided about family planning or uncomfortable talking about it, period. Having kids isn't just a highly personal decision, it's one that impacts a persons' career, finances, housing, and pretty much every other area of their lives. You wouldn't ask to see your friend's tax returns or why they haven't bought a bigger house, right? Same concept.

Some of you are probably throwing your hands up right now and scoffing, "Well then, what can I say?" In this case, remember the old adage, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Even your kindest reassurances that a pregnancy will happen if it's meant to, that adoption is an option, that the woman should just relax/eat flax seeds at the right time of the month/go on vacation/start howling at the moon every time Mercury's in retrograde won't convey the goodwill you intend them to. If your loved one does add to their family's headcount, they'll let you know. Until then, keep even your best-intentioned questions to yourself.

For can't-miss news, expert beauty advice, genius home solutions, delicious recipes, and lots more, sign up for the Good Housekeeping newsletter.

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Cyberpunk 2077 map is based on the board games new version – VG247

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Hawk-eyed fans recently noticed that the Cyberpunk 2077 map is closer in shape to a newer version of Mike Pondsmiths tabletop RPG.Its already relatively common knowledge that Cyberpunk 2077 is based on Pondsmiths famous tabletop game, but its important to remember Pondsmiths Night City where Cyberpunk 2077 will be set has been iterated on several times over the years. Thats why Redditor Sokk650 recently pulled up an image from the CD Projekt Red forums depicting the Cyberpunk 2077 map.

The boys of CDPRforums finally gave some more looks into the realization I had months ago, but still havent acknowledged one (not so small) fact. Yes this is Morro Bay, where Cyberpunk is located. Yes that space is around 4-8 miles (or something like that), but that is in REAL WORLD SPACE from cyberpunkgame

The question of scale here is another story entirely. Other Reddit users have already spent a significant amount of time discussing this, comparing Night City to GTA Vs Los Santos (although this has proved relatively fruitless thus far, considering people still havent actually played Cyberpunk).

For comparison (mods, dont do this to me, not again, hear me out) Gta Vs map next to LA, that tiny little blip highlighted is Los Santos, a 100 sq mile game world, taking up a little less than 5 miles in scale with real world space. This is why Night City looks so small.Connect the "." Lets disuss from cyberpunkgame

So while scale isnt necessarily important at present, the first post linked above is worth examining for another reason. As RedditorOpfuscapisthelpfully points out in the comments, Pondsmith has created a variety of different Cyberpunk maps over the years. Two of these are depicted below, the first one being a sketch of Morro Bay from roughly 30 years ago.

As you can see, the latter drawing is a more refined version of the first version, where area borders are more easily recognized. The coastline has also been reworked, resulting in an increase to the land mass north of South Night City.

This newer version helps to explain the positioning of areas in the Cyberpunk 2077 map, where South Night City has been replaced by the City Center, which should technically be northwest of where it is. The areas along the coast here have been refined yet again, with the Cyberpunk 2077 map being closer to the second image displayed above than the first, while still doing some iterating of its own on Pondsmiths original.

Its interesting to see what CD Projekt Red is doing differently with its depiction of Night City, but its also worth examining the parts that appear to be the same for example, areas like Pacifica and Heywood seem to be located almost exactly where they are in the tabletop version.

(Image credit: Fandom)

We wont really know what to expect from the Cyberpunk 2077 map until the game launches later this year, but its always worth comparing what we have so far to the source material. If youre interested in exploring further before Cyberpunk 2077 comes out, you can check out Pondsmiths Cyberpunk 2020 over at R. Talsorian Games.

Cyberpunk 2077 is due to launch for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia on September 17, 2020. If youre hungry for more Cyberpunk, Grimes recently leaked her characters role, while people seem to have discovered a cool Easter egg in the Cyberpunk 2077 trailer from E3 2018.

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New Cyberpunk 2077 info, meet the Tyger Claws – VG247

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As we inch ever so closer to launch, new Cyberpunk 2077 info has started to crop up all over the internet. A lot of it is merely speculation but, occasionally, something slightly more concrete appears.

CD Projekt Red has remained pretty tight-lipped on the subject, which makes the legitimacy of new Cyberpunk 2077 info difficult to assess. However, a recent YouTube video posted by Madqueen Show introduces one of the many gangs that roam Night City: the Tyger Claws (called Tygers Claw in Mike Pondsmiths tabletop RPG, but seemingly renamed for CDPRs adaptation). You can watch the full video below.

The Tyger Claws are a Japanese booster gang in Night City, settled in the district of Westbrook, also known as Japantown, the part of the city where people go when theyre looking for thrills, the video description reads. As they are the protectors of the Japanese community at large, it is thought they are backed up by one of the most powerful megacorporations of Cyberpunk 2077: Arasaka. Apparently the Tyger Claws eschew hi-tech cyber weapons for a more traditional style of combat: martial arts.

There are two main pieces of evidence that support the information in the video. First of all, an artist who goes by the handle Death Burger posted a collection of concept art they apparently worked on for the official Cyberpunk 2077 steelbook. It appeared over atArtStation a few months ago and consists of four different pieces of cover art, each depicting one of Night Citys notorious criminal gangs:Tyger Claws, Valentinos, Maelstrom, and Voodoo Boys.

What further legitimizes this is the presence of a Tyger Claws poster thats currently listed over at CD Projekt Reds official store. Riding out from the heart of Japantown in a psychedelic blur, the Tyger Claws are dead-set on staking claim to fresh territory, the description reads. Word has it theyve already picked out the perfect spot on your walls.

If you want to know more about the Tyger Claws, check out the video embedded above. If youre curious about other Cyberpunky trivia, check out the recent revelation about the Cyberpunk 2077 map, or dig into the new Cyberpunk 2077 info Grimes spilled about her character.

Cyberpunk 2077 launches for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Google Stadia on September 17, 2020. Check out our full Cyberpunk 2077 primer if you want to bring yourself up to speed. If youre bored and are considering a return to the mean streets of Novigrad while you wait, check out our list of the best Witcher 3 mods.

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New Cyberpunk 2077 info, meet the Tyger Claws - VG247