Walking

“Google’s Image-Generating AI: A Confession of Loss of Control”

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Google has apologized (or come very close to apologizing) for another embarrassing AI blunder this week, an image generating model that injected diversity into pictures with a farcical disregard for historical context. While the underlying issue is perfectly understandable, Google blames the model for “becoming” over-sensitive. But if you ask for 10, and they’re all white guys walking goldens in suburban parks? Where Google’s model went wrong was that it failed to have implicit instructions for situations where historical context was important. These two things led the model to overcompensate in some cases, and be over-conservative in others, leading to images that were embarrassing and wrong.

Improving Mobility for Seniors: The Revolutionary Samsung EX1 Wearable Robot

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Muscle mass tends to decline as you get older, impacting your walking and increasing the risk of falls. “Using the wearable robot EX1, older adults can effectively perform simple exercises such as walking and fitness, thereby improving their quality of life,” says research lead, Professor Wan-hee Lee. “Our findings provide a solid foundation for developing various types of improved and advanced wearable robots,” Lee. “This will further expand the global wearable robot market, promoting further research and commercialization.”It’s not certain when or if the Samsung EX1 might actually hit the market. Even so, anticipate assistive wearable robotics becoming a lot more prevalent over the next decade.

Improving Parkinson’s Patients’ Mobility: A Look at Harvard’s Robotic Exoskeleton and its Fall-Reducing Abilities

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If you follow the world of robotic exoskeletons with any frequency, you’re no doubt aware of the two primary categories. The latter category is often the domain of soft robotic exoskeletons – those with fabric parts designed to be more of a day-to-day assistive accessory. In the case of people with Parkinson’s disease, “freezing” is a frequent issue that impacts the ability to walk, while increasing the likelihood of falls. New research from a joint team from Harvard and Boston University, published in Nature Medicine, demonstrates how soft robotic exoskeletons can address the issue. Without any special training, the patient was able to walk without any freezing indoors and with only occasional episodes outdoors.