“A technology expert has created a computer chip based on mice neurons that could recognise the smell of explosives,” AFP and Phoebe Weston report for The Daily Mail.
“The device could be implanted into the brain of future robots, which could be trained to recognise danger via odours, replacing traditional airport security,” AFP and Weston report. “The Koniku Kore device is a ‘world first’ that is able to breath in and smell air, meaning it could detect volatile chemicals and explosives or even illnesses such as cancer. This means in the future passengers could skip tedious airport security lines, while the special device sniffs out explosives silently in the background.”
“While those in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are working furiously to create machines that can mimic the brain, or – like tech entrepreneur Elon Musk – implant computers in our brains, one researcher has found a way to merge lab-grown neurons with electronic circuitry,” AFP and Weston report. “Nigerian neuroscientist Oshiorenoya Agabi says his supercomputer – the pictures of which cannot yet be publicly revealed – could simulate the power of 204 brain neurons.”
“One of the main challenges was finding a way to keep the neurons alive, a secret Mr Agabi did not wish to expand on, saying only they could be kept alive for two years in a lab environment and two months in the device,” AFP and Weston report. “[Agabi] believes the future of AI lies in making machines more alive. He believes his company could build a cognitive humanoid system based on synthetic living neurons in the next five to seven years.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take:
This is only the beginning. With an exercise wheel driving a miniature generator, a mobile robotic device controlled by mice neurons could even charge itself.
“could”, “could be”, “could be”, “could”, ad nauseam.
Wow. Those Daily Mail writers are might fine at hedging their bets on their over-hyped attempt at a science story.
The future is perpetually 5-7 years away.
While I am driving around in my driverless car in 5 years I will have plenty of time to contemplate that… or far more likely not.
I did find it amusing that this weekend programme to develop robotic lorries commanded by one driver leading one or two others by wireless following has been announced with the major benefit quoted as being a reduction in emissions. Yet strangely not long ago it was announced that we will all expected to be buying electric vehicles within 27 years. So the question I raise is just how soon within that 27 years do we expect the common use of these robotic lorries. My guess about 20 to 25 at best (if ever). Now does this suggest that one set of Scientists/ Innovators/ Engineers/ Politicians/ Planners et al doesn’t seem to know exactly what the other set(s) are doing? No change there then. Or perhaps just that talk is cheap.
If you’re talking about the semi autonomous ‘platooning’ lorries, they’re scheduled to be trialled on a limited number of sections of UK motorways in 2018.
The concept is that the first vehicle is driven conventionally and up to two other trucks autonomously follow close behind, closely communicating with the lead vehicle and also being aware of their own surroundings and any hazards which might affect them, but did not affect the primary vehicle. The secondary vehicles will have a driver on board who is ready to take over if needed, but whilst in a platoon, they will mainly have a supervisory role as the vehicle will drive itself. The following vehicles will achieve better fuel economy by taking advantage of the slipstream from the vehicle in front.
The trial is intended to facilitate research into the feasibility, safety implications and efficiency of this idea and to study the wider implications on the associated industries.
Mouse chips?? I’m still holding out for buffalo chips.
“This means in the future passengers could skip tedious airport security lines”
The assumption being that the only thing that anybody is examining travellers baggage for is explosives. Other banned items such as knives wouldn’t be detected by a sniffing device like this.
Come, come we don’t need this dose of logic and common sense thank you very much.