A robotic valet | Podcast: EdTech & Data | AI & healthcare | Electric airplanes
“People are fascinated by robots because they're machines that can mimic life.” — Colin Angle
Today’s itinerary:
October 15, 2020
AGENTS OF CHANGE
As we move further and further into The Jetsons territory, Fast Future Country is busy creating amazing tech and developing funding around it. Here are just a few jaw-dropping examples.
Do you tip a robotic valet? 
Image courtesy Ford Motor Co.
Whether in a parking garage, on the street, or in a crowded surface lot, parking is a pain. An interesting pilot of a robot valet parking system in a Detroit office building is hoping to change that. The robotic system not only takes the pain out of parking, it allows room for 20% more cars to fit in the garage because the car doors don’t need to open.
You can see it in action here. Share this story!
INNOVATORS PODCAST
How are the GI Bill and EdTech connected? 
If it wasn't for the GI Bill, Len Napolitano wouldn't be our guest on this week's Fast Future Presents: Innovators podcast. Instead this U.S. Army veteran and EdTech pioneer (now CEO of Capture Higher Ed) talks with us about how data can align students with the right schools and schools with the right students. Join our hosts Ben Reno-Weber from Louisville’s Future of Work Initiative and our executive producer Brian Eichenberger, in a fascinating podcast on how data is redefining the way students find the best education options.
You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or wherever else you get your podcasts.
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Soft, wireless origami robots will fix what’s ailing ya Researchers at The Ohio State University and Georgia Tech have come up with a way to send tiny, soft, wireless, origami robots inside the body for less invasive surgeries. And yes, all the adjectives in the previous sentence are accurate. The robots could be used to treat colon polyps, stomach cancer, artery blockages, and numerous other conditions.
So let’s break this down: The robots are made of a magnetic polymer that is soft and won’t irritate the body on the way to its destination.
Doctors manipulate the robot wirelessly using magnetic fields outside the body, so there is no tether needed to get it into place. A precise origami folding allows the robot to unfurl when it reaches its destination, in order to apply its treatment. It then refolds to come back out of the body magnetically. Now there’s something to look forward to during your next colonoscopy! Share this story!
AI developed at Case Western goes to clinical trials Artificial intelligence tools developed at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland are going to be put to the test in the fight against cancer. The computational-imaging tools hope to accurately predict whether individual cancer patients will respond to immunotherapy. The technology is the brainchild of Anant Madabhushi, the F. Alex Nason Professor II of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western.
Two pharmaceutical companies will test Madabhushi’s tech in clinical trials: AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Using machine learning, researchers will seek and identify changes in patterns in CT scans of lung cancer patients before and after immunotherapy. Researchers have also had luck predicting response to gynecologic cancers. “This is an important step in not only validating our research, but in further advancing efforts to get the right treatment to the patients who will benefit the most,” Madabhushi said. Share this story!
UW-Madison working on hybrid electric aircraft Hybrid electric cars are everywhere these days, most famously the pioneering Toyota Prius. But there aren’t hybrid electric planes, mainly because the batteries required to get a plane off the ground are so heavy they make it hard to get the plane airborne. A University of Wisconsin-Madison project, funded by an $11.4 million grant from the US Army, hopes to change that.
Other schools collaborating on the project include Iowa State and the Universities of Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. Share this story!
AI startup lets patients record and transcribe medical appointments Pittsburgh-based Abridge recently announced its official launch, bolstered by a $5 million seed round and $10 million of Series A funding. The company has developed an app that enables patients to record and transcribe conversations with medical professionals so they can focus on the information they’re hearing in real time, then review it after the conversation is over.
Co-founders Shiv Rao, a cardiologist, and AI specialist Sandeep Konam set out to create a way for patients to revisit the details of their medical discussions, which are often not fully taken in or remembered.
Abridge also defined more than 400,000 medical terms and developed algorithms to zero in on relevant keywords to help users understand their doctor’s recommendations and learn about the steps they need to take. Share this story!
FUELING THE FUTURE
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NAME THAT Fast Future CITY!
It's time for our favorite trivia game!
Test your Fast Future geographic knowledge with these three "stumpers." There are no prizes (except for bragging rights).
Click here for today's answers.
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