Artificial neural network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Artificial neural network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"Applications:
The utility of artificial neural network models lies in the fact that they can be used to infer a function from observations. This is particularly useful in applications where the complexity of the data or task makes the design of such a function by hand impractical.

Real life applications:
The tasks to which artificial neural networks are applied tend to fall within the following broad categories:

Function approximation, or regression analysis, including time series prediction and modeling.

Classification, including pattern and sequence recognition, novelty detection and sequential decision making.

Data processing, including filtering, clustering, blind source separation and compression.

Application areas include system identification and control (vehicle control, process control), game-playing and decision making (backgammon, chess, racing), pattern recognition (radar systems, face identification, object recognition and more), sequence recognition (gesture, speech, handwritten text recognition), medical diagnosis, financial applications, data mining (or knowledge discovery in databases, 'KDD'), visualization and e-mail spam filtering."

Steve's Commentary
Artificial Neural Networks could be applied to sift through large amounts of raw data and cluster it according to patterns that could then be used as a classification.

Slinky Chair

Slinky Chair is made of “a bunch of interlocking two dimensional chairs that can accordion out to whatever length you want, slinky style.” It’s called the FlexibleLove 16 Folding Chair, weighs 25 lbs, supports weights of up to 1920kgs(4224 LB) and is “made wholly from recycled paper and wood products, and is produced using pre-existing manufacturing processes in order to reduce their overall impact on the environment.” It’s called that way because it sits between 1 and 16 people depending on the configuration.

Flexible Video Display that Moves While in Use

Video screen with actuators behind the screen moving by computer command to produce moving textures and bulges.

Digital Signage Forum, Digital Signage Network Database | dsnDB | Online Buyer's Guide - Home

Digital Signage Forum, Digital Signage Network Database dsnDB Online Buyer's Guide - Home

An interesting organization for display technologies.

Wall Jack PC Thin Client

Thin client PC that "is" a wall jack.

Radianse Health Care Equipment Tracking using Indoor Positioning

Radianse Health Care Equipment Tracking using Indoor Positioning: "Radianse indoor positioning solutions support healthcare asset management with a practical way to locate medical equipment, devices and other portable assets. Healthcare organizations reduce asset shrinkage, excess rentals and overbuying while improving utilization, safety and satisfaction.
You will see a return on investment in 12 to 18 months. We can prove it."

DSM Lifestyle Monitoring System

The Domain Specific Modelling (DSM) project seeks to build on earlier studies and extend the lifestyle
modelling work to provide care services with an indication of changes that are predictors of more serious
subsequent situations if appropriate intervention does not take place, and to detect changes that, whilst not
necessarily being sufficiently serious to require emergency intervention, are an indication of a change in the
well-being of an individual.
The overall goal of the project is to provide a tool that will enable the care services to target their provision, to
respond to need and to recognise potential future care needs and implement preventative care programmes.
This goal is intended to translate into a stronger sense of well being on the part of the older person living in
the community. Whilst identifying a decline in well-being due to the effects of ageing or disease may be the
priority, some individuals will be in recovery following early post-operative discharge, or from other short-term
dependencies. In such recovery cases the tool will enable care services to track the trajectory of recovery
and plan the appropriate withdrawal of care services as the independent functioning of that individual
improves, optimising the use of care service resources across the population.

NASD: Sensor Evaluation for Human Presence Detection

NASD: Sensor Evaluation for Human Presence Detection: "This part of the project focused on the development of a sensor system to detect the presence of a person near a dangerous machine component. If this system proves reliable, it could be used with devices such as magnetic clutch/brakes to rapidly arrest the motion of the equipment. Some tractors are now availiable with electrohydraulic PTO control, which could include a sensor system such as this one in a chain of safety shutoff interlocks.
Beginning in late 1994, project staff including faculty and students conducted a review of various sensor categories for the purpose of detecting people approaching a hazard area. The data suggested that the overlapping use of passive infrared and microwave sensors might have potential value for use on agricultural equipment.
Since there are many off-the-shelf motion sensors already availiable to the building security industry, it made sense to start by evaluating them on equipment operating in staionary mode. A large number of injuries occur on power equipment such as silage elevators, and field equipment parked for unclogging, and could be prevented using these inexpensive sensor technologies."

Organize your digital life - HP Small and Medium Business

Organize your digital life - HP Small and Medium Business: "Functional furniture
As more cellphones, iPods, and other personal electronics are purchased, smart furniture makers are responding in kind with cool storage solutions. These nightstands, tables, desks, and stands come equipped with docks for devices that need frequent recharging, stealth power strips, USB ports, and internet jacks, and dedicated nooks and spaces to hide cord tangles—all built right into the furniture. View some gadget furniture products available.
It’s not surprising. As electronics have joined the exodus from the office to the living room, so has furniture. But smart furniture is about more than merely providing perches for peripherals and small, strategic holes for power cords. Electronics makers advise against enclosing recharging devices in a tight unventilated space due to the face that the process of recharging generates heat. The most efficient gadget-friendly furniture includes ventilated holes mesh, slots, or holes for areas meant to accommodate recharging devices. The ideal condition, however, is on top of a desk at room temperature. "

X3D 101: The extra dimension to the Web

X3D 101: The extra dimension to the Web: "

As science-fiction flavored as the Internet once sounded, X3D, which in essence opens the Web to three dimensions, represents the next real-world leap of such technology. This open-standards file format and run-time architecture allows you to view, create, store, and share three-dimensional objects over XML (Extensible Markup Language).
X3D, it can be argued, is taking the baton from VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language), from which it evolved—thanks, in part, to applicable feedback from the development community. Industries and disciplines that benefit from X3D include multimedia, entertainment/gaming, medicine/health care, architecture, engineering, and science. "

Steve's Commentary
The VRML standard never seemed to get a lot of traction. Maybe this has a better shot, but it will have to compete with a lot of proprietary formats. It will be interesting to see how 3D worlds like Second Life leverage or compete with these open standards. SL's recent release of its source code may open doors to more compatibility.