The 12-month project, in partnership with the NHS and funded by Kidney Research UK foundation, is exploring the development of a unique VR application that simulates a dialysis machine, its associated equipment, and the complete process, in a virtual patient.

This will allow families to undertake training at their own pace in their home, and experience what dialysis may entail. 

VR can provide feedback such as warning flashing lights, alarms, or via vibration.

The application is intended to complement existing training, aiming to reduce the duration of inpatient education delivery and the frequency of outpatient educational visits. It can also simulate potential adverse scenarios to specifically prepare and train users for complications that may occur during the dialysis process, but may not be routinely encountered during real-life training.

“Dialysis is the process by which a patient is kept alive when their kidneys stop functioning. The duration of such therapy can be years for some patients as they wait for a suitable transplant. For younger patients and their families, this is an extremely stressful time as they usually have very limited exposure to dialysis as a process, or to dialysis-experienced peers. This makes informed decision-making difficult and provokes anxieties in families about the choice of a dialysis method, and how they may cope with home-based therapies,” said Professor Vassilis Charissis, who is leading the project at GCU.

“For patients facing renal replacement, this system could provide a fully interactive and immersive manual, guiding them through their options for treatment, supporting informed consent, training them through the early stages of the procedure if they opt to receive treatment at home, as well as acting as a reminder during the process and when troubleshooting of dialysis equipment is required.”

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Mobile body scanning company, 3DLOOK has launched YourFit – the first and only solution that combines virtual apparel try-on with size and fit recommendations.

The 2-in-1 solution is unique in its ability to produce an output that not only looks realistic in the resulting snapshots but also faithfully reproduces the measurements of the shopper, unlike other solutions that roughly overlay a photo of a garment over the shopper’s photo. Brands have the option of offering the complete capabilities of the solution or incorporating stand-alone try-on or size and fit recommendations.

YourFit extracts important features of the user’s body, such as body contour, body shape and position, from the customer’s photos and creates an accurate 3D avatar. The solution also detects specific body parts (head, neck, shoulders, forearm, and ankle) and captures details of the user’s appearance, such as haircut and skin tone, which are superimposed on the avatar.

The technology then uses photos of clothes to imitate their 3D versions and fits them onto the 3D avatar, instantly displaying a resulting image to the consumer. Additionally, the shopper’s body data is matched with product data to generate size recommendations.

3DLOOK’s core tech relies on a pipeline of several different techniques adapted from computer vision and computer graphics. Each of these components has been trained on data sets consisting of images or scans of up to 100,000 of real and simulated individuals. 

Additionally, the solution utilizes photos of clothing taken directly from brands’ product pages, which makes it easy for brands to scale the technology and save time and resources, since there is no need for them to create digital copies of their collections in 3D.

To use YourFit, online shoppers simply choose an item of clothing and click on a widget on a product page to be voice-guided through a quick and easy scanning process using a smartphone camera.

Brands that use 3DLOOK’s solutions have decreased return rates by up to 48 per cent, while increasing conversion by four times year over year. Earlier this year, 3DLOOK announced that it has raised $6.5m (£4.72m) in Series A funding, led by Almaz Capital.

“With the launch of YourFit, we’re taking another significant step in eCommerce personalization and enabling a superior shopping experience that is the first of its kind,” said CEO and Co-Founder of 3DLOOK, Vadim Rogovskiy.

“This highly anticipated solution allows consumers to see a photorealistic simulation of how clothes will fit and look on their own body and combines that with personalized size and fit recommendations. Our customers have requested this combination of features and we’re already developing the next version of our immersive try-on technology, which will take into account how different fabrics move and drape on individuals and show users how clothing will fit them in any position and on any background.”

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At the Vodafone 5G Mobility Lab in Aldenhoven, the partners are testing the real-time warning system under conditions, similar to everyday situations, for the first time.

The focus is on dangerous situations that are not visible or difficult to see for vehicle drivers, such as when the view is blocked by the traffic ahead.

The Live Sense SDK from HERE Technologies is used alongside HD maps and positioning technology. Integrated into consumer devices with front-facing cameras, this system uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to identify objects and changes in the behaviour of other road users or road conditions that could lead to hazardous situations.

In the form of dedicated alerts using 5G mobile network technology and an intelligent MQTT message broker, the data can then be transmitted without delay to road users travelling towards the hazard. This means that hazard warnings are delivered to the road user in real time with a latency of less than ten milliseconds. In addition, data that was previously processed within the vehicle will be processed outside the vehicle in the future.

Following the initial tests in Aldenhoven, the companies plan to further optimise the real-time warning system and evaluate its potential in everyday use. Additional tests will be performed at different locations under a variety of conditions.

“Improving road safety is a key focus for us. Location technology combined with 5G and Multi-access Edge Computing enables powerful solutions that make roads safer, providing better mobility experiences for road users,” said Antina Lee from the Product Innovation team at HERE Technologies.

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Millions of data points will be collected and brought to life through stunning, insightful visualisations and digital experiences for fans, no matter where they are in the world.

The three-week long race takes place from 26 June- 18 July 2021 and is watched by approximately 3.5bn people across 190 countries, making it the third largest sporting event globally. 

Creating a digital twin of the event will enable operations staff to gain real time visibility and ultimately streamline operations to ensure the continuity and resilience of the race. 

NTT will use a broad range of IoT sensors, edge compute, and networks, integrated into NTT’s smart platforms and mapped against a geo-location model of each stage of the Tour. This will enable real-time visibility of key locations and assets, COVID-19 contact tracing and in-the-moment updates of caravan and race arrival times.

The platform, together with A.S.O, will also deliver a host of digital experiences, including the 3D Tracker – an immersive, augmented reality app that provides 3D views of the stages, and Tour de France Fantasy by Tissot – a fantasy sports game integrating data insights and machine learning.

Creating a digital twin of the race also means greater connectivity of devices and vehicles, as well as more applications and platforms accessing services hosted in the cloud – whether public, private or hybrid. Whatever the host, for A.S.O, data will be at the core. This not only includes understanding where different data lies, but how to gather it and use it effectively to create better experiences, whether it be the fans, the media, or the cycling teams.

“The digitization of the Tour de France began in 2015 by capturing data from the cyclists to provide real-time updates. Every year we have been able to take the technology to the next level, this year we are creating what is essentially a digital twin of the event. It’s a highly dynamic and changing environment that requires immediate access to information to ensure continuous and smooth operations, resulting in more informed and engaged fans” said Senior Vice President, Advanced Technology Group, Sport at NTT Ltd., Peter Gray. 

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The device features a display with two cameras that can be detached from the wrist for taking videos and photographs and would integrate with Facebooks suite of apps, including Instagram.

The news was first aired on technology website, The Verge which predicted that the device would be released next summer.

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Drawing on the power of mobile and data technologies, the platform is a new type of information superhighway which will ultimately connect vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, and infrastructure in a seamless digital transport ecosystem. 

Trialled for the first time in the West Midlands, digitally connected road users will be provided with live, highly localised, and targeted updates from road operators on lane closures, speed restrictions and traffic incidents.

Road authorities are also trialling the platform to control and ease traffic jams and make informed planning decisions using secure, anonymised, and aggregated vehicle position data sent up to 10 times every second from users who have opted into the service. This capability could be extended for emergency services when responding to an incident such as someone driving the wrong way on a motorway, or for breakdown recovery organisations to assist vulnerable road users.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is leading the way in the UK with the adoption of the ‘vehicle-to-everything’ technology, starting with the region’s city centres and key transport hubs including Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton.

Using Vodafone’s 4G and 5G network and advanced multi-access edge computing (MEC) technology built into the platform, it allows real time road information from Highways England to be displayed initially on users’ smartphones, and in the future, on in-car infotainment systems.

The platform works with Convex, Chordant’s Mobility Data Exchange facility, to enable dynamic data to be exchanged with road operators and their traffic systems and is the UK’s first live implementation of Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology. C-V2X combines the latest mobile technologies with in-vehicle computer systems to create new mobility services for improved safety and reliability as well as allowing road operators to build ‘greener’ and more sustainable transport networks.

“We are now reaching the point where connected vehicle technology is genuinely able to start making a meaningful and very powerful difference to the big issues in transport like safety and energy efficiency. The work we have done with Convex and Vodafone is moving solutions forward not just for the West Midlands, but for the whole country and really exemplifies the UK’s position of global excellence in this space” said Director of Policy, Strategy and Innovation at TfWM, Mike Waters. 

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The device combines intelligent lighting with GPS tracking and connection to Vodafone’s global network with the built-in Smart SIM, providing assurance that the rider is safer and that the bike is secure.

Other features include Security Mode with Movement Alerts that activate a siren (107dB) if the bike starts moving, sending location alerts straight to a phone and enabling the live location to be tracked in the Vodafone Smart App.

GPS tracking means the rider can also view each ride in the app, logging distance and duration.

Impact Detection and Help Alerts can also notify a rider’s trusted contacts if a fall is detected, sending either a push notification, SMS, or automated call to let them know where the rider is.

Consumer research undertaken by Vodafone revealed that poor visibility and dark conditions on the roads (53 per cent), fear of being hit from behind (44 per cent), poor bike security (26 per cent) and being in an accident unnoticed by others (26 per cent) are among the top concerns troubling riders in the UK.

Designed to meet riders needs on and off the bike, Curve Bike light & GPS tracker has been co-created with commuter cyclists across Europe. With a lightweight design, long-lasting battery, easy to set location zones and a security bolt to help prevent theft, the all-in-one bike safety solution combines form, functionality, and durability.

“Cyclists are often at the mercy of drivers. Curve Bike light & GPS tracker helps provide a safer commuting experience, that is reassuring for both them and their loved ones. Designed to help take care of both the rider and the bike when parked, it combines elegant design with an intuitive digital experience to give cyclists greater confidence as they ride” said Managing Director at Vodafone Smart Tech, Lutfu Kitapci.

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Later this year, with software updates across all of Apple’s operating systems, people with limb differences will be able to navigate Apple Watch using AssistiveTouch; iPad will support third-party eye-tracking hardware for easier control; and for blind and low vision communities, Apple’s industry-leading VoiceOver screen reader will get even smarter using on-device intelligence to explore objects within images.

In support of neurodiversity, Apple is also introducing new background sounds to help minimise distractions, and for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, Made for iPhone (MFi) will soon support new bi-directional hearing aids. 

Today, a new service has launched called SignTime, to connect Apple Store and Apple Support customers with on-demand sign language interpreters, right in their web browsers. Customers visiting Apple Store locations can also use SignTime to remotely access a sign language interpreter without booking ahead of time. SignTime will initially launch in the US, UK, and France, with plans to expand to additional countries in the future. 

Additional features coming later this year include customisable display and text size settings in each app for users with colour-blindness or other vision challenges, the option of replacing physical buttons and switches with mouth sounds — such as a click, pop, or “ee” sound – for users who are non-speaking and have limited mobility and new Memoji customisations to better represent users with oxygen tubes, cochlear implants, and a soft helmet for headwear.

“At Apple, we’ve long felt that the world’s best technology should respond to everyone’s needs, and our teams work relentlessly to build accessibility into everything we make,” said Apple’s Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, Sarah Herrlinger. “With these new features, we’re pushing the boundaries of innovation with next-generation technologies that bring the fun and function of Apple technology to even more people — and we can’t wait to share them with our users.”

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The researchers say, globally, around 4m people die prematurely from chronic respiratory disease. Figures are especially high in low and middle-income countries, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers are concerned this has put an enormous pressure on skilled medical practitioners in these countries, who are generally located away from rural areas. 

The GCU team is seeking to create an app that allows X-ray images to be uploaded and analysed using state-of-the-art trained artificial intelligence models for the presence of different lung diseases. The result, based on the diagnosis, will be available for immediate download, meaning only urgent cases will be referred to a major hospital. 

The prototype app will be trialled in Pakistan, where lung-related diseases accounted for 4.48 per cent of deaths in 2018.

“Our app will provide a timely, accessible and low-cost solution that, with wider deployment, can take significant pressure off major hospitals and medical practitioners by only referring the cases requiring a hospital visit. X-ray facilities are easy to set up and are widely available in rural areas of Pakistan,” said lead researcher of the team, Dr Sajid Nazir.

“However, the radiologists with expert knowledge to interpret and diagnose these images are only available in main hospitals, which are generally away from rural areas. The need to travel to the main hospitals to seek expert opinion on readily available imaging in local rural areas can be avoided through providing this online diagnosis facility.”

A prototype of the app is expected by July with full results to be published by the end of this year.

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In that spirit, our Innovation Lab feature takes a step beyond the world of apps, ads and handsets with slightly bigger screens, in order to share some of the tech world’s newest ideas. They might be interesting, disruptive or just outright strange, but these are the stories that have caught our eye over the past week.

Nissan applies its self-parking technology to slippers

Upon entering the ProPILOT Park Ryokan, you’d easily mistake it for any other traditional Japanese inn – slippers are lined up neatly in the foyer, ready for guests to remove their outside shoes, and tatami rooms are furnished with low tables and floor cushions for sitting. However, thanks to car manufacturer Nissan, guests can take advantage of some unusual amenities: the slippers and furniture all return to their designated spots at the push of a button.

The experience is all thanks to Nissan’s ProPILOT park system, which was first introduced in the all-new Nissan Leaf in October last year. The technology enables the vehicle to detect surrounding objects and avoid them, so it can automatically negotiate its way into a parking spot with a single command from drivers.

The slippers, floor cushions and tables have all been rigged with a special version of the system, along with tiny wheels enabling them to navigate the inn. Japanese inns, known as ryokans, put a high priority on order and neatness, so the ability to have slippers and furniture returned back to their exact resting spots is actually a huge help to staff in a busy inn.

The system isn’t going to be widely deployed, however. The self-driving slippers are simply a marketing tool designed to raise awareness of automated driving technologies, and their potential non-driving applications. While ‘selected guests’ will be able to visit the ryokan in Hakone during the spring, tourists shouldn’t expect to find a ‘Return Slippers’ button in every hotel the next time they visit Japan.

Wriggling robots run on moisture in the atmosphere
Researchers at Seoul National University in South Korea have created a series of tiny robots that can wriggle, slither and slide forward using only the humidity in their surrounding environment for power. The ‘hygrobots’ were inspired by plant life, which can change shape and size by absorbing water from the ground or air, in a process called hygroexpansion.

Because they rely purely on moisture for power, the robots lack any kind of battery containing toxic chemical components that could injure humans if damaged. This in turn makes them perfect for micro-robotics that operate inside the human body, carrying out health-related operations like delivering drugs to specific locations.

The hygrobots have two layers made from nanofibers, one of which absorbs moisture, and the other which doesn’t. When placed on a wet surface, the humidity-absorbing layer swells up, causing the bot to move away from the surface. Then, as the layer dries out, it goes back down and the cycle repeats, enabling the robot to inch its way forward.

To demonstrate the potential of the technology, the researchers soaked a hygrobot in antibiotics and had it travel across a culture plate that was filled with bacteria. The bot left a sterilised trail behind itself, almost like a snail’s slime. The researchers theorise that with further development, the robots could deliver drugs to the human body, propelling themselves forward using only skin moisture.

Next generation holograms create 3D images that float in ‘thin air’

Ever since Princess Leia asked Obi Wan Kenobi for help in Star Wars, holograms have been held up as the next step in projection technology, but the truth is that conventional holograms wouldn’t be able to create the type of 3D image we’ve seen in science-fiction films, TV shows and video games. That doesn’t mean we should give up though, as new research from a team at Brigham Young University has proved.

Led by Daniel Smalley, professor of electrical and computer engineering, researchers have been able to combine laser-based ‘tractor beams’ with a separate set of laser projectors to create a free-space volumetric display platform capable of producing full-colour 3D images. The system moves a particle of plant matter through space, painting it with light as it moves to create an image.

Smalley describes the system as ‘like a 3D printer for light”, and the team have been able to create multiple images using the method, including a butterfly, a prism, rings that wrap around a user’s arms and even a figure in a lab coat, recreating Princess Leia’s famous message. The hope is that in time, the system could be used to create large persistent images that can be viewed from any angle, and even interacted with by human users.

Hair-sized needles will enable drug delivery straight into the brain
The human brain is a hugely complex organ, and the smallest changes in chemistry can have huge consequences, both good and bad. It’s with this in mind that MIT researchers have devised a miniaturised system designed to deliver tiny quantities of medicine to brain regions as small as 1 cubic millimetre. This type of targeted dosing could make it possible to treat diseases that affect very specific brain circuits without interfering with the normal function of the rest of the brain.

The device consists of several tubes contained within a needle about as thick as a human hair, and enables the researchers to deliver more than one drug deep within the brain, with extremely precise control over how much is injected and where it goes. In a study of rats, they found that they were able to deliver targeted micro-doses of a drug that affects the animals’ motor function.

“We believe this tiny microfabricated device could have tremendous impact in understanding brain diseases, as well as providing new ways of delivering biopharmaceuticals and performing biosensing in the brain,” said Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute professor at MIT, and one of the paper’s senior authors.

Replace your cat or dog with this circular furry robot, complete with wagging tail

Designed to act as a pet for those who suffer from allergies or can’t fit one into their lives, the Qoobo is a robotic cushion with a cat-like tail that is meant to provide users with the same sense of comfort and companionship as a regular household pet. You might laugh at the idea, but it was popular enough to hit its Kickstarter fundraising goal in just six days, raising 12,360,000 (£80,430) over the course of the entire campaign, or 247 per cent of its original target.

The Qoobo was designed by Yukai Engineering, a Tokyo-based robotics startup, and was inspired when a staff member moved to a new apartment that did not allow her to keep her pet cat. The company’s engineers studied the tails of cats, dogs and other animals and created a mechanism that closely mimics the movements, with different actions assigned to react to different touch inputs from the owner.

“The response has been absolutely overwhelming,” said Shunsuke Aoki, CEO of Yukai Engineering. “It shows how many people are longing for the sense of comfort that only animals can provide. Many seniors, including my own parents, wish to own a pet but can’t due to various reasons. I truly hope Qoobo will help make their everyday lives more joyous.”

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