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Elon Musk’s Neuralink puts computer chips in a Pig’s brain to treat disease.

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On 29th August 2020, Elon Musk’s startup, Neuralink revealed a big experiment they are carrying out. The main source of the news is Reuters. Neuralink has put a coin-sized computer chip inside a pig’s brain for the past two months. The name of the pig is Gertrude and it is in the early stage of the experiment to analyze if the same concept can be applicable for human brains. According to Elon Musk, this can be a way to cure many diseases in the human body.

Neuralink is a neuroscience-based startup founded in 2016 by Tesla Inc and Elon Musk. Current experimentation of the company involves treating major human diseases by implanting wireless brain-computer interfaces. Musk delivered this news on a webcast last Friday. The timeline for human trials has not been mentioned yet.

Three little pigs

Musk has given a presentation virtually and it is called “three little pigs” demo. The demo showed Gertrude, the pig whose brain has been implanted with the computer chip in a position that controls the snout. After some coaxing by Elon Musk, it began performing some activities like eating off a stool and sniffing the straws which led to show striking changes in the graphs monitoring the neural activity.

Musk also revealed that the experimentation has been carried out in three such pigs having two brain implants each. The implanted pigs are physically indistinguishable from any regular pigs and there are no abnormalities in them. Moreover, the pigs with implantation have shown greater accuracy in limb movement during a treadmill run. The conclusion has been reached using the implant data. These pigs are now often described as “Cypork”.

Human trial

Previously, Musk has mentioned about the human trials beginning at the end of this year. But, on Friday, Elon Musk has not mentioned any specific timeline for the beginning of the human trail. Dr. Matthew MacDougall, the head surgeon of Neuralink said that the first clinical trial on humans will focus on a small group of patients suffering from paraplegia or paralysis. The company also confirmed that it has made many great innovations for the past four years and the long studies have come to an end. This might mean that the trails will begin shortly since the implantation in animals has shown positive results.

Elon Musk
Image Source: teslarati.com

Treating several diseases 

Elon Musk has said the implantation device can solve many actual diseases in the human body like memory loss, hearing aid, depression, and insomnia. There are thousands of electrodes present in the computer chip which interacts with the human brain to cure complex neurological problems. Severe conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, spinal cord, injuries, etc can be cured as well. The size of the Neuralink’s chip is approximately 23 mm in diameter. Musk described it as “a Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires.” So, it is impossible to distinguish a person with implantation from a normal person. In 2020, around 5.8 million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. So, an invention like this will be a big scientific and medical breakthrough. But, once it becomes a success, viability will be the main concern.

Expert’s feedback

In response to the high success rate of this experimentation, Graeme Moffat, a neuroscience research fellow from the University of Toronto said that Neuralink’s advancements are ahead of its time. The superior design of the computer chip with efficient power management, wireless technology, and smaller size makes it very innovative and impactful. One of the neuroscientists from Stanford University said that the company has made huge progress since last year’s demonstration about the chip.

But, some of them have contradicted the statement regarding the end of longer studies. A few fellow researchers around the world said longer studies might be required to determine the longevity of the device. Since the experts can read the brain waves after the chip has been implanted it will lead to a better understanding of the brain activity while suffering a disease.

Similar advancements

Musk’s neuroscience start-up, Neuralink has received $158 million in funding. But, he said that the main reason for Friday’s event was recruiting and not fundraising. Musk also spoke about AI and its role in this new Neuralink’s chip. He also said other companies like Kernel and Paradromics are carrying out similar experiments.

ZestMoney

ZestMoney- The largest consumer lending fintech firm that growing fast to make lives affordable of millions of Indian Users

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The credit card is used by many all over the world. Most of the banks however don’t give credit cards easily to everyone. One needs to have a good salary to be applicable for a credit card. But what about others? As well, people in developing countries like India hesitate to use a credit card. Most of them are unable to get credit cards. Despite these problems, India has the largest growing fintech industry. However, firms like ZestMoney is working to find a solution to this problem.

It is the largest consumer lending fintech firm in India, growing speedily. In 2015, three friends Lizzie Chapman, Priya Sharma, and Ashish Anantharaman set up the firm. Since then it is working to provide credit cards and other financial options to many households in  India. Today, more than 300 million customers who are not applicable for credit card service use the service of ZestMoney.

The Backstory of Foundation

Founders of ZestMoney were aware of the fact that people want a bank but without the hectic process to get money. Obviously, no one wants to stand in long queues and filling the forms to withdraw money. In fact, it is not possible every time to go to the bank. No doubt, the banks provide easy options like ATM. But what if there is limited money in the account and someone needed more to complete the purchase. Yupp, the option of a Credit card is there. But it is not for everyone, usually, households face difficulties. So in such cases, they have to ask for money from relatives or friends.

Keeping all this in mind, Lizzie, Priya, and Ashish enabled the unique platform called ZestMoney. ZestMoney is based on the belief that every individual deserves access to financial products. Thus, meaningfully enhancing their lives.

About ZestMoney

ZestMoney is a consumer lending fintech firm based in India. Its digital credit product is easy to use and available 24/7. As well, ZestMoney uses advanced technology such as AI, data science, voice, and visual recognition to deliver that, at scale.  The platform of ZestMoney utilizes mobile technology as well as digital banking. Thus, making the life affordable and feasible of several Indians. For that, World Economic For recognized ZestMoney as a 2020 Technology Pioneer.

To achieve the goal of enabling credit card service for all, it has been in partnership with top firms. Includes, Flipkart, Muthoot Finance, Amazon, MakeMyTrip, Hedge, etc. With these lenders, ZestMoney making the life affordable of over 300 million household users in India.

Glimpse to Founders life

Lizzie Chapman

She is the CEO & Co-Founder of ZestMoney. Miss Chapman has been consistently driving the adoption of digital finance. As well, she supports the concept of “cardless credit” Throughout her career. However, she aims at digital India where every Indian has access to transparent financial services and affordable credit. For that, she established ZestMoney with her colleges that are making digital finance accessible to Indian consumers.

Career

Prior to set up ZestMoney, she worked with Goldman Sachs in London. Also, Lizzie worked with the Wellcome Trust as an Investment Manager. In 2011, she moved from the UK to India and set up spearhead India operations for Wonga. It was one of the largest fintech companies in the world then. Thereafter, she joined the Development Bank of Singapore. That time, she leads the launch of ‘Digibank’, India’s first mobile-app only bank at the time.

Currently, she is serving on the boards of IndiaMart and IndiaQuotient. As well, Lizzie is also a founding member of the Digital Lending Association of India and serves on its Executive Committee.

Ashish Anantharaman

He is one of the founding members of ZestMoney. Presently, he is serving as a CTO. Ashish is an entrepreneur and technical leader having over 22 years of progressive success within a challenging technical environment.

Priya Sharma

She is the CFO, COO & Co-Founder of ZestMoney. Before that, she worked with Wonga. There she was responsible for looking at international markets from a strategic perspective. As well, Priya worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Apart from that, she had served as a management and technology consultant for Deloitte and Sapient Corporation.

Education

She holds an MBA from London Business School. Priya earned a degree in B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology – BHU.

CMR Surgical

CMR Surgical’s robotic system for surgery brings a new wave of technology in the medical world

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The rate at which our technology is growing every day, it is difficult to predict what will happen after five years. How will the future look like? Will human labor be completely replaced by robots? AI and ML have transformed our life making unimaginable inventions in every aspect of life. Who could have imagined a decade earlier that we can make machines think like us and make them adapt our behavioral responses? With engineering making the greatest inventions and breaking its record every time, they are very versatile creators. On top of the list is the health industry that is highly benefited due to the inventions of smart devices and heavy equipment used in hospitals. So, some brilliant minds with knowledge in diverse fields came up with the idea of a robotic system to assist medical professionals to perform surgery. In 2014, five founders, namely, Martin Frost, Luke Hares, Keith Marshall, Paul Roberts, and Mark Slack founded CMR Surgical.

CMR Surgical is based on Cambridge and is famous for its robotic surgical system Versius. The company is founded with a vision to bring a robotic revolution in surgery. According to the founders, it would make a dramatic effect in the health industry if they can be assisted in surgeries by the robotic system. But, they also need to keep in mind a cost-effective versatile system that can prove advantageous to millions of common people in need. Let’s have a look at the success of CMR Surgical.

About the Founders of CMR Surgical

Martin Frost went to the Manchester Grammar School followed by the University of Cambridge. He has a great and rich experience in the professional world. Started as an Audit Senior in 1985 he became the Director of Chord Capital in 2005. He was also the CEO of Sagentia for a few years, co-founder of RedCloud Technology Limited, etc. Currently, he is associated with Peek Vision and CMR Surgical (Director).

Martin Frost
Image Source: businessweekly.co.uk

Luke Hares graduated from Cambridge in 1997. Before co-founding CMR Surgical he was a Senior Consultant at Sagentia.

Keith Marshall went to the University of Hertfordshire and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. He worked with Nokia Networks for almost a year followed by PML Flightlink, Xerox, and Sagentia. Currently, he is the Engineering Director of CMR Surgical.

Before co-founding CMR Surgical, Paul Roberts had ten years of experience in product and system development. He worked with Science Group PIc and built many complex medical devices. He is the Chief Customer Success Officer at CMR Surgical.  

Mark Slack is currently the Chief Medical Officer of CMR Surgical. He has a very rich medical background. Mark went to the College of Medicine of South Africa and he is a consultant gynecologist.

Versius Robotic System

Experts and medical professionals from around the world have given positive feedback about Versius. Versius is not like any other robotic system we have come across before. Versius provides maximum flexibility as its engineering allows both the arms to move effortlessly. This helps to save a lot of time and increases the efficiency within the OR suite. Versius is also designed perfectly with a footprint of 38cmX38cm. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and it is also transportable. Versius has ports and provides the freedom of the port placement as well. It automatically chooses a working position that provides the least amount of fatigue for the surgeons.

Apart from many cutting-edge features, the cost is a very essential factor. CMR Surgical claims that Versius can be afforded by who all are in need. It also provides a robotics programme for a fixed annual cost.  

A billion-dollar company

Last year, after the Series C funding of CMR Surgical the company hit a valuation of £1 billion. The last funding round where the company raised £195 million was the largest funding raised in Europe’s medical sector. Apart from launching Versius in the UK, clinical trials were carried out elsewhere in Europe and India. The product, Versius has three active arms during operation. The best part of this robotic system is they can not only be transformed from one O.T to another but also between hospitals.

The main investor for CMR Surgical is Cambridge Innovation Capital which raised £309 million for the company. Some of the other investors also include Escala Capital Investment, Vestland Invest, Watrium, etc.

India and CMR Surgical

In October 2019, India became the first country in the world to install Versius robotic system. Under the leadership of Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar in Galaxy Core Hospital, Pune, Versius successfully performed many surgical procedures which include mainly laparoscopy, myomectomies, and hysterectomies. Dr. Shailesh said that its compactness and cost-effectiveness will help meeting the surgical demand in India.

technology

Which way the technology addressing the world during this pandemic?

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Technology

The world is going through a significant upheaval in the form of a global health pandemic. Most countries around the world are doing all they can to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. As a result, we saw a mass shut down of schools, colleges and offices. Half the world’s population are under one form of lockdown or another, confined to their houses for months. However, what this pandemic has made more evident than ever before is the value that technology adds to our lives. Throughout this global lockdown, we have witnessed the many ways in which technology has made things easier for us. So, in what ways has technology addressed the world during this pandemic? Here’s a quick look at the same.

Healthcare

The most significant help that technology has provided the world during this pandemic is in the healthcare sector. Around the world, we are seeing several research institutes and pharma companies working together to find a cure and vaccine. From Harvard to Johnson and Johnson, researchers are working against the clock to help contain this pandemic. Furthermore, corporations are also trying to figure out combination drugs that can help prevent the spread of the disease when used together.

Countries are lending each other drugs and medicines on a scale never seen before. College students, researchers and scientists are also coming out with upgrades for ventilators that help make them more efficient. Breathing apparatuses, which are vital to treating patients, also witnessed several upgrades thanks to the global scientific community. In fact, Mercedes Formula One worked with researchers to build a special apparatus that works without a ventilator and using 70% less oxygen. Certain countries are also using remote-controlled care robots to take care of their patients. These automatic medical staff can do everything from taking swab tests to checking Ultrasound scans.

Artificial Intelligence

The tracing of patients has also become an integral part of our fight against the COVID-19. In our interconnected world, AI and IoT are making it possible for healthcare workers to find links and quarantine the right people. Road maps of the places they have been to, and the people they have come in contact with help in tracing possible victims and carriers. Countries are making use of drones and other such technology to monitor people and ensure their safety. The Indian Government too came out with an app to make it easier to monitor people.

Aarogya Setu has since gone on to become one of the most downloaded and used apps in the country. Contact tracing using GPS and mobile phone tracing has helped countries all the way from China to Ghana track the disease’s spread. Liechtenstein also came out with biometric bracelets to help track potential COVID-19 cases in real-time as an early warning system. Data analytics within the bracelet help collect data on essential metrics. Such data help algorithms detect patterns in physiology to identify likely cases. Therefore, we are reaping all the benefits provided by a well-connected digital world. 

Digitalisation

The COVID-19 also put in wheels the most massive exodus to remote working the world has ever seen. More people are now working from the comfort of their homes than ever before. This is primarily due to the efficient digital connections we have been able to establish. Most companies host their applications and projects on cloud servers, allowing their employees to access them from their homes. The large-scale penetration of the internet and the use of mobile devices has made this transition smooth and efficient. Furthermore, applications like Zoom and Teams have made it easier for companies to host meetings and maintain internal communication. Live presentation sharing websites allow for presentations and meetings to happen without a hiccup. Essentially, we are witnessing the dawn of a new age of employment opportunities.

Education Technology

The global pandemic also brought to a standstill our traditional forms of education. Since most schools and colleges had to shut in a bid to prevent further spread of the virus, millions of students were left without a classroom. However, digital methods of learning came to the rescue, enabling teachers and students to work together to take their learning forward. A large number of Ed-tech companies from Bjyus to Coursera opened up their services to people for free. This made it easier for children to continue their learning, uninterrupted, from the confines of their living rooms. Furthermore, server-hosted applications allowed colleges to go ahead with their evaluation so that students can move on. Several colleges around the world took online examinations to the homes of their students to make graduation a reality. In the US, we saw a host of digital graduations, where children enjoyed the rite of passage while following social distancing norms. All of these are, without a doubt, how technology has addressed this pandemic. 

Logistics and Operations

Since the older generation has been confined to their homes due to being in risk of contracting the disease, we see new supply lines come up. Whether it is Reliance Mart or Swiggy, we witnessed the launch of large supply-chain logistics come to life in the last few months. From home-delivering groceries to getting cooked food to people, these companies have ensured that everyone has access to these commodities. Governments have also come out with applications to make the seamless availability of essential daily needs a reality.

This pandemic has made it very clear how globalisation and digitalisation have helped the world. Global trade and scientific relations have made it possible for even developing countries to implement new-age methods. It is globalisation that made the large-scale adoption of technology possible. This pandemic has shown us how technology will play a big part in redefining the economy of tomorrow. All key industries, such as manufacturing, food and beverages, medicine, tourism and education, will leverage technology to get itself back on its feet. Whether it is by discovering or vaccine or helping people communicate, technology has answered more questions and addressed more issues than ever before, during this pandemic.

AI model - Detecting impurities in Plastics PET line

Greyparrot Raises Funding Against the Tide to Grow Their Recycling Technology

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Greyparrot team
Image Source: greyparrot.ai

Startups around the world trying to raise money have been finding things to be difficult in the last few months. The massive drop in venture capital funding, due to the coronavirus pandemic is threatening a whole generation of entrepreneurs. Studies show that funding for startups in the UK has fallen by over 83% between March and May. Therefore, a large number of early-stage companies have been negatively affected. However, amidst such glim news, one UK-based company seems to be going against the tide. AI-based startup Greyparrot was able to raise £1.825m in seed funding round recently. Here’s a look at what that means for the company and its future.

Funding Woes

Greyparrot aims to revolutionise recycling by utilising waste recognition software. Their most recent round of funding was led by Speedinvest, and the extra cash will fuel Greyparrot’s expansion. Speedinvest is a prominent early-stage tech investor, and the seed round also saw the participation of Force Over Mass. Their AI technology will help bring a lot more transparency and automation into the world of recycling. The company, based in the UK, has been growing from strength to strength in recent years, working in tandem with waste management companies across Europe and Asia. Their ultimate aim is to help digitise waste flow systems to ensure maximum efficiency. There has been a growing demand for such technology due to inefficiencies in the current system of recycling, increasing environmental regulation, and pressures from consumers.

Founder Mikela Druckman Headshot - Colour
Image Source – greyparrot.ai

Digitising Recycling

The company raised £1.825m and will use this money to tackle the growing waste crisis. They plan on automating the process of waste management and recycling. The additional funding will help develop, scale, and optimise Greyparrot’s technology, helping them revolutionise the work of recycling through the use of artificial intelligence. Greyparrot’s software helps monitor and sort waste at large scales. Their initial product, an Automated Waste Monitoring System, is now helping recycling stations go through large amounts of scrap. The technology is deployed on conveyor belts helps measure large waste flows and automatically identify various types of waste. The system provides composition information and other analytics to increase recycling rates.

Need for Efficient Waste Management

Studies show that over 60% of the 2 billion tonnes of solid waste produced does not get recycled. Instead, it ends up in large dumps, landfills, and open spaces, causing environmental impact. As companies chase economic viability rather than economic prosperity, globally, the recycling rate is as low as 14%. Such a flat rate is mostly due to inefficient handling, high labour costs, and stringent quality requirements of recycled substances.

Greyparrot, which launched in 2019, has helped transform the waste management industry. In the UK, the year they were formed saw regulations such as the banning of waste exports to China come into play. This, coupled with the introduction of strict recycling goals and objectives, led to the transformation within the industry. Such laws brought forth an urgent need to recycle efficiently and locally. Furthermore, BBC’s TV series named ‘Blue Planet’ gave consumers concerns regarding climate change, which led to producers aiming for zero-waste-to-landfill goals. This made the environment conducive for a company like Greyparrot, which focuses on improving existing waste and recycling systems.

The company helps solve issues related to the lack of data by providing better insights that aid in transitioning to a more circular economy. The company has partnered with ACI, one of the world’s largest firms working in the recycling space. Greyparrot provides intelligent software that is highly-customisable and easily integrable with hardware available across the globe. Greyparrot will use the new funds to develop its product and scale globally to become the world’s most accurate waste management software.

George-Samuel-Hurst-Touchscreen-Founder

George Samuel Hurst- One Of The First Scientists To Come Up With Touchscreen Technology

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Though scientists conducted thorough experiments and research regarding touchscreen technology, the implementations took a very long time. Theoretically, the concept of touchscreen dates back to the 1940s but the application in the real world wasn’t possible until 1980. For a long time, the ability of touchscreen didn’t cross the boundaries of the laboratory, but today the scenario is different. We can’t imagine surviving one day without using our smartphone or a tablet. But, now we have said no to the annoying “qwerty” keypads. It is amusing how bewildered we use to be seeing the high-tech touchscreen technology in science fiction. And, today we are part of the society where most of us using the technology like a jigsaw puzzle. We should be grateful to this physicist for bringing our life to a whole other technological dimension.

The early life of George: Touchscreen Founder

Born on 13th October 1927, George belonged to a very rural area of Ponza, Bell County, Kentucky. Their family had a farm where he grew up with other siblings. From a very young age, he had a very keen interest in physics and Thomas Edison in particular. But, who knew this zeal to learn new things would make this farm boy so famous one day.

Education

George attended Bell County High School and went to Berea College to acquire his bachelor’s degree. He got admitted into college at the age of fifteen and received his degree in 1947. He graduated with a degree in physics and a minor in mathematics. For pursuing higher studies, he went to the University of Kentucky and completed his master’s in physics.

While pursuing his higher education, he made a friend called Rufus Ritchie with whom he worked on various physics projects. After graduation, both of them decided to go to ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratory). After George’s significant contribution to the field of Physics, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee. The name of his paper was “Attachment of Low-Energy Electrons in Mixtures Containing Oxygen”.

Area of Research

In the world of science, capacitive touchscreens were invented first followed by resistive touchscreens. E. A. Johnson is known for inventing the capacitive touchscreens in the early 1960s. He published an article, “Touch display- A novel input/output device for computers”. The features and technology of such touchscreens are incorporated in some of today’s smartphones.

But, eventually, the resistive touchscreens suppressed the concept of capacitive touchscreens. And, the inventor of this type of touchscreens is none other than George Samuel Hurst. The story of his invention is very interesting and took place at Berea College.

George and some other Ph.D. scholars were working on a project of atomic physics using an overworked Van de Graff accelerator. Rigorous analysis slowed down there pace. So, George thought of using electrically conductive paper to read a few two-dimensional coordinates. This saved time and gave a spark to the idea of touchscreens for computers.

His Big Invention

When George went to the University of Kentucky, he wanted to file a patent so that his work stays secure. But, the origin of this theory and his later laboratory works weren’t that convincing. So, the chapter was slightly closed then, but he had plans in his mind. After he went to ORNL, George along with his nine other friends researched his basement.

Since what happened in the laboratory of Berea College was completely sudden and accidental they wanted to take it further. The team called this technology “Elographics” and they started working on developing a proper interacting touchscreen for computers. He finally came up with what we call today’s resistive touchscreen technology. It is called so because the computer or smartphones respond because of the pressure we exert and no electrical conductivity. Moreover, resistive touchscreen and more cost-effective and hence widely used by mobile phone companies today.

Awards and Recognitions

George Samuel Hurst is the recipient of Union Carbide (Corporate fellow) and American Physical Society (fellow). He is also a part of the University of Kentucky (Alumni Association Hall of Distinguished Alumni), received an honorary degree from Berea College (D.Sc.), etc. He also bagged the Distinguished Alumni Award of 2005 from the University of Tennessee.

He is also well-known for founding Scientists and Engineers for Appalachia (SEA) and Institute of Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy. He was a professional health physicist.