China has unveiled an ambitious plan to create the Country's first Humanoid Robots by 2025

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China has unveiled an ambitious plan to create the country's first humanoid robots by 2025. 

This endeavor is part of a broader initiative aimed at stimulating innovation, nurturing startups, setting industry standards, cultivating talent, and promoting international collaboration. 

As China looks to assert its leadership in cutting-edge technologies, it is now setting its sights on the realm of lifelike robots, an endeavor that could reshape the tech landscape.

 

Technological Race and Stock Surge : The announcement led to a surge in the stock prices of Chinese robotics companies, intensifying the technological competition between China and the United States, which has traditionally held an advantage in this domain.

China's Two-Year Targets: China's immediate goals within the next two years include advancements in environment sensing, motion control, and machine-to-human interaction capabilities, along with the promotion of AI in robotics.

China, as the world's foremost electronics manufacturer, is striving for significant breakthroughs in the field of robotics. The plan focuses on creating humanoid robots with remarkable capabilities, including the ability to think, learn, and innovate by 2027. While the policy document lacks specific details, its vision encompasses the establishment of a robust industry supply chain system to support robot manufacturing.

Humanoid robots have the potential to revolutionize various sectors, such as handling everyday tasks, working in hazardous environments, and more. Several U.S. companies have already taken the lead in this domain, with Tesla's "Optimus" humanoid robot and Boston Dynamics' agile "Atlas," capable of impressive maneuvers. South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group also entered the field through its acquisition of Boston Dynamics.

This year, a California startup, Figure, secured $70 million in funding to develop a humanoid robot, highlighting the growing interest in this cutting-edge technology. As China gears up to enter the field of humanoid robotics, it aims to shape the future of innovation and technology on a global scale.

Google's new tech can turn any existing ANC earbuds into heart rate monitors

Google is set to revolutionize the world of wearable technology with its pioneering research into audio plethysmography (APG).

This innovative technology promises to equip active noise canceling (ANC) headphones and earbuds with heart rate monitoring capabilities through a straightforward software update. In this breakthrough, Google harnesses the inner ear's unique properties for health sensing, ushering in a new era of convenience and accuracy in tracking vital signs.

Highlights:

Ear Canal as Ideal Health Sensor: Google has identified the ear canal as an optimal location for health sensing due to the intricate network of vessels within. This revelation paves the way for accurate heart rate monitoring.

Ultrasound-Based Heart Rate Measurement: Google's technology relies on a low-intensity ultrasound signal sent through ANC headphone speakers. It analyzes echoes, capturing minute ear canal skin movements and heartbeat vibrations to derive heart rate readings and heart rate variability.

Robust and Accurate Results: Google's APG technology delivers consistently precise heart rate measurements, unaffected by factors like skin tone, ear canal size, and suboptimal seal conditions.

In a recent blog post, Google unveiled its groundbreaking work in audio plethysmography (APG), introducing a method to infuse heart rate monitoring capabilities into ANC headphones and earbuds through a software upgrade. Google's research emphasizes the ear canal's unique attributes for health sensing, where the deep ear artery weaves a complex network of smaller vessels throughout the auditory canal.

APG operates by transmitting a low-intensity ultrasound signal through the speakers of ANC headphones. Echoes generated are captured through onboard microphones, with the vibrations of the ear canal skin and heartbeat modulating these echoes to yield heart rate and heart rate variability readings.

The company has developed a model that processes this feedback, even in scenarios with "bad earbud seals." Google encountered challenges related to body motion but mitigated them through a multi-tone approach. This calibration tool identifies the most suitable frequency for accurate heart rate measurement.

 

 

Google conducted two studies involving 153 participants, highlighting APG's consistently accurate heart rate (3.21% median error) and heart rate variability (2.70% median error) measurements. Unlike conventional heart rate sensors, APG remains unaltered by skin tones and ear canal size, making it a versatile, cost-effective, and reliable solution for health sensing. This technology promises to transform TWS ANC headphones into intelligent sensing devices with a simple software update, advancing biomedical and mobile research while offering low-cost health sensing possibilities.

Amazon made $1 billion with algorithms used to raise prices, says FTC

 

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that Amazon utilized secret algorithms, resulting in over $1 billion in increased prices for products on its platform. Details from the FTC's lawsuit, filed in September, have been unveiled, shedding light on Amazon's purported pricing strategies.

• Algorithmic Price Manipulation: The FTC claims that Amazon employed a clandestine algorithm, internally known as 'Project Nessie,' to forecast which products would prompt price hikes from other online retailers. This algorithm allegedly led to over $1 billion in higher prices.
• Message Deletion Controversy: The FTC also alleges that Amazon executives intentionally deleted messages on the messaging app Signal, erasing over two years of communications despite the FTC's request not to do so.

The FTC's lawsuit, joined by 17 states, accuses Amazon of leveraging its dominant market position to inflate prices both on and off its platform, overcharge sellers, and stifle competition, potentially violating federal and state antitrust laws.

Amazon responded, contending that the lawsuit would ultimately harm consumers and businesses. The company began testing other online stores' pricing algorithms in the early 2010s, seeking to ensure they mirrored Amazon's pricing. As a result, Amazon discovered it could raise prices while minimizing the risk of shoppers finding lower prices elsewhere, particularly by increasing prices on products sold by competitors matching Amazon's prices, giving rise to 'Project Nessie.'

Amazon's spokesperson, Tim Doyle, dismissed the FTC's claims as "baseless and irresponsible." Amazon voluntarily disclosed Signal conversations to the FTC and allowed agency staff to inspect them, even when unrelated to the investigation, Doyle stated.