While technology has made the world “smaller,” it has also pulled individuals apart, thanks to mobile phones and other devices that command our attention. Cornell researchers wanted to see if they could employ technology, in the form of a mirror-equipped robot, to help bring people back together.
AI on deck: assessing impact of MLB’s new ball-strike system
For 150 years, Major League Baseball (MLB) players and fans have accepted that an umpire missing a few balls and strikes is just part of the game. But this spring, MLB is rolling out an artificial intelligence-augmented camera system that will provide a second opinion for players to tap if they think an umpire whiffed. This historic change inspired a Cornell research team to study how MLB stakeholders are integrating the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) – which tracks pitches in real time – into baseball’s sacred gameplay.
Sonar on stock smartwatches leads to hand-tracking breakthrough
Imagine tapping your thumb and index finger together twice to skip to the next song or clicking around your laptop or desktop computer without a mouse, using discreet finger motions. New first-of-its-kind wearable technology from researchers at Cornell and KAIST, in South Korea, brings that vision closer to reality. The system, called WatchHand, equips off-the-shelf smartwatches with AI-powered micro sonar capable of tracking hand movements.
