CORTEXRis in the Big Data Analytics Industry

CORTEXR

cortexr

Radio-frequency identification and near-field communication are two similar technologies used in many industries. Their fields of application include inventory tracking, location tracking, access control, contactless payments, logistics, manufacturing, marketing, retail, and more. In this article, we are going to talk about these systems from an electronics design perspective. We will also take a look at RFID and NFC device development cases. How do RFID and NFC Technologies Work? is a wireless communication technology that uses radio waves to uniquely identify tagged items. A radio-frequency identification system generally consists of three elements: a reader, a tag, and RFID software. The RFID tag carries unique ID information and other data associated with the item it is placed on. When activated, the reader sends radio waves. The waves power any tags within the interrogation zone. They send back the data to the reader. The software processes the raw data for the end user. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) Radio-frequency identification allows you to track and identify unique items and people. For this reason, RFID technology is used in many spheres: asset and location tracking, inventory management, access control, theft prevention, etc. is a short-range wireless communication technology that uses high-frequency radio waves to uniquely identify tagged items and exchange data with other NFC-enabled devices. While RFID uses a broad range of radio frequencies, NFC devices work at 13.56 MHz only. This technology evolved from RFID and can be regarded as its fine-tuned subset. Near field communication (NFC) NFC technology is commonly used in contactless payment terminals in retail stores. NFC systems consist of the same elements as RFID: a reader (called initiator), a tag (called target), and NFC software. They work the same way as RFID systems. However, they have a much shorter operating range (up to several centimeters). That is why near field communication is primarily used in contactless payment. Nevertheless, other applications similar to that of RFID systems are also possible. Unlike RFID, NFC devices are capable of two-way communication. So, they are also used where data exchange is required. These technologies are very similar, but suit different business tasks. NFC systems can work in . active or passive modes of communication , one active device (Initiator) generates a radio-frequency field. The passive device (Target) draws power from the alternating magnetic field and acts as a transponder. It uses load modulation for data transferring. In passive mode , both the Initiator and the Target are active and generate magnetic fields in turns. The field deactivates while the device is waiting for data and activates when the device is ready to respond. In active mode An active NFC device can work in any of these operating modes: The device acts as a contactless smart card. The radio-frequency field is generated by the reader. Typical application: smartphone as an instrument of payment. The device acts as a reader for NFC and RFID tags. When the tag is close enough, the device detects it with a collision avoidance mechanism. Then it can read the data from the tag or write new information to it. Typical application: smart posters. Both devices act as a reader and a tag to alternately transmit and receive data. It allows them to exchange information such as pictures, business cards, etc. Android Beam technology uses this mode. Card emulation mode. Reader/writer mode. Peer-to-peer mode. Here are the key differences between RFID and NFC systems. You can learn more about these and other differences and the applications of RFID and NFC systems in our previous article. RFID and NFC Tags RFID Tags RFID and NFC tags consist of three elements: a substrate, an antenna, and a microchip. Tags come in various shapes and sizes: plastic cards, key fobs, paper or plastic stickers, badges, etc. The microchip is responsible for the signal modulation and demodulation. It also stores and processes information. There are three types of RFID tags: tags do not have a power source. In order to function, they use the energy from the reader’s radio signal. tags have their own power source (usually a small battery). It allows them to transmit signals periodically. The battery boosts the signal. Active tags can be read from longer distances. (battery-assisted passive) tags also use batteries but do not transmit periodic signals. When the tag receives the signal from the reader, the battery only turns on the tag. So, all the energy from the reader’s signal is reflected back. They also have a longer range than passive tags. Passive Active Semi-passive RFID systems can operate at different frequencies. They commonly use the following radio frequency bands. Note that the bands are defined by national standards and regulations. , particularly 120-140 kHz. In ideal conditions, these radio waves can travel up to 50 cm. But in practice, their range does not exceed 10-20 cm. LF RFID tags do not have security standards. So, they are not recommended for applications requiring encrypted communication. They can also penetrate through metals and liquids. , particularly 13.56 MHz. The read range of these systems usually varies from 10 to 20 cm but can reach about 1 m. HF RFID tags cannot penetrate through liquids and dense metals but work fine with most other materials including thin metals. tags operate at frequencies of 865–868 MHz (Europe) and 902–928 MHz (North America). Their reading range usually does not exceed 12 m. Note that some UHF RFID systems use 433 MHz and can reach up to 100 m. Low frequency band High frequency band Ultra-high frequency Some RFID tags operate at 2.45-5.8 GHz, 3.1-10 GHz, and 24.125 GHz. However, frequency bands higher than 928 MHz are not common for commercial RFID tags. Most civil-grade systems use LF, HF, and UHF tags. NFC Tags Near field communication utilizes the same frequency as HF RFID tags – 13.56 MHz. NFC-Forum defines the following types of NFC tags. Note that custom RFID and NFC systems usually do not require custom tags. However, one may require to design a non-standard device with a reader, which includes custom PCB design and embedded software development. RFID and NFC Readers NFC devices can work as readers and tags. RFID readers can only scan tags. Readers consist of an oscillator, transceiver, receiver, control unit (processor), and an external antenna. They come in three form factors: - Mobile (handheld) readers that often have the shape of a pistol; - Fixed readers that can be attached to walls or near doors; - Vehicle-mounted readers that are often integrated into material handling devices. The reading range of RFID and NFC readers depends on their transmitting power. This, in turn, is defined by the type of antenna, the operating frequencies, and the power source. Environmental conditions and local regulations can cap the reader’s maximum range as well. Many RFID-enabled devices have an integrated NFC module, which enables them to read both RFID and NFC tags. They can also have a few additional modules: a 1D/2D scanner, a camera, GPS, or a cellular connection (in case Wi-Fi is unavailable). RFID readers can be either active or passive. Depending the type of readers and tags, RFID systems can be classified as follows: - (Passive Reader Active Tag) systems. The reader has no power source and can only receive data from active tags. PRAT - (Active Reader Passive Tag) systems. The reader sends interrogation signals to passive tags and powers them. ARPT - (Active Reader Active Tag) systems. Both elements have power sources. Semi-passive tags can also be used here. ARAT Unlike NFC devices, RFID readers can scan multiple tags simultaneously with one of these anti-collision algorithms: either probabilistic or deterministic detection. To transmit the data from the reader to a host computer, several network connection types can be used. Fixed readers usually utilize USB, serial interface, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and POE. Mobile models usually use Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB. These network connections can also be used to charge the device. Custom RFID and NFC Device Development Usually, one has a number of options here. If it is possible to create the system with off-the-shelf (OTS) readers and tags, then all you need is to develop software. In some cases, one can even purchase OTS software packages for RFID and NFC systems. However, there are relatively few of them. Due to complicated or specific tasks, businesses may also require custom-design readers and, thus, custom NFC or RFID hardware development. Non-standard applications and requirements will probably need a research and development stage. As for tags, engineers usually use OTS models even for custom solutions. Manufacturers offer so many models that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Designing a printed circuit board for an RFID or NFC-enabled device starts with choosing a suitable reader. The choice is defined by various factors: the required read range, frequency band, environmental conditions, etc. The PCB will also require a microcontroller or a microprocessor, as well as various passive components. Another obligatory component is the antenna, but it is placed outside the board. Depending on what additional functions the device must perform, the team may need to mount additional modules and components. Custom NFC and RFID device development also involves software design. Such systems typically require three types of software. 1. that manages the work of the hardware. Tags come with firmware developed by the manufacturer and don’t require any changes. But designing a custom reader also includes RFID or NFC firmware development. Simpler solutions can be written in C, while more complex devices will most likely be written in C++. Firmware 2. , i.e. the highest-level software that manages the processed data, collected with the reader, to address particular business needs. Application 3. , i.e. the software between the firmware and the high-level application. As a rule, NFC systems do not require middleware, unless an NFC-enabled device serves as an intermediate link between the tag and an enterprise information system, which is uncommon. Middleware is more common for RFID systems. connects the readers and the data they collect with the application or enterprise information system. It processes the raw data coming from the readers before passing it on as aggregated data. It also provides an application-level interface for managing readers and querying data. Middleware Middleware The middleware and the application level software can be written in C++, C#, Python, Java, and other languages. The choice is defined by the system’s size, the complexity of its tasks, and hardware requirements. When there’s a need for cross-platform solutions, Qt development is a better option. The most important requirements for the language for middleware is the ability to reach the hardware on the one hand and to interact with the high-level software on the other hand. The following cases demonstrate two projects from our portfolio that involved custom RFID and NFC device development. Case #1: Custom RFID Device Development Our customer wanted to develop an RFID system for livestock enterprises to identify animals, track their movements, and collect other data for timely disease diagnostics. Our job was to design a handheld RFID data terminal for this system. Our RFID device development resulted in a data terminal operating at 860-960 MHz with multiple modules. The terminal can read multiple tags simultaneously from a distance of several meters. For this project, our team developed a custom single-board computer  based on the STM32MP151AAD3 microprocessor with one Arm® Cortex®-A7 core for high-level operations and one Cortex®-M4 core for low-level operations. This microprocessor features a low price and allows us to curb the number of components to make the device smaller but more energy efficient. Pared with the microprocessor, the device also uses energy-saving 1GB MT41K512M16HA-125A SDRAM-DDR3L memory and 4GB EMMC04G-MK27-A01C FLASH-NAND (MLC) memory with eMMC interface. The RFID reading function is implemented with the ST25RU3980 single chip reader. It’s a highly-integrated solution compatible with ISO 18000-6C/EPC Class1 Gen2 transponders. The reader is battery-powered and features very low power consumption. Pared with a custom patch antenna, it provides a very high sensitivity and resistance to reflection and self-clutter effects. The ESP32-C3-MINI-1-N4 module with an integrated PCB antenna is responsible for the WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth v5.0 interfaces. They allow the device to connect to local data networks. The Telit ME310G1W103T040100 module is responsible for cellular connection and data transmission in the field. The device is also equipped with a Newland EM2096 module for scanning 1D and 2D barcodes. The team used a USB Type C Amphenol 124019322112A connector for data transmission over USB 2.0 and battery charging. It has IPX4 level of protection, which makes it suitable for outdoor applications. The terminal is also equipped with an MC6470 inertial measurement unit. It allows businesses to track the location of the device, which can be important for keeping record of its work. The device is powered with a 3.7V 12Ah single-cell Li-ion battery, which should be enough for a 12-hour shift. The scope of work also included firmware and software development. For the microprocessor, the team used the Android distribution package provided by the manufacturer. We developed the firmware in C for the ESP32-C3-MINI-1-N4 module with programming libraries. It is controlled by the microprocessor with the help of AT commands. We also wrote a custom driver in C for the RFID reader, as it uses an SPI interface. Other modules use standard drivers. Case #2: Custom NFC Device Development This case demonstrates how NFC technology can be adapted for non-standard use. The project involved both custom NFC hardware and software development. Our job was to design an NFC-enabled device for orienteering events and location-based games. With the device we created, event participants can scan NFC tags placed on control points. The reader then transmits the data to a host computer used by the administration to let them know which team reached the point. The device can also perform a number of other tasks. The device is based on an NXP PN7362BNHN microcontroller. It has an integrated radio interface with NFC support and low energy consumption for autonomous work. The microcontroller has all the necessary NFC components inside. The team only had to add impedance-matching circuits. It also has enough memory capacity (160 KB) for complex algorithms. As the microcontroller has an integrated radio interface, it is also responsible for reading NFC tags. The microcontroller is paired with a passive, small-size flexible antenna – Pulse/Larsen W7001. The system supports all protocols and modes defined by NFC-Forum. It features high sensitivity and stability. Its read range equals 40 mm. Data transmission in field conditions is implemented with a Quectel MC60ECB-04-BLE module. It has an integrated navigation receiver (GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BeiDou/QZSS) and supports 2G cellular communication. The module supports navigation, based on GSM signals, and multiple data transmission protocols (TCP/UDP/FTP/PPP/HTTP/NITZ/NTP/PING/HTTPS/TCP/SSL/MQTT). It allows the device to send data to the administration as well as receive various messages: confirmations, warnings, hints, statistics, etc. The information is displayed on a monochrome graphic display (Orient Display JAZZ-BC-W). The device is equipped with an emergency button. When it is pressed, the device sends an emergency signal to the host computer along with location data. The device’s location is tracked with an MC6470 inertial measurement unit. The device is powered by a built-in single-cell 3.7V 1.2Ah Li-ion battery. It can work over 8 hours on a single charge. Using the energy-saving mode of the microcontroller can extend this period. The device is fitted with a USB Type C Amphenol 124019322112A connector, so it is well protected against moisture and dust. The software development team wrote firmware for the microcontroller in C using an AT command library to control the 2G module. Conclusion In most cases, one can use off-the-shelf RFID and NFC systems. Different types of readers and tags suit different purposes. Technical characteristics of the devices, such as operating frequency, power source, or memory capacity, define the system’s read range, penetration capability, etc. With off-the-shelf elements, it is only a matter of software design. But sometimes, complicated or non-standard tasks can require a custom solution. RFID and NFC device development involves designing a custom PCB, as well as embedded firmware and software development. Depending on what tasks the system must perform, the team can also install additional components, so that the device could work in field conditions, or scan 1D/2D codes, and so on. This story was first published here.

Custom RFID and NFC Device Development: Theory and Practice

The aim of this is to read air quality sensor data and show it on an LCD display that is connected to STM32 board. A web browser will read the sensor data and pass it to STM32 board using BleuIO. Bluetooth LE project Introduction The project is based on which controls using BleuIO. STM32 Nucleo-144, LCD display We will need for this project, one connected to the Nucleo board and the other to a computer running the web script and a . When the BleuIO Dongle is connected to the Nucleo board’s USB port, the STM32 will recognize it and directly start advertising. This allows the Dongle on the computer port to connect with the web script. two BleuIO USB dongles HibouAir – Air quality monitoring device With the web script on the computer, we can scan and get air quality sensor data from HibouAir. Then we send these data to an LCD screen connected to STM32 using Bluetooth. We have used a STM32 Nucleo-144 development board with STM32H743ZI MCU (STM32H743ZI micro mbed-Enabled Development Nucleo-144 series ARM® Cortex®-M7 MCU 32-Bit Embedded Evaluation Board) for this example. This development board has a USB host where we connect the BleuIO dongle. If you want to use another setup, you will have to make sure it supports a USB Host and beware that the GPIO setup might be different and may need to be reconfigured in the .ioc file. About the Code The project source code is available at . Github Either clone the project or download it as a zip file and unzip it into your STM32CubeIDE workspace. If you download the project as a zip file, you will need to rename the project folder from ‘stm32_bleuio_lcd-master’ to ‘stm32_bleuio_lcd’. Connect the SDA to PF0 on the Nucleo board and SCL to PF1. Then setup I2C2 in the STM32Cube ioc file as follows. (Make sure to change the I2C speed frequency to 50 kHz as per LCD display requirements.) In the USBH_CDC_ReceiveCallback function in USB_HOST\usb_host.c, we copy the CDC_RX_Buffer into an external variable called dongle_response that is accessible from the main.c file. void USBH_CDC_ReceiveCallback(USBH_HandleTypeDef *phost)
{
  	if(phost == &hUsbHostFS)
  	{
  		// Handles the data recived from the USB CDC host, here just printing it out to UART
  		rx_size = USBH_CDC_GetLastReceivedDataSize(phost);
		HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, CDC_RX_Buffer, rx_size, HAL_MAX_DELAY);

		// Copy buffer to external dongle_response buffer
		strcpy((char *)dongle_response, (char *)CDC_RX_Buffer);

		// Reset buffer and restart the callback function to receive more data
		memset(CDC_RX_Buffer,0,RX_BUFF_SIZE);
		USBH_CDC_Receive(phost, CDC_RX_Buffer, RX_BUFF_SIZE);
  	}

  	return;
} In main.c we create a simple interpreter so we can react to the data we are receiving from the dongle. void dongle_interpreter(uint8_t * input)
{

	if(strlen((char *)input) != 0)
	{
		if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING...") != NULL)
		{
			isAdvertising = true;
		}
		if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING STOPPED") != NULL)
		{
			isAdvertising = false;
		}
		if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nCONNECTED") != NULL)
		{
			isConnected = true;
			HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_SET);
		}
		if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nDISCONNECTED") != NULL)
		{
			isConnected = false;
			HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_RESET);
		}


		if(strstr((char *)input, "L=0") != NULL)
		{

			isLightBulbOn = false;
			//HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_RESET);
			lcd_clear();

			writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_OFF);

			uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\nClear screen\r\n");
			HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
		}

		if(strstr((char *)input, "L=1") != NULL)
		{
				isLightBulbOn = true;
				writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_ON);


				lcd_clear();

				lcd_write(input);

		}

	}
	memset(&dongle_response, 0, RSP_SIZE);
} We put the interpreter function inside the main loop. /* Infinite loop */
  /* USER CODE BEGIN WHILE */
  while (1)
  {
    /* USER CODE END WHILE */
    MX_USB_HOST_Process();

    /* USER CODE BEGIN 3 */
    // Simple handler for uart input
    handleUartInput(uartStatus);

    // Inteprets the dongle data
    dongle_interpreter(dongle_response);

	// Starts advertising as soon as the Dongle is ready.
	if(!isAdvertising && !isConnected && isBleuIOReady)
	{
		HAL_Delay(200);
		writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_CMD_AT_ADVSTART);
		isAdvertising = true;
	}
  }
  /* USER CODE END 3 */ Using the example project What we will need Two BleuIO dongles A board with a STM32 Microcontroller with a USB port. (A Nucleo-144 development board: NUCLEO-H743ZI2, was used to develop this example. To connect the dongle to the Nucleo board, a “USB A to Micro USB B”-cable with a USB A female-to-female adapter can be used.) STM32CubeIDE Liquid Crystal Display Module – NHD-0420D3Z-NSW-BBW-V3 – Air quality monitoring device HibouAir Importing as an Existing Project From STM32CubeIDE choose File>Import… Then choose General>Existing Projects into Workspace, then click ‘Next >’ Make sure you’ve chosen your workspace in ‘Select root directory:’ You should see the project “stm32_bleuio_SHT85_example”, check it, and click ‘Finish’. Running the example Upload the code to STM32 and run the example. The USB dongle connected to STM32 will start advertising automatically. Send Sensor Data to LCD screen from a web browser Connect the BleuIO dongle to the computer. Run the web script to connect to the other BleuIO dongle on the STM32. Now you can send sensor data to the LCD screen. For this script to work, we need connected to the computer. BleuIO USB dongle BleuIO javascript library Chrome 78 or later, and you need to enable the flag in #enable-experimental-web-platform-features chrome://flags A web bundler Create a simple Html file called index.html which will serve as the frontend of the script. This Html file contains some buttons that help connect, read advertised data from the HibouAir to get air quality sensor data and send this data to the LCD screen, which is connected to stm32. <!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <link
      href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.1.3/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css"
      rel="stylesheet"
      integrity="sha384-1BmE4kWBq78iYhFldvKuhfTAU6auU8tT94WrHftjDbrCEXSU1oBoqyl2QvZ6jIW3"
      crossorigin="anonymous"
    />
    <title>Bluetooth LE Air quality sensor data to LCD screen</title>
  </head>
  <body class="mt-5">
    <div class="container mt-5">
      <img
        src="https://www.bleuio.com/blog/wp-content/themes/bleuio/images/logo.png"
      />
      <h1 class="mb-5">Bluetooth LE Air quality sensor data to LCD screen</h1>

      <div class="row">
        <div class="col-md-4 pt-5">
          <button class="btn btn-success mb-2" id="connect">Connect</button>
          <form method="post" id="sendDataForm" name="sendMsgForm" hidden>
            <div class="mb-3">
              <label for="sensorID" class="form-label">Sensor ID</label>
              <input
                type="text"
                class="form-control"
                name="sensorID"
                id="sensorID"
                required
                maxlength="60"
                value="0578E0"
              />
            </div>

            <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Get Data</button>
          </form>
          <br />
          <button class="btn btn-danger" id="clearScreen" disabled>
            Clear screen
          </button>
        </div>
        <div class="col-md-8">
          <img src="air_quality_lcd.jpg" class="img-fluid" />
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>

    <script src="script.js"></script>
  </body>
</html> Create a js file called script.js and include it at the bottom of the Html file. This js file uses the BleuIO js library to write AT commands and communicate with the other dongle. import * as my_dongle from 'bleuio'
import 'regenerator-runtime/runtime'

const dongleToConnect='[0]40:48:FD:E5:2F:17'
//const sensorID = '0578E0'
document.getElementById('connect').addEventListener('click', function(){
  my_dongle.at_connect()
  document.getElementById("clearScreen").disabled=false;
  document.getElementById("connect").disabled=true;
  document.getElementById("sendDataForm").hidden=false;
})

document.getElementById("sendDataForm").addEventListener("submit", function(event){
    event.preventDefault()
    const sensorID = document.getElementById('sensorID').value
    getSensorData(sensorID)
    setInterval(function () {getSensorData(sensorID)}, 10000);

   
  });

  const getSensorData =((sensorID)=>{
    my_dongle.ati().then((data)=>{
        //make central if not
        if(JSON.stringify(data).includes("Peripheral")){
            console.log('peripheral')
            my_dongle.at_dual().then((x)=>{
                console.log('central now')
            })
        }        
    })
    .then(()=>{
        // connect to dongle
        my_dongle.at_getconn().then((y)=>{
            if(JSON.stringify(y).includes(dongleToConnect)){
                console.log('already connected')
            }else{
                my_dongle.at_gapconnect(dongleToConnect).then(()=>{
                    console.log('connected successfully')
                })
            }
        })
        .then(async()=>{
           return my_dongle.at_findscandata(sensorID,6).then((sd)=>{
                console.log('scandata',sd)
                let advData = sd[sd.length - 1].split(" ").pop()
                let positionOfID= advData.indexOf(sensorID);
                let tempHex = advData.substring(positionOfID+14, positionOfID+18)
                let temp = parseInt('0x'+tempHex.match(/../g).reverse().join(''))/10;

                let co2Hex = advData.substring(positionOfID+38, positionOfID+42)
                let co2 = parseInt('0x'+co2Hex);
                //console.log(temp,co2)
                return {
                    'CO2' :co2,
                    'Temp' :temp,                       
                  }
            })
        })
        .then((x)=>{
            console.log(x.CO2)
            console.log(x.Temp)
            var theVal = "L=1 SENSOR ID "+sensorID+"    TEMPERATURE " + x.Temp + ' °c    CO2 '+ x.CO2+' ppm';
            console.log('Message Send 1 ')
            // send command to show data
            my_dongle.at_spssend(theVal).then(()=>{
                console.log('Message Send '+theVal)
            })
        })
        
    })
})

document.getElementById('clearScreen').addEventListener('click', function(){
    my_dongle.ati().then((data)=>{
        //make central if not
        if(JSON.stringify(data).includes("Peripheral")){
            console.log('peripheral')
            my_dongle.at_central().then((x)=>{
                console.log('central now')
            })
        }
    })
    .then(()=>{
        // connect to dongle
        my_dongle.at_getconn().then((y)=>{
            if(JSON.stringify(y).includes(dongleToConnect)){
                console.log('already connected')
            }else{
                my_dongle.at_gapconnect(dongleToConnect).then(()=>{
                    console.log('connected successfully')
                })
            }
        })
        .then(()=>{
            // send command to clear the screen
            my_dongle.at_spssend('L=0').then(()=>{
                console.log('Screen Cleared')
            })
        })
        
    })
}) The script has a button to connect to the COM port on the computer. There is a text field where you can write the sensor ID of the air quality monitor device. Once connected, the script will try to get advertised data from the sensor and convert it to meaningful data. After that, it will send this data to the STM32 board, which is then displayed on the LCD screen. To connect to the BleuIO dongle on the STM32, make sure the STM32 is powered up, and a BleuIO dongle is connected to it. Get the MAC address Follow the steps to get the MAC address of the dongle that is connected to STM32. - Open this site https://bleuio.com/web_terminal.html and click connect to dongle.
- Select the appropriate port to connect.
- Once it says connected, type ATI. This will show dongle information and current status.
- If the dongle is on peripheral role, set it to central by typing AT+CENTRAL
- Now do a gap scan by typing AT+GAPSCAN
- Once you see your dongle on the list ,stop the scan by pressing control+c
- Copy the ID and paste it into the script (script.js) line #4 Run the web script You will need a web bundler. You can use parcel.js Once parcel js is installed, go to the root directory of the web script and type . This will start your development environment. “parcel index.html” Open the script on a browser. For this example, we opened http://localhost:1234. You can easily connect to the dongle and see air quality data on the LCD screen. The response will show on the browser console screen. The web script looks like this: Output The message will show on the LCD screen. Also published here.

Show Bluetooth LE Sensor Readings on LCD Screen Connected to STM32 

Home automation involves automating household environment equipment. To achieve that, we have created a smart bulb that is easy to install, and the attached equipment can be controlled over a web browser or smartphone app. The aim of this project is to control different home appliances using a web browser or smartphone. 1. Introduction The project is showcasing a simple way of using the the BleuIO Dongle to turn on and off a light bulb that is connected to the STM32 Nucleo-144 via a 5V Relay. You will need two dongles, one connected to the Nucleo board and one connected to a computer, running the web script. When the BleuIO Dongle is connected to the Nucleo boards USB port the STM32 will recognize it and directly start advertising. This allows the other Dongle to connect to it. It will also accept 3 different inputs from the UART: 0	Send ATI (Request device information) command to BlueIO Dongle.
1	Manually turn the light bulb on
2	Manually turn the light bulb off input	result We have used a STM32 Nucleo-144 development board with STM32H743ZI MCU (STM32H743ZI micro mbed-Enabled Development Nucleo-144 series ARM® Cortex®-M7 MCU 32-Bit Embedded Evaluation Board) for this example. If you want to use another setup you will have to make sure it support USB Host and beware that the GPIO setup might be different and may need to be reconfigured in the .ioc file. WARNING – THIS PROJECT INVOLVES HIGH VOLTAGES THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. PLEASE TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS, AND TURN OFF ALL POWER TO A CIRCUIT BEFORE WORKING ON IT. What you will need Two BleuIO dongles ( ) https://www.bleuio.com/ The script for the dongle (available on the source code inside web script folder) A board with a STM32 Microcontroller with a USB port. (A Nucleo-144 development board: NUCLEO-H743ZI2, was used developing this example. ( ) https://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/nucleo-h743zi.html To connect the dongle to the Nucleo board a “USB A to Micro USB B”-cable with a USB A female-to-female adapter can be used.) STM32CubeIDE ( ) https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stm32cubeide.html A 5V Relay A light bulb Connecting the relay NOTICE OF RISK; DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY Always be very careful when experimenting with AC, electrical shock can result in serious injuries! For the DC part of the Relay circuit connect S (signal) to pin PE4 on the STM32 NUCLEO board, also connect the Power supply (+) and ground (-) to +5V and GND respectively. Pinout and Connection to STM32 About the Code You can get the project HERE https://github.com/smart-sensor-devices-ab/stm32_bleuio_lightbulb_example This project-based on our previous STM32 project ( ) with these changes in the .ioc file: https://github.com/smart-sensor-devices-ab/stm32_bleuio_example In the pinout view we set the GPIO PE4 to OUTPUT and labeled it to ‘lightbulb’. In the USBH_CDC_ReceiveCallback function in USB_HOST\usb_host.c we copy the CDC_RX_Buffer into a external variable called dongle_response that is accessible from the main.c file. void USBH_CDC_ReceiveCallback(USBH_HandleTypeDef *phost)
{
    if(phost == &hUsbHostFS)
    {
        // Handles the data recived from the USB CDC host, here just printing it out to UART
        rx_size = USBH_CDC_GetLastReceivedDataSize(phost);
        HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, CDC_RX_Buffer, rx_size, HAL_MAX_DELAY);

        // Copy buffer to external dongle_response buffer
        strcpy((char *)dongle_response, (char *)CDC_RX_Buffer);

        memset(CDC_RX_Buffer,0,RX_BUFF_SIZE);
        USBH_CDC_Receive(phost, CDC_RX_Buffer, RX_BUFF_SIZE);
    }

    return;
} In main.c we create a simple interpreter so we can react to the data we are receiving from the dongle. /**
  * @brief Simple dongle interpreter
  * @retval None
  */
void dongle_interpreter(uint8_t * input)
{

    if(strlen((char *)input) != 0)
    {
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING...") != NULL)
        {
            isAdvertising = true;
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING STOPPED.") != NULL)
        {
            isAdvertising = false;
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nCONNECTED") != NULL)
        {
            isConnected = true;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_SET);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nDISCONNECTED") != NULL)
        {
            isConnected = false;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_RESET);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "L=0") != NULL)
        {
            isLightBulbOn = false;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_RESET);

            writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_OFF);

            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\nLight bulb is %s\r\n", isLightBulbOn ? "on":"off");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "L=1") != NULL)
        {
            isLightBulbOn = true;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_SET);

            writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_ON);

            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\nLight bulb is %s\r\n", isLightBulbOn ? "on":"off");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
        }
    }
    memset(&dongle_response, 0, RSP_SIZE);
} In main.c we create a simple interpreter so we can react to the data we are receiving from the dongle. /**
  * @brief Simple dongle interpreter
  * @retval None
  */
void dongle_interpreter(uint8_t * input)
{

    if(strlen((char *)input) != 0)
    {
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING...") != NULL)
        {
            isAdvertising = true;
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nADVERTISING STOPPED.") != NULL)
        {
            isAdvertising = false;
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nCONNECTED") != NULL)
        {
            isConnected = true;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_SET);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "\r\nDISCONNECTED") != NULL)
        {
            isConnected = false;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(GPIOE, GPIO_PIN_1, GPIO_PIN_RESET);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "L=0") != NULL)
        {
            isLightBulbOn = false;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_RESET);

            writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_OFF);

            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\nLight bulb is %s\r\n", isLightBulbOn ? "on":"off");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
        }
        if(strstr((char *)input, "L=1") != NULL)
        {
            isLightBulbOn = true;
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_SET);

            writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_SEND_LIGHT_ON);

            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\nLight bulb is %s\r\n", isLightBulbOn ? "on":"off");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
        }
    }
    memset(&dongle_response, 0, RSP_SIZE);
} We also update the handleUartInput function so we can have manual control over the light bulb via the UART. /**
  * @brief Simple uart input handler
  * @retval None
  */
void handleUartInput(UARTCommandTypeDef cmd)
{
    switch(cmd)
    {
        case UART_RX_0:
        {
            // 0
            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\n(0 pressed)\r\n");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
            if(isBleuIOReady)
            {
                writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_CMD_ATI);
            } else
            {
                uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, BLEUIO_NOT_READY_MSG);
                HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
            }
            uartStatus = UART_RX_NONE;
            break;
        }
        case UART_RX_1:
        {
            // 1
            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\n(1 pressed light bulb on!)\r\n");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_SET);
            uartStatus = UART_RX_NONE;
            break;
        }
        case UART_RX_2:
        {
            // 2
            uart_buf_len = sprintf(uart_tx_buf, "\r\n(2 pressed light bulb off!)\r\n");
            HAL_UART_Transmit(&huart3, (uint8_t *)uart_tx_buf, uart_buf_len, HAL_MAX_DELAY);
            HAL_GPIO_WritePin(Lightbulb_GPIO_Port, Lightbulb_Pin, GPIO_PIN_RESET);

            uartStatus = UART_RX_NONE;
            break;
        }
        case UART_RX_NONE:
        {
            break;
        }
        default:
        {
            uartStatus = UART_RX_NONE;
            break;
        }
    }
} We put the interpreter function inside the main loop. /* Infinite loop */
  /* USER CODE BEGIN WHILE */
  while (1)
  {
    /* USER CODE END WHILE */
    MX_USB_HOST_Process();

    /* USER CODE BEGIN 3 */
    // Simple handler for uart input
    handleUartInput(uartStatus);
    // Inteprets the dongle data
    dongle_interpreter(dongle_response);

    // Starts advertising as soon as the Dongle is ready.
    if(!isAdvertising && !isConnected && isBleuIOReady)
    {
        HAL_Delay(200);
        writeToDongle((uint8_t*)DONGLE_CMD_AT_ADVSTART);
        isAdvertising = true;
    }
  }
  /* USER CODE END 3 */ How to setup project Downloading the project from GitHub Either clone the project, or download it as a zip file and unzip it, into your STM32CubeIDE workspace. Get project HERE https://github.com/smart-sensor-devices-ab/stm32_bleuio_lightbulb_example Importing as an Existing Project From STM32CubeIDE choose File>Import… Then choose General>Existing Projects into Workspace then click ‘Next >’ Make sure you’ve chosen your workspace in ‘Select root directory:’ You should see the project “stm32_bleuio_example”, check it and click ‘Finish’. Running the example In STMCubeIDE click the hammer icon to build the project. Open up the ‘STMicroelectronics STLink Virtual COM Port’ with a serial terminal emulation program like TeraTerm, Putty or CoolTerm. Serial port Setup: Baudrate: 115200 Data Bits: 8 Parity: None Stop Bits: 1 Flow Control: None Connect the BleuIO Dongle before running the example. In STMCubeIDE click the green play button to flash and run it on your board. The first time you click it the ‘Run Configuration’ window will appear. You can just leave it as is and click run. You should be greeted by this welcome message: Wait until the message: “[BleuIO Dongle Ready]” is shown. You can now connect with the other dongle using the script. You can also use the uart commands (0, 1 or 2): Press 0 to get device information. 1 to turn on lightbulb. 2 to turn off lightbulb. Dongle response will be printed to UART. Controlling the light from a web browser We wrote a simple script that connects to the dongle and sends signals to toggle the light from the web browser. For this script to work, we need connected to the computer. BleuIO USB dongle BleuIO javascript library Chrome 78 or later, and you need to enable the flag in #enable-experimental-web-platform-features chrome://flags A web bundler – ( ) parcel js Steps Create a simple Html file called index.html which will serve as the frontend of the script. This Html file contains some buttons that help connect and signal to the remote dongle, which is connected to stm32. `<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.1.3/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" integrity="sha384-1BmE4kWBq78iYhFldvKuhfTAU6auU8tT94WrHftjDbrCEXSU1oBoqyl2QvZ6jIW3" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <title>Control Light using Bleutooth Low Energy</title> </head> <body class="mt-5"> <div class="container mt-5"> <h1 class="mb-5">Control Light using Bleutooth Low Energy</h1> <button class="btn btn-success" id="connect">Connect</button> <button class="btn btn-warning" id="lightOn" disabled>Turn On</button> <button class="btn btn-danger" id="lightOf" disabled>Turn Off</button> </div> <div class="container mt-5"> <img id="light" src="light_off.png" alt="" /> </div> <script src="script.js"></script> </body> </html>` Create a js file called script.js and include it at the bottom of the Html file. This js file uses the BleuIO js library to write AT commands and communicate with the other dongle. import * as my_dongle from "bleuio";
const dongleToConnect = "[0]40:48:FD:E5:35:A5";
import lightOnImg from "./light_on.png";
import lightOfImg from "./light_off.png";
document.getElementById("connect").addEventListener("click", function () {
  my_dongle.at_connect();
  document.getElementById("lightOn").disabled = false;
  document.getElementById("lightOf").disabled = false;
  document.getElementById("connect").disabled = true;
});

document.getElementById("lightOn").addEventListener("click", function () {
  my_dongle
    .ati()
    .then((data) => {
      //make central if not
      if (JSON.stringify(data).includes("Peripheral")) {
        console.log("peripheral");
        my_dongle.at_central().then((x) => {
          console.log("central now");
        });
      }
    })
    .then(() => {
      // connect to dongle
      my_dongle
        .at_getconn()
        .then((y) => {
          if (JSON.stringify(y).includes(dongleToConnect)) {
            console.log("already connected");
          } else {
            my_dongle.at_gapconnect(dongleToConnect).then(() => {
              console.log("connected successfully");
            });
          }
        })
        .then(() => {
          // send command to control light
          my_dongle.at_spssend("L=1").then(() => {
            console.log("Turned on");
            document.getElementById("light").src = lightOnImg;
          });
        });
    });
});

document.getElementById("lightOf").addEventListener("click", function () {
  my_dongle
    .ati()
    .then((data) => {
      //make central if not
      if (JSON.stringify(data).includes("Peripheral")) {
        console.log("peripheral");
        my_dongle.at_central().then((x) => {
          console.log("central now");
        });
      }
    })
    .then(() => {
      // connect to dongle
      my_dongle
        .at_getconn()
        .then((y) => {
          if (JSON.stringify(y).includes(dongleToConnect)) {
            console.log("already connected");
          } else {
            my_dongle.at_gapconnect(dongleToConnect).then(() => {
              console.log("connected successfully");
            });
          }
        })
        .then(() => {
          // send command to control light
          my_dongle.at_spssend("L=0").then(() => {
            console.log("Turned off");
            document.getElementById("light").src = lightOfImg;
          });
        });
    });
}); The script js file has three button actions; connect and control light. Now we need to know the ID of the other dongle connected to STM32 so that we can connect to it. You can use this web terminal to get the dongle ID. Open this site and click connect to dongle. https://bleuio.com/web_terminal.html Select the appropriate port to connect. Once it says connected, type . This will show dongle information and current status. "ATI" If the dongle is on peripheral role, set it to central by typing "AT+CENTRAL" Now do a gap scan by typing "AT+GAPSCAN" Once you see your dongle on the list ,stop the scan by pressing control+c Copy the ID and paste it into the script (script.js) line #2 You will need a web bundler. You can use parcel.js Once parcel js installed, go to the root directory and type . This will start your development environment. “parcel index.html” Open the script on a browser using parcel js. You can easily connect to the dongle and turn on-off light from there.

A Guide to Making a BLE-Enabled Smart Bulb with STM32

Signal filtering is the bread and butter of digital signal processing, and ARM Cortex-M cores provide a very efficient way to implement IIR filters, especially for cores that come with an FPU. ARM maintains the library as a collection of useful DSP functionality, including IIR filters implemented using a Direct Form II transposed structure. Big words, right? CMSIS-DSP In fact, the maths needed to go from filter specification to running code are not necessarily straightforward to do on paper. The process is complex and error prone, plus there is not a lot of value in doing it yourself for every minimal parameter variation. That's why at we created a collection of scripts to harness the power of to design IIR filters and automatically get "ready-to-run" C code for our applications. Elimo Engineering GNU Octave Being very creative people, we called it and, in the spirit of open source, we made it available with examples on GitHub. iir-designer-cmsis-dsp The repo includes a file with example inputs like the following for a DC blocking filter: / % Example % nd order DC blocker, Hz, sampling frequency = kHz
% Plots the filter response sample signals / pkg load signal
order= f1= fs= plot_results= %// // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // 1 2 20 44.1 and %// // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // // 2 20 44100 true design ; _iir_highpass_cmsis_butter( , , , ) order f1 fs plot_results which will give you the following output: coeffs = 0.99799 -1.99597 0.99799 1.99597 - . 0 99598 That array of coefficients can be directly used in ARM code like the following: #define IIR_ORDER #define IIR_NUMSTAGES (IIR_ORDER/ )

static 32_t m_biquad_state[IIR_ORDER];
static 32_t m_biquad_coeffs[ *IIR_NUMSTAGES] =
{ , , , , };

arm_biquad_cascade_df2T_instance_f32 iir_inst = 
{
  IIR_ORDER/ ,
  m_biquad_state,
  m_biquad_coeffs
};

extern 32_t* pSrc;
extern 32_t* pDst;
extern 16_t blockSize;

arm_biquad_cascade_df2T_f32(&amp;iir_inst, pSrc, pDst, blockSize); 2 2 float float 5 0.99799 -1.99597 0.99799 1.99597 -0.99598 const 2 float float uint Note that this code is mostly boilerplate, and you just need to provide an input array of floats (pSrc in our example), a buffer for the filtered signal (pDst) and their length (blockSize) Let us know if you find it useful, we would love to know what people are using it for!

Fast IIR filtering on ARM Cortex-M with CMSIS-DSP and GNU Octave

In 2017, the cryptocurrency rage reached to the highest point when Bitcoin surged to USD19,783, many speculators and miners started to invest an enormous amount of money into mining hardware and chips hoping to get on the craze. Cryptocurrency mining was originally designed to be doable with general-purpose computers. Yet with the increase in competition to the limited resources, miners have been seeking an effective way to improve their chances. A , known as ASIC, has taken over the mining market since. ASIC are chips that are designed with a singular purpose. For cryptocurrency mining, these chips are built into specifically designed motherboards and power supplies to efficiently . Each cryptocurrency has its own cryptographic hash algorithm and ASIC hardware are designed to excel at calculating that algorithm, in the case of Bitcoin, ASIC hardware is designed to calculate the SHA-256 hash algorithm. pplication-specific integrated circuit chips solve a specific algorithm However, in 2018, the bearish performance in the cryptocurrency market has put them in a difficult situation. Though with better performance comparing the general-purpose computer using GPU or CPU cards, there is a limited room of adjustment for the ASIC hardware. ASIC miners were seeking ways to deal with their machines and spaces they rent for running the mining machines. In contrast, GPU miners can easily adapt to new PoW algorithms and tokens due to better compatibility with different hash algorithms (in the cost of performance). Furthermore, the emerging of Cuckoo Cycle algorithm sheds light on the GPU mining to compete against the ASIC miners. What is Cuckoo Cycle PoW algorithm? is one of the most promising PoW algorithm created by Dutch computer scientist, John Tromp. Cuckoo cycle was originally applied as a measure to prevent email spams. Cuckoo cycle ASIC-resistant The email sender has to perform a certain amount of work that consumes computational power to prove that he does have the need to send out the email to the recipient. Yet, with its unique design, it sees fit for GPU mining. It focuses more on memory use, meaning the solution time is bound to memory bandwidth rather than the raw processor or GPU speed. Unlike other PoW algorithms that requires maxing out the capacity of your hardware that drains a lot of power which produces heat (which is why most mining factories are located in colder locations/or locations with cheap electricity that can turn A/C on 24/7), a memory-bound algorithm like Cuckoo cycle require far less energy than most other GPU, CPU or ASIC-bound PoW algorithms. The most up-to-date implementations and findings can be found on his . GitHub Difference between the Cuckoo Cycle PoW algorithm and the SHA256 used by Bitcoin? The SHA256 used by Bitcoin is a simple and pure hash function. The computational process of the solution is easily migratable from the CPU to GPU, FPGA, and ASIC. The above picture is an 8-node, 4-sided Cuckoo Cycle bipartite graph Cuckoo Cycle is a graph theory-based algorithm. It tries to find a fixed length L ring in the Cuckoo Cycle bipartite graph randomly generated by Siphash. As the scale of the graph increases, the L value increases and becomes more difficult to find a ring that fits the length of L. Solving the solution (i.e., the process of finding a loop) itself requires a relatively large amount of memory to store the sorting of data. The Cuckoo Cycle algorithm is to ASIC chips. The difficulty and cost to make Cuckoo Cycle compatible on ASIC are much higher than the SHA256 of Bitcoin. It is possible to reduce the anti-ASIC capability by deformation and become an ASIC-friendly algorithm, but it is also possible to further improve its ASIC resistance through deformation as well. resisted For example, simplifies and discards the binary end of nodes in the bipartite graph which greatly reduce the difficulty of the solution. However, if all the nodes in the bipartite graph are grouped where all the nodes in the group have mutually dependent relationships, it is necessary to calculate the hash of all the nodes in the group. The difficulty of the solution and the requirements for data cache are then greatly increased. This transformation of Cuckoo Cycle is called . CuckAToo algorithm CuckARoo algorithm Projects using the Cuckoo Cycle algorithm On the official Cuckoo Cycle page, a list of projects using this algorithm was announced including AE, Grin, and Cortex. GitHub The list of projects using Cuckoo Cycle on GitHub , also known as , is a new blockchain technology, designed to deliver unmatched efficiency, transparent governance, and global scalability. (2.0.0) was released a couple weeks ago. AE has a total of 254,396,431 AE and aims to boost 1,000 TPS. AE æternity Minerva Mainnet upgrade is currently live with its Grin uses the Mimblewimble protocol to improve scalability and privacy. It empowers anyone to transact or save modern money without the fear of external control or oppression. Grin is designed for the decades to come, not just tomorrow. Grin wants to be usable by everyone, regardless of borders, culture, skills or access. Grin does not have circulating limit, which means that there is no limit on the total amount, and 60 Grins are mined per minute. Grin mainnet . is building something unique and original. Cortex aims to create a decentralized AI autonomous system that continues to expand the performance boundaries of smart contracts, allowing smart contracts to be actually smart with AI algorithms. In Cortex’s AI on Blockchain ecosystem, AI model developers, AI DApp developers, miners, and users can be linked together through public blockchain to create more AI DApps with real-world use cases. It also help stimulating more high-quality AI models to open source through the tokenomic model and incentive mechanism, which helps to democratize AI research which often led to concentrations of power and money. This is a new AI on Blockchain ecosystem that is independently governed by AI smart contracts. Cortex follows the four-year halving mechanism of Bitcoin. The total amount of CTXC mined through PoW is 150 million, and the first four years yields 75 million, which is halved every four years. Currently, the is live and the are live. Cortex TestNet first AI DApp Grin and Cortex's take on ASIC Grin uses CuckARoo (anti-ASIC) and CuckAToo (ASIC-friendly) algorithms in parallel where 90% of Grin is mined by ASIC-resistant CuckARoo and 10% of Grin is mined by ASIC-friendly CuckAToo. This ratio will be adjusted every six months to the point that will fully adopt ASIC-friendly CuckAToo. Grin Cortex In contrast, goal is to try to establish an environment where any AI equipment or conventional hardware already owned by everyone to be able to mine. Based on this goal, anti-ASIC is a firm belief in Cortex. The reason for this is that Cortex hopes to allow the mining machine investors in the Cortex ecosystem to have better general-purpose computing capabilities and lay the foundation for the future large-scale AI computing demand market. Cortex’s Cortex has released a full version of the which is already using a version of Cuckoo Cycle for consensus mechanism. The AI smart contract feature has also been deployed. The first fully available has been created on the TestNet. The development progress of the MainNet is working in progress according to the roadmap, which will be launched in Q2 of 2019. The launched of Cortex MainNet will bring a new wave of not just to AI developers and DApp developers but also to GPU miners. TestNet AI DApp The first AI DApp on the Cortex TestNet Conclusion Cuckoo Cycle is the newly emerging Proof-of-Work algorithm adopt by many projects to establish a friendly mining environment. It generates random bipartite graphs from a provided message and tries to find whether a subgraph with required property exists or not. Different projects have their objectives using Cuckoo Cycle. The algorithm itself has a relatively high anti-ASIC capability and can be modified into other algorithms to adjust the anti-ASIC capability. For Grin, Cuckoo Cycle was used to the Bitcoin-style “hardware arms-race” by making it ASIC resistant. For Cortex, it is to the mining requirements to lay the foundation for future scalability in AI computing demand market. Cukoo Cycle and GPU mining will lead us to a better mining environment where anyone can be a part of. mitigate against lower

WTF is Cuckoo Cycle PoW algorithm that attract projects like Cortex and Grin?

Your brain is a magical thing. It is the computer that you, that defines your world, and creates the interface for which you interpret “reality.” Technology and culture are starting to make us aware of just machine-like we are. In the movie “ ,” Nathan, shows Caleb the artificial wetware brain he crafted out of an exotic gel, essentially distilling our consciousness down to just a very expensive piece of tech. ( ) Treating your mind like a machine is an approach that is logical and highly beneficial. is how Ex Machina Apparently you can build one if you are so inclined. My Mom’s Desktop on her is a mess. I just counted and there are over 8,000 files sitting there just on the Desktop. But, she gets a lot done. She runs a youth theatre, is CFO and COO for my Dad’s business, and despite my bias, is genuinely one of the most productive people I know. But, back to the subject, her Desktop on that MacBook gives me instant anxiety. It’s a clusterfuck. So, every 2 or 3 years she gets a new laptop and I end up cloning her old computer onto her new one, except I always put her Desktop folder into a sub folder. At some point, I delete the old ones. She never notices. MacBook Many times, when working on a collaborative project, I hear someone say “I just didn’t have time to get to it,” or “I was distracted.” 9 times out of 10, their life is just too busy, their office too messy, and they watch The News every night before bed. Our minds (most of them) can’t deal with a Desktop like my mom’s. Our minds need clean input to obtain clean output. Our brains take in everything, and we are very much at the peril of the world. But, we have mechanisms to clean our mind’s Desktop. Reduce Distraction There are lots of things I do to reduce distraction: I don’t have sounds on my phone. If you call me, my phone doesn’t ring. If you message me, my phone doesn’t even vibrate. In fact, there is only 1 person that my phone makes sound for. This reduces distraction. But the most important piece of the input puzzle is not the amount of input, but the quality of the input. Even just a little positive input in a crowded life can completely change everything. We have deliberate input sources, like TV, books, and other media. I stopped watching TV for years. I don’t read Facebook, and my Twitter usage is limited. I read books with purpose and intent, and try to only interact with positive people. But there is so much input you receive without consent. Reprogram To combat the input you receive without your consent, you need to employ some reprogramming techniques. Can you remember the last time you had such an amazing day, that you went to bed, slept like a baby, and woke up the next morning feeling deep love in your heart? It would be amazing if we could operate this way, almost irregardless, every single day. We can’t always feel good, but we can rewire our brain to function more positively. The 2 biggest ideas for reprogramming your mind are: Mind follows body. If you start moving your body, your mind will follow suit. Subconscious programming through self hypnosis is real, it works, and you can change your life with it. The aim is to reprogram our brain more positively. Think of someone that makes you extremely happy and picture the essence and joy they conjure in your mind. They aren’t around right now, but you can still feel that happiness. All of that wonderfulness was fed straight to your brain, and you can recall it. People subtly feed you information about who they are and their intentions. How people sit in our minds has a lot to do with the subconscious information we’ve gathered on them, and how our brain processes it. People are hypnotizing. They work their way into our minds through very hypnotic, subconscious methods. We can also program our own vision of ourselves, the outlook we have on the day, and the perspective we take on life in a similar fashion through self hypnosis. The Hypnosis Experience I was laying in a chair, feeling my body floating perhaps 4 feet in the air. Colors of yellow were washing over my eyes and words being echoed through the air were entering and exiting my mind simultaneously. I saw a version of myself that I had not seen in a long time. Waves of energy pulsed through my body. And, then a finger snapped… I was awake and I felt “good.” What I experienced was similar to meditation experiences I had in the past, so I didn’t think it was absolutely crazy, but I was bewildered. I didn’t think I would see a dramatic change in my life by listening to this hypnosis session every day, but I continued to every day since that day. In 3 years, there is not a single thing I can contribute to my health, happiness, and success more than self hypnosis. I was told many years ago by my father that self hypnosis is something you are doing whether you think you are or not. You can be in control of the content your brain receives, or let the world decide for you. Hypnosis is real and it works. What does it mean? Mental health is something we don’t talk about enough. It’s not just about beating depression, but about finding ways to optimally live in the moment. There are wonderful things out there, like hypnosis, meditation and exercise. Take control of your brain’s input and output, and do everything and anything you need to attain the optimal life you desire. Originally published at https://noeljackson.com/io-cerebral-cortex/ Noël Jackson is an engineer, designer, and hacker working on the web since 1998, with a focus on optimization through thoughtfulness and logic. He currently works at studio.zeldman as director of development.

I/O for Your Cerebral Cortex

Really? So you're just going to open anyway? I really wanted you to skip this one. I was busy travelling, and I had nothing to write. Came back from an 18 hour flight and kept thinking of what to write, but I couldn’t. So I figured I would ask for a favor and have you pass this one. Yet here we are.. So thanks for that.. What I am supposed to do now? Let me think. Oh— You know what? I have a quick story to tell. I was visiting my brother on a small and (very) remote island of French Polynesia called Nuku Hiva. So small, in fact, that it doesn’t even appear on the map unless you zoom wayyy in. Don’t believe me? The point is, it’s a small airport, and you have to walk yourself to the terminal. They have cones that tell you where to walk, but most importantly, where they don’t want you to walk past. On the way in, I was tired from my long journey there. I just followed the line. On the way out, I was feeling a little more like myself. I saw these cones again. And they saw me. They were lined up like soldiers, proudly wearing bright orange. Probably to show off, and also form a contrast to the tarmac. The cones seemed to stare back at me with a challenge. I am pretty sure they were whispering “Go ahead, step over. We dare you.” Wait. What? I looked at them. My pulse quickened immediately. I was being challenged. “What do you mean you dare me to step over? Do you even know me? I can do whatever I want.” I glance around. Everyone else is obediently tracing the path to the plane. Not me. The impulse takes over. I step over the cone barrier, and my foot lands on the other side.. I suddenly feel like a moonwalker claiming uncharted territory. The hot Polynesian air crackled with tension. I could feel the cones' silent outrage at my audacity. The thrill of the forbidden surges through me. My heart thumps in exhilaration. I am euphoric. But then, as if on cue, “Excuse me, sir, please return to the path,” a voice cut through my daydream. A staff member waved her hands with a mix of fear and anger. And just like that—I was caught. My quest was over. I had to wave my white flag, and step back over. Although they reclaimed my newly acquired territory, they did not take away my victory. I stepped back into line, but I had a smirk on my lips. The thrill of defiance had sent a jolt of excitement through my veins. It was a potent mixture of satisfaction and adrenaline. A simple act of rebellion that felt disproportionately exhilarating. Anyway.. I make my way to my seat on the plane. And then I start thinking.. Why do these feelings emerge so strongly when we push against boundaries? You see, it wasn't about the cones or the airport—it was a snapshot of a deeper, almost instinctual drive within us all. This urge to defy the norm. The urge to resist restrictions. It taps into something fundamental about human nature. The intrinsic desire for autonomy and freedom. This instinct inspired today's letter. It's about the allure of the forbidden and the resistance to being told what not to do. As it turns out, it plays in various facets of our lives. The small acts of rebellion when we pick the road less traveled The significant decisions that define our individuality The way we make decisions in general How we are influenced by people, companies, and marketing 1. Why We Chase the Forbidden Reflecting on that moment of rebellion at the airport. It’s clear this isn't just personal. It's universal. This instinct to challenge the boundaries is deeply embedded in us all. Just look at how Apple used this trait with their "Think Different" campaign. Apple didn’t sell products—they sold an idea. You know how? They aligned their brand with Einstein, Dylan, and MLK. Apple celebrated those who defy norms. They joined those who tap our desire to be part of something different. The Genius of "Think Different" Apple's strategy was a cultural statement more than it was pure marketing. These icons weren’t just talented; they were revolutionaries. Their simple message? It's cool to be different; and it's powerful to think outside the box. This strategy wasn't about selling; it was about igniting a cultural shift. Think about it—how often do we gravitate towards things just because they offer us a taste of defiance? That’s what Apple mastered. It’s almost like they marketed a rebellion. 2. The Neuroscience Behind the Temptation When we're told not to do something, our brain's instinct isn't just to listen—it's often to rebel. This rebellion is powered by our brain's reward system. Neurotransmitters, like dopamine, play a crucial role in it. We often pair dopamine with pleasure. But it's also about motivation, learning, and seeking rewards. When faced with a prohibition, our brain perceives it as a challenge. Engaging in the forbidden act and succeeding triggers a release of dopamine, which feels rewarding. Then there’s the prefrontal cortex—our brain’s rational part that tries to keep us in check. Dopamine signals pleasure and potential reward. The prefrontal cortex calculates the consequences. It tries to apply the brakes, weighing long-term outcomes against immediate gratification. Fun fact. This part of the brain is still developing in young adults. This explains why teenagers often take more risks. And boy was mine still developing during my teenage years. When you and I were barely walking on two feet and had hair to make Chewbacca jealous, our survival relied on curiosity and exploration. Survival depended on exploring the unknown and overcoming obstacles. This required questioning and testing the environment all the time. It was not about liking to try new things; it's about the neurological reward systems that encouraged those traits. It was necessary for survival, and it was neural, too. I was necessary for things like discovering what to eat. Imagine our ancestors venturing into new territories in search of something to eat. They come across a mushroom, bright red with white spots—pretty much screaming, "Don't touch me bro". But, curiosity and defiance? It's built-in. So, someone had to take the first bite, right? And you can bet they regretted it right after. That’s the kind of trial and error that taught everyone else to steer clear of the fancy fungi. But not all explorations ended badly. Sometimes, they found new, nourishing foods. These foods became staples in their diet. It makes me wonder about the first person who discovered fire—what an intense moment that must have been. Anyway, just some food for thought on your own terms. Fast forward to today. This system still urges us to push boundaries and explore new possibilities. This is true even when we’re safe from saber-toothed tigers. This legacy influences everything. It affects how we approach challenges. It explains why a simple "Do not push" button becomes almost irresistible. It explains why you felt compelled to open this letter even when explicitly told not to. Understanding these impulses allows us to channel them well. We can use them to motivate ourselves, manage others, and craft messages that resonate on a gut level. By acknowledging and embracing this innate curiosity, we can turn a simple urge into a powerful tool for engagement. 3. Defying Conventions: My Path to Independence Thinking back on where I am today, a lot of it came from just not fitting the mold. I wanted to go to an architecture school, but never could. Why? Well, I just didn't vibe with the whole school scene. My grades weren't great—not because I couldn't handle the work of because or below average intelligence. It was because I couldn't stand the way they taught things. So, I'd end up doodling and distracting others instead of paying attention. My jobs? I've always had a bit of a tough time with authority. Starting my company was my way out. I did not like having to obey my superiors at work simply because they were my superiors. When they were wrong, I made sure they knew. They did not like it, and I rarely kept a job for more than 6 months. Looking back, each of those defiant steps led me right here, to doing my own thing my own way. This journey isn't just mine. It's a testament to the power of questioning norms. This power can redefine personal paths and how we approach marketing and social engagement. Speaking of Marketing.. 4. Impact on Marketing and Social Behavior My journey away from traditional roles mirrors the tactics businesses use to captivate consumers. Here's the thing about marketing—it thrives on our natural urge to reach for the forbidden. Take "limited edition" products or "members-only" sales. This is about scarcity, but not only. It’s makes us feel like we're part of an exclusive club, stepping past the rope where others can't go. In video games, they hide Easter eggs you can only find by not following the usual paths. It turns players into insiders, sharing secrets that feel almost rebellious. Fashion plays with this, too. Look at those unannounced drops—they create a buzz by being elusive, sparking a mad dash to grab something unique before it disappears. This marketing savvy taps directly into our love for the elusive and the exclusive, turning simple buying decisions into moments of personal triumph against the norm. After stepping back into line at the airport, smirking from my small act of rebellion, I realized something crucial: the same thrill of defiance that fuels our personal choices can powerfully drive our business strategies. This realization isn't just about me—it's about how any business can tap into these universal instincts to craft compelling marketing strategies and create unforgettable customer experiences. Let's explore how this instinct for defiance can be strategically harnessed in your business to captivate and engage your audience. 5. How to Use This in Your Business - Framework and ideas Understanding Reactance in Marketing Let's talk about using reactance in a way that really resonates with people. How about we make our marketing a bit rebellious? Imagine you own a boutique coffee shop that prides itself on unique, ethically sourced beans. To use reactance, you could launch a campaign called "Not your grandma’s Bustelo." It would say that your coffee is for those who dare to taste the unique and bold. This resonates with consumers' desire to rebel. Each purchase is an act of defiance. Scarcity and Exclusivity Ever noticed how a 'limited-time offer' makes us want to buy something right now? That's scarcity at work. It's like telling people, "Hey, these gems won’t last." It makes whatever you're selling seem more valuable. It has everyone rushing to make sure they don’t miss out. Imagine this. You are a business coach. You're offering an elite retreat named " " to your top-tier clients. Figure It Out, or Die It starts with a tough, three-day jungle trek. The trek pushes clients to their physical and mental limits. This adventure sets the stage for the climax. It's a coaching session in total darkness, deep in a secluded jungle cabin. There are no distractions. This compels clients to rely only on their sharp instincts and introspective insights. Limit it to just three clients annually. This exclusive setup not only ensures a transformative experience but also plays on the scarcity effect. How much would a thrill-seeking CEO pay for such a unique challenge if marketed just right? We offer products for a limited time. This taps into a consumer's urge to defy the fear of missing out. It turns the purchase into a rebellion against the market's scarcity. Storytelling Techniques Craft your brand's story to resonate with the spirit of independence. Narratives that highlight overcoming adversity or defying odds can inspire customers to align with your brand as a statement of their values. You are the founder and can’t find a story? Call the business coach above and attend his retreat. You’ll have one 🙂 Such stories can inspire customers. They show them how to align with your brand as a statement of their values. : Contrarian Content Engage your audience with content that challenges mainstream ideas. This could be through thought leadership pieces. They take a new stance on common issues. This attracts those who appreciate a fresh perspective. Do you run a financial advisory firm? Do you want to challenge normal retirement planning? You could create a series of blog posts or videos titled “ ”. You Might Lose It All, But Your Grandkids Will Be Proud Ok, that might be a little bold. But you get the idea. And you’ll certainly get their attention. Our content challenges mainstream thoughts. It appeals to those who pride themselves on questioning the norm and valuing independent thought. In the end, whether it's stepping over a line of cones at a Polynesian airport or defying conventional marketing tactics, the allure of the forbidden runs deep within us. We have primal instincts for survival. They drive our decisions and actions. From them to the strategies of modern businesses, the urge to challenge boundaries shapes us. As you reflect on this newsletter (that you were kindly asked not to open), remember this. The most intriguing adventures start with a simple act of defiance. Embracing the spirit of rebellion can lead to unexpected discoveries and transformative experiences. As you navigate your own journey, may you find joy in pushing boundaries. Until next time, keep defying expectations and embracing the thrill of the forbidden. Strategizingly yours, Ben

Do Not Open This Article

এই নিবন্ধটি খুলবেন না

Öffnen Sie diesen Artikel nicht

No abra este artículo

N'ouvrez pas cet article

इस लेख को न खोलें

この記事を開かないでください

이 글을 열지 마세요

Não abra este artigo

Не открывайте эту статью

Bu Makaleyi Açmayın

Không mở bài viết này

不要打开这篇文章

In January 2024, OpenWater announced that it would make all of its patents, as well as the blueprints and software of the devices they developed, open source. This was an unusual yet justified step from the company, as their goal was nothing less than to initiate a revolution in healthcare. There has already been a company in the history of startups that promised a revolution in healthcare, Theranos, which ended in disgrace. Why can we still trust in the success of OpenWater? One guarantee is the company’s CEO, Mary Lou Jepsen. From Wikipedia: She was the co-founder and first chief technology officer of One Laptop per Child (OLPC), and later founded Pixel Qi in Taipei, Taiwan, focused on the design and manufacture of displays. She founded and led two moonshots at Google X, and was an executive at Facebook / Oculus VR, leading an effort to advance virtual reality. Time magazine named her in their list of the hundred most influential scientists and thinkers in the world (The 2008 Time 100). CNN named her as one of their 2013 top 10 thinkers in science and technology for her work in display innovation. She has over 200 patents published or issued. It's not a bad portfolio, right? But most importantly, Jepsen survived a brain tumor, giving her firsthand experience of the current healthcare system's problems and a strong will to change it. But what is wrong with the healthcare system? In the current system, we typically see a doctor when we have symptoms. However, in many cases, symptoms only appear in the advanced stages of a disease. Cancer is a typical example of this. Many types of cancer are easily treatable in the early stages, while they are difficult to treat or may even be untreatable in advanced stages. Prevention is very important. If we had up-to-date information about the condition of our bodies, we could stop these diseases in time. This would not only drastically increase the chances of recovery but also significantly reduce the cost of healthcare, as there would be no need for treatments required in the advanced stages. Therefore, the development of diagnostic systems is at least as important, if not more so, than the development of treatments. But diagnostics are also very important in the case of already-developed diseases. A good example is a stroke. If the patient is diagnosed within 2 hours, appropriate treatment can completely restore their condition. However, if time runs out, they may suffer very serious, permanent damage. So, in this case, too, diagnostics are crucial. The OpenWater team is working on a device that can provide information about the condition of our bodies using near-infrared light and ultrasound. Their prototype system, named OpenMotion, for example, is capable of monitoring blood flow, thus aiding in the detection of strokes. I have written a complete article about the system's operation, so I will only outline it here. The system is based on the ability of near-infrared light to penetrate deeply into the human body. It can pass through soft tissues and even bones, allowing us to see inside the human body (a TED video on the topic is available here). The problem is that the light scatters in the tissues, making it difficult to extract information, but it's not impossible! OpenWater uses an acousto-optic solution where focused ultrasound alters the wavelength of the light passing through it, effectively marking the important light rays for observation. The phase of these marked light rays can be captured with a special camera and the necessary information can be extracted using the appropriate software. A major advantage of the solution is that it can be built from relatively inexpensive components (a few-dollar laser, CCD chip, and ultrasound source), making it accessible to anyone as opposed to expensive medical equipment. However, the role of this technology is not limited to prevention and diagnostics. Advanced experiments are underway where focused ultrasound can destroy brain tumors. The everyday ultrasound technology used for examining pregnant women, when properly tuned, is capable of bursting glioblastoma cells. Additionally, experiments are being conducted on the direct ultrasound stimulation of neurons, which could successfully treat depression in the future, a condition currently only treatable with medication. It's worth considering the possibilities of the future if we combine this technology with others, such as nanotechnology or genetic engineering. For example, with the help of suitable contrast agents, it could become possible to detect diseases that previously required serious medical equipment. We could mark cancer cells, and then package the cancer cell-destroying poison using nanotechnology in such a way that it only disintegrates where we focus the ultrasound. This would allow us to target the effects of the drugs very precisely. Experiments are also underway aiming to restore vision in blind people by genetically modifying the neurons in the visual cortex so that they can be mechanically activated, allowing images to be directly transmitted into the brain using ultrasound. Moreover, we can read the state of neurons using near-infrared light, potentially restoring the ability to speak for paralyzed patients, such as those with ALS. It is evident how versatile this technology can be. That's why OpenWater is not focusing on a single disease. Instead, they are building a platform. The goal is to develop general-purpose devices based on ultrasound and near-infrared light that can be used in many areas of healing, whether for diagnostic purposes or specific treatments. This is a huge development, as from this point on, healing becomes a software problem! Imagine these general-purpose wearable devices that are accessible to everyone and include the necessary components such as near-infrared lasers or ultrasound sources. The same hardware can be used for detecting strokes or cancer, or even for treating clinical depression. It's merely a matter of programming what we use it for. A few weeks ago, I searched online to see how complicated it is to process these images with software. I found an MRI dataset and open-source software that can recognize brain tumors in MRI images with 99% effectiveness (this is my article about this). The system is a relatively simple neural network, which the developer created just as a hobby. I just want to point out that if there are appropriate tools and data, the open-source software development community can work wonders. Imagine the explosive development that could happen in healthcare with such a device and the open-source ecosystem combined. Jepsen and OpenWater see this potential, which is why they decided to build the entire platform on open-source foundations. The patents are freely usable by anyone, but the blueprints, software components, medical data, and everything needed for development are also open-source. The company's business model is to profit from manufacturing the hardware, not from the technology itself. Jepsen has experience in this area, making the model seem viable. Reforming healthcare is a monumental task. It's not something that a single traditional startup can achieve, so if Jepsen is serious about this—and she indeed is—then there was no other option but to go open source. It is evident, then, that we are talking about a revolutionary technology. One that is capable of exponential growth, potentially reforming the entire healthcare system within a few years. The only question is when it will reach the critical mass necessary for exponential explosion, and when a community will build up around the technology, similar to the one that has developed around open-source AI, which makes the progress unstoppable. I encourage everyone who works in similar fields to assist in this development and to be part of the revolution. This technology truly holds historic potential. A general healthcare hardware platform accessible to everyone, coupled with artificial intelligence-based software, could fundamentally change healthcare. This new healthcare platform is the Silicon Hospital. For more info, read Jepsen’s article about the topic, or watch her presentation on YouTube. In January 2024, OpenWater announced that it would make all of its patents, as well as the blueprints and software of the devices they developed, open source. This was an unusual yet justified step from the company, as their goal was nothing less than to initiate a revolution in healthcare. OpenWater There has already been a company in the history of startups that promised a revolution in healthcare, Theranos, which ended in disgrace. Why can we still trust in the success of OpenWater? One guarantee is the company’s CEO, Mary Lou Jepsen . Mary Lou Jepsen From Wikipedia: She was the co-founder and first chief technology officer of One Laptop per Child (OLPC), and later founded Pixel Qi in Taipei, Taiwan, focused on the design and manufacture of displays. She founded and led two moonshots at Google X, and was an executive at Facebook / Oculus VR, leading an effort to advance virtual reality. Time magazine named her in their list of the hundred most influential scientists and thinkers in the world (The 2008 Time 100). CNN named her as one of their 2013 top 10 thinkers in science and technology for her work in display innovation. She has over 200 patents published or issued. She was the co-founder and first chief technology officer of One Laptop per Child (OLPC), and later founded Pixel Qi in Taipei, Taiwan, focused on the design and manufacture of displays. She founded and led two moonshots at Google X, and was an executive at Facebook / Oculus VR, leading an effort to advance virtual reality. Time magazine named her in their list of the hundred most influential scientists and thinkers in the world (The 2008 Time 100). CNN named her as one of their 2013 top 10 thinkers in science and technology for her work in display innovation. She has over 200 patents published or issued. It's not a bad portfolio, right? But most importantly, Jepsen survived a brain tumor, giving her firsthand experience of the current healthcare system's problems and a strong will to change it. But what is wrong with the healthcare system? In the current system, we typically see a doctor when we have symptoms. However, in many cases, symptoms only appear in the advanced stages of a disease. Cancer is a typical example of this. Many types of cancer are easily treatable in the early stages, while they are difficult to treat or may even be untreatable in advanced stages. Prevention is very important. If we had up-to-date information about the condition of our bodies, we could stop these diseases in time. This would not only drastically increase the chances of recovery but also significantly reduce the cost of healthcare, as there would be no need for treatments required in the advanced stages. Therefore, the development of diagnostic systems is at least as important, if not more so, than the development of treatments. But diagnostics are also very important in the case of already-developed diseases. A good example is a stroke. If the patient is diagnosed within 2 hours, appropriate treatment can completely restore their condition. However, if time runs out, they may suffer very serious, permanent damage. So, in this case, too, diagnostics are crucial. The OpenWater team is working on a device that can provide information about the condition of our bodies using near-infrared light and ultrasound. Their prototype system, named OpenMotion, for example, is capable of monitoring blood flow, thus aiding in the detection of strokes. I have written a complete article about the system 's operation, so I will only outline it here. I have written a complete article about the system The system is based on the ability of near-infrared light to penetrate deeply into the human body. It can pass through soft tissues and even bones, allowing us to see inside the human body (a TED video on the topic is available here). The problem is that the light scatters in the tissues, making it difficult to extract information, but it's not impossible! OpenWater uses an acousto-optic solution where focused ultrasound alters the wavelength of the light passing through it, effectively marking the important light rays for observation. The phase of these marked light rays can be captured with a special camera and the necessary information can be extracted using the appropriate software. TED video acousto-optic A major advantage of the solution is that it can be built from relatively inexpensive components (a few-dollar laser, CCD chip, and ultrasound source), making it accessible to anyone as opposed to expensive medical equipment. However, the role of this technology is not limited to prevention and diagnostics. Advanced experiments are underway where focused ultrasound can destroy brain tumors. The everyday ultrasound technology used for examining pregnant women, when properly tuned, is capable of bursting glioblastoma cells. Additionally, experiments are being conducted on the direct ultrasound stimulation of neurons, which could successfully treat depression in the future, a condition currently only treatable with medication. It's worth considering the possibilities of the future if we combine this technology with others, such as nanotechnology or genetic engineering. For example, with the help of suitable contrast agents, it could become possible to detect diseases that previously required serious medical equipment. We could mark cancer cells, and then package the cancer cell-destroying poison using nanotechnology in such a way that it only disintegrates where we focus the ultrasound. This would allow us to target the effects of the drugs very precisely. Experiments are also underway aiming to restore vision in blind people by genetically modifying the neurons in the visual cortex so that they can be mechanically activated, allowing images to be directly transmitted into the brain using ultrasound. Moreover, we can read the state of neurons using near-infrared light, potentially restoring the ability to speak for paralyzed patients, such as those with ALS. It is evident how versatile this technology can be. That's why OpenWater is not focusing on a single disease. Instead, they are building a platform. The goal is to develop general-purpose devices based on ultrasound and near-infrared light that can be used in many areas of healing, whether for diagnostic purposes or specific treatments. This is a huge development, as from this point on, healing becomes a software problem! This is a huge development, as from this point on, healing becomes a software problem! This is a huge development, as from this point on, healing becomes a software problem! Imagine these general-purpose wearable devices that are accessible to everyone and include the necessary components such as near-infrared lasers or ultrasound sources. The same hardware can be used for detecting strokes or cancer, or even for treating clinical depression. It's merely a matter of programming what we use it for. A few weeks ago, I searched online to see how complicated it is to process these images with software. I found an MRI dataset and open-source software that can recognize brain tumors in MRI images with 99% effectiveness ( this is my article about this ). The system is a relatively simple neural network, which the developer created just as a hobby. I just want to point out that if there are appropriate tools and data, the open-source software development community can work wonders. Imagine the explosive development that could happen in healthcare with such a device and the open-source ecosystem combined. this is my article about this Jepsen and OpenWater see this potential, which is why they decided to build the entire platform on open-source foundations. The patents are freely usable by anyone, but the blueprints, software components, medical data, and everything needed for development are also open-source. The company's business model is to profit from manufacturing the hardware, not from the technology itself. Jepsen has experience in this area, making the model seem viable. Reforming healthcare is a monumental task. It's not something that a single traditional startup can achieve, so if Jepsen is serious about this—and she indeed is—then there was no other option but to go open source. It is evident, then, that we are talking about a revolutionary technology. One that is capable of exponential growth, potentially reforming the entire healthcare system within a few years. The only question is when it will reach the critical mass necessary for exponential explosion, and when a community will build up around the technology, similar to the one that has developed around open-source AI, which makes the progress unstoppable. I encourage everyone who works in similar fields to assist in this development and to be part of the revolution. This technology truly holds historic potential. A general healthcare hardware platform accessible to everyone, coupled with artificial intelligence-based software, could fundamentally change healthcare. This new healthcare platform is the Silicon Hospital. For more info, read Jepsen’s article about the topic , or watch her presentation on YouTube . read Jepsen’s article about the topic watch her presentation on YouTube

The Silicon Hospital: Silicon and Software Could Replace Drugs

সিলিকন হাসপাতাল: সিলিকন এবং সফটওয়্যার ওষুধ প্রতিস্থাপন করতে পারে

Das Silicon Hospital: Silizium und Software könnten Medikamente ersetzen

The Silicon Hospital: El silicio y el software podrían sustituir a los medicamentos

The Silicon Hospital : le silicium et les logiciels pourraient remplacer les médicaments

सिलिकॉन अस्पताल: सिलिकॉन और सॉफ्टवेयर दवाओं की जगह ले सकते हैं

シリコン病院：シリコンとソフトウェアが医薬品に取って代わる可能性

실리콘 병원: 실리콘과 소프트웨어가 약물을 대체할 수 있음

O Hospital do Silício: Silício e Software Podem Substituir Medicamentos

Силиконовая больница: кремний и программное обеспечение могут заменить лекарства

Silikon Hastanesi: Silikon ve Yazılım İlaçların Yerini Alabilir

Bệnh viện Silicon: Silicon và phần mềm có thể thay thế thuốc

硅医院：硅和软件可以取代药物

Stack: Older developers and engineers might remember the LAMP stack💡  and although it’s reengineered, if we strip down everything to the basics what we find and need is: an operating system


a web server


a database


a programming language What I’m going to talk to you today is how I reimagined the LAMP stack in an alternative format: Linux
Apache
MySql
Php
to:
Ubuntu
Apache
Sqlite3
Python What Does It Take? Nowadays, all that I hear all too often is: “I want to become a developer how do I get started?”, “I want to become a developer what laptop do I need?” or “Do I need to buy the latest MacBook to become a developer?” and to be honest, it’s starting to get to me. No kids, you don’t need the latest fancy tech or a rocket🚀 to become a developer, what you need is an operating system that is capable of installing programming packages and can compile them; you can even use your grandma’s old laptop. And now you ask: “How can this be?!” Let’s take a short trip down memory lane; almost 3 and a half years ago, I started tinkering with an SBC - single board computer that starts at under 50E to buy, and on it right now, I have a web server, a database, am performing hundreds of web-scrapes per hour, and on top of it, I’m working on developing an API endpoint. This SBC is not even the latest in its range and has: 8GB of LPDDR4  internal memory


1.5GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU (launched in 2015) - that you can easily and safely overclock at 2GHz (+fan extension & heatsink) Here’s what GPT has to say about these specs:
The specifications you provided are decent for certain types of computing tasks, but they may not be sufficient for others. Here's an evaluation: 8GB LPDDR4 internal memory:
LPDDR4 is a relatively fast and power-efficient type of RAM commonly used in mobile devices and some laptops.
8GB is a moderate amount of memory that should be sufficient for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and light multitasking. It can also handle moderate gaming and content creation applications.
However, for more demanding tasks like video editing, graphic design, or running virtual machines, 8GB may be limiting, and you might experience performance bottlenecks.
1.5GHz Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU:


The ARM Cortex-A72 is a capable processor design commonly found in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.


A quad-core configuration means it has four cores, allowing it to handle multiple tasks simultaneously more efficiently.


The 1.5GHz clock speed is decent for general-purpose computing tasks, including web browsing, media consumption, and productivity applications.


However, for more demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, or running complex software, a higher clock speed and possibly more cores would provide better performance.
In summary, these specifications are suitable for light to moderate computing tasks, such as everyday productivity, web browsing, and multimedia consumption. However, for more demanding tasks or future-proofing, you may want to consider upgrading to a system with more RAM and a faster CPU. Trust me, in the beginning, light to moderate is more than sufficient, so with a Pi board, you can easily have a working desktop environment in which you can learn how to code, and not only frontend but even backend programming languages such as Python, c++ (which is even more energy efficient), or javascript. What do I use? On my Raspberry Pi, I am developing code with: Ubuntu Desktop - courtesy of desktopify:

Which I had to secure and in doing so I learned about:


web server vulnerabilities


firewalls


antivirus


intrusion prevention software IPS


networking


DNS


strong password management


ssh keys


SSL certificates






VSCode remotely connecting to the server


Python3 scripts which scrape the web and build HTML webpages embodied by CSS


requests


selenium


pandas


parallel processing - concurrent.futures




Javascript coupled with PHP here and there.


Python3 scripts that automatically write in my Sqlite3 database in JSON format.


Flask app, a small and lightweight Python web framework that provides useful tools and features that make creating web applications in Python.


And lastly, a Javascript piece of code that calls the Flask endpoint - a RESTful API endpoint
For close to 4 years at a definitely amortized cost of 120E and < 4E per month in electricity🔌. To summarize everything, here’s the BerryNews system architecture: The key factors here are Efficient Resource Utilization + Resource Utilization Constraints. Why splurge when you can write efficient code? Conclusion: If we were to sum up everything, we’d end up with a table such as this on a 100-dollar computer: Category

Keywords



Programming languages

Python3, Javascript, PHP, CSS, HTML, SQL



Data formats

JSON



Frameworks

flask, selenium, concurrent.futures



Databases

sqlite3



Networking

router config, DNS



Cybersecurity

UFW (firewall), ClamAV (antivirus), Fail2ban (IPS), password management, SSH Keys, Let’s Encrypt (SSL certificate)



Linux

Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu Desktop, VSCode So, tell me, do you still think you need the latest laptop specs to become a developer? Stack: Stack: Older developers and engineers might remember the LAMP stack💡  and although it’s reengineered, if we strip down everything to the basics what we find and need is: strip down everything to basics an operating system a web server a database a programming language an operating system an operating system a web server a web server a database a database a programming language a programming language What I’m going to talk to you today is how I reimagined the LAMP stack in an alternative format : the LAMP stack in an alternative format Linux Apache MySql Php
to: Ubuntu Apache Sqlite3 Python Linux Apache MySql Php to: to: Ubuntu Apache Sqlite3 Python What Does It Take? What Does It Take? Nowadays, all that I hear all too often is: “I want to become a developer how do I get started?”, “I want to become a developer what laptop do I need?” or “Do I need to buy the latest MacBook to become a developer?” and to be honest, it’s starting to get to me. No kids , you don’t need the latest fancy tech or a rocket🚀 to become a developer, what you need is an operating system that is capable of installing programming packages and can compile them; you can even use your grandma’s old laptop. And now you ask: “How can this be?!” No kids Let’s take a short trip down memory lane; almost 3 and a half years ago, I started tinkering with an SBC - single board compute r that starts at under 50E to buy, and on it right now, I have a web server, a database, am performing hundreds of web-scrapes per hour, and on top of it, I’m working on developing an API endpoint. SBC single board compute This SBC is not even the latest in its range and has: SBC 8GB of LPDDR4  internal memory 1.5GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU (launched in 2015) - that you can easily and safely overclock at 2GHz (+fan extension & heatsink) 8GB of LPDDR4  internal memory 8GB of LPDDR4  internal memory 1.5GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU (launched in 2015) - that you can easily and safely overclock at 2GHz (+fan extension & heatsink) 1.5GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU (launched in 2015) - that you can easily and safely overclock at 2GHz (+fan extension & heatsink) Here’s what GPT has to say about these specs:
The specifications you provided are decent for certain types of computing tasks, but they may not be sufficient for others. Here's an evaluation: 8GB LPDDR4 internal memory: LPDDR4 is a relatively fast and power-efficient type of RAM commonly used in mobile devices and some laptops. 8GB is a moderate amount of memory that should be sufficient for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and light multitasking. It can also handle moderate gaming and content creation applications. However, for more demanding tasks like video editing, graphic design, or running virtual machines, 8GB may be limiting, and you might experience performance bottlenecks. 1.5GHz Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU:


The ARM Cortex-A72 is a capable processor design commonly found in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.


A quad-core configuration means it has four cores, allowing it to handle multiple tasks simultaneously more efficiently.


The 1.5GHz clock speed is decent for general-purpose computing tasks, including web browsing, media consumption, and productivity applications.


However, for more demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, or running complex software, a higher clock speed and possibly more cores would provide better performance.
In summary, these specifications are suitable for light to moderate computing tasks, such as everyday productivity, web browsing, and multimedia consumption. However, for more demanding tasks or future-proofing, you may want to consider upgrading to a system with more RAM and a faster CPU. 8GB LPDDR4 internal memory: LPDDR4 is a relatively fast and power-efficient type of RAM commonly used in mobile devices and some laptops. 8GB is a moderate amount of memory that should be sufficient for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and light multitasking. It can also handle moderate gaming and content creation applications. However, for more demanding tasks like video editing, graphic design, or running virtual machines, 8GB may be limiting, and you might experience performance bottlenecks. 1.5GHz Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU: The ARM Cortex-A72 is a capable processor design commonly found in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.


A quad-core configuration means it has four cores, allowing it to handle multiple tasks simultaneously more efficiently.


The 1.5GHz clock speed is decent for general-purpose computing tasks, including web browsing, media consumption, and productivity applications.


However, for more demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, or running complex software, a higher clock speed and possibly more cores would provide better performance.
In summary, these specifications are suitable for light to moderate computing tasks, such as everyday productivity, web browsing, and multimedia consumption. However, for more demanding tasks or future-proofing, you may want to consider upgrading to a system with more RAM and a faster CPU. The ARM Cortex-A72 is a capable processor design commonly found in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. A quad-core configuration means it has four cores, allowing it to handle multiple tasks simultaneously more efficiently. The 1.5GHz clock speed is decent for general-purpose computing tasks, including web browsing, media consumption, and productivity applications. However, for more demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, or running complex software, a higher clock speed and possibly more cores would provide better performance.
In summary, these specifications are suitable for light to moderate computing tasks, such as everyday productivity, web browsing, and multimedia consumption. However, for more demanding tasks or future-proofing, you may want to consider upgrading to a system with more RAM and a faster CPU. The ARM Cortex-A72 is a capable processor design commonly found in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. The ARM Cortex-A72 is a capable processor design commonly found in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. A quad-core configuration means it has four cores, allowing it to handle multiple tasks simultaneously more efficiently. A quad-core configuration means it has four cores, allowing it to handle multiple tasks simultaneously more efficiently. The 1.5GHz clock speed is decent for general-purpose computing tasks, including web browsing, media consumption, and productivity applications. The 1.5GHz clock speed is decent for general-purpose computing tasks, including web browsing, media consumption, and productivity applications. However, for more demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, or running complex software, a higher clock speed and possibly more cores would provide better performance.
In summary, these specifications are suitable for light to moderate computing tasks, such as everyday productivity, web browsing, and multimedia consumption. However, for more demanding tasks or future-proofing, you may want to consider upgrading to a system with more RAM and a faster CPU. However, for more demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, or running complex software, a higher clock speed and possibly more cores would provide better performance.
In summary, these specifications are suitable for light to moderate computing tasks, such as everyday productivity, web browsing, and multimedia consumption. However, for more demanding tasks or future-proofing, you may want to consider upgrading to a system with more RAM and a faster CPU. Trust me, in the beginning, light to moderate is more than sufficient, so with a Pi board, you can easily have a working desktop environment in which you can learn how to code, and not only frontend but even backend programming languages such as Python, c++ (which is even more energy efficient), or javascript. desktop What do I use? What do I use? On my Raspberry Pi, I am developing code with: Ubuntu Desktop - courtesy of desktopify:

Which I had to secure and in doing so I learned about:


web server vulnerabilities


firewalls


antivirus


intrusion prevention software IPS


networking


DNS


strong password management


ssh keys


SSL certificates VSCode remotely connecting to the server Python3 scripts which scrape the web and build HTML webpages embodied by CSS


requests


selenium


pandas


parallel processing - concurrent.futures Javascript coupled with PHP here and there. Python3 scripts that automatically write in my Sqlite3 database in JSON format. Flask app, a small and lightweight Python web framework that provides useful tools and features that make creating web applications in Python. And lastly, a Javascript piece of code that calls the Flask endpoint - a RESTful API endpoint
For close to 4 years at a definitely amortized cost of 120E and < 4E per month in electricity🔌. Ubuntu Desktop - courtesy of desktopify: Which I had to secure and in doing so I learned about:


web server vulnerabilities


firewalls


antivirus


intrusion prevention software IPS


networking


DNS


strong password management


ssh keys


SSL certificates Ubuntu Desktop - courtesy of desktopify : Ubuntu desktopify Which I had to secure and in doing so I learned about:


web server vulnerabilities


firewalls


antivirus


intrusion prevention software IPS


networking


DNS


strong password management


ssh keys


SSL certificates Which I had to secure and in doing so I learned about: web server vulnerabilities


firewalls


antivirus


intrusion prevention software IPS


networking


DNS


strong password management


ssh keys


SSL certificates secure web server vulnerabilities firewalls antivirus intrusion prevention software IPS networking DNS strong password management ssh keys SSL certificates web server vulnerabilities web server vulnerabilities web server vulnerabilities firewalls firewalls antivirus antivirus intrusion prevention software IPS intrusion prevention software IPS networking networking DNS DNS DNS strong password management strong password management ssh keys ssh keys ssh keys SSL certificates SSL certificates SSL certificates VSCode remotely connecting to the server VSCode remotely connecting to the server Python3 scripts which scrape the web and build HTML webpages embodied by CSS requests


selenium


pandas


parallel processing - concurrent.futures Python3 scripts which scrape the web and build HTML webpages embodied by CSS Python3 HTML CSS requests selenium pandas parallel processing - concurrent.futures requests requests selenium selenium pandas pandas parallel processing - concurrent.futures parallel processing - concurrent.futures Javascript coupled with PHP here and there. Javascript coupled with PHP here and there. Javascript PHP Python3 scripts that automatically write in my Sqlite3 database in JSON format. Python3 scripts that automatically write in my Sqlite3 database in JSON format. Sqlite3 JSON Flask app, a small and lightweight Python web framework that provides useful tools and features that make creating web applications in Python. Flask app, a small and lightweight Python web framework that provides useful tools and features that make creating web applications in Python. Flask web framework And lastly, a Javascript piece of code that calls the Flask endpoint - a RESTful API endpoint For close to 4 years at a definitely amortized cost of 120E and < 4E per month in electricity🔌. And lastly, a Javascript piece of code that calls the Flask endpoint - a RESTful API endpoint endpoint RESTful For close to 4 years at a definitely amortized cost of 120E and < 4E per month in electricity🔌. To summarize everything, here’s the BerryNews system architecture: The key factors here are Efficient Resource Utilization + Resource Utilization Constraints . Efficient Resource Utilization Resource Utilization Constraints Why splurge when you can write efficient code? Conclusion: If we were to sum up everything, we’d end up with a table such as this on a 100-dollar computer: Category

Keywords



Programming languages

Python3, Javascript, PHP, CSS, HTML, SQL



Data formats

JSON



Frameworks

flask, selenium, concurrent.futures



Databases

sqlite3



Networking

router config, DNS



Cybersecurity

UFW (firewall), ClamAV (antivirus), Fail2ban (IPS), password management, SSH Keys, Let’s Encrypt (SSL certificate)



Linux

Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu Desktop, VSCode Category

Keywords Programming languages

Python3, Javascript, PHP, CSS, HTML, SQL Data formats

JSON Frameworks

flask, selenium, concurrent.futures Databases

sqlite3 Networking

router config, DNS Cybersecurity

UFW (firewall), ClamAV (antivirus), Fail2ban (IPS), password management, SSH Keys, Let’s Encrypt (SSL certificate) Linux

Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu Desktop, VSCode Category Keywords Category Category Category Keywords Keywords Keywords Programming languages Python3, Javascript, PHP, CSS, HTML, SQL Programming languages Programming languages Python3, Javascript, PHP, CSS, HTML, SQL Python3, Javascript, PHP, CSS, HTML, SQL Data formats JSON Data formats Data formats JSON JSON Frameworks flask, selenium, concurrent.futures Frameworks Frameworks flask, selenium, concurrent.futures flask, selenium, concurrent.futures Databases sqlite3 Databases Databases sqlite3 sqlite3 Networking router config, DNS Networking Networking router config, DNS router config, DNS Cybersecurity UFW (firewall), ClamAV (antivirus), Fail2ban (IPS), password management, SSH Keys, Let’s Encrypt (SSL certificate) Cybersecurity Cybersecurity UFW (firewall), ClamAV (antivirus), Fail2ban (IPS), password management, SSH Keys, Let’s Encrypt (SSL certificate) UFW ( firewall ), ClamAV ( antivirus ), Fail2ban ( IPS ), password management, SSH Keys, Let’s Encrypt ( SSL certificate ) firewall antivirus IPS SSL certificate Linux Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu Desktop, VSCode Linux Linux Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu Desktop, VSCode Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu Desktop, VSCode So, tell me, do you still think you need the latest laptop specs to become a developer? So, tell me, do you still think you need the latest laptop specs to become a developer?

RaspberryPi: Technology Overload - LAMP🕯 to UASP🐝

রাস্পবেরিপি: প্রযুক্তি ওভারলোড - LAMP🕯 থেকে UASP🐝

RaspberryPi: Technologie-Überlastung – LAMP🕯 zu UASP🐝

RaspberryPi: Sobrecarga tecnológica: LAMP🕯 a UASP🐝

RaspberryPi : surcharge technologique - LAMP🕯 vers UASP🐝

रास्पबेरीपाई: प्रौद्योगिकी अधिभार - LAMP🕯 से UASP🐝 तक

RaspberryPi: テクノロジーの過剰 - LAMP🕯からUASP🐝まで

RaspberryPi: 기술 과부하 - LAMP🕯에서 UASP🐝까지

RaspberryPi: sobrecarga de tecnologia - LAMP🕯 para UASP🐝

RaspberryPi: технологическая перегрузка — от LAMP🕯 до UASP🐝

RaspberryPi: Aşırı Teknoloji Yükü - LAMP🕯'den UASP🐝'ye

RaspberryPi: Quá tải công nghệ - LAMP🕯 đến UASP🐝

RaspberryPi：技术超载 - 从 LAMP🕯 到 UASP🐝

A time is coming when your thoughts will be the only activity you need to get things done. Have you ever been so caught up with work, you don't want to move a muscle? You are not willing to use your voice because you feel the ideas will escape once you do. So, what do you do when you suddenly wish your favorite songs were playing at that moment, but you feel too lazy to pick up your phone or call Siri's attention to turn on your playlist? If only your thoughts could make the orders, right? Here, you are thinking, "Siri, play me 'Easy on Me' by Adele" and seconds later the sound fills your workspace. Then you think, "Nope, too low. Siri, increase the volume to 10", and the volume gets adjusted to suit what’s on your mind perfectly. Your brain alone processes commands without any effort from your mouth. I guess that can be seen as a grand breakthrough in the history of neuroscience—or probably not! Let's find out what this means for the world collectively. What Exactly is Neurocomputing? Neurocomputing is a branch of neuroscience that deals with the examination of brain patterns and activities. It is a subfield of cognitive neuroscience that scientifically studies the biological mechanisms and reactions of the brain to different experiences. The term applies to the process of reading, analyzing, and interpreting brain activities by utilizing brain sensors and an imaging framework to examine how our brain reacts in response to different emotions. This is usually through the use of a Brain-Computer Interface Device. The framework, in this case, is called the "triad,” a 3-step process of emotion-valuation, sensory-motor, and meaning-knowledge evaluation. With the introduction of Al, neuroscientists hit a new milestone with brain activity studies. The Rise of Neurocomputing Would you have ever imagined that one day, the content of your thoughts could be read by devices? Science fiction? Sure! Why not? We see a lot of that. But reality? That's almost impossible (or so we thought). Lie detectors were the most mind readers, but they can never detect what your thoughts are word by word. However, technology always seems to awe us as time progresses because the technology we once thought only existed in movies is right here! The use of brainwave-controlled devices to read minds began with the invention of Electro Encephalogram (EEG) in the 1900s. History has it that the German psychiatrist, Hans Berger, created the in neurosurgery. first EEG brain recording These devices, fitted with sensors, were used mostly to monitor and record a patient's brain activity. When placed on your scalp, the sensors pick up electrical signals produced by the brain, which can be interpreted. Around 2008, consumer-focused EEG became commercialized for public use. and —both tech companies—were among the early players in this scene as they released EEG headsets with the promise to create mind-controlled video games. NeuroSky Emotive Furthermore, it began being tested in other areas besides video games, like how it could be used to control your phone or other activities by companies like and . iBrain Muse Relief from Brain-Computer Interfaces Technology Innovations and advanced companies like Meta and Neuralink notched it up with their research into Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) - a technology that can pick thoughts directly from brain neurons and translate them into words. This technology uses AI algorithms to read brain activity and decode emotions into words. Between 2017 and 2019, Meta began funding . As of March 2022, the funded Nature Neuroscience, UCSF researchers achieved brain-to-text decoding with an average error rate as low as 3% when it was tested with vocabularies of up to 300 words—a huge advancement from previous studies. this technology research into At the same time, Elon Musk's Neuralink is already making a good deal of progress with its flexible ultra-thin threads that can be implanted directly into the brain, enabling the carrier to control their gadgets/devices with their thoughts. This is already being tested on paraplegics. The technology has been very much welcomed by paralytic patients who need to gain a good level of control over their lives again. Neuralink has already begun testing the brain threads on paraplegics. Case Study of Neurocomputing Although this technological concept sounds somewhat new, neurocomputing has been in the research and development stage for years, and test-flight gadgets are already being produced. The possibilities of mind reading and brainwave-controlled gadgets are endless. Scientists continue to look into ways to integrate them into our lives, experimenting across various sectors with the possible use of non-invasive EEG devices and BCIs. Many of these experiments are often procedures aimed at helping the physically and mentally disabled to communicate their needs and gain some control over their lives. The world is not new to cases of patients who can not speak due to sicknesses, paralysis, stroke, or just being born that way. So when, for the first time in history, researchers at the GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre, University of Technology Sydney, invented a portable non-invasive device that could translate thoughts into words, it was seen as a breakthrough in neurocomputing. Breakthrough at the GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre: At the time, though, the accuracy was questionable, but with the initial goal achieved, it would only take more years of developing it to increase its accuracy rating. We already find Meta and Neuralink taking up this task with BCIs and electron threads. Evolving neurocomputing also makes smooth communication possible between humans and machines, be it our gadgets, robots, or prosthetic arms. The history of neurocomputing and brain-controlled devices left a remarkable mark in the FIFA 2014 World Cup when, for the first time, the symbolic kick-off event for the tournament was led and completed by a paraplegic man using an advanced assisted mobility technology—a brain-controlled exoskeleton. The FIFA 2014 World Cup Kick-Off Event: This technology, by , a collaborative invention of over 100 scientists from around the world, made use of a set of non-invasive electrodes to read the brain signals from the paraplegic and transmit them to the lightweight exoskeleton triggering movements that helped the man complete the kick-off successfully. The Walk Again Project In the same year of the FIFA World Cup kick-off event, the director of the Center for Neuromodulation, Ohio State University, Dr. Ali Rezai, performed a on 26-year-old quadriplegic Ian Burkhart. Paralyzed Ian Burkhart Regained Mobility: life-changing surgery The surgery involved implanting a tiny 4 x 4 mm microchip into Burkhart's motor cortex, used alongside an electrical sleeve and purpose-made algorithms. This allowed the sensors to trigger his thoughts to control his hands and fingers while bypassing his damaged spinal cord. It was a success. This is not the only successful brain implant in the history of neurocomputing; a man paralyzed from the shoulders down has also been able to regain control of his paralyzed muscles by bypassing the injured spinal cord with the into his motor cortex. implantation of two aspirin-sized 96-channel electrode arrays EEG devices and BCIs are greatly contributing to improved quality of life for disabled people. Other Notable Strides: But we can't say that brain-controlled and mind-reading devices are only for the sick and disabled. These devices could also be used to carry out other tasks/activities for the good of everyone: BBC and This Place teamed up to create a mind-reading headset to enable its user to control the with their thoughts—goodbye to remote controls. BBC iPlayer A team led by an Associate Professor at the KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, . Suk-Won Hwang, developed E-Glasses This prototype eyeglass is made up of flexible electrode sensors located between the ears and eyes of the wearer. First, the electrodes consist of an EEG to monitor the brain's electrical activity and an ElectroOculogram (EOG) to track eye movements and transmit both from the glasses to a device for processing and interpretation. This glass can be used to monitor the mental health of the wearer, help them control games with their eyes, and turn on and off the sunglasses mode when the wearer needs it. Nissan and NASA are working together to build a self-driving robot car technology called that can read, monitor, and measure a driver's brain activity to know if he/she is alert to drive or not. Mind Sense In an exciting twist of things, in 2013, NASA came up with the crazy idea of using . Together with scientists from the University of Essex, they launched a project to control a virtual spaceship with the mind. BCIs to control planetary rovers A competition was held in 2016 by neuroscientists at the University of Florida, a competition that had pilot flying their drones to the finish line by using their minds. Brain Drone Race And the list goes on and on. But like every other technology and thing that exists, there will always be pros and cons to consider. The Ethical Considerations of Neurocomputing Neurocomputing is a technology that is already transforming lives, especially for paraplegics, who, in many cases, have been able to get robotic body parts that can be controlled with their minds or bypass spinal cord injuries to stimulate their bodies into motion through brain neuron implants. People who couldn't talk can now communicate their feelings and what they want/need and interact through mind-reading gadgets. For everyone else abled people, organizations, and companies that wish to apply these gadgets in their daily lives or their various sectors, it is very much achievable. It can bring "ease" into certain activities and, perhaps, create a more quiet world. However, the implantation of invasive BCIs into the brain involves a surgical procedure that is almost too risky to be considered. The brain is a fragile organ; damage to it can lead to mental abnormalities or even brain death. As such, the risk of brain implants makes this technology far-fetched for fully functional humans. Paraplegics, on the other hand, can wager these procedures because of the quest to have a better quality of life. A delicate situation, but if that is what it takes for them not to be stuck in a static world at the mercy of others, it is worth the risky shot. This is why BCIs by companies like Neuralink and Meta, although envisioned to cater to all and sundry, are more appealing to the paralytic section of the world at the moment. Because of these concerns, scientists are looking back into non-invasive methods of mind reading. Last year, researchers at the , University of Technology Sydney, invented a portable, non-invasive cap-like device that could translate thoughts into words when placed on the head. GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre Additionally, scientists from the University of Texas, Austin, developed to translate the thoughts in one's brain into actual speech by monitoring the brain's activity involving the use of fMRI and Al language models. a non-invasive technique The accuracy of these techniques was average. However, with the intended goal achieved, it would only take more years of development to increase its accuracy. Still, no one wants to walk around carrying a headpiece with cords sticking out, and neither can they carry fMRI machines all day. Hence, there is a need for less obvious, non-intrusive devices or less risky invasive BCIs. While the world can be swamped by Brainwave-controlled devices that read our minds, it poses serious concerns. One day, like every other day, we'll be carrying out activities with silent thoughts all in our heads, but this is the sad part: organizations would be able to read, monitor, store, access, and use these thoughts when needed. As tragic as this sounds, it is already in progress. The thoughts in our brain are currently our only inaccessible assets, our privacy safe, our most intimate thoughts, and our personal identity—no one should be able to access our minds. Data Privacy: But with the recent discoveries and technologies in neuroscience, this intrinsic privacy may be breached sooner than we know, leaving us truly vulnerable to Big Tech companies and organizations. If we lose control of our minds, if any company can spy into our thoughts, what else do we have left of ourselves? Just like we have on the internet, companies would be able to buy and access our brain data for targeted marketing. The first appeal for every product starts with the brain. You may not be able to say it, but you can think it accurately. Imagine advertisers having that exact information just as we feel it; then, they will be able to market their products in a practically irresistible way. Neurocomputing and mind-reading devices would make brain data available on a massive scale, and this is also very detrimental to us. Think about it; aside from compelling advertising, how safe are you? The brain is where all your secrets lie: your passwords, location, investments, amount of money you own, where you saved your assets, etc. A brain data hack would mean a loss too great to bear. The argument of some neuroscientists that the potential for misuse of neurocomputing and mind reading is so great that there needs to be a revamp of the human rights laws to protect us all is valid. Because this technology has what it takes to interfere with our most basic rights, the current laws are not fully equipped to salvage the situation; we need a new "jurisprudence of the mind" for our protection. So, in all, our biggest challenge is privacy and safety! What's the future? A quiet world. Maybe what we need? Or maybe not. Elon Musk and his company, Neuralink, have been at the forefront, pushing the concept of neurocomputing beyond the idea of it being the help for paraplegics only. For Musk, it would take conceptual interactions to a whole new level where words and conversations don't have to be verbalized, just thought. He calls it "consensual telepathy,” a realm where your speech becomes completely unnecessary. You can walk into a room with people conversing but not conversing because their thoughts are flying invisibly between them. Reading that now, it does sound uncanny. What becomes of our speech? Oh! I know what you are thinking, "there would never be a day when our speech isn't needed,” and of course, that's somewhat true. But come to think of it, before the advent of mobile phones, would there have been a day we thought we'd be so glued to these gadgets we'd rarely appreciate physical communication and rather be embedded in virtual conversations? I don't think so. When all you need is your thoughts to perform the most basic activities like ordering a coffee from a cafe, asking your friend to pass you the popcorn at a movie, communicating a proposal to your boss, conversing verbally on a date, etc., you may slowly lose touch of actual words. Almost the same way, we are slowly losing touch with writing on paper because we'd rather type into our computers, tablets, or phones. Well, there's no denying the fact that it sounds pretty interesting, too. You'd never have to say you don't know how to express yourself because your mind will do all the expressing for you where words would have escaped you. The concept of your feelings will flow just as you feel them, and no matter how disgruntled they are, your receiver will get the exact message with the fear, excitement, contempt, and all the fleeting emotions - conveyed just as it is. Also, the advancement of this technology would eliminate the language barrier. Whatever we think can be communicated directly to the recipient in whatever language desired. What neurocomputing proposes for the future is both unsettling and intriguing, but we really can't stop technology from evolving, and neither can we stop the future. We only hope that measures are instituted to mitigate the cons while we hope for the best.

From Science Fiction to Reality: The Promise of Neurocomputing and Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)

কল্পবিজ্ঞান থেকে বাস্তবে: নিউরোকম্পিউটিং এবং ব্রেন-কম্পিউটার ইন্টারফেসের প্রতিশ্রুতি (BCIs)

Von der Science-Fiction zur Realität: Das Versprechen von Neurocomputing und Brain-Computer-Interfaces (BCIs)

De la ciencia ficción a la realidad: la promesa de la neurocomputación y las interfaces cerebro-computadora (BCI)

De la science-fiction à la réalité : la promesse de la neuroinformatique et des interfaces cerveau-ordinateur (BCI)

विज्ञान कथा से वास्तविकता तक: न्यूरोकंप्यूटिंग और मस्तिष्क-कंप्यूटर इंटरफेस (बीसीआई) का वादा

サイエンスフィクションから現実へ: ニューロコンピューティングと脳コンピュータインターフェース (BCI) の可能性

SF에서 현실로: 신경컴퓨팅과 뇌-컴퓨터 인터페이스(BCI)의 전망

Da ficção científica à realidade: a promessa da neurocomputação e das interfaces cérebro-computador (BCIs)

От научной фантастики к реальности: перспективы нейрокомпьютеров и интерфейсов «мозг-компьютер» (BCI)

Bilim Kurgudan Gerçeğe: Nörobilgisayar ve Beyin-Bilgisayar Arayüzlerinin (BCI) Vaadi

Từ khoa học viễn tưởng đến hiện thực: Lời hứa về giao diện máy tính thần kinh và não-máy tính (BCI)

从科幻到现实：神经计算和脑机接口 (BCI) 的前景

Why Humans Are Drawn to Games

কেন মানুষ গেমের প্রতি আকৃষ্ট হয়

Warum Menschen sich zu Spielen hingezogen fühlen

Por qué los humanos se sienten atraídos por los juegos

Pourquoi les humains sont attirés par les jeux

मनुष्य खेलों की ओर क्यों आकर्षित होते हैं?

人間がゲームに惹かれる理由

인간이 게임에 끌리는 이유

Por que os humanos são atraídos pelos jogos

Почему людей привлекают игры

İnsanlar Neden Oyunlara Çekilir?

Tại sao con người bị thu hút bởi trò chơi

人类为何热衷于游戏

Why You Should Forget Everything You Know About Problem Solving

You think that being stuck is a permanent state, and this is the pattern you go through every time: You encounter a new challenge.
Your brain resists it.
It hasn’t been trained to handle discomfort effectively.
You revert to what’s comfortable and familiar.
You shut yourself off from potential growth and enlightenment.
You feel stuck, unfulfilled and unhappy. When you face the challenge of feeling stagnant in your career, in your personal life, nothing seems to help you progress. You feel not just stuck, but regressing. The worst part of it was that in some strange way, it also feels “comfortable” being stuck. I’m sure you have that feeling, because we are wired the same way, and so do I. I wanted to understand why we are so resistant to change, to discomfort. Why is it that it’s easier for us to stay in situations we don’t like while we know damn well it’s not the right path. Why is change hard? Why makes hard things hard? Well, I got some answers while reading a research paper from computational neurobiologist Andrew Gallimore. I finally got a better understanding of how our brain constructs reality, how it cheats us by wanting to save energy, and how we can hack it. 1. Understanding Our Brain: A Reality-Building Machine I won’t bore you with the very technical research paper filled with complicated words and never ending sentences. Here’s a breakdown for you: Central to this process are the cortical columns, functional units within the cerebral cortex that orchestrate your perception of the world. These columns evaluate sensory information against your brain’s existing models, determining “True” or “False” signals to guide your reactions and beliefs. To put this even simpler, They work like little decision-makers in the outer layer of the brain, sorting through what we see and feel. They check this information against what the brain already knows, deciding if it matches (“True”) or doesn’t match (“False”). This helps you figure out how to react and what to believe. Here’s the problem: Your brain and its cortical columns are designed to conserve energy at all costs. This means they’re constantly seeking “True” statements, those that align with what you already know and believe. Why? Because processing familiar information requires less energy than assimilating new data. This is precisely why staying in your comfort zones feels so… comfortable. It’s not just inertia; it’s a battle against a highly efficient computer in your head, always seeking stability over the chaos of change. Your gut might scream for a shift, but you’re up against your brain’s design, which chooses energy conservation over everything else. 2. The Mannequin Misidentification: A Cortex in Action Ok ben, that sounds cool and I get the theory. But how does this actualise, and how is it shaping my reality? Here’s an example: Imagine walking down a street, your eyes catch what appears to be a figure standing in a shop window. Your brain utilizes past data, and quickly categorizes this figure as a man — a “True” response rooted in familiarity. You continue to walk closer, until something happens.. you realize that the figure is not a person, but in fact a mannequin. This unexpected twist sends a “False” signal to your brain, specifically to those cortical columns tasked with visual processing. Faced with this new information, your brain recalibrates, updating your reality from a man to a mannequin. 3. Embracing the Science of Uncomfortability So there we have it. The path to growth is through embracing “False” signals — those challenging, unfamiliar experiences that demand our brain to adjust and grow. This process isn’t just about acquiring new information; it’s about fundamentally reshaping our perception and interaction with the world around us. It’s about changing reality; literally asking your cortex to re-evaluate your current reality, and change it. That’s why it feels so hard. That’s why it feels so weirdly good to stay stuck. So, what are some steps to hack this? 4. Recognizing the State of “Brain Automation” Well, first, you need to understand when you’re stuck in “brain automation”. I’m sure you know this feeling very well. You’re in that state when you go through your daily routines without much thought or variation. You wake up, get dressed, get coffee at the same spot, order the same drink. Tasks and activities feel mundane, and you’re not engaged or stimulated by what you’re doing. You are bored. You wake up every morning saying “ok here we go, another day doing the same thing until I get to go to sleep again. Let’s just get through it with as many distractions as possible.” Nothing seems to make you feel alive. You are just in automation mode. Activities that used to hold your attention don’t mean anything anymore. 5. Breaking Through with Challenging Thoughts Now that you recognize the signs of “brain automation,” the next step isn’t just about what you do; it’s about how you think. Changing your actions without changing your thoughts is like repainting your car when it needs a new engine. Sure, it will look good on the outside, it still won’t run though. So do this: Ask why, and don’t judge. “Why” is such a short but powerful question that can almost always be used successively until the truth is met: “I feel stuck in my career? Why? …Because I don’t like what I do. Why? …Because it doesn’t challenge me or align with my values. Why? …Because I settled into a role that was available rather than pursuing what genuinely interests me. Why? …Because I fear the uncertainty of change and the possibility of failure. Why? …Because past experiences have conditioned me to prioritize security over fulfillment. Why? …Because I internalized the belief that success is defined by stability rather than personal satisfaction and growth.” Take this and keep asking the same question. You’ll get to the root of it soon enough. In this instance, your feeling of being stuck is less about the external circumstances and more about internal barriers — fears, beliefs, and assumptions that keep you tethered to the familiar, however unsatisfying it may be. 6. No, but really.. How do I get unstuck? Listen. True transformation begins when you push beyond the boundaries of what you know and where you’re comfortable. The shift needs to happen in your head, but also physically. You need to consciously and repetitively seek out “False” signals and embrace the discomfort they bring. You need to construct a new reality. In plain, simple terms, you need to: do the uncomfortable thing. Here are a few of the things I have had to do last week alone that finally led me to break out of my cycle: I impulssively bought a plane ticket to Panama, to change my enviroment, create some space for me to:
Sit with my feelings for the first time in years, and finally stop supressing them. I cried. Haven’t done that in years.
I had the uncomfortable conversation with my business partner to tell them I no longer have passion for it and am leaving them the decision to continue or quit.
I made the decision to get a therapist and seek help to access past trauma that I’ve burried deep down.
I replied "I don't know" when asked about something I was unsure of, rather than trying to appear confident. I felt stupid that instant, but I actually learned something and ended up having a meaninful conversation.
I forced myself to talk to strangers every single day. Oh, and talking happened to be in Spanish, for which my vocabulary consisted of a total of 40 words or so. These things were uncomfortable. These things were all dreadful for me. They are supposed to be. They are hard, they are counter-intuitive, and they are painful. But if you don’t do them, you are letting your cortex run on auto-pilot, validating a “true” statement that will feel comfortable. Yes, in the immediate short term, it feels better. But you are reinforcing your mind into shaping the wrong reality. Do that long enough, and you will soon be living in a world that is not yours. You’ll have a job you hate, relationships that don’t support you, a deep lack of purpose, numbing yourself to the world around you until you become nothing more than a ghost, aimlessly drifting through a suffocating and meaningless existence. Waking up to it 10 years later will be very painful. So Wake up. Challenge yourself. Engineer your existence and break free. You think that being stuck is a permanent state, and this is the pattern you go through every time: You encounter a new challenge. Your brain resists it. It hasn’t been trained to handle discomfort effectively. You revert to what’s comfortable and familiar. You shut yourself off from potential growth and enlightenment. You feel stuck, unfulfilled and unhappy. You encounter a new challenge. Your brain resists it. It hasn’t been trained to handle discomfort effectively. You revert to what’s comfortable and familiar. You shut yourself off from potential growth and enlightenment. You feel stuck, unfulfilled and unhappy. When you face the challenge of feeling stagnant in your career, in your personal life, nothing seems to help you progress. You feel not just stuck, but regressing. The worst part of it was that in some strange way, it also feels “comfortable” being stuck. I’m sure you have that feeling, because we are wired the same way, and so do I. I wanted to understand why we are so resistant to change, to discomfort. Why is it that it’s easier for us to stay in situations we don’t like while we know damn well it’s not the right path. Why is change hard? Why makes hard things hard? Well, I got some answers while reading a research paper from computational neurobiologist Andrew Gallimore. I finally got a better understanding of how our brain constructs reality, how it cheats us by wanting to save energy, and how we can hack it. 1. Understanding Our Brain: A Reality-Building Machine I won’t bore you with the very technical research paper filled with complicated words and never ending sentences. Here’s a breakdown for you: Central to this process are the cortical columns, functional units within the cerebral cortex that orchestrate your perception of the world. These columns evaluate sensory information against your brain’s existing models, determining “True” or “False” signals to guide your reactions and beliefs. To put this even simpler, They work like little decision-makers in the outer layer of the brain, sorting through what we see and feel. They check this information against what the brain already knows, deciding if it matches (“True”) or doesn’t match (“False”). This helps you figure out how to react and what to believe. Here’s the problem: Your brain and its cortical columns are designed to conserve energy at all costs. This means they’re constantly seeking “True” statements, those that align with what you already know and believe. Why? Because processing familiar information requires less energy than assimilating new data. This is precisely why staying in your comfort zones feels so… comfortable. It’s not just inertia; it’s a battle against a highly efficient computer in your head, always seeking stability over the chaos of change. Your gut might scream for a shift, but you’re up against your brain’s design, which chooses energy conservation over everything else. 2. The Mannequin Misidentification: A Cortex in Action Ok ben, that sounds cool and I get the theory. But how does this actualise, and how is it shaping my reality? Here’s an example: Imagine walking down a street, your eyes catch what appears to be a figure standing in a shop window. Your brain utilizes past data, and quickly categorizes this figure as a man — a “True” response rooted in familiarity. You continue to walk closer, until something happens.. you realize that the figure is not a person, but in fact a mannequin. This unexpected twist sends a “False” signal to your brain, specifically to those cortical columns tasked with visual processing. Faced with this new information, your brain recalibrates, updating your reality from a man to a mannequin. 3. Embracing the Science of Uncomfortability So there we have it. The path to growth is through embracing “False” signals — those challenging, unfamiliar experiences that demand our brain to adjust and grow. This process isn’t just about acquiring new information; it’s about fundamentally reshaping our perception and interaction with the world around us. It’s about changing reality; literally asking your cortex to re-evaluate your current reality, and change it. That’s why it feels so hard. That’s why it feels so weirdly good to stay stuck. So, what are some steps to hack this? 4. Recognizing the State of “Brain Automation” Well, first, you need to understand when you’re stuck in “brain automation”. I’m sure you know this feeling very well. You’re in that state when you go through your daily routines without much thought or variation. You wake up, get dressed, get coffee at the same spot, order the same drink. Tasks and activities feel mundane, and you’re not engaged or stimulated by what you’re doing. You are bored. You wake up every morning saying “ ok here we go, another day doing the same thing until I get to go to sleep again. Let’s just get through it with as many distractions as possible .” ok here we go, another day doing the same thing until I get to go to sleep again. Let’s just get through it with as many distractions as possible Nothing seems to make you feel alive. You are just in automation mode. Activities that used to hold your attention don’t mean anything anymore. 5. Breaking Through with Challenging Thoughts Now that you recognize the signs of “brain automation,” the next step isn’t just about what you do; it’s about how you think. Changing your actions without changing your thoughts is like repainting your car when it needs a new engine. Sure, it will look good on the outside, it still won’t run though. So do this: Ask why, and don’t judge. “Why” is such a short but powerful question that can almost always be used successively until the truth is met: “I feel stuck in my career? Why? “I feel stuck in my career? Why? …Because I don’t like what I do. Why? …Because I don’t like what I do. Why? …Because it doesn’t challenge me or align with my values. Why? …Because it doesn’t challenge me or align with my values. Why? …Because I settled into a role that was available rather than pursuing what genuinely interests me. Why? …Because I settled into a role that was available rather than pursuing what genuinely interests me. Why? …Because I fear the uncertainty of change and the possibility of failure. Why? …Because I fear the uncertainty of change and the possibility of failure. Why? …Because past experiences have conditioned me to prioritize security over fulfillment. Why? …Because past experiences have conditioned me to prioritize security over fulfillment. Why? …Because I internalized the belief that success is defined by stability rather than personal satisfaction and growth.” …Because I internalized the belief that success is defined by stability rather than personal satisfaction and growth.” Take this and keep asking the same question. You’ll get to the root of it soon enough. In this instance, your feeling of being stuck is less about the external circumstances and more about internal barriers — fears, beliefs, and assumptions that keep you tethered to the familiar, however unsatisfying it may be. 6. No, but really.. How do I get unstuck? Listen. True transformation begins when you push beyond the boundaries of what you know and where you’re comfortable. The shift needs to happen in your head, but also physically. You need to consciously and repetitively seek out “False” signals and embrace the discomfort they bring. You need to construct a new reality. In plain, simple terms, you need to: do the uncomfortable thing . do the uncomfortable thing Here are a few of the things I have had to do last week alone that finally led me to break out of my cycle: I impulssively bought a plane ticket to Panama, to change my enviroment, create some space for me to: Sit with my feelings for the first time in years, and finally stop supressing them. I cried. Haven’t done that in years. I had the uncomfortable conversation with my business partner to tell them I no longer have passion for it and am leaving them the decision to continue or quit. I made the decision to get a therapist and seek help to access past trauma that I’ve burried deep down. I replied "I don't know" when asked about something I was unsure of, rather than trying to appear confident. I felt stupid that instant, but I actually learned something and ended up having a meaninful conversation. I forced myself to talk to strangers every single day. Oh, and talking happened to be in Spanish, for which my vocabulary consisted of a total of 40 words or so. I impulssively bought a plane ticket to Panama, to change my enviroment, create some space for me to: Sit with my feelings for the first time in years, and finally stop supressing them. I cried. Haven’t done that in years. I had the uncomfortable conversation with my business partner to tell them I no longer have passion for it and am leaving them the decision to continue or quit. I made the decision to get a therapist and seek help to access past trauma that I’ve burried deep down. I replied "I don't know" when asked about something I was unsure of, rather than trying to appear confident. I felt stupid that instant, but I actually learned something and ended up having a meaninful conversation. I forced myself to talk to strangers every single day. Oh, and talking happened to be in Spanish, for which my vocabulary consisted of a total of 40 words or so. These things were uncomfortable. These things were all dreadful for me. They are supposed to be. They are hard, they are counter-intuitive, and they are painful. But if you don’t do them, you are letting your cortex run on auto-pilot, validating a “true” statement that will feel comfortable. Yes, in the immediate short term, it feels better. But you are reinforcing your mind into shaping the wrong reality . wrong reality wrong reality Do that long enough, and you will soon be living in a world that is not yours. You’ll have a job you hate, relationships that don’t support you, a deep lack of purpose, numbing yourself to the world around you until you become nothing more than a ghost, aimlessly drifting through a suffocating and meaningless existence. Waking up to it 10 years later will be very painful. So Wake up. Challenge yourself. Engineer your existence and break free.

The Illusion of Being Stuck

আটকে থাকার বিভ্রম

Die Illusion, festzustecken

La ilusión de estar estancado

L'illusion d'être coincé

फँस जाने का भ्रम

行き詰まっているという幻想

갇혀 있다는 환상

A ilusão de estar preso

Иллюзия застревания

Sıkışmış Olma Yanılsaması

Ảo tưởng bị mắc kẹt

陷入困境的错觉

is the study of prosperous, harmonious, and equitable societies, often depicted in fiction. These societies imagined in fiction can represent ideal or aspirational models of social, economic, and environmental organization, where resources are used sustainably and equitably, and where there is a positive interconnection between humans and the environment. Prospenomics may involve analyzing these fictional models to extract insights and inspiration for building a real society that is fairer and more prosperous. Prospenomics On the other hand, the concept of refers to a future stage where the scarcity of material resources is no longer a predominant concern. In this stage, advanced technology, production efficiency, and sustainable resource use would allow for an abundance of goods and services for all, without compromising the environment or depleting natural resources. Post-scarcity implies a fundamental shift in how society organizes and utilizes its resources, seeking to achieve a sustainable balance between human needs and planetary preservation. Post-Scarcity Prospenomics, also known as Prospenomia, is the study of prosperity and its generators, aiming to pave a path towards Post-Scarcity. Through an economic and social approach that transcends the conventional paradigms of known economic theory, which often associates relatively low abundance with hard and inefficient work and fails to distribute well-being among individuals, paying little attention to the depletion of resources on the planet. The field of Prospenomics arises from the urgent need to rethink current economic and social models. To achieve this, we must study all known forms of prosperity, from intelligent decisions made in ancient times to the fiction of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, envisioning a future where prosperity is abundant, where we no longer use monetary fractions for the exchange of goods and services, and people work to satisfy their talents and ambitions for personal upliftment; or also the ideas of Buckminster Fuller, in which prosperity was not limited solely to the accumulation of material wealth or economic growth but rather ensuring well-being and sustainability for all forms of life on the planet. Considering the 4.5 billion years of evolution and extinctions that have shaped our planet, the delicate balances of biological relationships that have brought us to today, Prospenomics recognizes the complexity of interactions between living beings and the environment, as well as the central role of human beings in this context, as intellectual protagonists of the planet. Therefore, we must make use of our cerebral cortex, the most evolved tool that nature has ever created, as well as future forms of Artificial Intelligence to better explore the resources "seemingly" scarce, to the point of recognizing that they are extremely more abundant than conceived. Throughout history, humanity has emerged as a species capable of profoundly transforming the environment and influencing the fate of other life forms. This unique ability confers significant responsibility on human beings in preserving and balancing the global ecosystem. Prospenomics starts from the assumption that the current environmental and social crisis is the result of an economic model based on profit maximization and rampant consumption, which ignores the planet's limits and generates extreme inequality. In this sense, the study seeks to identify and promote alternative economic principles that can lead to a more sustainable and prosperous society. In 1986, I had an unusual class, "Brazilian Problem Studies",  that my mentor, Antonio Sérgio Pacheco Mercier, taught. Even though they were on Saturdays, I loved attending his classes. Professor Mercier had the gift of captivating students with his engaging narratives, especially when discussing subjects like international trade. His classes were rich; he talked about a convention in Luang Prapang, which inspired my friend Gilberto Lacerda to adopt a new dream tourist destination, or the international maritime law agreement signed in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1982 - he took us on a journey to these incredible locations. The professor showed us the importance of these events, as well as the pleasures of practicing a profession that best suits one's spirit, reconciling the joy of travel with improving human relations on the planet. However, it was during a conversation about possible topics for my thesis that Professor Mercier truly inspired me. I shared with him my supposedly "revolutionary" idea of applying science fiction concepts to economics and public administration, an approach I called #prospenomics. I believed (and still believe) that just as the science fiction of inspired Santos-Dumont in multiple inventions, we could also use Gene Roddenberry's post-scarcity society from Star Trek as inspiration for new approaches in economics and public administration. Jules Verne The globe with Africa on the right - the origin of humanity, goes counterclockwise to North America with more distant parallel lines and finally South America, in white. The idea is that, in a counter-clockwise spiral that begins in Africa, the further we move away from our origins, the more we lose self-knowledge and the globe becomes increasingly devoid of its original and natural lines. The drawing conveys the idea that, if a Cartesian analysis of the planet were carried out, we would understand it better and return to a greater balance, similar to that of the first hominids - Osasco 1986 At first, Professor Mercier was interested in the argument, but after listening carefully to my explanations, he said that my ideas were "still in their infancy" and that there was "little applicability to reality." :( However, he encouraged me to study more about the subject and to explore these ideas further. Even though I felt a little frustrated for being so far from a viable argument, with his careful guidance and constructive criticism, I embarked on a journey of research and reflection that broadened my academic and professional horizons, achieving feats that I had never dreamed of achieving. The End of Working for a Living and the Beginning of Working for Your Talents As we move towards a future where traditional notions of scarcity and work are being questioned, there is a need to explore new approaches to societal and economic organization. In this context, digital tools like , for instance, have played a significant role in facilitating connections between people and job opportunities, aiming to enable individuals to work based on their talents and passions, rather than just to sustain their basic needs. LinkedIn The underlying idea behind the use of LinkedIn and other similar tools is that by creating opportunities for people to work based on their talents and interests, rather than just to earn a living, it is possible to promote a more creative, productive, and fulfilling society for all its members. This approach, known as "working for talent," aims to maximize the potential of each individual, encouraging creative expression, innovation, and personal and professional growth. How Prospenomics Differs from Simple Economics If an economy traditionally focuses on the exchange of wealth among humans, it differs exponentially from prospenomics, which focuses on the relationships between prosperity and the ecological balance of the planet as a whole. While the economy traditionally focuses on monetary aspects and the distribution of resources among humans, prospenomics broadens this perspective to consider global prosperity, in which the life of any living being, no matter how insignificant it may seem to humans, if negatively affected, will adversely affect the well-being of all life forms and the sustainability of the planet. "While Economics operates in a monophonic mode, focusing on the exchange of wealth within human relationships, Prospenomics operates in a stereophonic mode, considering the broader scope of prosperity and ecological balance across the planet.

Prospenomics: Redefining Prosperity and Work in a Post-Scarcity Era

প্রসপেনোমিক্স: অভাব-পরবর্তী যুগে সমৃদ্ধি এবং কাজকে পুনরায় সংজ্ঞায়িত করা

Prospenomics: Wohlstand und Arbeit in einer Zeit nach der Knappheit neu definieren

Prospenomía: redefiniendo la prosperidad y el trabajo en una era posterior a la escasez

Prospenomics : redéfinir la prospérité et le travail à l’ère de l’après-pénurie

प्रोस्पेनोमिक्स: अभाव-पश्चात युग में समृद्धि और कार्य को पुनर्परिभाषित करना

プロスペノミクス: ポスト・スカーシティ時代における繁栄と仕事の再定義

프로스페노믹스: 결핍 이후 시대의 번영과 일자리를 재정의하다

Prospenomia: redefinindo a prosperidade e o trabalho em uma era pós-escassez

Проспеномика: новое определение процветания и труда в эпоху постдефицита

Prospenomik: Kıtlık Sonrası Bir Dönemde Refahı ve Çalışmayı Yeniden Tanımlamak

Prospenomics: Xác định lại sự thịnh vượng và công việc trong kỷ nguyên hậu khan hiếm

繁荣经济学：重新定义后稀缺时代的繁荣与工作

This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED license. Authors: (1) Minghao Yan, University of Wisconsin-Madison; (2) Hongyi Wang, Carnegie Mellon University; (3) Shivaram Venkataraman, myan@cs.wisc.edu. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Motivation Opportunities Architecture Overview Proble Formulation: Two-Phase Tuning Modeling Workload Interference Experiments Conclusion & References A. Hardware Details B. Experimental Results C. Arithmetic Intensity D. Predictor Analysis A HARDWARE DETAILS A.1 Jetson platform details The Jetson TX2 Developer Kit features a 256-core NVIDIA Pascal GPU, a Dual-Core NVIDIA Denver 2 64- bit CPU, a Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A57 MPCore CPU, and 8GB of 128-bit LPDDR4 memory with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth. The kit’s maximum power consumption is 15W. The Jetson Orin Developer Kit includes a 2,048-core NVIDIA Ampere GPU with 64 Tensor Cores and a 12-core Arm CPU. This kit comes with 32GB of 256-bit LPDDR5 memory, featuring a 204.8GB/s bandwidth, and has a maximum power consumption of 60W. A.2 Power consumption measurement The Nvidia Jetson TX2 Developer Kit allows for separate measurements of GPU, CPU, DDR, and total energy consumption, while the Jetson Orin uses the built-in tegrastats module for measuring power usage across hardware components. Due to power rail design limitations, GPU power usage on the Jetson Orin can only be measured alongside SoC power usage. On Jetson TX2, we measure power usage by querying the total power input. We then average the peak power consumption to obtain the power usage during inference. Then we compute the energy cost for each inference request by multiplying the power and the inference time. On Jetson Orin, we leverage the existing tegrastats tool and repeatedly query tegrastats at a fixed interval (50ms). We then sum up each component’s power consumption to obtain the overall power consumption, before multiplying the power and the inference time to obtain the energy cost foreach inference request. To obtain a steady reading, we send 1000 inference requests for each hardware configuration for every model that we test. We cross-validate our measurements using a USB digital multimeter capable of transmitting data to computer software in real-time via Bluetooth. The measurements obtained from the multimeter generally align with those from the internal power rails on Jetson Kits, although external measurements are consistently around 10% higher than Jetson internal measurements. This discrepancy may be attributable to unaccounted factors in the power rail design. We opted to use internal measurements since they provide component-specific readings, whereas the multimeter can only measure overall energy consumption. Moreover, the multimeter supports one measurement per second, while Jetson tools allow for millisecond-scale measurements, which are better suited to inference workloads. A.3 Measurement Overhead Since we repeatedly query the power input or built-in power management tool, we want to understand whether these queries affect total energy consumption. We use a USB digital multimeter capable of transmitting data to computer software in real-time via Bluetooth. We then run our inference program with and without querying the power input or the power management tool. We find that the power consumption reported by the multimeter increases around 5 → 10%, depending on the base power consumption. We observe that this increment is near constant across different models and runs and therefore we believe using internal measurement as described in the section above will not affect our findings. The multimeter cannot provide the precision and flexibility we need to measure the energy cost of inference, which often operates at a millisecond scale.

PolyThrottle: Energy-efficient Neural Network Inference on Edge Devices: Hardware Details

The landscape of chatbot technology has seen significant evolution. Chat-bots 5-10 years ago were simple, they used State Machines. Today, Chat-bots are Large Language Models which use AI Agents instead of traditional States. I want to propose the concept of AI routing, which promises to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of multiple LLM agents. From Deterministic to Probabilistic Automation Pre-GPT Chatbots: State Machines Originally, chatbots were Finite Determined Automation, behaving predictably with each user interaction. These chatbots functioned as "State Machines," moving from one state to another based on predefined rules. If you ever interacted with pre-GPT chatbots, most of them were straightforward. They ask for step 1, step 2, step 3. Every state was predictable. However, this is not how we dialogue, because any dialogue quickly goes out of the scope of any state. Current Stage: Transition to Undetermined Automation New generation chat-bots are Undetermined: Each state has a probability to move to the next state. This probability is determined by the random seed of the LLM model which is used. That is why this model is a Finite Undetermined Automation. Or Even Infinite Undetermined Automation The Current Landscape of AI Interaction Deterministic Supervision and Chain-of-Interaction Chain of thought (CoT) prompting is a recent advancement in prompting methods that encourage Large Language Models (LLMs) to explain their reasoning. It leverages multiple LLM calls within an expert framework to better predict the course of the dialogue, as demonstrated in research on psychiatric behavior understanding. 1 Speaking easy, it gives more logic to the input, sharing more examples with the LLM. LLMs like examples; the same as humans. Without a doubt, it boosts the quality of the outcome. How efficient is that? Well, for some models it may triple the quality: CoT is widely used in research for Math Word Problems and other topics where logical reasoning is important. Chain-of-Interaction: LLMs for Psychiatric Behavior Understanding But CoT is not used only in Math problems. In the article, researchers have put Deterministic supervisory: based on user interaction predict the next state. , Chain-of-Interaction: Enhancing Large Language Models for Psychiatric Behavior Understanding by Dyadic Contexts Example: Psychiatric LLM realizes a person doesn`t want to talk about drinking, the model must recognize a new state “Change talk” and push a new talk to the dialogue. This approach was proposed in the article “ prompting” where the model predicts a chain: Chain-of-Interaction Interaction Definition Involvement Assessment Valence Analysis Long story short, instead of predicting the next state of an LLM-therapist, they do multiple calls of LLM, and they use an expert framework. This expert framework and a sequence of LLM calls give better predictions of the next state of interaction. What if LLMs Start Debating? The third example of the Chain of Thought approach is ChainLM. If there is a complex question, then you can run the game like in a GAN - one agrees, the other disagrees, and they make iterations of the reasoning. Repeat until you get a response. ChainLM: Empowering Large Language Models with Improved Chain-of-Thought Prompting This thing is being further trained using common sense data sets. It highlights the importance of real-world observations. Because if you do the same but for regular LLMs, it may fail in reasoning, and debates will end with a meaningless point. Optimizing With AI Routing Routing is an important step to assist existing apps in creating the optimal selection of LLMs. GPT-4 can give accurate results in various topics, but is expensive, slow, and not as efficient overall, due to high price. While some other models may be cheaper, faster, and better for specific tasks. Studies such as Routerbench have highlighted the potential for cost optimization through intelligent model selection, while Tryage introduces a real-time, intelligent routing system inspired by the human brain's architecture. ROUTERBENCH: A Benchmark for Multi-LLM Routing System Advanced Routing and Coordination Mechanisms Choosing the right model for a task presents a unique challenge since different models perform differently on various datasets. Caltech researchers have proposed the Tyage architecture, inspired by the human brain's structure. In the brain, the thalamus directs sensory inputs to specific parts of the cortex. Similarly, the Tyage system is designed to direct user prompts to the most suitable Large Language Models. This approach allows for efficient processing of information, akin to how the brain handles tasks like identifying objects, detecting motion, localizing objects, and recognizing faces by routing these tasks to specialized areas for processing. Further Ideas If you manage the coordination of AI Agents, you want to get more value for the company. You don’t want to use unsafe agents in medical care startups, and you don't want to use clickbait advertisement agents in the sales scripts because they will start promoting NSFW content. Managing AI Agents is a trade-off between short-term value and long-term value. Short-term values can be money, click-through-rate, session length Long-term values are company reputation, safety Throughout the lifetime, each chat with AI Assistant within various contexts is labeled as . Context_j In mathematical terms, the goal is to evaluate and rank each Large Language Model ( ) based on a value metric within every given context ( ). LLM_i Context_j Therefore, for each specific context ( ), the appropriate LLM_i must be chosen to ensure that the value in the subsequent context ( ) is maximized, as well as maximizing the value in the ultimate context ( ). Context_j Context_(j+1) Context_inf You had an argument, and you asked, “AI what should I do?” Let`s imagine your AI is a family coach. And it must give you a piece of advice. Visiting a strip club requires money and provides immediate stress relief, but may lead to questions from your spouse shortly afterward. Meditation costs nothing, offers immediate stress relief, and does not result in questions from your spouse. Talking with your spouse may not provide immediate stress relief, but it offers benefits far beyond those of a strip club. Returning to work generates extra income, but does not directly address the issue at hand. Even in this example, our Value is a combination of personal benefits and group benefits. And this example is radical. In real life, we have to work with epsilon function and continuous A/B tests of AI agents. These challenges are typically addressed using a multi-armed bandit approach that strikes a balance between the exploration of new strategies and the exploitation of known effective ones. Following this, existing LLMs ( ) can be enhanced through a Chain of Thoughts and recurrent LLM debates. LLM_i If you found this discussion intriguing and are curious about exploring the possibilities of AI Router further, I'd be thrilled to dive deeper into this topic with you. The engineering challenges we face in advancing AI technologies are complex, but it's precisely these challenges that fuel our progress and innovation. If you're interested in a pilot project or simply wish to exchange ideas, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Together, we have the potential to shape a brighter, more innovative future

From Chatbots to AI Routing: An Essay

“ ” Nephrologist: Hello. We've got a set of failing kidneys. Please, how soon can we get a new set created and ready to implant? “ . Biotechician: We’ll come for the patient's biomaterials and have them ready in the next two months” That could have saved the life of a family friend after her kidneys failed 5 years ago—worst, she had a rare blood type. After being on the waiting list for 3 years undergoing excruciatingly painful dialysis, she caved into the verdict she dreaded the most. However, this article is not just a sob story of a friend. This is a revelation of how regenerative medicine, which you might have thought belonged to the fictitious world of Sci-fi, could be the savior of many lives like hers now and in the future. I’m talking about “3D Bioprinting”. The Back Story The number of humans with failing organs on the waiting list for organ transplants is overwhelming for the medical field. Organdonor.gov states that in the U.S. alone, over 103 thousand men, women, and children are on the national transplant waiting list. Every 10 minutes, one person is added to the list and 17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant. In 2023, out of 88,551 awaiting kidney donors, only about 24% received transplants. That is in the U.S. alone, we can only try to imagine what the numbers could be in other parts of the world.. Or can we even imagine the reality in third-world countries with no structured organ donation system? Dr. Jennifer Lewis, a professor at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, in an interview with CNN, has an insight into the problem. In her statement, she mentioned that on a yearly average, there are only around 6,000 living donors open to offering their organs and about 8,000 deceased donors who could each provide approximately 3.5 organs. Dead donors are people who die from catastrophic health events or accidents, making some of their organs salvageable before they completely stop living. However, because of such events, their organs may not be of high quality for a donation or they may not even be on the organ donor list or it may be hard to find a good match. For living donors, there is a scare as to what their life is worth, if it is the right choice to make if they are willing to let go and embrace the possible complications that may arise from donating their organs and the surgery involved - especially if the patient is not related to them. There is a two-step delirium that raises the most fear for a patient clinging onto the last thread of hope. First, finding a donor match, then hoping the patient's body doesn't reject the donated organ. And from all the premises stated above, this is a tough call. A wait list could just as well be a death row. What if it could be different? What if organs could be printed from biodata, materials, and cells of a patient instead of waiting for months to years to find a donor that would match? What if regenerative medicine is the solution staring into our eyes? A handful of medical conditions would meet their end if this could happen. Ordering a newly generated body part from the cells of the patient to replace the old one could easily be more effective and faster than organ donations. This brings us to the 3D organ bioprinting. What is 3D Bioprinting? The idea of 3D bioprinting is like that of conventional 3D printing. However, it is premised on the use of organ regenerative actions which involve the manufacturing and development of organs, tissues, and body parts such as the liver, skin, heart, eyes, bones, etc. While conventional 3D printers use computer files to extrude and create objects with complex structures, 3D bioprinters make use of bioinks containing living viable cells, biomaterials, and biomolecules to create bioartificial organs of a human. This works by assembling layer-by-layer multiple cell types, biomaterials and molecules, and other growth factors that would be a replica of the natural prototypes. In this case, it is beyond just mere perception that creating a new component for a body by using its cells is much more reliable than taking a component with a completely different cell structure from another body to replace a component in a body. This way, a patient, on-demand, can have personalized replacement body parts with a very low possibility of their body rejecting the new parts. This technology is driven by the need to find the accurate organ and tissue types that would be a match for patients who need organ replacement and is opening new avenues for future organ transplantation programs. How Does 3D Bioprinting Work? For bioprinting, every procedure starts with the biological cells of the person involved and applies the concepts of biomimetics and biomimicry. This simply means using a patient's cells to grow the needed organ. Biotechicians choose cells based on their physiology and functions. They consider the cells’ differentiation and proliferation by paying attention to features such as the cell type, size, and shape These different types of cells are rendered into a printable bioink, which involves mixing them up in materials like alginate or gelatin; before they are loaded into a nozzle. To continue, each cell is placed, layer by layer, in precise locations to form a cellular attachment and build a complex tissue that would develop the organ. For the cell's culture to grow, it is transferred to a scaffold where blood vessels are integrated into the tissue and the setup is connected to a pump that would deliver the right amount of oxygen and nutrients to keep it alive. With time, the tissue will begin to develop on its own, forming an organ that will increase both in maturity and function. This is a phase of 3D tissue engineering and although this is dramatically simplified, the process requires more technicalities only applicable to experts in the biotech field and could evolve with time. From the looks of things, 3D bioprinting is already here for good. Cases of 3D Bioprinting It is no longer a myth or a fictional idea; this regenerative medicine technology has become a reality. In this decade, research institutes, researchers, and doctors have dedicated time and resources, working actively on experimenting with organ bioprinting—some are already recording success. The First Ear Bioprint In 2022, the U.S. witnessed the implantation of a new ear on a 20-year-old lady born without her right ear. Of course, a new ear could have been artificially constructed and placed, but this time, Dr. Arturo Bonilla, a pediatric microtia surgeon, changed the rule of the game by developed out of the cartilage cells of the lady's left ear. implanting a 3D bioprinted ear Imagine multi-layered skin, cartilage, and muscle structures born out of laboratory-grown cells to form an ear. Amazing! This was a worthwhile revelation that bioprinting could change the way new body parts and organs were sourced. Ongoing Research on Bioprinting The race to find more potentially relieving 3D bioprinted tissues and organs surged even more. Still in 2022, and Dr. Michal Wszola, creator of Bionic Pancreas, revealed that some researchers in Poland were able to achieve the within a two-week window period, enabling stable blood flow in these pigs. this abstract 3D bioprint of pancreas in pigs Hope is alive as the National Institute of Health’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), in September 2023, awarded some Stanford researchers about to bioprint a human heart and transplant it into a pig in the next five years. $26 million in contract However, the with 4,000 kilometers of capillaries and 200 million alveoli, capable of carrying out oxygen exchange in animal models, which is a critical step towards the development of tolerable, transplantable lungs has been achieved by United Therapeutics Corporation. The goal is to have the lungs cleared for human trials within five years. 3D bioprinting of human lungs Another research institute with impressive strides is the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Researchers in this institute have been able to develop the following: A skin bioprinting system for patients suffering from skin cancers, burns, and other non-healing or deprecated kin conditions. A 3D bioprinting skeletal muscle system was shown to effectively contract in rodents and enable an 80% regain of lost muscular function in an anterior leg muscle within a space of 8 weeks. Printing of tubular structures like blood vessels or hollow, non-tubular organs like a bladder. 3D biocreation of a mini-kidney and a mini-liver. The challenge for Wake Forest scientists is the creation of larger and more solid organs that can fully mimic the functions of their prototypes. This is because these large organs, like the brain and heart, have so many cells per centimeter, and there is the challenge of vascularity and nutrition. The brain is a very complex tissue that is difficult to repair or replace when damaged. However, some Oxford researchers believe that the bioprinting of stem cells can reverse brain damage and injuries. These researchers have gone on to prove this verdict by creating 3D bioprinted stem cells which developed a biomimicry of the complex structure of the human cerebral cortex, having six layers (two “deep” layers and four “upper” layers), each with its type of neuron. When the tissues were implanted into slices of mouse brains, they successfully integrated into the mouse tissue, structurally and functionally. The Problems and Ethical Considerations Surrounding the Creation of Bioprinted Body Parts and Organs As much as this concept looks like a lifesaver for many hopeless medical cases in the world today, there are still some problems this could pose. The bioprinting of organs is based on individual medical care rather than a basic universal treatment plan like that of organ donation. There is an assumption that due to its personalized medicine status, the cost of this service may just be more expensive than a public treatment plan would be, and this could prevent financially unstable people from getting access to this service. Is it safe? We can't say for sure. The 3D printing of organs and parts of the body using bioink is not considered neutrally ethical and even if it is generated from the patient's cell, there are still problematic aspects in terms of cell reprogramming, differentiation, proliferation, and of course mutation which may usher in the much-dreaded apocalypse. There is the risk of tumorigenicity, which is the property of a cell to form tumors when inoculated. While bioprinting is considered an incoming savior of the sick and deprived, this technology cannot be rushed. The efficacy of its procedures has to be tried and tested severally before it can be rolled out as clinically applicable. If this is not done, it can lead to several deaths that may be beyond control. There are also additional ethical and legal concerns related to patients' genetic information collection, which also include the storage and use of these cells. Advantages of Bioprinting and Designer Bodies Every technology has a downside, but it so happens that compared to the downsides of this technology, if it is put through all processes of long years of research and experiment with a high success rate, 3D organ bioprinting could nearly nullify the cause of concern. There are issues the bioprinting of organs and body parts would solve: The endless waiting list that could spell ‘doomsday is awaiting’. The torture that comes with getting a transplant; only for the patient's antigens to reject the organ. The need for immunosuppression to prevent organ rejection, which leaves patients at higher risk of infection. The risk of a living donor (even though willing) experiencing some possible complications that could arise during surgery. Body parts manufactured through bioprinting can be enhanced to improve performance. Bones can be made stronger and more flexible, the brain can be made smart and alert, the lungs can be made to increase oxygen efficiency in the blood, etc. In terms of cost, while critics claim that the price of bioprinted parts would be expensive, the fact remains that compared to waiting years for an organ to finally get to a patient who is at risk of losing their life any moment, this is fair. Most times these donated organs come at a very high cost (although sometimes illegal) because of the demand. However, the price of a bioprinted organ could reduce considerably when they clinically pass trials and patients wouldn't have to wait for several months, to a couple of years to get them. How close are we to the future? Brain, kidneys, muscles, skins, livers, pancreas, and so much more are in the laboratory phase of 3D experimentation. In the next 5 to 10 years, there is a high expectation of breakthroughs in these experiments, some passing clinical trials and being fully implementable. Needless to say, a few decades from now, people like Cynthia  (my late friend whose story I narrated at the beginning of this article) won't have to accept the cruel death verdict while waiting for the right organ match.

Bioprinting Organs on Demand: From Sci-fi to Reality and the Ethical Dilemma of Designer Bodies

and are two of the most transformative forces shaping the modern world. AI has the potential to revolutionize industries by automating processes, enhancing decision-making, and unlocking new insights from vast amounts of data. Artificial Intelligence (AI) blockchain technology Blockchain, on the other hand, offers a decentralized and secure framework for digital transactions, enabling trust and transparency in an increasingly interconnected world. The convergence of AI and blockchain has given rise to a new breed of cryptocurrencies known as AI crypto coins. These digital assets leverage the power of AI to enhance various aspects of the blockchain ecosystem, from improving the efficiency of decentralized networks to enabling more intelligent decision-making in financial markets. In this article, we will explore the concept of AI crypto coins, their underlying mechanisms, and their potential applications. I will try to explain this topic based on my experience of working  with crypto and AI projects. In this article, we will explore the benefits and risks associated with AI crypto coins, as well as how to buy them and what to consider before investing. This article should not be regarded as financial advice. Always remember to DYOR! Understanding AI Crypto Coins Unlike traditional cryptocurrencies, AI crypto coins use machine learning algorithms and natural language processing to analyze market patterns, make predictions, and execute automated trades. This allows them to adapt to changing market conditions in real-time, providing investors with a more agile and responsive investment option. , which are automated computer programs, are a key component of AI cryptocurrencies. They can be used for automated trading strategies, amplifying trading profits by applying these strategies to multiple cryptocurrencies on one or diverse platforms. Some of the most known AI trading bots include Defiquant, Pionex, GunBot, Kryll, Zignaly, Dash 2 Trade, ArbitrageScanner, and Cryptohopper. AI trading bots These bots collect big data on crypto information in real-time and analyze it to derive useful and actionable metrics, with the target of future crypto prices. They can pull information from various social sources, crypto markets, news sites, and other sources to provide valuable insights for investors. AI trading bots are beneficial for modern investors, as they can be configured to run automatically, which is particularly useful for copy trading and building a bot from scratch. They can also be used for social trading, paper trading, backtesting, and strategy design. Benefits of AI Tokens Improved Decision-Making One of the key benefits of AI crypto coins is their ability to improve decision-making. By analyzing large volumes of data, AI algorithms can spot patterns and trends that human analysts might miss, helping traders make more informed decisions. This can lead to better risk management and improved returns on investment. For example, AI algorithms can analyze market trends, social media sentiment, and news articles to predict price movements. This can help traders make more accurate predictions and reduce the risk of losses. Enhanced Network Security AI crypto coins can also enhance network security. For example, some AI cryptocurrencies use facial recognition technology to verify transactions and prevent fraud. This can provide an additional layer of security, making it more difficult for hackers to gain access to sensitive information. AI algorithms can also detect and prevent cyber attacks in real-time, providing an added level of protection for investors. Automation of Functions Another advantage of AI crypto coins is their ability to automate numerous functions in the cryptocurrency market. By using smart contracts, AI algorithms can execute trades automatically, speeding up transactions and saving time. This can also reduce the risk of human error, which can be a significant factor in the fast-paced world of cryptocurrency trading.For example, AI algorithms can automatically execute trades based on pre-defined criteria, such as price movements or market conditions. This can help traders take advantage of opportunities more quickly and efficiently. Notable AI Crypto Tokens 1. SingularityNET (AGI) SingularityNET is a decentralized AI marketplace that enables users to access a wide range of AI services through the use of AGI tokens. By leveraging a decentralized network of AI algorithms, SingularityNET aims to democratize access to AI technology and foster innovation within the crypto AI landscape. As of March 2023, SingularityNET has over 50 AI services available on its platform and has partnered with major organizations such as IBM and the United Nations. 2. Fetch.AI (FET) Fetch.AI is an AI-powered decentralized network that enables the creation of intelligent autonomous agents. These agents can perform various tasks, such as optimizing supply chain logistics, facilitating peer-to-peer trading, and providing personalized recommendations. FET tokens are used to access the Fetch.AI network and incentivize participation. Fetch.AI has raised over $15 million in funding and has partnerships with organizations such as Bosch and Datarella. 3. Ocean Protocol (OCEAN) Ocean Protocol is a decentralized data exchange platform that enables users to securely share and monetize data through the use of OCEAN tokens. By leveraging AI capabilities, Ocean Protocol aims to create a more equitable and transparent data economy, ultimately benefiting data providers, consumers, and developers alike. Ocean Protocol has raised over $20 million in funding and has partnerships with organizations such as Aviva and Roche. 4. Numerai (NMR) Numerai is a decentralized hedge fund that leverages AI algorithms to make investment decisions. Contributors to the Numerai platform can submit their AI models, which are then used to inform the fund's trading strategies. In exchange for their contributions, users are rewarded with NMR tokens. Numerai has over 40,000 data scientists contributing to its platform and has over $1 billion in assets under management. 5. Cortex (CTXC) Cortex is a decentralized AI platform that enables the creation of intelligent smart contracts. By leveraging AI capabilities, Cortex aims to improve the performance, scalability, and security of smart contracts, ultimately leading to the development of more sophisticated and intelligent dApps. CTXC tokens are used to access the Cortex network and incentivize participation. Cortex has raised over $10 million in funding and has partnerships with organizations such as Binance and Bitmain. Risks Associated with AI Crypto Coins However, there are also risks associated with AI cryptocurrencies. The lack of regulatory oversight in the market can create an environment where scams and fraud are more likely to occur. AI cryptocurrencies are also subject to high levels of volatility, which can result in significant losses for investors. Technical issues, such as errors in the smart contract code, can also lead to loss of funds or security breaches. Ethical concerns, such as the potential for bias in decision-making or the impact on employment in the financial industry, should also be considered. How to Buy AI Crypto Coins To buy AI crypto coins, investors need to find a cryptocurrency exchange that supports the specific AI crypto coin they want to purchase. After creating an account and funding it with a payment method such as bank transfer, credit card, or cryptocurrency transfer, investors can use the exchange to buy the AI crypto coin of their choice. Once purchased, it is recommended to transfer the coin to a secure cryptocurrency wallet to ensure the safety of the investment. Ultimately, AI crypto coins have the potential to become a valuable addition to any investment portfolio. One key area where AI crypto tokens could make a significant impact is in the realm of decentralized finance (DeFi). It could lead to the creation of new investment opportunities and the democratization of financial services, making them more accessible to a broader audience. If you’re interested in the most innovative AI projects and research, you’re welcome to subscribe to my newsletter ‘ ’. It’s free! AI Hunters P.S. Check out some of my previous articles at HackerNoon: Google Introduces Gemma: Revolutionary Access to Pre-Trained AI Models Sora's AI Innovation Set to Disrupt Video Content Creation Breaking Down the Next Big Thing in NFTs: ERC-404 Spotlight Gemini 1.5 Unleashes Unprecedented Context for AI Applications The AI Revolution in Journalism: A New Era of Enhanced Reporting DeFi Community Building: A Step-by-Step Guide for Crypto Startups

AI Crypto Coins: When the Power of AI Meets the Blockchain

Stories, News & Mentions about CORTEXR

Cortexr’s Stories on HackerNoon