Motorcycle AR Display

Motorcycle safety is constantly evolving, with new technologies making it easier for riders to maintain proper situational awareness while out on the road. This includes CREACT’s Vision 180, a motorcycle helmet dashcam kit that offers several nifty features, from real-time navigation and rear camera view to a driving recorder. the unique device can be installed in several full or 3/4 hood motorcycle helmets via a snap holder or GoPro accessories.

Once you’ve adjusted the system to your personal riding habits, you can cycle between the three main functions described above. Vision 180 features built-in WiFi and Bluetooth that connects to your smartphone device so you can listen to music and answer calls while you ride. The device lasts roughly 3.5 hours on a single charge, so you shouldn’t have to worry about the battery dying in the middle of a ride.

More information:

https://vrscout.com/news/motorcycle-ar-display-lets-riders-see-behind-them/

Chaos Helps to Forget Memories

By studying an artificial neural network, researchers at New York University in the US may have gained a better understanding of how and why our memories fade over time. The team has found evidence that the stable, repeating neural patterns associated with newer memories transform into more chaotic patterns over time, and eventually fade to random noise. This could be a mechanism used by our brains to clear space for new memories. In some models of the brain, memories are stored in repeating patterns of information exchange called attractor networks. These form within webs of interconnected nodes that are used to represent the neurons in our brains. These nodes convey information by emitting signals at specific firing rates. Nodes that receive signals will then generate their own signals, thereby exchanging information with their neighbours. The strengths of these exchanges are weighted by the degree of synchronization between pairs of nodes.

Researchers suggest that our brains must have evolved a mechanism for losing memories over time. To test this theory, they simulated neural networks in which the weights between connected nodes in an attractor network will gradually diminish as new memories are imprinted. They found that this caused older attractor networks to shift into more chaotic states over time. These networks featured faster fluctuating patterns. These patterns of firing signals never perfectly repeat, and can coexist far better with newer, stable attractor networks. Eventually, this increasing randomness causes older attractor networks to fade into random noise, and the memory they carry is forgotten. Altogether, the researchers hope their theory could help to explain how our minds are able to constantly take in new information, at the price of losing older memories. Their insights could help neurologist to better understands how our brains store and retrieve memories, and why they ultimately fade over time.

More information:

https://physicsworld.com/a/chaos-plays-a-role-in-how-memories-are-forgotten-simulations-suggest/

Spatial AR Office Chair

Spatial augmented reality (AR) is a technology that merges the real and virtual worlds by super-imposing computer-generated content onto surfaces using one or more digital projectors. An office chair that supports personal spatial AR has been designed by researchers from Canada’s University of Waterloo Cheriton School of Computer Science. Researchers incorporated capacitive sensors into the chair's armrests for touch input, while the back can detect tilt and rotation via an accelerometer; the seat and backrest can read seated postures and leg position with force-sensitive resistors. A depth camera tracks chair position and office surfaces while battery-powered computers process data and determine projector output, and a right-side servo-actuated pan/tilt head directs the projection of digital content.

With the chair now instrumented, the team explored 11 demonstration applications in a typical office to evaluate their proof-of-concept system. A survey found that respondents understood the purpose of the 11 applications clearly but were split on their perceived usefulness. Spatial augmented reality that supported tasks, reduced eye strain, served as reminders, and prompted deep-breathing exercises were seen as particularly useful. The survey also provided insight on certain applications, such as working with tools at a desk, where the instrumented chair projects a video tutorial on the wall to aid the user. These findings could be used to dive deeper into specific uses and augment them further to make the applications more compelling.

More information:

https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/news/hci-researchers-create-futuristic-office-chair-to-support-work-with-spatial-augmented-reality