This week’s list of top data news highlights covers October 28, 2023 to November 3, 2023 and includes articles on using autonomous drones to deliver cargo and launching a data dashboard to track arts education.
1. Identifying Energy Waste
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created an AI system that can detect home energy waste with 90 percent accuracy. The team trained the system with data from energy performance certificates, street view, aerial, and satellite images, and land-surface temperature measurements.
2. Cleaning Pollution
Officials in Singapore are using unmanned robots to collect waste and monitor water quality in the Marina Bay. Since deploying the robots, carbon emissions from bay cleaning have dropped by around 80 percent.
3. Training Robotic Dogs
Researchers at Binghamton University in New York have created a robotic dog that can act as a guide for people with visual impairments. The team trained the AI system that directs the dog to detect and respond to leash tugs from human operators through reinforcement learning.
4. Studying Supernovae
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched a spacecraft to collect data on a supernova remnant, known as the Cygnus Loop, in the Cygnus constellation. Scientists will use the data to study how supernovae influence the development of new star systems.
5. Applying for Jobs
LinkedIn has created an AI-powered chatbot that can help job seekers find a job. The chatbot can answer questions about job postings, evaluate job suitability, recommend contacts to approach, identify application shortcomings, and more.
6. Tracking Arts Educational Opportunities
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has launched a dashboard to track data on arts education in the commonwealth. Residents can use the dashboard to view information about which schools offer arts education, the types of classes, and the number of teachers and participating students.
7. Editing Product Images
Google has launched a new generative AI tool to enable advertisers to edit product images more efficiently. Advertisers can submit text prompts to edit images, change the background of images, improve low-quality images, and more.
8. Improving Food Access
Officials in Columbia, South Carolina have partnered with Instacart, a U.S.-based online grocery delivery service, to improve access to nutritious foods for residents living in food deserts. The team will launch a pilot project offering Instacart membership and stipends to 110 residents and create a virtual storefront to highlight nutritious foods.
9. Assessing Tumors
Researchers at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom have created an AI system that can determine the aggressiveness of retroperitoneal sarcoma, a rare cancer of the abdomen, in scans. In tests, the system achieved 82 percent accuracy, an increase from 44 percent accuracy through lab analysis.
10. Delivering Cargo
Ørsted, a Danish energy company, has started using autonomous drones to deliver cargo to offshore wind turbines. By replacing ships with drones, the company can reduce emissions, increase turbines’ operational times, and improve safety and efficiency.