This week’s list of top data news highlights covers June 25, 2022 to July 1, 2022 and includes articles on using a robot umpire to call pitches in baseball games and teaching math lessons with augmented reality.
1. Estimating Psychological Wellbeing
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have created an AI system that uses data from a psychological questionnaire to predict patients’ psychological ages and risk of depression. The team trained the system with psychological profiles from 4,000 patients. Doctors can use the system to optimize mental health treatment plans for patients.
2. Developing Quantum Technologies
Six U.S. government agencies have created a research consortium for quantum technologies. The agencies include the Naval Observatory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Security Agency (NSA), Naval Research Laboratory, and Army Research Laboratory. The focus of their research will be on securely transmitting sensitive information using quantum systems.
Major League Baseball has announced plans to use automated ball-strike zone systems in games in 2024. The automated ball-strike zone system will use an AI system to call pitches and notify umpires about the results and review replays of pitches to settle challenges.
4. Improving Weather Forecasting
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has launched two new supercomputers. NOAA meteorologists will use the supercomputers to create more accurate weather models and increase lead times for storm warnings.
5. Detecting Distress in Chickens
Researchers at City University of Hong Kong have created an AI system that can detect signs of distress in young chickens from the sounds they make with 97 percent accuracy. The team trained the system with recordings of chicken sounds.
Rutgers Center for State Health Policy in New Jersey has launched the New Jersey Integrated Population Health Data Project to improve public health in the state. Researchers with the project will be able to access health data such as hospital billing records and COVID-19 surveillance to study public health emergencies including the opioid epidemic, maternal and infant health, social determinants of health, COVID-19.
Researchers at Seegene, a South Korean diagnostics products manufacturer, used an AI system to help automate the development of a PCR test for monkeypox. The test can detect the monkeypox virus within 90 minutes.
Waymo, a U.S.-based autonomous driving technology company, and Wayfair, a U.S.-based furniture company, have partnered to use Waymo’s autonomous trucks to deliver furniture between facilities in Houston and Dallas. The companies will transport furniture as part of a six-week pilot this summer.
Researchers at Cornell University have created an app that uses an AI system to identify bird species. Users can upload audio recordings of the birds to the app to receive information for over 3,000 bird species.
Verizon and McGraw Hill, a U.S.-based educational publishing company, have launched an app that uses augmented reality to display educational content. The app currently has three activities for algebra and geometry from grades 6 through 12, and will contain seven more activities by the end of 2022.
Image credit: Flickr user Peter Miller
