This week’s list of top data news highlights covers March 1, 2025 to March 7, 2025, and includes articles on preventing fires with AI detection tools and mapping genetic diversity in India.
ALERTCalifornia, a fire detection program run by University of California at San Diego, is deploying AI-equipped cameras to detect fires and alert firefighting staff before blazes become uncontrollable. The program has positioned around 1,150 cameras in nearly every fire-prone region across California, detecting over 1,200 confirmed fires in roughly one-third the time human 911 callers take. The cameras scan for fire indicators such as thicker haze or rising smoke and immediately contact emergency response units, who then decide whether to dispatch firefighters.
Researchers from Khalifa University in the UAE are harnessing AI and radar sensing technology to uncover remnants of a 5,000-year-old civilization in the Dubai desert. The researchers’ have trained the machine learning algorithm using data from a site already known to archaeologists, allowing them to identify other potential excavation sites. They used synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a satellite imagery technique that uses radio waves to detect objects hidden beneath surfaces, to observe patterns that indicate human-built structures and visualize the ancient world before excavation. The discovery has revealed roads, settlements, and communication networks.
Researchers from the Department of Biotechnology in India’s Ministry of Science and Technology have completed a genome project, sequencing the genomes of 10,000 people across 83 communities. The team collected samples from people in both remote villages and large cities in India, creating a database of genomic variations using advanced sequencing technology. The project aims to fill the diversity gap in global genomic databases, as genetic makeup differs between ethnic and geographic groups, and opens the door for refined precision medicine in India.
NASA researchers have used the Pleiades supercomputer housed at its Ames Research Center in California to visualize the Oort cloud, a distant region of icy objects beyond Neptune’s orbit that marks the outer boundary of the solar system. By simulating the movement of comet-like particles over 4.5 billion years—the age of the solar system—the team discovered that some comets in the inner Oort cloud form a long-lasting spiral structure. This finding provides new insight into how comets travel toward the inner solar system, revealing patterns that were previously impossible to detect with telescopes alone.
5. Recreating Flavors Remotely
Researchers at Ohio State University have developed e-Taste, a device that allows users to experience flavors remotely. One user wears a sensor patch that detects the molecules responsible for five basic tastes: bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and umami. The device then transmits the collected data to another user’s transmitter patch, which recreates the taste using electrical stimulations on the wearer’s tongue. In tests, participants in California and Ohio successfully identified acidity levels with 70 percent accuracy, and the system has transmitted and recreated the taste of foods like cake, fried eggs, coffee, and fish soup.
6. Deploying Cyborg Cockroaches
Researchers from Osaka University in Japan and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed technology to remotely control live cockroaches. The team implants electrodes into the insects’ nervous system and sends electrical currents as stimuli to elicit desired responses. The researchers aim to refine the technology for search and rescue efforts, using cockroaches to access spaces that humans, rescue robots, and rescue dogs cannot reach.
Google and HP have created Starline, a 3D video communications platform that enables lifelike virtual interactions without requiring users to wear glasses or a headset. Using six cameras to capture real-time video, an AI system renders 3D images on lightfield displays, which simulate depth by projecting different angles to each user’s eyes. One study found that Starline users experienced less video meeting fatigue and had faster reaction times on complex cognitive tasks, suggesting that its 3D interactions feel more like in-person conversations than traditional video calls.
8. Capturing Parking Violations
The city of Barcelona in Spain has partnered with Hayden AI, a California-based software company, to improve city bus circulation. The system equips buses with cameras that detect and record static violations—vehicles stopping or parking in bus lanes—disrupting traffic flow. If successful, the AI-powered system will be used to capture violation data, generating photo and video evidence to identify offenders and enforce penalties, ultimately reducing disruptions and improving public transit efficiency.
McDonald’s is using Google Cloud’s AI and edge computing to enhance restaurant operations and efficiency. Edge computing processes data on-site rather than relying on distant servers, allowing for real-time decision-making. This has enabled McDonald’s to introduce Internet-connected kitchen equipment, automated drive-throughs, and AI-powered management systems, helping the company to predict equipment failures before they happen, streamline order accuracy, and assist managers with administrative tasks such as shift scheduling.
Amazon is updating its virtual assistant Alexa by integrating generative AI into its offerings. The new technology will allow Alexa to better understand different users by recognizing different voices and learning their preferences, enabling more personalized suggestions. Amazon also plans to expand Alexa’s capabilities by incorporating multiple AI models and enhancing its integration with smart home devices, apps, and other connected technologies.
