X-rays are taken for granted in the western world, but the World Health Organization believes that close to two-thirds of the global population do not have reliable access to diagnostic imaging. The cost of the equipment alone is prohibitive in many developing countries, as well as the cost of maintaining and powering the hardware, which can run into several million dollars. Nanox claims that its "digital" X-ray machine, a Star Trek-inspired biobed called the Nanox Arc, is cheaper to use, easier to maintain and doesn't require installation in a hefty hospital facility. The company gave its first live demonstration of the technology earlier this week. The presentation came from its Israel HQ, broadcast to the (online-only, thanks to COVID) Radiological Society of North America's annual conference.

At a factory south of Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, robots have started sharing the work of quality-control inspectors, as the coronavirus pandemic accelerates a shift from Toyota's vaunted "go and see" system which helped revolutionize mass production in the 20th century. Inside the auto-parts plant of Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co. Ltd., a robotic arm picks up and spins a bevel gear, scanning its teeth against a light in search of surface flaws. The inspection takes about two seconds -- similar to that of highly trained employees who check around 1,000 units per shift. "Inspecting 1,000 of the exact same thing day-in day-out requires a lot of skill and expertise, but it's not very creative," Chief Executive Hiroshi Otsuka said. "We'd like to release workers from those tasks."

At a factory south of Japan's Toyota City, robots have started sharing the work of quality-control inspectors as the pandemic accelerates a shift from Toyota's vaunted "go-and-see" system, which helped revolutionize mass production in the 20th century. Inside the auto parts plant of Musashi Seimitsu, a robotic arm picks up and spins a bevel gear, scanning its teeth against a light in search of surface flaws. The inspection takes about two seconds -- similar to that of highly trained employees who check around 1,000 units per shift. "Inspecting 1,000 of the exact same thing day in day out requires a lot of skill and expertise, but it's not very creative," CEO Hiroshi Otsuka told Reuters. "We'd like to release workers from those tasks."

AI can be used for the early detection of virus outbreaks that might result in a pandemic. AI detected the coronavirus long before the world's population really knew what it was. On December 31st, a Toronto-based startup called BlueDot identified the outbreak in Wuhan, several hours after the first cases were diagnosed by local authorities. The BlueDot team confirmed the info its system had relayed and informed their clients that very day, nearly a week before Chinese and international health organisations made official announcements. Thanks to the speed and scale of AI, BlueDot was able to get a head start over everyone else.

AI can be used for the early detection of virus outbreaks that might result in a pandemic. AI detected the coronavirus long before the world's population really knew what it was. On December 31st, a Toronto-based startup called BlueDot identified the outbreak in Wuhan, several hours after the first cases were diagnosed by local authorities. The BlueDot team confirmed the info its system had relayed and informed their clients that very day, nearly a week before Chinese and international health organisations made official announcements. Thanks to the speed and scale of AI, BlueDot was able to get a head start over everyone else.

The number of industrial robots in operation around the world has grown rapidly in recent years, but nowhere more so than in China, where some 30% of the world's robots are in operation. This growth has prompted many to ponder whether humans are being pushed out of the workforce in favor of their robotic brethren. This isn't really born out by the evidence however. For instance, a study from a few years ago suggests that such fears of widespread job displacement may be somewhat overblown. The study saw over 300 occupations examined over a 33 year time-scale from 1980 to try and examine the impact of automation.

The world's first'employment agency' offering AI controlled robots to undertake'strenuous work normally endured by humans' has launched in Israel. MusashiAI, a joint venture between SixAI of Israel and Musashi Seimitsu of Japan has a completely autonomous forklift and a visual inspection robot on its books. The company says its fully autonomous robots will be able to integrate seamlessly with human workers in a modern factory environment. They say their model allows factories to hire robot labour by the hour or pay a task-completed rate, rather than buy expensive robot equipment outright. The world's first'employment agency' offering AI controlled robots to factories to undertake'strenuous work normally endured by humans' has launched in Israel.

The partnership, among other things, will develop an automated guided vehicle (AGV) for industrial use. The innovation center will develop solutions to provide a safer and more efficient manufacturing environment that will enhance the global value chain, they said.

One of the owners of Honda Motor Co is partnering with an Israeli tech pioneer to develop artificial intelligence applications that will enable the future of Industry 4.0. The collaboration will combine Hiroshi Otsuka, head of Musashi Seimitsu Corp that is partly owned by Honda, and Ran Poliakine, founder of Poliakine Innovation, they said on Tuesday. Industry 4.0 is a term coined by German manufacturers for the digitalization and automation of assembly processes. The partnership, among other things, will develop an automated guided vehicle (AGV) for industrial use. The innovation center will develop solutions to provide a safer and more efficient manufacturing environment that will enhance the global value chain, they said.

With modern medicine and public health measures extending the average person's life expectancy, a growing population is coming face to face with the challenges of age – including cognitive decline. Addressing the needs of people dealing with cognitive change is no simple task. And today's healthcare workers are hungry for objective, meaningful data to help determine how to best treat their patients. Ruth Poliakine is hoping that her 5-person analytics company, MyndYou, can help harvest that purposeful data. The company, which launched in the middle of 2016, announced this week that it is partnering with Mass.