Researchers based at the STFC Hartree Centre worked with the Scotch Whisky Research Institute (SWRI) using data analytics to tackle counterfeiting across the sector. Without efficient data processing techniques, the time cost prevents such techniques ever becoming part of a routine authentication provision within the Scotch Whisky sector. The SWRI carries out pre-competitive fundamental research on behalf of its members, representing approximately 90% of the production capacity of the sector. SWRI offers analytical services, using traditional techniques such as GC-FID (Gas Chromatography – Flame Ionisation Detector) or GC-MS (Gas chromatography–Mass Spectrometry) to detect counterfeits. Using these methods to distinguish between different samples can be challenging given the complexity resulting from the number of different compounds present in the vapour above a whisky sample.

Southwest Research Institute, a leading innovator of machine learning technologies, has developed a motion prediction system that enhances pedestrian detection for automated vehicles. The computer vision tool uses a novel deep learning algorithm to predict motion by observing real-time biomechanical movements with the pelvic area being a key indicator for changes. "For instance, if a pedestrian is walking west, the system can predict if that person will suddenly turn south," said SwRI's Samuel E. Slocum, a senior research analyst who led the internally funded project. "As the push for automated vehicles accelerates, this research offers several important safety features to help protect pedestrians." Recent accidents involving automated vehicles have heightened the call for improved detection of pedestrians and other moving obstacles.

A study co-written by a Southwest Research Institute scientist describes a new algorithm that combines the capabilities of two spacecraft instruments, which could result in lower cost and higher efficiency space missions. The virtual "super instrument," is a computer algorithm that utilizes deep learning to analyze ultraviolet images of the Sun, taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, and measure the energy that the Sun emits as ultraviolet light. "Deep learning is an emerging capability that is revolutionizing the way we interact with data," said Dr. Andrés Muñoz-Jaramillo, senior research scientist at SwRI. Muñoz-Jaramillo co-authored the study, published this month in Science Advances, alongside collaborators from nine other institutions as part of NASA's Frontier Development Laboratory. The laboratory is an applied artificial intelligence research accelerator that applies deep learning and machine learning techniques to challenges in space science and exploration.

For over 300 years, the Alamo City has been a dynamic platform for technological innovation and global commerce. Tech Port SA, offered by Port San Antonio, rounds-up the latest stories chronicling the region's movers and shakers in advanced industries.