Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are two futuristic technologies that have taken the world by storm. They are revolutionizing various industries, from gaming and beauty to education and healthcare. But do you know what's the coolest thing about them? These apps use computer vision and machine learning to apply fun and engaging filters to your face in real time, making you look like anything from a cute puppy to a superhero. Now, you might be thinking, "Building an AR & AI face filters app is too complicated for me!"

A group of scientists from the Space Center (SC) and the Center for Data-Intensive Science and Engineering (CDISE) at Skoltech have developed a method for predicting an increase in plant biomass using 2-D and 3-D images. Their findings will help improve the efficiency of precision farming, both on Earth and in space. The results of their research were presented at the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference and accepted for publication in a special issue of IEEE Pervasive Computing. With the rising global population, pervasive agriculture research is highly relevant. High technology opens up broad horizons for combating hunger in developing countries, enhancing food security, mitigating human impact on the environment and making agriculture more cost-effective.

Loom.ai is a software designed to transform 2D selfies into 3D avatars Machine learning calculates the details of a person's face And artificial intelligence fills in missing areas of the 2D image The more data it is fed, the better it is at predicting expressions and features Loom.ai is a software designed to transform 2D selfies into 3D avatars Machine learning calculates the details of a person's face Loom.ai Bizarre'Death Star' spotted over Japan: Alien hunters claim... What would REALLY happen if an asteroid struck the ocean:... Revealed: 'Natural thermostat' that cools the air in Earth's... Meet Cameron, the adorable four-year-old who has created 9... Bizarre'Death Star' spotted over Japan: Alien hunters claim... What would REALLY happen if an asteroid struck the ocean:... Revealed: 'Natural thermostat' that cools the air in Earth's... Meet Cameron, the adorable four-year-old who has created 9... The 3D avatar faces are complete with emotions that can be seen in their eyes mouth and the movement of their face. They can appear sad, happy (like Rihanna's avatar), interested or even angry - however, there is only a small set of emotions available at the moment. Users just have to upload a font facing image, such as this image of Elon Musk (left) of themselves or someone else to the Loom.ai

Developed by a Swiss startup called Eyra, Horus consists of a headband with stereo cameras on one end that can recognise text, faces and objects. Information from the cameras is fed via a 1m cable into a smartphone-sized box containing a battery and a NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor. This provides GPU-accelerated computer vision, deep learning and sensors that process, analyse and describe the images from the cameras. Feedback and instruction are delivered via bone conduction audio technology that allows the wearer to hear descriptions even in noisy environments. Similar technology has been developed by BAE Systems for the military and adapted for the Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) America's Cup team.