Harry T. Roman's Blog, page 9
March 19, 2019
Thomas Edison Ponders Where the Moon Came From
February 27, 2019
Thomas Edison Smiles at the Solar-Hydrogen Connection
February 20, 2019
2019 Pitch Contest Deadline Extended
February 4, 2019
Happy Birthday Thomas Edison!!
January 20, 2019
Thomas Edison Invention Challenge and Pitch Contest!
December 10, 2018
Thomas Edison Admires Wind Machine Innovation
Innovation can occur anywhere, this time in wind energy technology, with a radical step away from the big propeller driven wind machines to a simple vibrating post. Inits start-up phase, Vortex Bladeless is developing an environmentally friendly wind machine that resonates with the wind–see this fascinating video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW4AzDpjcsI
[image error]Aesthetically clean profile of Vortex Bladeless wind machine technology
It is a new wind energy technology specially designed for
on-site generation; with selected partners and supporters on the
development team. Early uses of this technology are expected to be in Africa
and India, with scale-up to larger machines as experience and engineering
allow. Let’s examine some of the expected benefits:
Easy to installCan pack wind machines closer together–more power output per areaLess intrusive on bird populations/migratory pathsLighter construction-less intrusive site constructionNo complex moving parts to lubricate and maintenanceNo oils needed therefore no possible spillsReduction of foundation sizeOmnidirectional–no need to “yaw” into the windQuiet energy production
Vortex bladeless is mainly a solution for distributed energy generation. It is perfect to be placed near a house or over the roof. It can work on grid and off grid, and as a part of a hybrid solar installation plus wind generation.
Editor’s Deep Dive:
https://vortexbladeless.com/about-us/https://explorist.futurism.com/bladeless-wind-turbines-may-future-wind-power/https://www.enterprisetech.com/2018/04/06/generating-electricity-with-bladeless-wind-turbines-one-household-at-a-time/
Thomas Edison said … “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy.What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. I wish I had more years left.”
[image error]Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.
November 26, 2018
Thomas Edison Would Love 5G
It’s rolling round the bend….”
-Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues
“Now arriving on cell phone track 3…..the 5G Express. This is an all tickets train folks with station stops everywhere. All aboard!”
This train will change everything we have come to expect in telecommunications, transformational as some experts say – even bigger than the automobile and electricity others claim.
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With 5G, the combination of speed, responsiveness and reach could unlock the full capabilities of other hot trends in technology, offering a boost to self-driving cars, drones, virtual reality and the internet of things.
Here are just a few of the general expectations:
Every cell phone can offer cheap, unlimited Internet access
Internet speeds many times faster than 4G service
5G will also affect the Internet of things—it all speeds up.
Augmented and virtual reality applications
Remote surgery via teleoperation
Tactile sensation of sights, sounds….etc.
Self-driving cars and traffic control
Health monitoring, especially for seniors
Weather warnings, and forecasting
Environmental monitoring
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It’s all in the G’s!
Some of the first 5G phones could be in your pocket/purse in 2019, a full year ahead of earlier projections, and premiering first at highest speeds in big cities like the Big Apple and San Fran. 5G will work best with higher communication frequencies, thus more cell towers, closer spaced, will be needed. This could cause cluttering and aesthetic concerns in urban neighborhoods. Expect lawsuit challenges as it all shakes out.
Thomas Edison so respected the importance of information and knowledge, he placed his office in his corporate library. Imagine if he had a 5G wireless Internet connection and cell phone!
“Time is really the only capital that any human being has and the thing that he can least afford to waste or lose…”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.
November 4, 2018
TED talk – on Thomas Edison
On November 8th, John Keegan, President and CEO of the Edison Innovation Foundation will give a TEDx talk at NJIT, entitled “There’s a better way to do it. Find it”.
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Hi….Tom Edison here. Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. Listen to John Keegan!
The Edison spirit, captured in the quote above, is a timely message for people of all ages. Here are some key points Keegan will touch upon:
Edison is not just an historical footnote, but totally relevant to our world today.
His lifetime legacy of accomplishments in totality accounts for $8-12 trillion in our current worldwide annual economy of $80 trillion.
His accomplishments and creation of whole new industries currently accounts for one in four jobs on the planet.
His creation of R&D labs provides the limitless team-based innovation fuel that inspires our self-renewing cornucopia of technology driven progress.
He is the world poster child for a “fail your way to success” philosophy of life; and a champion of life-long learning.
Students today study him as they learn and practice STEM / STEAM in school. Edison is the great grand-daddy of this paradigm.
Life Magazine, in honor of Edison’s cumulative inventive achievements, proclaimed him a powerful force for good, and worthy of the title, “Man of the Millennium”; a title never before attributed to any other human….the man of the last 1,000 years!
You can learn more about this great man. Stay tuned for announcements about this talk and its appearance on You Tube.
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[For more information, please click the following link tedxnjit.com]
Thomas Edison said, “Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.
October 16, 2018
Thomas Edison Admires Floating Solar Stations
Who says you must install solar panels on a house roof, or in big open fields in the desert; or perhaps on reclaimed landfills and brownfield sites? Why not float the renewable energy systems on water?
There are obvious advantages to doing this; such as, but not limited to:
No land areas taken up with panels
Cool water can help remove heat from the panels-making for better efficiencies
Less surface evaporation of water, especially in arid areas
Light reflection off water surface could increase panel performance by 5-15%
Decommissioning of plant much less disruptive than land based installations
Reduces algae growth on water surfaces.
China is a leader in this technology, as well as being a worldwide “monster producer” of solar panels. They have built the largest floating solar power plant in the world, 40 MW of renewable energy production comprised of 120,000 panels.
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China’s largest floating solar station—40 MW in size
According to a report compiled by the International Renewable Energy Agency, Asia accounted for more than two-thirds of the worldwide increase in renewable energy generating capacity in 2017. It is likely many new types of solar applications, like floating systems, will be seen in the coming years. China, Japan, and India were among the top-most contributors to this increase.
What if you installed a floating solar plant atop a lake behind a dam? Could this help increase the output of the dam? Maybe you could use it to pump water back from the dam’s outlet to help refill the lake for use again later as electrical demand increased? Water evaporation is a dam’s enemy, so reducing that evaporation is desirable. Same with locating a solar plant atop a drinking water supply—less evaporation.
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Japanese water based solar station at 13.7 MW
California is also experimenting with floating solar stations. Experts believe 20-30 percent of the state’s energy needs could be derived by harnessing that state’s suitable lake locations.
Edison on solar energy – “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. I wish I had more years left.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.
October 1, 2018
Edison-Artificial Intelligence (AI) Primer
Background
Computers entered the work-a-day world about 50 years ago, at a time when data was to be crunched, sorted, and operated upon. Then our machines became better and our programming more sophisticated, allowing us to begin processing information along with data. Computer modeling and forecasting emerged.
Today we find ourselves processing knowledge. It’s all around us, manifested as Apps, web bots, avatars, algorithms and such; and in physical form as driverless cars, robots, GPS, travel route planning, autonomous drones, smart bombs/ military equipment. This is the province of AI, where our machines process knowledge, a high order thinking function. It’s not about crunching, computing, merging and sorting data/information, but about processing knowledge—such as strategies, scenarios, contingencies, gaming…etc.; and the ultimate holy of holies….wisdom. It is not the information revolution we are in, but more accurately, the knowledge revolution.
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What could be possible?
A quick look at where the AI wave could take us:
Detecting minute patterns in scientific and engineering analyses could lead to new discoveries and innovative new products. Likewise, minute changes in human behavior can provide insight into long-term social changes.
The Internet of Things, enhanced with deep learning capability, would seamlessly link sensors, data, information and knowledge together to greatly improve the operating efficiencies of utility services, communication networks, traffic control, airline monitoring and scheduling…etc.
Autonomous robots could take on new roles in society, such as helpers for the handicapped and mobility challenged; avatars and tutors for early school-age children and classrooms; and, serve as companions and monitors for dementia afflicted senior citizens, and surgery recovering patients.
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An AI powered human “friend” and companion
Intelligent systems could process a variety of applications for such things as bank loans, job selection, contractor selection….etc.
Intelligent systems could be applied to making financial decisions either on a personal or fund level—learning and observing from many years of data and trends; making recommendations and perhaps even executing trades.
AI systems could be used to learn the buying habits of customers/groups of customers that could be used to stimulate the development of new/improved products and services, or provide personalized recommendations for internet shoppers.
Smart systems could help doctors better diagnose unusual medical conditions, avoid medicine conflicts, and warn of potential future complications.
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Impacts of an AI world
This is what scares folks not prepared for this kind of workplace. It is not about right answers anymore, but rather about deep thinking and learning, decision-making, asking the important questions, strategic planning and such. Maybe it is not a coincidence why the modern workplace is no longer interested in the SAT/GRE/GPA scores of potential new hires—why the soft skills of prospective employees is important to them. The knowledge revolution will require a new mindset…one of continuous learning, leadership, teamwork and communications.
The workplace ante has been seriously raised. It is not about what you know, but what you can do with what you know; how fast you can do this; and how effectively you can capture that knowledge process and teach machines to do this as well. The use and application of AI is the next step in the usefulness of humans in the workplace; a new definition of human capital, and triggering a renewed look at what is intellectual property?
Edison understood this in rudimentary form, when he developed his R&D lab concept, a process to turn raw ideas (data and information) into new products (knowledge); with the mantra of continuous learning and improvement of that knowledge. He fully appreciated that failure was an essential part of his machine learning—his human, organic machine….the product development team! Edison knew he had to compete in the marketplace based on higher order thinking skills.
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Don’t worry about some malignant AI based code taking over the world or enslaving our computers and society…turning us into mindless drones. Worry about whether our educational infrastructure [and parents] understand what the business world will require of students; and if our educators will be brave enough to change the way teachers and students are taught.
Editor’s Deep Dive
Check out our earlier article on AI at http://www.edisonmuckers.org/artificial-intelligence/
https://partners.wsj.com/veeam/promise-of-ai-for-data-management/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-human-promise-of-the-ai-revolution-1536935115
Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.
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