Vying for the ANA Avatar XPRIZE

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The challenge: to develop a robotic avatar system that bridges space and time to allow a person’s consciousness, knowledge and skills to be instantly transported. It’s a venture that blends human connectivity and advanced technology. It’s the stuff of sci-fi movies and fiction novels. But innovators around the globe are on the verge of making it a reality. This series explores the scientists, engineers, virtual reality experts, and designers working to fulfill the promise of avatar technology through the ANA Avatar XPRIZE competition. We’ll talk with some of the team members about their entries, their technologies, and their dreams for an avatar in the not-so-distant future. This ingenuity is working to power a new age of mobility.

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    • Sep 30, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 16m AVG DURATION
    • 5 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Vying for the ANA Avatar XPRIZE

    Limitless Possibilities: Avatars & The Future of Work

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 19:05


    With technologies like AI and robotics advancing at such an exponential level, many fear the implications on their industry, and their positions, in particular. In our final episode, we explore a more realistic narrative – one where humans and robots operate in harmony to build a future of work that is more inclusive and safer than ever before. From putting the disabled to work to sending robotic avatars to space, the possibilities are endless, and these experts explain how they’ll do it.

    The Architects of the Avatar

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 15:26


    The blueprints for avatars are everywhere we look. Autonomous cars, video conferencing, even your cell phone – all of the technology needed for robotic avatars already exists. So how do we harness those technologies and build something that is robust and resilient and capable of learning in real time? Engineers hold the answers. In this episode, two teams of engineers unpack their philosophies in building the avatar. Will avatars give us super-human strength? Or will they bridge the emotional gap between humans and machines? These experts explain.

    Extending the Sensory Capabilities of Humans

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 19:52


    Robotic technology allows machines to process information and carry out tasks at a super-human level. But most robots are pre-programmed, meaning they can only do certain tasks in certain fixed environments. But what if we involved a human controller? And what if we combined robotics with tech innovations such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning? Could they transform into a robotic avatar that could extend the sensory capabilities of humankind?

    Virtual Doctors and Medicine on Mars

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 15:28


    Healthcare technology needs a reboot. The COVID-19 pandemic has undermined the very nature of medicine — doctor to patient contact —and forced innovators to think bigger and faster. For some, robotic avatars are the savior waiting to rescue an industry in turmoil. In this episode, we’ll learn about avatars that allow doctors to examine a patient’s ear or check their tonsils from hundreds of miles away, as well as robotic first responders that can reach people when humans cannot. 

    The Endless Possibilities of the Avatar

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 13:55


    The dream of the avatar – a robot controlled remotely by a human – has been floating around science fiction circles for decades. The use cases are endless. Doctors who can treat patients across continents in seconds. Tourists able to see the world without ever leaving their homes. In-home help for the sick and elderly. The possibilities have always outweighed the reality, until now. In the ANA Avatar XPRIZE competition, 77 teams from across the world are competing to create the world’s first commercially-viable avatar. This series explores the scientists, engineers, virtual reality experts, and designers working to fulfill the promise of avatar technology. But first, we’ll start with some basics in this episode: what does the future of avatar technology look like and what are the barriers holding us back?

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