Podcast appearances and mentions of thomas panek

Joe is joined by Thomas Panek, President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a globally recognized leader in canine development and training. Guiding Eyes has pioneered advancements in the service animal field, including creating the first specialized training program for running guide dogs. Blind since his early twenties, Thomas is also an accomplished marathoner, having completed the Boston Marathon more than seven times. He made history as the first blind person to finish the NYRR United Airlines Half Marathon in NYC with a relay team of guide dogs. In this episode, Thomas shares insights into the transformative work being done at Guiding Eyes and discusses how technological innovations are enhancing lives in remarkable ways. The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR) and produced by Karthik Iyer (@bykarthikiyer), Freddie Walker (@freddiewalks), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with social media efforts led by Pragna Prasanna, Breah Banks, and Lissa Ruiz. DONATE HERE - https://donate.guidingeyes.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20007a?idb=0&df_id=2700&2700.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=889502CB639A5ECF8F62EFF0EB18D492 https://www.guidingeyes.org/

The remarkable story of a boy who once dove into a swimming pool that didn't have any water in it because he couldn't admit that he was going blind and couldn't see that he was headed for concrete, and how that boy turned into the CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a married father of four, a board member and a finisher of The Boston Marathon and The New York Marathon. Thomas Panek's story is relevant to all of us, for it shows us the gifts that we can all receive once we push aside our pride and reach out for help.    

This podcast is about big ideas on how technology is making life better for people with vision loss. The white cane and guide dogs are long-established foundational tools used by people with vision impairment to navigate. Although it would be difficult to replace the 35,000 years of bonding between humans and dogs, researchers are working on robotic technologies that can replicate many of the same functions of a guide dog. One such project, called LYSA, is being developed by Vix Labs in Brazil. LYSA sits on two wheels and is pushed by the user. It's capable of identifying obstacles and guiding users to saved destinations. And while hurdles such as outdoor navigation remain, LYSA could someday be a promising alternative for people who either don't have access to guide dogs or aren't interested in having one. In a similar vein, Dr. Cang Ye and his team at Virginia Commonwealth University are developing a robotic white cane that augments the familiar white cane experience for people with vision loss. Like the LYSA, the robotic white cane has a sophisticated computer learning system that allows it to identify obstacles and help the user navigate around them, using a roller tip at its base. Although it faces obstacles as well, the robotic guide cane is another incredible example of how robotics can help improve the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. It may be a while until these technologies are widely available, and guide dogs and traditional canes will always be extremely useful for people who are blind or visually impaired. But with how fast innovations in robotics are happening, it may not be long until viable robotic alternatives are available.   The Big Takeaways: Reliability of Biological Guide Dogs: Although guide dogs have only been around for a little over a century, humans and dogs have a relationship dating over 35,000 years. Thomas Panek, the President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, points out that there will never be a true replacement for this timeless bond. That being said, he thinks there is a role for robotics to coexist alongside biological guide dogs, and even help augment their abilities. LYSA the Robotic Guide Dog: LYSA may look more like a rolling suitcase than a dog, but its developers at Brazil's Vix Systems are working on giving it many of the same functions as its biological counterpart. LYSA can identify obstacles and guide its user around them. And for indoor environments that are fully mapped out, it can bring the user to pre-selected destinations as well. The Robotic White Cane: Dr. Cang Ye and his team at Virginia Commonwealth University are developing a Robotic White Cane that can provide more specific guidance than the traditional version. With a sophisticated camera combined with LiDAR technology, it can help its user navigate the world with increased confidence. Challenges of Outdoor Navigation: Both LYSA and the Robotic White Cane are currently better suited for indoor navigation. A major reason for that is the unpredictability of an outdoor environment along with more fast-moving objects, such as cars on the road. Researchers are working hard on overcoming this hurdle, but it still poses a major challenge. The Speed of Innovation: When Dr. Ye began developing the Robotic White Cane a decade ago, the camera his team used cost $500,000 and had image issues. Now, their technology can be run on a smartphone – making the technology much more affordable, and hopefully one day, more accessible if it becomes available to the public.   Tweetables: “We've had a relationship with dogs for 35,000 years. And a relationship with robots for maybe, you know, 50 years. So the ability of a robot to take over that task is a way off. But technology is moving quickly.” — Thomas Panek, President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind “Outdoor navigation is a whole new world because if you go on the streets, it could be dangerous. You have to be very careful because you are driving a person, driving a human being.” — Kaio Ribeiro, Researcher at Vix Systems “The first … camera we used, it's close to 500 grand. … But now … the iPhone's LiDAR … works outdoors. … And it just took … a … bit more than 10 years.” — Dr. Cang Ye, Prof. of Comp. Sci. at Virginia Commonwealth University and Program Director, National Science Foundation “It's not the traditional … robot … that's stiff. … We have to move into soft robotics … to accomplish the … activity … a dog can accomplish. … It's a way off. … If … an engineering student … wants to get into soft robotics, … that's where it will be.” — Thomas Panek   Pertinent Links: Lighthouse Guild Guiding Eyes for the Blind LYSA Robot Guide Robotic White Cane

This podcast is about big ideas on how technology is making life better for people with vision loss. Today's big idea is about exciting and emerging technologies that will someday allow people who are blind or visually impaired to navigate fully autonomously. In this episode, you will meet Jason Eichenholz, the Co-Founder and CTO of Luminar, and his manufacturing engineer, Nico Gentry. Luminar's LIDAR technology is instrumental to the development of self-driving cars, but this same technology could be useful for people who are blind or visually impaired, who also have to navigate autonomously. You'll hear from Thomas Panek, the President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an avid runner who dreamed of running on his own. He took this unmet need to a Google Hackathon and Ryan Burke, the Creative Producer at Google Creative Lab put together a team to develop a solution that turned into Project Guideline. Kevin Yoo, Co-Founder of WearWorks Technology is using inclusive design to develop Wayband, a navigation wristband that communicates directions with users via haptics.   The Big Takeaways: Since LIDAR uses a shorter wavelength of light than other sensing technologies it creates the most nuanced image, but unlike a camera, LIDAR also measures the distance to each element in the landscape, making it perfect for self-driving cars. And the fact that LIDAR sensors have gotten better and cheaper for self-driving cars has made them available as well for technologies that help people who are blind and visually impaired. LIDAR's Jason Eichenholz and his engineer, Nico Gentry; who is visually impaired; dive deep into the broad benefits of  LIDAR for self-driving cars and for autonomously navigating people. As an avid runner who is visually impaired, Thomas Panek, President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, decided to take matters into his own hands, and enlist Google to help build him a tool that would allow him to run without a guide — human or canine. Ryan Burke weighs in on how his prototype, Project Guideline, helps people like Thomas run safely. We can't talk about running safely without talking about GPS. Kevin Yoo of WearWorks Technology has developed a wearable band called Wayband to help pedestrians navigate different paths and terrain more accurately by connecting to GPS maps. And he's developing a haptic language that will allow users to understand nuanced directions without the need for visual or audio feedback.   Tweetables: “The big difference of LIDAR technology over sonar or radar is the wavelength of light. So because the wavelength of light is so much shorter, you're able to get much higher spatial resolution. [...] So what you're able to do is to have [....] camera-like spatial resolution with radar-like range, you're getting the best of both worlds.”  — Jason Eichenholz, of LIDAR technology. “The learning curve to be able to run as fast as my legs could carry was being able to train to those beeping sounds and fine-tuning those sounds with the Google engineering team.” — Thomas Panek “It's a compass; it's a vibration compass. And literally, as you rotate, [...] we can literally guide you down the line of a curvy road by creating this Pac-Man-like effect. So what we call these dew points. So as soon as you collect the dew point, it will guide you to the next one.” — Kevin Yoo   Contact Us: Contact us at podcasts@lighthouseguild.org with your innovative new technology ideas for people with vision loss.   Pertinent Links: Lighthouse Guild Jason Eichenholz Thomas Panek Ryan Burke Kevin Yoo

As AI becomes more capable, it must collect more data to adapt better to our world. By creating data artificially (and not at the expense of our privacy), our future becomes smarter that much faster. From teaching autonomous cars how to drive using 3D content to helping the blind run without fear using machine learning, our guests talk share the ways they've used synthetic data to achieve big things – and talk about even greater things it can make possible.    Key Takeaways: [2:01] Beatrice and her fellow researchers were handing over their own data to fill gaps in the studies when they did not have enough data, or when there were challenges around convincing subjects to be part of their study. So how could synthetic data have solved these problems? [2:54] Synthetic data is data that is artificially created and has the same statistical properties as the original data. However, when you generate synthetic data, the process is completely irreversible. [3:50] Without synthetic data, if the world has biased information, you may not see equal representation of people in all places and data that represents them. Phil Bayer, an engineer at Google's Project Guideline, discusses how data bias is no small concern. [6:17] Emna talks about how AI needs to develop new algorithms and methods to detect things and to mimic human behavior, with self-driving cars as an example. [9:07] Phil and his team at Project Guideline are working on a project that allows blind individuals to run outside by detecting a yellow line on the ground. Phil talks about how it all began when a man named Thomas Panek walked into a Google Hackathon and asked if they could help blind people run freely. A few surreal data sets later, Phil was moved by watching Thomas run freely outside. [14:36] Robotic systems might benefit from some virtual reality training, and using 3D environments to train AI on synthetic data is just the tip of the iceberg when we look at what is possible. Peter van der Putten, Director of Decisioning and AI Solutions at Pegasystems, and Prof of Media Technology at Leiden University speaks about how a lot of VR is too perfect, and we can benefit when it has the graininess and character of the real world. [16:57] After Grand Theft Auto 5 was released in 2013, Intel researchers decided to try to make a movie version of the game that would be more photorealistic. They used a machine learning technique that used real-world data. [20:02] Peter's student research has some interesting implications for how AI systems train best in virtual reality. Phil agrees, saying that using VR as a training site for AI just might be the way of the future.   Quotes: “We basically, as consumers or customers of any type, have no privacy at all. So, of course, I wanted to join this mission to build a technology that would eventually give us what is ours back.” - Beatrice 3:15 “Synthetic data can even help us balance out some of the biases we see in the real world. With synthetic data, you can create worlds that sort of you are hoping for, or that you're envisioning.”  - Phil 5:12 “With synthetic data, you can create realistic 3D content and without too much human effort and you can make more areas diverse.” - Emna 7:09 “To see sort of the variety of ways in which someone can be helped by technology —  like this is really powerful.” - Phil 14:11  “A lot of VR is hyper-realistic. It's not that it's not perfect enough. It's too perfect. It's missing the graininess, and the glossy character of the real world.” - Peter 15:58 “The other thing that has been showing a lot of promise in synthetic data is helping to try and remove bias from datasets. And so I think that's another reason why it's growing in popularity.” Phil - 19:40 “We can create less biased AI. We can share our data with confidence in our privacy.” James - 20:31   Continue on your journey: pega.com/podcast   Mentioned:  Grand Theft Auto  Article by the Imperial College London  Beatrice Milik  Emna Amor  Philip Bayer  Peter van der Putten

011NEWS, edizione di venerdì 22 gennaio 2021. I titoli: - Facebook e Google aggiornano le loro tecnologie per renderle più attente alle esigenze di chi non vede - In cammino da Arles a Santiago de Compostela. Pandemia permettendo, un viaggio spirituale e culturale aperto a persone con disabilità visiva - Corre per 5 chilometri guidato da un innovativo sistema di intelligenza artificiale. Ecco l'impresa dell'atleta non vedente Thomas Panek, che ora sogna la maratona di New York

Cheryl McNeil Fisher writes books, has used a guide dog from Guiding Eyes for the Blind for over 3 decades, experienced Google’s Project Guideline wearing boots with heels, yes, with heels, and has found community events and programs on-line during the Pandemic. Cheryl shares advice about writing books and the publishing process. Talks about how she made the decision to get a guide dog and her experiences over the years. She also has found the ACB Group Calls that have emerged during the Pandemic to be very satisfying and recommends others to join the community. You don’t have to be an ACB member, she says, just find a time and group and add to the conversation. There is something for everyone. Project Guideline started when Thomas Panek, CEO of Seeing Eyes for the Blind, asked a Google Hackathon group if there was a way to assist a blind runner to run independently. After a few months and some hard work in the Google research labs, Thomas was able to run independently and will soon be further testing Project Guideline in New York’s Central Park during a running event. Cheryl was invited to test the Guideline set-up and she is here to talk about her experience. After losing most of her sight, Cheryl decided to contact Guiding Eyes for the Blind and start the process of getting a guide dog. After a bit of nerves almost stopped her from going, she soon did not want to leave the facilities where she was matched with her first guide dog. Now, on her 4th guide dog, Cheryl talks about her experiences and shares advice to anyone considering getting a guide dog. When Cheryl found the Community Calls from ACB, she began attending the virtual events and now hosts her own meeting as well. She admits she never participated much in events and the Pandemic has changed all of that. Join Cheryl and Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio for ta brief look at Cheryl’s journey through blindness, authoring books and being a guide dog owner. Hope you enjoy! Here are some links mentioned in the podcast episode: Google’s Project Guideline Guiding Eyes for the Blind Audio Described Video of Project Guideline Cheryl McNeil Fisher Web Site ACB Community Conference Calls Contact Your State Services If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Transition Coordinator Sheila Koenig by email or contact her via phone at 651-539-2361. Contact: You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Storeand Google Play Store. Check out the Blind Abilities Communityon Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page, and the Career Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired group

For her first season hosting Working, Slate’s Shannon Palus is delving into the world of running, from professional athletes to coaches to people who do all manner of things to help other people run. This week, Shannon talks to Thomas Panek, president and CEO of Guiding Eye for the Blind, a nonprofit training school for guide dogs. Thomas is also a lifelong runner. But, as he tells Shannon, when he lost his eyesight, he thought his running days were over. Eventually, with the help of a human running guide, he got back into the sport. And as CEO of a guide-dog school, he came to realize that dogs are perfectly suited to be running guides themselves. Thomas was the first person to run a half-marathon with guide dogs last year, and he is on a mission to help more blind people have the freedom to run. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For her first season hosting Working, Slate’s Shannon Palus is delving into the world of running, from professional athletes to coaches to people who do all manner of things to help other people run. This week, Shannon talks to Thomas Panek, president and CEO of Guiding Eye for the Blind, a nonprofit training school for guide dogs. Thomas is also a lifelong runner. But, as he tells Shannon, when he lost his eyesight, he thought his running days were over. Eventually, with the help of a human running guide, he got back into the sport. And as CEO of a guide-dog school, he came to realize that dogs are perfectly suited to be running guides themselves. Thomas was the first person to run a half-marathon with guide dogs last year, and he is on a mission to help more blind people have the freedom to run. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thomas Panek is the visually impaired President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Thomas joins us to explain how he and three guide dogs just made history at the New York City Half Marathon.

Thomas Panek is the visually impaired President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Thomas joins us to explain how he and three guide dogs just made history at the New York City Half Marathon.

Thomas Panek is the visually impaired President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Thomas joins us to explain how he and three guide dogs just made history at the New York City Half Marathon.

Thomas Panek is the CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. He is not only the President, he is also a client. In this week's Dangerous Vision Randy and Thomas talk about the special bond Thomas has with his guide dog, Gus. What did Gus do that no other guide dog has ever done? What is Thomas doing right now that is advancing medical science? For more information visit www.mabvi.org

1931 Distance Running with Guide Dogs (Jul. 31, 2019) Show Notes In episode 1752 hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talked with Thomas Panek, President and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, about a program they started to train guide dogs to serve as running companions for their handlers. This week we hear about how … Continue reading 1931 Distance Running with Guide Dogs (Jul. 31, 2019) →

Richard Kramer, the chief executive of Sense, a charity that supports people who have a hearing and visual impairment, tells Peter White about his concerns over the delays in appointing a minister for disabled people, following the resignation of Sarah Newton MP nearly a fortnight ago. Peter White talks to Kerry Fielding, a visually-impaired woman from Blackpool, who is experiencing significant delays with her application to Access to Work for specialist equipment to enable her to take up a new job in customer services. Peter also speaks to Thomas Panek, the president and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Instead of being guided by sighted runners, Thomas recently completed the United New York half-marathon using a relay of three guide dogs. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Tom Walker

Carlos was the host and when you host...you talk a little extra! So this extended "To The Top" highlights the amazing achievement of Thomas Panek the visually impaired man who...well you will have to listen! We also break down the PDiddy/Led Zepllin mash up that is an actual song. To The Top, Never Stop!

1752 Running with a Guide Dog (Dec. 20, 2017) Show Notes Guide dogs are trained to help the blind navigate throughout the day in many different environments. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Thomas Panek, president of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, about a new skill for which his organization is training dogs – … Continue reading 1752 Running with a Guide Dog (Dec. 20, 2017) →

1751 Pros and Cons of Having a Guide Dog (Dec. 13, 2017) Show Notes Although guide dogs can provide blind individuals with a greater sense of independence, they may not be for everyone. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Thomas Panek, president of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, about how his organization trains guide … Continue reading 1751 Pros and Cons of Having a Guide Dog (Dec. 13, 2017) →

Hello! And Good News! This week I have on guest Nina Concepción. Nina is an actress, writer and comedian. She is so hilarious. If you live in Los Angeles you can see her on Harold Night at UCB Theater with the team Crush. Join Nina and I as we sit on the big red couch and discuss:A young boy on Halloween who filled up an empty candy bowl left on a porch with his best loot for other children after him to find. 200 Universities just released 600 free online courses. An online magazine, Foreigner, is redefining the stigma associated with being a “foreigner” by highlighting stories of entrepreneurship and challenges, inspiration and creativity, alternative takes and cultural diversity, to give an honest representation of what being a foreigner is really about.Fire Department Coffee, a coffee company that donates a portion of its sales to support firefighter and military charities is currently putting all of their charitable funds towards helping the firefighters of Northern California who lost their homes in the recent blazes. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is installing "colorblind-less" viewfinders at scenic overlooks in the state. People affected by red-green color deficiencies may now see the fall foliage for what may be their very first time.Thomas Panek is training guide dogs to guide visually impaired runners so that they may independently be able to participate in road races. Nina is from Philadelphia where they recently unveiled a statue of black civil rights activist Octavias Catto. We wrap up the episode talking about establishing healthy habits and self care and the work and time that it takes to have a good relationship with food, exercise, and mental health.  Check out Nina’s Collection of Essays The Good-ish Girl on amazon! Follow Nina on twitter @ninamconcepcion Follow Nina on instagram @nina_concepcion Follow Hannah on instagram @cannongatorFollow Hannah on twitter @cannongator See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.