Reflect:Consider how the digital revolution has transformed your life. Try to think of unique innovations other than the common cell phone, laptop, or microwave oven. Reviewing what your classmates ha
Two innovative technologies that have transformed the way I work, learn, and live are video conferencing and GPS. Now that I am teleworking five days a week due to the pandemic, video conferencing is a lifesaver. We use Microsoft Teams to meet weekly, and I love it. It allows my co-workers and I to voice conference or video conference so that we can continue to provide consistent service to our customers. If I need to share information or providing training, I can also share my screen. This function is crucial because it allows for real-life scenarios in the systems I am training on. This way, I can instruct them while they are seeing me working in the systems. Microsoft Teams is a new technology that we just started using when we were sent home. I use Duo (for android phones) FaceTime (IPAD), and for those that have neither capability, I use FB IM video chat. This has transformed the way I live, especially now that I can’t travel, and I want to check in on my family members. It was nice to call them, but it is even better to see them. I also utilize Zoom when I am meeting with my CHAMPS mentor.
GPS (Global Positioning System) has transformed the way I work and live. I live in Georgia, which is a pretty big state when you are driving. Some of the towns that I have visited in my professional capacity would not have been found without GPS. It also helps me in my private life. When I first came to Georgia 9 years ago, I never left my house without using it. It is an excellent piece of innovative technology; however, this one does have its drawbacks. If a road is closed or a new one is created, the GPS doesn’t always recognize it. Cities, like Washington, DC) have all but transformed, and with that, streets were taken away in place of a commercial building, and the GPS has not caught up. This is usually the exception, not the norm, but it does happen.
The first idea I would like to discuss is “5G: Driverless cars could warn each other of dangers using new network”. The premise of this technology is to use the 5G network to allow cars to talk to each other using a vehicle early warning system. This system would be used to send driving conditions to other vehicles/drivers to warn them of snow or icy conditions in a short-range communication and long-range using the 5G network. This sounds like a great idea. I know personally, if I were driving, it would be nice to get a warning if something dangerous was up ahead. The drawback to this is it uses the 5G network. How many times has a storm went through, and you lose your internet connection, or you are driving, and you hit a blind spot where you lose connection on your phone? I think this is a potential problem with this new technology. Also, using AI (Artificial Intelligence) is not always stable or reliable. Uber tried having driverless cars take people around, and there were accidents involving the vehicle hitting pedestrians. I think it is a great idea, but as with all great ideas, they must be tested, and all the bugs worked out before implementation. For me, I’ll stick to driving the old way. Link (Links to an external site.)
The other idea I would like to talk about is “cloud robotics.” This futuristic idea fascinated me. Scientists are testing growing a brain on cloud servers. This advanced brain activity would then be sent to robots to perform more complex functions. Microsoft, Amazon, and the government are paying for this research. Amazon is even letting the scientist and researchers use their cloud platform to test and expand on this idea. They have done some testing with ordinary chores, but it is exciting to see where this will go. The drawback for me is that technology may overcome its creators. They are trying to create a virtual brain to perform functions that human does, but my reservation comes in when I think that the artificial brain will become smarter and start thinking for itself instead of taking instruction. Maybe I watch too many movies, but it sounds possible to me.Link (Links to an external site.)
Michelle
