Intentionally below the press' radar, Kitware is a software developer whose bread-and-butter projects are Pentagon contracts, DARPA research projects and robotics development. Why is a relatively unknown researcher suddenly so important? Because they intend to (and probably will) make robots a daily part of your life.
Kitware is currently working in an emerging scientific field called "computer vision." For better or worse, today's computers are relatively dumb. They do as they're told, with little to no understanding of context or substance beyond their binary prison walls. In a nutshell, the research being done at Kitware will giving robots the ability to "understand."
Take surveillance footage, for instance, which is so numerous and pervasive that human monitors are simply unfeasible. So instead, we'll use robots that understand the difference between a harmless gesture and a criminal reaching for a concealed weapon. I'm willing to trust a computer with my criminal record...I think.
Emotional Androids
Kitware Intends to Roll Out Computers and Robots That "Understand"
Trend Themes
1. Emotional Androids - Creating robots with emotional intelligence could revolutionize fields like healthcare and therapy.
2. Contextual Computing - Developing computers with the ability to understand context could lead to personalized and adaptive user experiences.
3. Intelligent Surveillance - Using robots with computer vision to detect potential threats could enhance public safety and reduce law enforcement costs.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare - Emotionally intelligent robots could be used in therapeutic settings to support mental health treatment efforts.
2. Retail - Contextual computing could help retailers create personalized shopping experiences for customers.
3. Law Enforcement - Intelligent surveillance technology could assist law enforcement agencies with crime prevention and public safety efforts.