38. First in AR Enhanced Surgery, Beaming Power From Space, Dangers of Facial Recognition

Cool STEM News:

Augmented reality in surgery: World’s first “real” holographically navigated spine surgery at Balgrist University Hospital | News.Microsoft (01:29)

The first-ever holographically navigated spine surgery with direct navigation was performed at Balgrist University Hospital…
- Procedure was performed with the help of HoloLens 2, a mixed reality headset developed by Microsoft.
- HoloLens 2 was built mainly with the business sector in mind, and compared to the first one, it has additional features, such as gesture tracking.
  - Cost $3500
“Using CT imaging, 3D representations of the affected anatomy are generated and directly projected into the surgical field overlaying the real anatomy during the operation.”
Navigation software is then utilized to guide the surgeon during the process. For example, the exact insertion point and trajectory of a surgical item (e.g. screw) is shown directly on the patient’s body.
Reminds me of how AR is utilized for airplane landings. The combination of humans & tech seems like the best route versus going completely automated.
“AR enhances the surgeon’s senses and improves their perception,” said Farshad, Principal Investigator and Medical Director of Balgrist University Hospital.
This whole endeavor was part of the Zurich University Medicine’s SURGENT (Surgeon Enhancing Technologies) Flagship Project.
- Whole goal of the project is to improve the process for spinal & neuro surgery.
- Combining computer sciences, biomedical imaging & some engineering to develop technologies that will improve a surgeon’s skills and improve the welfare of the patient.

Tech that enhances our ability to accomplish difficult tasks like surgery, I’m all for!

The Air Force’s Solar-Beaming Spacecraft | Solar Power From Space | Popular Mechanics (08:01)

What would happen if we could eliminate the need for batteries in the context of Solar Power?
Besides logistics, this possibility of collecting solar energy in orbit and beaming it down does have multiple advantages:

1. Improve solar power gathering efficiency. Panels could rotate & pivot to receive direct “line of sight” (zenith angle) increasing solar intensity.
2. Atmosphere will not be around to reduce the solar intensity, making it more “potent”

Most solar panels that can be purchased have a 15% – 20% efficiency rating. Where solar cells created in a lab can get up to 30% – 40%.
Even with the low efficiency percentage of solar panels the amount gained from not reducing the solar intensity in the atmosphere makes a huge difference!
- If you are receiving more intense solar irradiance, you can then convert it into more energy/power than if it was on Earth.
- Can roughly assume that 30% of the solar intensity is lost due to Earth’s atmosphere.
Now how do you beam the power down?
- Directing mirrors and receiving panels that can focus the energy into beams wirelessly transmitting the energy through the air.
Air Force Research Laboratory is launching a spacecraft in 2024, Arachne, which will be segmented into two sections, Helios and SSPRITE.
- Helios: Is the spacecraft bus that will provide resources to SSPRITE
  - A Spacecraft bus is what houses all the necessary support for a spacecraft.
- SSPRITE (Space Solar Power Radio Frequency Integrated Transmission Experiment), houses the components to conduct this power beaming test.

Air Forces statement on what beaming power on space could look like:
- “Arachne will demonstrate emerging technologies that support the ability to convert solar energy to radio frequency (RF) power, using innovative ‘sandwich tiles’ as well as the feasibility of transmitting that energy to the ground and converting it to usable power.”

Large transporter protein linked to schizophrenia | MedicalXpress (17:45)

Scientists have long suspected mutations in a cellular cholesterol transport protein are associated with psychiatric disorders, and now researchers at Kyoto University have provided evidence of that such thing.
- Mice with disrupted ABCA13 protein demonstrate a hallmark behavior of schizophrenia.
This protein belongs in a family of proteins largely responsible for cellular transporting, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins. Best known role of importing essential nutrients and exporting toxic molecules.
“We found that ABCA13 accelerates the internalization of cholesterol in cells and that its loss of function is associated with the pathophysiology of some psychiatric disorders,” says Kazumitsu Ueda.
How did they make this determination?
- Split mice between the normal mice (e.g. control) and mice without the ABCA13 protein.
- Monitored their startle responses to a large stimulus. Main idea behind this: “people with some psychiatric disorders still feel startled by a main stimulus even when it is preceded by a prepulse.”
  - Prepulse: A weak stimulus that reduces a reaction to a subsequent stronger one.
- Both mice categories had a normal reaction to the stimulus, however, the engineered mice lacking the ABCA13 was still startled when the stimulus was preceded by some weak stimulus (e.g. prepulse)
- “The team suggests further studies on ABCA13 functions could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression.”

Quadriplegic patient uses brain signals to feed himself with two advanced prosthetic arms | MedicalXpress (24:46)

Robert “Buz” Chmielewski, a quadriplegic since he was a teen due to a surfing accident, was able to, with the help of prosthetics, machine learning, and Johns Hopkins APL, was able to feed himself.
- Quadriplegic: partial or complete paralysis of both the arms and legs
Huge step forward in allowing paralysis patients to gain functionality and autonomy for once in their life.
2 years ago, taking part in a clinical trial organized by DARPA, Buz underwent a 10-hour brain surgery implanting 6 electrode arrays into both sides of the brain.
The whole goal of the program was to develop a brain-machine interface that would allow someone like Buz to control advanced prosthetics with neuro-signals from the brain.
The brain-machine interface and the prosthetics were developed by APL (Applied Physics Lab) under an internal research grant called “Smart Prosthetics”
- “Develop strategies for providing advanced robot control and sensory feedback from both hands at the same time using neural stimulation.”
The team at APL set out to develop a closed-loop system that merges artificial intelligence, robotics, a brain-machine interface, and a human in the loop.
This system allowed Buz to completely cut a piece of dessert with a fork & knife to feed himself.
Next steps for the program:
- Expanding the amount and type of activities this system can accomplish
- Provide more sensory feedback to the user as they try to complete tasks, so vision is not the end all be all.
This quote by Buz puts all of this into perspective just the amazing accomplishment this is for him and people like him.
- “A lot of people take [feeding yourself] for granted,” he said. “To be able to do this independently and still be able to interact with family is a game-changer.”

Not Cool:

A man spent 10 days in jail based on a facial recognition error | Input Mag (30:55)

The reliance on technology by law enforcement can be a scary thing especially in a state where the prosecutors don’t want to do their job and this situation showcases it.
According to NJ Advance Media, police were looking to identify a suspect who stole from a hotel gift shop and then fled from police in a Dodge Challenger, ramming into a patrol car before speeding off.
Images from the scene were analyzed by facial recognition software and determined to be a match for Njeer Parks. This resulted in his arrest.
But here is the kicker, Parks was never in that area of town where the crime was committed and all the prosecutor had to go on was this facial recognition software.
The court judge pressured prosecutors to produce more evidence beyond the facial recognition software, which resulted in the case being quietly dropped. Of course this is after Parks spent 10 days in jail and thousands of dollars on a lawyer fees.
Not the first time facial recognition has been shown to be unreliable and could case problems for innocent people:
- In Detroit, a man spent 30 hours in jail after a video from a robbery was run through facial recognition tools and he was wrongly flagged as the suspect.
Need to start having conversations about what is reliable evidence to make an arrest, and automation/machine learning is not up to that level where it can be trusted.
- Facial recognition is NOT ENOUGH evidence.