Will Smith se je za klofuto Chrisu Rocku opravičil, a preteklosti vendarle ne more spremeniti. Ne še.
O tem sem razmišljal ob spremljanju letošnjih tehnoloških novosti podjetja Nvidia. Ta že nekaj let ni več samo proizvajalec grafičnih kartic, ampak tudi vedno večji igralec na področju umetne inteligence, znanstvenih raziskav in novih programskih rešitev na podočju 3d simulacij.
Podjetje je predstavilo izboljšano NeRF orodje, poimenovano Instant NeRF. Tehnologija s pomočjo nevronske mreže obdela 2d fotograije in poustvari 3d prostor. Vse to pa se zgodi le v nekaj sekundah.
Čeprav bi Will Smith v MIB neprijeten dogodek enostavno izbrisal, mi je najbolj v spominu ostal njegov film Državni sovražnik. Poglejte si neverjetno podobnost z Instant NeRF tehnologijo. (Sam sem ob ogledu doživel dejavu, da sem to nekje že videl).
Še pred kratkim je bilo za skeniran 3d generiran model potrebno zajeti več 100 fotografij. Z generiranjem instant NeRF mreže pa sedaj potrebujemo samo 4 fotografije.
Tehnologija je sicer malce drugačna, kot običajno 3d skeniranje, saj pridobljeni rezultati niso klasični 3d modeli, točke v prostoru tako niso nujno točke v 3d modelu. To se lepo pokaže, ko skušamo 3d model opazovati z zornega kota, ki se zelo razlikuje od zornih kotov posnetih fotografij.
Uporaba instant nerf tehnologije tako verjetno še ni najprimernejši način za preoblikovanje in nadgrajevanje obstoječih izdelkov, kot to počnemo v startupu No number, čeprav imamo nekaj stičnih točk. Iz digitaliziranega stopala skušamo pridobiti podatke, ki nam pomagajo generirati virtualno kopito, ki ga uporabimo za izdelavo obutve.
slika 1 podatkovno podprta obutev po meri © No number
Bi pa tehnologija lahko potencialno zanimala podjetja v turistični in arhitekturni stroki, kot je slovensko pojetje Arctur. Virtualna rekonstrukcija arhitekture bi lahko postala interaktivna oblika izobraževanja in zabave. Si predstavljate, da bi z nekaj starimi fotografijami kulturnih znamenitosti lahko zgenerirali virtualno 3d prostorsko okolje preteklosti? Okolje bi nato povezali s tehnologijo obogatene mešane resničnosti in uzrli bi prvi pravi virtualni časovni stroj.
slika 2 koncept obogatene mešane resničnosti Ljubljane © Google earth, freepik, Stare fotografije in razglednice Ljubljane
Res je, da bi bili v takšem navideznem okolju samo opazovalci preteklosti. Morda bo naslednji preboj umetne inteligence narejen prav v Sloveniji. Če bo Will Smith skušal spremeniti preteklost, pa bo moral na pravi časovni stroj oziroma Skynet še nekaj let počakati.
Artificial intelligence could aid in the development of a virtual time machine.
Will Smith apologized for slapping Chris Rock, but he still can't go back in time. Not yet.
Following Nvidia's technological innovations this year, this is what I was thinking. For several years, they have been not only a graphics card manufacturer, but also a growing player in the fields of artificial intelligence, scientific research, and new software solutions for 3D simulations. The company released an improved Nerf tool known as instant nerf. Technology processes 2D photos and recreates 3D space using a neural network. And all of this happens in a matter of seconds.
Although Will Smith could have easily erased the unpleasant event at MIB, his film "Enemy of the State" was the one I remembered the most. Take a look at the striking resemblance to instant Nerf technology. (When I saw it, I had a sense of déjà vu, as if I had seen it somewhere before.)
Until recently, the scanned 3D-generated model required more than 100 photos. All we need now is four photos to create an instant Nerf network. The technology differs from traditional 3d scanning in that the results are not traditional 3d models, so points in space are not necessarily points in the 3d model. This is evident when we try to view the 3D model from an angle that is very different from the angle at which the photos were taken.
Using instant nerf technology to transform and upgrade existing products, as we do in the startup No number, is probably not the best way to go, though we do have some points of contact. We try to obtain data from the digitized foot that will help us generate the virtual shoe last that we will use to make footwear.
However, the technology may be of interest to companies in the tourism and architecture industries, such as the Slovenian firm Arctur. Architecture virtual reconstruction could become an interactive form of education and entertainment. Can you imagine creating a virtual 3D spatial environment of the past using old photographs of cultural landmarks? The environment would then be linked to enriched mixed reality technology, resulting in the first true virtual time machine.
True, in such a virtual environment, we would merely be bystanders in the past. Perhaps the next artificial intelligence breakthrough will be made in Slovenia. Will Smith will have to wait a few more years for the right time machine or Skynet if he wants to change the past.
