1. ARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCE (AI)AI is undoubtedly one of thebiggest tech trends at the moment,and during 2021 it willbecome an even more valuabletool for helping us to interpretand understand the worldaround us. The volume of datawe are collecting on healthcare,infection rates, and the successof measures we take toprevent the spread of infectionwill continue to increase. Thismeans that machine learningalgorithms will become betterinformed and increasingly sophisticatedin the solutions theyuncover for us.From computer vision systemsmonitoring the capacityof public areas to analyzing theinteractions uncovered throughcontact tracing initiatives,self-learning algorithms will spotconnections and insights thatwould go unnoticed by manualhuman analysis. They will helpus predict demand for servicesfrom hospitals and other healthcareproviders, and allow administratorsto make better decisionsabout when and where todeploy resources.For business, the challengewill be to understand the changingpatterns of customer behavior.More human activity will takeplace online – from shoppingand socializing to virtual workingenvironments, meetings, and recruitment2. ROBOTICS, DRONES, ANDVEHICLE AUTOMATIONAs the volume of passengersusing public transport fluctuatesfrom week to week, dependingon local conditions, initiativesaround self-driving vehicles willcontinue at an increasing pace.Driving efficiency across publictransport networks will be apriority for service providers aswell as civic authorities, wherereducing human labour costsBUSINESS SUPPLEMENT“Bits n Bytes”will help balance the uncertaintyaround customer demand.In recent years we haveseen the emergence of robotsin the care and assisted livingsectors, and these will becomeincreasingly important, particularlywhen it comes to interactingwith members of society whoare most vulnerable to infection,such as the elderly. Rather thanentirely replacing the human interactionwith caregivers that isso important to many, we canexpect robotic devices to beused to provide new channels ofcommunication, such as accessto 24/7 in-home help, as well asto simply provide companionshipat times when it may not besafe to be sending nursing staffinto homes. Additionally, companiesfinding themselves withpremises that, while empty, stillrequire maintenance and upkeep,will turn to robotics providersfor services such as cleaningand security. On my last visitto Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, Inoticed an autonomous cleaningrobot hard at work!Drones will be used todeliver vital medicine and,equipped with computer visionalgorithms, used to monitorfootfall in public areas in orderto identify places where thereis an increased risk of viraltransmission.STEVE DICKENSSO HAVING SURVIVED 2020, WHAT ARE THE KEY TECHNOLOGIES TOWATCH OUT FOR IN 2021?3. THE AS-A-SERVICEREVOLUTION“As-a-service” – the provisionof services that we needto live and work through cloudbased,on-demand platforms– is the key that has put theother tech trends we talk abouttoday in reach of anybody. It’sthe reason why AI and roboticsare a possibility for just aboutany business or organization,regardless of their size or budget.Thanks to cloud offeringsfrom companies like Google,Microsoft, Amazon, and anever-growing horde of startupsand spinoffs, innovators in allfields can deploy cutting-edgetech with little upfront investmentin tools, equipment orspecialized people.As the ongoing pandemicrages around the world, wehave clearly seen that companiesthat rely on cloud toprovide scalable solutions asa-serviceare prospering. TakeZoom, for example, which hasquickly become a householdname thanks to the speed withwhich it was able to add serversand increase its coverage andquality of service.4. EXTENDED REALITY (XR) –VIRTUAL ANDAUGMENTED REALITY (VR/MR).These terms cover technologythat uses glasses or headsetsto project computer-generatedimagery directly into theuser's field of vision. When itis superimposed over what theuser is viewing in the real world,it is AR. And when it is used toplace the user into an entirelycomputer-generated environment,it is VR.During next year we canagain expect to see these,in conjunction with the othertrends discussed here, assistingin tackling challenges posedby the current world situation.Largely this will involve allowingus to avoid potentially dangeroussituations where there couldbe a risk of viral transmission.For example, medical examinationsand diagnosis can increasinglybe carried out remotely. Asolution available to opticiansallows eye tests to be carriedout entirely in VR, as high-definitioncameras give a clear imageof the patient's eye. An ARtool then allows the customer tobrowse the range of glasses onoffer and see what they look likeon their own face without havingto leave their home.We will also see an increasein the use of VR and AR toolswithin education. This will reducethe need for us to work incrowded classroom conditions– if not totally, then at least inareas and during times when itis known that transmission ratesare high.Let’s hope that at least technologywill improve our lot in2021.Steve Dickenshas worked in managerial and consultancyroles for over 40 years with internationaltechnology companies,15 of whichhave been here in ThailandHe can be contacted atstevedickens@hotmail.comHigh Tower Co., Ltd. Tel: 038 411 009For all your advertising enquiries - Tel: 0846 77 43 60
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