Nanoscience, Robotics, and Beyond!

Over the last five years, the pace of development in artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities has astonished the public and industry players alike. The most impressive examples such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT occupy vast amounts of physical server space and consume vast amounts of energy, all to achieve a performance which is passably comparable to that of the human brain. By contrast, the brain has a small (albeit wet) form factor and consumes just 20 W of power. There is much hope that by drawing close inspiration from the operating principles of the brain (about which we know surprisingly little), it should be possible to engineer more powerful, more compact, and more efficient AI hardware of tomorrow.

This talk delves into the clash of two cutting-edge technologies reshaping our future. Explore how machine learning algorithms and cognitive robotics systems compete for dominance in problem-solving, adaptation, and human interaction. Join us for a stimulating discourse on the capabilities, limitations, and ethical implications of these transformative technologies.

Contact lenses have long been used for vision correction. However, the continued miniaturization of electronics has enabled engineers to push contact lenses beyond vision correction to endow them with bio-sensing capabilities. Simultaneously, an improved understanding of the brain and ocular physiology has led to the identification of multiple, potential biomarkers for systemic diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In this talk, Aayush describes how nanomaterials such as graphene are being used to make such sensors and presents his own work towards making contact lenses smarter.