‘Augmented Human’ Showcase at Croke Park gives a glimpse of the future of Irish data research

The first Augmented Human showcase in Ireland will be held in Croke Park this Thursday March 23rd at 12.30pm. The event will provide a glimpse into the future of wearable technology, human machine interaction and artificial intelligence.

Ireland is a forerunner in the science of human performance enhancement through technology. Researchers at the Insight Centre for Data Analytics are breaking new ground in a wide range of areas including wearable and implantable devices, enriched interactions between humans and machines and artificial intelligence in health.

Thursday’s event will showcase the many Augmented Human projects currently underway at the Insight Centre. Highlights on the day will include:

– Digital Conscience: Emotion analysis software that will allow vehicles and devices to read human mood and offer decision-making advice
– The Sweat Watch: A watch for athletes and CF sufferers that reads sodium levels.
– Running at a Standstill: Neuromuscular stimulants that produce the effects of exercise
– Rate My Gait: A mobile phone app that warns you when you’re running style is likely to cause injury
– Dr Ink: Skin tattoos that can read biochemical data and warn of impending illness
– In Search of Self: A personal search engine that seeks out information across all your interactions

Speaking ahead of the event Insight Director and DCU Professor Alan Smeaton said: ‘Insight has taken a dispersed strength in Irish research and turned it into a concerted strategic priority for Ireland. It would be hard to find a centre with the same concentration of Augmented Human research anywhere else in the world.
‘The idea emerged when Insight researchers presenting at the annual Augmented Human event in Silicon Valley realised that Ireland had the research capacity to go head-to-head with the very best in the field globally. This event brings all that research together and it reveals a remarkable body of work and an exciting outlook for Insight and Irish research.’

The Insight Centre for Data Analytics has made the Augmented Human a key research strategy priority for its next phase – the first time research in this field has been prioritised on a national level. The Centre was established in 2013 by Science Foundation Ireland to consolidate the extensive data science expertise that has developed in Irish universities and research institutes.

Insight CEO Oliver Daniels, who will launch Insight’s new strategy at the Augmented Human event, said: ‘This is a significant new chapter in Irish research. The projects showcased here demonstrate the capacity for humans to merge with technology to enhance skills, process information, accelerate recovery and truly adapt to the digital ecosystem we now live in.

‘Insight researchers are asking fascinating questions: how can we use data to boost our potential as human beings? Can data help us increase the capabilities of our bodies and minds? The solutions they are finding will change the way humans interact with the world.’

You can register for the free event here.