Hong Kong Smart Glass Startup Taps IBM Cloud to Combine Augmented Reality and Cognitive Capabilities

Dragon Creative Primed for Growth and Innovation with IBM Cloud

Dragon Creative Enterprise Solution Limited (DCES), a local pioneer in augmented reality (AR) applications, has successfully migrated its software development and delivery operations to the IBM Cloud in order to improve time to market, access cognitive APIs and leverage IBM’s extensive go-to-market support.

A home-grown startup with a successful track record in public crowdfunding, DCES was established in 2013 to tap emerging opportunities in commercial applications of augmented reality, leveraging its award-winning MAD Gaze family of “smart glass” devices. Launched by DCES in December 2015, MAD Gaze is a smart glasses brand targeted at both business and consumer markets, delivering a superior user experience based on augmented reality.

銀行「人機合一」 提升客戶體驗

(原文於2016年9月5日在香港經濟日報刊登)

銀行利用人工智能於客戶服務，早已不是新鮮事。如星展銀行在2014年開始把IBM Watson 認知運算技術應用於熱線中心，協助職員加快處理電話查詢、提供更理想的客戶服務體驗。此外，日本三大銀行之一的瑞穗也在去年利用Watson技術協助處理客戶電話查詢。

瑞穗更於今年5月委派機械人「Pepper」為服務大使，在若干分行實地測試。因Pepper的腦袋具備Watson技術，故能作親切對答，不單接收人類語言內容，更能從語調辨別對方情緒反應，即時提供對應資訊。

Are in-store AI’s part of Hong Kong’s retail future?

Everyday AI At Work Blog Series

Digital natives (a.k.a. millennials) find on-line shopping a lot easier than going to the mall because, obviously, it’s simpler to locate things you want to buy through a web browser than it is to physically search the racks and shelves of a shop. That’s not to say shopping on-line has the same visceral satisfaction as you get from finding something you might like, holding it in your hand and trying it out but locating things is nonetheless a challenge.

That’s particularly evident if you happen to be doing a weekly grocery shop at a different supermarket than the one you normally frequent (and sometime even in your regular store if the manager has decided to move things around again). Each store has a different layout so your mental map of where things you want ought to be is of little use.

IBM Marketplace: Digital channel for all things cloud

With great excitement, we are announcing the official launch of IBM Marketplace in Hong Kong, the first in Greater China region.

IBM Marketplace serves as a digital front door to cloud innovation, bringing together IBM’s vast portfolio of cloud capabilities and “born on the web” third-party services from local and international solution partners, and delivering a complete “learn-try-buy” self-service experience for developers, IT managers and line-of-business professionals.

大數據「領路」 助培育導盲犬

(原文於2016年4月28日在香港經濟日報刊登)

圖片來自互聯網

<註： 每年四月份最後的星期三為「國際導盲犬日」> 每隻導盲犬背後，除了人狗情，還有一段關於善用數據的故事。

美國的導盲犬訓練機構 Guiding Eyes for the Blind 指出，育成一隻幼犬，成本原來需要約四萬美元。要成功培育導盲犬，對狗隻的體格及性情都有相當要求。業內的成功率，目前大約在三成至三成七左右──成功率若能提升五個百分點，已能為業內各非牟利組織，節省大筆開支。

累積逾三十年相關經驗和數據的 Guiding Eyes for the Blind 現正透過利用認知運算技術，分析狗隻的血統家譜、獸醫紀錄，以至數以千計飼主的日常紀錄，幫助業內寄養家庭和訓練員，提高繁殖與訓練導盲犬的成功率。

A detailed look at the system behind “Sword Art Online: The Beginning, Sponsored by IBM”

(This article is a repost from here )

The game system behind “Sword Art Online: The Beginning, Sponsored by IBM” was a hybrid of IBM’s cooperation utilizing its cutting-edge technology and the ideas of 1-10HOLDINGS, the company behind event planning and production. The Sword Art Online (SAO) series has appealed to a great many fans not only in Japan, but on a worldwide scale. At this event, the idea was to see how closely the futuristic SAO experience could be replicated using today’s highest level of technology. Let’s take a detailed look at each facet of the system to see how they did.

把人工智能從棋賽帶進人們的生活中

(本文根據 IBM 研究科學家 Gerald Tesauro 及 Murray Campbell 於3月7日的博客內容翻譯及整理)

數天後 Google 的 AlphaGo 人工智能 (AI) 程序將在為期五天的實況轉播比賽中迎戰全球最頂尖的圍棋選手之一 —韓國李世石 (編按： AlphaGo 最終以4:1擊敗李) ，這次比賽被認為是史上難度最高的電腦棋類比賽。研究人員表示很高興看到電腦棋類遊戲中機器取得長足的進步，並表示還將繼續支持機器智能技術以及科學研究。

從 AI 出現之初，研究人員就立即投入跳棋和象棋遊戲的研究，因為運算最佳棋步是一項極具複雜性的挑戰。這些棋牌遊戲的另一個好處是它們規則相對「清晰」，也就是說，可以為電腦指定一個具有正式規範的任務，包括遊戲狀態、走棋規則以及確定最終結果。

Behind Every Guide Dog is a Data Story

Match: Perfect – Abigail Lanier and her Guiding Eyes partner, Alexa

(Note: This article is a repost from IBM Cloud Stories)

Can cognitive insights help pair more guide dogs with people who need them the most?

Jane Russenberger of Guiding Eyes for the Blind has been meticulously collecting all manner of guide-dog data sets for more than 30 years. Her long-held hope has been that the volumes of complex genetic mapping, medical records and journals and logs from thousands of puppy raisers, foster parents and trainers would one day serve to lift the success rate of guide-dog breeding.

IBM Executive Summit 2016 Wrap-Up and Media Reports

The two-day IBM Hong Kong Executive Summit 2016 marks the launch of our Cognitive Business in Hong Kong. We have captured some great moments and media reports that are resulted from the event.

Remember: Cognitive era is not a distant vision, and IBM is already working with hundreds of clients and partners across six continents, 25 countries and more than 17 industries on active Watson projects.

To learn more about IBM Cognitive Business, click here.

「深藍」到「胡椒」 機械人學貼心

(原文於2016年3月7日在香港經濟日報刊登)

1996年二月，IBM人工智能電腦「深藍」挑戰卡斯巴洛夫，「深藍」首局獲勝，歷史上首次有電腦能擊敗世界棋王，轟動世界。二十年過去，傳統人工智能已發展成今天的認知運算，「深藍」也演進成Watson。2016年，技術前沿轉移到新範疇：如何靈活貼心地與人互動。

今年一月消費電子展上的新星，是一個名為「胡椒」(Pepper) 的白色機械人。它由日本軟庫設計，全身裝有超過二十個摩打，手臂能做出細緻動作，外型靈感源自日本小飛俠阿童木；由台灣鴻海代工，售價折合約萬多餘港元，另加每月雲端服務費，也提供月租服務。據外電報道，零售業界反應熱烈，去年六月起每月生產的一千部Pepper迅速售罊，已在五百間機構的客戶服務前線投入服務。