Digital Innovation Magazine - November 2019

November 2019

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elcome to our November edition of Digital Innovation Magazine. This issue, we are very proud to bring you an exclusive interview courtesy of the technology team at T-Mobile the Netherlands (p6). How privileged we were to learn firsthand of the exciting work that is currently taking place surrounding 5G. Thank you to Kim, Johan and Minoo for such an interesting interview!

A hot topic for T-Mobile Netherlands is the growth of smart cities, so we explore the smart spaces phenomenon on page 52… What’s it all about exactly? Plus, we bring you the latest tech developments to hit the healthcare industry over on page 62. You need never visit your GP surgery again!

Speaking of disruptive technologies, human-machine partnerships could seemingly be responsible for changing the future of work… Read our report on page 74.

And, that’s not all… We explore the growth in the global digital twin market (p30), Santander’s first end-to-end blockchain bond (p42), as well as a fascinating look at NASA’s recent work on humanoid robots (p82). Could roboticists be developing a new, next generation bot? Watch this space…

We hope you enjoy the issue!

Editor Anna McMahon

Director Danielle Harris

editorial@digitalinnovationeu.com

d.harris@digitalinnovationeu.com

Senior Digital Designer Daniel May

Director Tom Barnes

design@digitalinnovationeu.com

t.barnes@digitalinnovationeu.com

+44 (0) 203 890 1189 enquiries@digitalinnovationeu.com All rights reserved. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material published in Digital Innovation Magazine. However, the company cannot accept responsibility for the claims made by advertisers or contributors, or inaccurate material supplied by advertisers.

Digital Innovation is a trading name of iThink Media Ltd. Company Registration Number: 10933897. Company Registered in England and Wales

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Could NASA be devel generation huma

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The team at T-Mobile Netherlands talks 5G advancements

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Anticipated growth in the global digital twin market Santander launches the first end-to-end blockchain bond 4

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42

Arkessa smart sp

loping a new, next anoid robot?

discusses the paces phenomenon

Human-machine partnerships could change the future of work

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SempTech, the start-up behind revolutionary SNAP software

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How tech is transforming the healthcare industry 5

B U S I N E S S I N T E RV I E W

Dutch Connection 6

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We talk all things 5G with Kim Larsen, T-Mobile the Netherlands’ Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO), Johan van den Branden, Mobile Network Director, and Minoo Abedi, Manager Technology Change Office.

Written by Anna McMahon Produced by Danielle Harris Contribution by Karlijn Straver

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T-Mobile started life in The Netherlands in January 1999. t has since been on a very exciting journey, having bought the assets of Vodafone Thuis and recently merged with Dutch telecoms operator, Tele2. Kim Larsen, CTIO of T-Mobile the Netherlands, takes up the story, “Up until five years ago, from a network perspective point of view, we were last in the market. Our network quality was questionable and it was quite clear that the customer perception was lagging behind that of our competitors. We have now taken the place of the best network in the world in terms of our speed and general quality. We are the fastest network worldwide, delivering a speed of 78Mbps on average. We have put in a 8

tremendous amount of work over the last four years to make a world-class network. We are now increasingly focusing on improving our fixed network to enable the best experience for our customers too.”

It is this goal of continual improvement to ensure the highest levels of service and customer experience that explains why T-Mobile the Netherlands is focusing on its fixed mobile convergence.

In doing so, it is leveraging the offerings of Tele2 and T-Mobile Thuis. The company has built up a strong team, which, according to Mobile Network Director, Johan van den Branden, has played a huge role in its success. He explains, “It’s all about people in the end.

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The company’s path to 5G is twofold – the two main areas of the project involve the upgrade of the radio network and the 5G readiness of the core network 12

You can have the right technology, but if you don’t have the right people, you cannot marry the two and become successful. We put a lot of focus on attracting and maintaining the right talent.”

Forging strong partnerships has become a key factor in T-Mobile the Netherlands’ 5G journey. Minoo Abedi, Manager Technology Change Office, states, “With 5G, the business model of telecom operators will change. The ecosystems that we are used to operating in will expand. Telecom operators across the world are facing major challenges to the sustainability of their business models. We used to typically grow on the back of the traditional voice and data services. However, our current operations are becoming very complex, due to the exponentially changing consumption patterns of our consumers. The value is moving to a totally different market. The business models we had followed till now will not work in future. Technology evolution and moving towards 5G are creating new opportunities in new market sectors, also known as verticals. Technology developments are continuing to drive up demand and the development of new applications

for mobile broadband. We have to remain vigil and adapt quickly to disruptive changes.

Many operators have realised this and are updating their way of working to remain relevant in changing times. Therefore we are also looking at innovating our business models to stay relevant and also profit from the new business opportunities enabled by 5G. In fact, a big part of 5G’s commercial success will depend on the formation of new partnerships and services in industries in and outside of the mobile industry.”

Therefore T-Mobile the Netherlands works closely with various partners such as Infradata, Huawei and consultancy firm Detecon, in order to define their future strategies. Kim explains, “Working together with a partner that listens to your ideas is essential.”

Adding to this he states “If you

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“By collaborating with these different partners we are able to form a strong and diverse team that drives the changes and adaptations in our network and IT platforms. With this strategy we aim to improve our customer experience and how T-Mobile is perceived�

Kim Larsen, T-Mobile Netherlands’ CTIO

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look at our IT landscape, our partners, such as Atos and Wipro, continue to transform the platform to become increasingly digital. By collaborating with these different partners we are able to form a strong and diverse team that drives the changes and adaptations in our network and IT platforms. With this strategy we aim to improve our customer experience and how T-Mobile is perceived.

The company’s path to 5G is twofold – the two main areas of the project involve the upgrade of the radio network and the 5G readiness of the core network.

Johan explains, “Within the core side, we are migrating to a fully virtualised core. This provides us with the agility and flexibility necessary to keep up with traffic demand, as well as support of 5G within the core. From a radio network perspective, we are integrating the tele2 frequencies in our network, and while doing this, we prepare the network for deployment of 5G. This combined upgrade allows us to switch on 5G with a flip of a switch once the multiband auction has been awarded. This is currently planned for Q1 2020. This public promise makes the Netherlands one of the

5G IS EVEN FASTER, BUT ALSO POWERS THE INTERNET OF THINGS AND YOUR COMPANY NETWORK Capacity / Bandwidth / Mobility

Millions of Connected Devices

Ultra low latency / Reliability / Security 19

5G IS THE ENABLER FOR D

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IGITALISATION IN SOCIETY

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T-Mobile the Netherlands is municipality of The Hague to en in Living Lab S

few places in the world that will have a countrywide 5G network, as other countries tend to take a cityfirst approach. Johan says, “With the roll-out of 5G, we will improve the network performance in terms of latency, speed and reliability.

With 5G, you'll see exponentially faster download and upload speeds. Latency, which means the time it takes to communicate with other wireless networks, will also drastically decrease. These are the key benefits that 5G will bring. This means customers nationwide will

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be able to take advantages of these things much earlier, rather than just those in the big cities.”

Minoo adds, “Whatever we do now with our smartphones, we'll be able to do faster and better.

Think of smart glasses featuring augmented reality, mobile virtual reality. Also much higher quality video, as well as the internet of things making cities smarter. But what's really exciting is all the new services that will be built that we can't foresee at this point in time.”

s working together with the nable a smart city framework Scheveningen

For example, T-Mobile the Netherlands is working together with the municipality of The Hague to enable a smart city framework in Living Lab Scheveningen. Where, by cocreation with their partners, they can increase impact and start building the city of tomorrow.

Johan explains, “We define a smart city as one whose processes are digitalised using 5G technology. For example, systems which allow you to see before you enter the city

where parking spaces are available, and smart traffic lights that control the flow of traffic. Also intelligent camera systems that prioritise active routes, as well as providing real-time information for the Dutch Police to base their decisions on.�

Kim adds, “You can decide to minimise air or noise pollution by integrating with smart sensors to run a city more efficiently. With the emphasis on the residents of the city and their quality of life, it all goes back to the customer experience in

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Connected future with new added value 5G is the next generation of mobile communications that, unlike its predecessors, enables completely new applications and thus new digital business models due to its broad spectrum.

These use cases range from ultra-fast download speeds to applications in autonomous driving and billions of connected devices in smart cities. A 5G network is designed keeping such diverse requirements in consideration. Our dedicated 5G team is supporting Telecom Operators and their ecosystem with the introduction of 5G and its applications. Through our value-based networks methods we enable our clients to get the most of their investments, in stand-alone transformation- or M&A integration driven projects.

Want to ďŹ nd out more? Please visit our 5G website for an overview of our services, technical possibilities and contact persons.

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“what's really exciting is all the new services that will be built that we can't foresee at this point in time” Minoo Abedi, Manager Technology Change Office creating a better environment for the people who live there.

With the collaboration we have with the city of The Hague and through this innovation platform, we try to bring together proactive citizens, knowledge institutions, public authorities and innovative companies and start-ups to shape the city of the future.”

Another innovation project that T-Mobile is proud to be involved in are railway sensors by Dual Inventive for Prorail. Johan explains, “Every 15 minutes, the rail management company receives the temperature of the railway to check if it’s expanding. This used to be a manual process, but they can now have this information in real-

time in order to decide whether or not to send maintenance to a specific location.”

Minoo adds, “If you only need to take action when it’s actually needed, you will become much more efficient. Mechanics therefore only need to check the location where something is happening instead of doing random checks.”

Another appealing use case T-Mobile is looking into is for mission critical push-to-talk services. T-Mobile, together with Priocom, is looking into offering mission critical Push-To-Talk services as an MVNO on the T-Mobile network.

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Given the Netherlands’ cycling culture, T-Mobile is also involved in the development of a system for which voluntary workers travel around on bicycles that are fitted with Information On Demand (IOD) technology. Whilst the commuters are cycling, they collect data that the city requires to fulfil its environmental quality measures.

This adds another dimensions to the idea of using the technology that is available now to improve current processes. Kim explains, “Whilst 5G will enable other new use cases in the future, you should not forget that you can do something today and get started on the learning curve. Do not wait for 5G when you can already make a start in 4G, which is what we are doing.”

5G opens up entirely new horizons for healthcare as well. The technology for example allows patients to connect virtually with doctors and other healthcare

“With the roll-out of 5G, we will improve the network performance in terms of latency, speed and reliability” Johan van den Branden, Mobile Network Director 28

providers, communicating via real-time video or live chat. Minoo explains, “Along our digital and innovation journey, we came across ‘new’ industries such as healthcare. We noticed that we definitely need to involve these parties in our innovation journey because we do not understand healthcare in the same way as they do. We need those partnerships to understand the pain points in order to find out where and how we can really add value. When we started to talk with the main players, it was clear that we did not speak the same language. Therefore, with the creation of an ecosystem, we take a lot of expertise and try to solve problems via our connectivity solution in order to help them on their road to digital transformation.”

While T-Mobile the Netherlands is focused on improving the quality of its network, the company is also co-creating with other industries

to increase convenience for its customers. Kim elaborates, “We will carry on challenging ourselves and our industry in this way with our Agile strategy and continue to innovate in order to ensure that we stay different from our competitors.”

Finishing with a few thoughts on the ethos of the team at T-Mobile the Netherlands, Kim concludes, “It's all about people. Always is and always will be. There is a lot of hard work to be done. We are challengers, and growth and learning are in our DNA. That is part of how we work in order to be one united and strong technology family.”

For further information on T-Mobile Netherlands, visit www.t-mobile.nl To find out more about 5G, visit www.t-mobile.nl/zakelijk/mobiel/ netwerk/5g-netwerk 29

D I G I TA L T W I N

Busines

An in-depth the global d market has growth ac during th 2019 to 30

s Boom

h study on digital twin s reported cceleration he period, o 2025.

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A study focusing on major leading industry players, including details such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information, has provided useful information on the current state of the global digital twin market.

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he report, Digital Twin Market By Application, Forecast, 2019-2025, explores the trends and developments, markets and materials, capacities and technologies, as well as the changing structure.

It states that the digital twin market is projected to surpass USD 20 billion by 2025. The market growth is attributed to the IoT/IIoT adoption,

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proliferation of connected devices, and availability of cheap IoT sensors. In addition, the rising demand to reduce Time to Market (TTM), optimise processes, monitor the performance, and examine conditions of the product and system are contributing to this growth.

The advent of advanced technologies, such as big data analytics, AI, ML, AR, VR,

The digital twin market is projected to surpass USD 20 billion by 2025

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and MR, is supporting the continuous evolution of digital twin technology. This helps several enterprises across various sectors to improve their operational efficiency and reduce overhead cost.

AR, VR and MR offer immersive experiences to visualise insights drawn from data

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obtained by sensors and processed using big data analytics. For instance, the passenger vehicle uses AR capability, providing the driver a converged view of digital and physical worlds to seamlessly navigate turns on the road. In addition, at the passenger car manufacturer’s end, digital twin uses the

Airbus partnered with a software manufacturer, ASCon Systems, in a prostep ivip project to build a digital twin of its factory to improve the production line efficiency and process optimisation

data obtained from physical counterpart and diagnoses the fault beforehand, resulting in improved customer experience.

The highly evolving and competitive sectors, such as automotive, manufacturing, and aerospace and defence,

are increasingly embracing digital twin technology to reduce their asset downtime and maintenance cost, and improve operational efficiency.

For instance, Airbus partnered with a software manufacturer, ASCon Systems, in a prostep ivip project to build a digital twin of its factory to improve the production line efficiency and process optimisation,

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as well as reduce lead times and running costs.

The product design and development is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 31 per cent during the forecast timeline due to the growing adoption of Industry 4.0 by the enterprises operating in the manufacturing and automotive sectors.

The advent of advanced analytics and visualisation techniques to analyse and visualise the data obtained from the physical counterpart helps in improving the product performance and overcome the shortcomings of the previous model of equipment or system. The prominent market players are focusing on strategic initiatives to develop innovative digital twin solutions to improve product design and development process for their clients.

For instance, in April 2019, Capgemini partnered with 36

Autodesk to deploy Reflect, a new cloud-enabled and secure digital twin platform. This software will include design reviews in operations, IoT alerts to prevent fluctuations, support for real-time diagnosis and inspections, remote assistance, and asset revamping.

The infrastructure buildings market held a market share of around 6 per cent in 2018 and will maintain a significant market share during the forecast period.

The supportive government initiatives and funding to build smart cities to avert environmental challenges is also supporting the growth of the digital twin market. Governments are partnering with prominent technology players to build a digital twin of the physical city to improve key public services for the citizens in that city.

Also, various government initiatives to speed up the digital transformation in sectors such as 37

manufacturing, automotive and healthcare are supporting the market growth. Some countries have introduced several cybersecurity policies and reforms to ensure stronger data protection to avert the restraints hindering the market growth.

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In sum, the major players in the digital twin market are focusing on various business growth strategies including new product developments and partnerships. This enables them to expand their existing portfolio and increase their geographical reach. For instance, Atos strategically

The major players in the digital twin market are focusing on various business growth strategies including new product developments and partnerships

partnered with Bentley Systems to offer a complete solution to create and operate digital twins on behalf of the industry and infrastructure asset owners. The software is anticipated to be a cloudbased service with real-time

monitoring, performance analysis, full immersive visibility of assets, and supports decision making on asset operational strategies.

The partnership also enabled the companies to enhance their capabilities and add new customers to their portfolio.

Source: www.globalbankingandfinance.com 39

for more industry news, check out their latest podcast! tech-talks.co.uk 40

regular member of Apples' top 50 technology podcast charts, leading to host David Savage being named ComputingMagazine's Digital Ambassador award, Tech Talks attracts thousands of listeners each month from a diverse community of tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, digital professionals and technology experts. Tune in for the views and stories from people at the forefront of the technology industry.

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B L O C KC H A I N

Santander has launched the first opening the door to new disrup issuing bonds faster, mor

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t end-to-end blockchain bond, ptive technology that can make re efficient and simpler.

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SPANISH COMMERCIA HAS ANNOUNCED THAT END-TO-END BLOCKCHAIN SEEN AS AN IMPORTANT ST SECONDARY MARKET FOR TOKENS IN T

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he bank issued the bond directly onto the blockchain, and the bond will continue to exist only on the blockchain to maturity.

Santander is itself the issuer of the $20million bond, while one of the Group’s units purchased the bond, which carries a quarterly coupon of 1.98 per cent at market price. Santander 44

AL BANK, SANTANDER, IT HAS ISSUED THE FIRST BOND IN A MOVE WHICH IS TEP TOWARDS A POTENTIAL R MAINSTREAM SECURITY THE FUTURE. Securities Services is acting as tokenisation agent and custodian of the cryptographic keys. Santander Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB), the bank’s global division that supports corporate and institutional clients, acted as dealer for the issuance, continuing the work which started in Santander’s blockchain lab in 2016.

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“SANTANDER IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE PROFOUND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE FINANCIAL SECTOR AND THIS TRANSACTION IS ONE EXAMPLE” José García Cantera, Chief Financial Officer at Banco Santander

In order to issue the bond, Santander used the public Ethereum blockchain, one of the more advanced open source blockchain technologies. This allows the bank to achieve the milestone of tokenising the bond securely and registering it in a permissioned manner on the blockchain. The cash involved in performing the transaction (on-chain deliveryversus-payment) and the quarterly coupons have also been tokenised i.e. represented digitally on the blockchain.

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ETHEREUM B

ONE OF T ADVANCED O BLOCKCHAIN T

BLOCKCHAIN

THE MORE OPEN SOURCE TECHNOLOGIES

Thanks to this automation, the one-year maturity bond has reduced the number of intermediaries required in the execution of the transaction, making it faster, more efficient and simpler. The goal for Santander CIB is to engage with its most innovative clients as the company moves from the project stage to product development.

José García Cantera, Chief Financial Officer at Banco Santander, said, “Santander is at the forefront of the profound digital transformation of the financial sector and this transaction is one example.

“We want to take advantage of any technology that can accelerate that process, so that our customers thrive and be faster and more efficient, and blockchain is one of those technologies.”

José María Linares, Global Head of Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, added, “Our clients are increasingly demanding the best thinking and technology in how we serve them in their capital-raising efforts. This blockchain-issued bond puts Santander at the forefront of capital markets 47

innovation and demonstrates to clients that we are the best partner to support them on their digital journey.”

To make this project a success, Santander received support from London-based start-up, Nivaura, a regulated fintech company which builds innovative solutions that digitise and automate key processes in capital markets, as well as legal advice from

international law firm, Allen & Overy. Santander InnoVentures, the $200million venture capital fund, invested last February in Nivaura.

In February, Santander also announced a five-year agreement 48

“THIS BLOCKCHA AT THE FORE INNOVATION A THAT WE ARE T THEM ON

Global H

with IBM to focus on blockchain and big data technologies.

The agreement, which is worth around £547million, will help Santander Group to evolve towards the open, flexible and modern IT environment required to materialise the important

AIN-ISSUED BOND PUTS SANTANDER EFRONT OF CAPITAL MARKETS AND DEMONSTRATES TO CLIENTS THE BEST PARTNER TO SUPPORT N THEIR DIGITAL JOURNEY”

José María Linares, Head of Santander Corporate & Investment Banking

role that technology and digital capabilities play in the company’s business strategy. The tech agreement fortifies IBM’s role as one of Santander Group’s main transformation partners wherein it is providing additional solutions and expertise aimed to support

Santander’s strategic objective of building the most advanced IT architecture of the financial sector.

For further information on Santander, visit www.santander.com 49

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S M A R T S PA C E S

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i r e t e c n e o j i P ro P

Arkessa is a leading Machine-to-Machine (M2M) managed services provider, delivering connectivity services and solutions through an unrivalled multi-network capability, spanning all regions of the world.

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A SPECIALIST M2M SER OVER 10 YEARS OF EXP TECHNOLOGY MARKET, U GOAL IS TO FUTURECONNECTIONS TO THE HELPING OTHERS TO TRA o achieve this, Arkessa has pioneered the integration of multiple networks and emerging wireless technologies through a single managed service. Managing through one provider and from one user interface provides flexibility, connection reliability and simplified contracting, as it removes the hassle of forming numerous relationships with network service providers around the world.

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RVICE PROVIDER WITH PERIENCE IN THE SMART UK COMPANY, ARKESSA’S, -PROOF ENTERPRISE E INTERNET OF THINGS, ANSFORM THEIR BUSINESS. By making M2M and IoT easy to adopt, integrate and scale, Arkessa believes it has the ability to empower enterprises to develop and optimise their business operations. M2M connectivity allows them to derive operational insight from their people, assets and customers. This derived business intelligence enables them to work more efficiently, enhance customer experience, and create new business value from devices through the development of new services and revenue streams.

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ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY SIEMENS FINANCIAL SERVICES, SMART BUILDINGS AS A SERVICE COULD SAVE

15-25% on energy costs 56

The company has worked across a diverse set of applications covering the full spectrum of IoT use cases, with several customers connecting hundreds of thousands of devices across their networks. Arkessa’s ecosystem partners include application development platforms, new disruptive device manufacturers, established OEMs, global system integrators, and network service providers in cellular, satellite and the emerging low power wide-area radio technologies.

So, what is a Smart Space?

According to Arkessa, a Smart Space is a physical environment equipped with connected sensors and monitors that use IoT-powered technology to optimise energy efficiency, improve productivity levels for businesses and public services, and enable simpler and more meaningful human interactions with our environments and each other.

A Smart Space can be a working environment such as

an office or shared workspace.

It could be an apartment block or hotel complex. It could be a hospital, shopping centre, airport or train station. And as built environments begin to connect to each other and to outside Smart Spaces to create healthier, cleaner and more convenient Smart Cities, smart technology will have an impact on everything we do.

Smart Spaces and Smart Cities are set to revolutionise the way we interact with each other and our surroundings, both at work and in our daily lives. One of the biggest advantages of connecting built environments to the Internet of Things and harnessing the data on how an environment works for its users comes from the capacity to improve energy efficiency levels, therefore reducing carbon emissions and energy usage.

Green Smart Space technologies include Smart Metering, Intelligent Lighting, Smart Space Management, Ambient Controls, Smart Ventilation, Seasonal Awareness Technology, Smart Parking and Traffic Reduction Technology, and Smart Sensors in Commercial Spaces.

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"Our work spaces will be more reactive to our per preferences, with office individual desk lighting, and ventilation tailored offer comfort and acces to office-based staff"

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ecome rsonal e and , heating d to ssibility

According to a report by Siemens Financial Services, Smart Buildings as a Service “could save 15-25 per cent on energy costs, and with non-domestic buildings accounting for 10-15 per cent of carbon emissions, enabling them to reduce their energy consumption could make urban environments healthier and more attractive.�

With workers seeking out more flexible working models and employers being more motivated than ever before to provide healthy and comfortable work spaces to ensure the very best productivity from their staff, Smart Working Spaces are set to become an integral part of our lives. Our work spaces will become more reactive to our personal preferences, with office and individual desk lighting, heating and ventilation tailored to offer comfort and accessibility to office-based staff. Plus, IoTconnected offices are safer spaces in terms of data security and privacy, access control and malware detection.

Smart meeting rooms and space management solutions optimise office space usage,

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whilst cloud technology and connected shared work spaces offer a more flexible working model, moving away from the traditional office-based 9-5 model. Smart charging technology takes away the challenge of maintaining sufficient battery levels of laptops and phones when we’re out of the office, and mobile connectivity will enable us to truly work anywhere and everywhere.

What’s more, Smart Spaces don’t need to be large or even shared spaces. Homes can also be optimised through the Internet of Things, and Smart Home Technology is already making life easier and more efficient for millions of households across the globe.

Smart Homes fitted with connected technology and AI-enabled software allow us to control our heating, lighting and security remotely via smartphone apps, order groceries when our fridge is running low, and keep an eye on our pets when we’re at work.

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Installing sensors that monitor appliance usage can have the double benefit of enabling households to track energy consumption and offering reassurance in terms of appliance safety and function. A connected sensor installed in a kettle or armchair could also provide peace of mind for people living independently for longer in later life – with alerts set up to go to family members if somebody doesn’t make their morning cup of tea, for example.

Smart Spaces connect to one another to create Smart Cities, with Smart Parking, ANPR, connected CCTV, Smart Street Lighting and Smart Retail Spaces etc, all working together. This then generates a connected environment for us to interact with, in a bid to live cleaner, healthier, safer and more efficient lives.

For further information on Arkessa, visit www.arkessa.com

"Homes can also be optimised through the Internet of Things, and Smart Home Technology is already making life easier and more efficient for millions of households across the globe"

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H E A LT H

We explore the main ways in which tech is being used by patients and physicians.

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ynamic applications of technology have long been breaking barriers, ever since the phrase Health 2.0 was coined almost two decades ago. More recently, the industry has embraced the healthtech evolution, from information-sharing between patients and doctors, to aiding in high risk surgery. An infographic from Online Medical Care released earlier this year has highlighted the five principal ways in which tech is transforming healthcare.

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ealthcare executives are already applying AI in their operations, with plans to increase use cases as the technology becomes more developed and widespread. It is expected that AI could help in diagnosing strokes, eye disease, heart disease, skin cancer and other conditions, and hospitals are currently using it to process and examine patient information in real-time using data from wearable monitors.

Not only is this reducing readmissions and emergency room visits, but the need for expensive in-home nursing visits is also reduced. In addition, longer term adherence to treatment plans has increased significantly when patients are connected, even remotely, to their care experts by way of technology.

There are also apps that have been developed to track patients’ progress, creating a document which may be shared with a healthcare professional, as well as AI-powered chatbots.

Woebot, for example, can be used in cognitive behaviour therapy, providing a listening ear to the user, augmenting the care and counsel that mental health professionals can provide.

What’s more, NYU’s School of Medicine has developed an AI tool that can analyse voices and identify those with PTSD with what they claim is an accuracy rate of 89 per cent.

And these are just a few examples of how AI is being applied in healthcare; they barely scratch the surface of all that’s out there and already on the horizon.

"THERE ARE ALSO APPS THA BEEN DEVELOPED TO TRACK PROGRESS, CREATING A DOC WHICH MAY BE SHARED WIT HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONA 64

AT HAVE K PATIENTS’ CUMENT TH A AL" 65

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elemedicine or telehealth allows patients and doctors to touch base remotely using technology such as video conferencing or mobile apps. Convenience, ease of use and travel times are the main reasons why patients are choosing virtual care. But, on the flip side, there are concerns over quality of care and loss of a personal connection with physicians.

That said, Telemedicine addresses the needs of individuals in rural areas, improving access and helping them receive the specialist care they need. With no time to hang around in waiting rooms, traditional systems are no longer fit for purpose, with today’s patients requiring quick and easy access to their physicians.

With the use of technology, wait times are virtually eliminated and around half of physician visits can now be done virtually, such as acute and chronic care

and medical referrals. The more patients using Telemedicine, the fewer patients with critical needs having to be turned away because there are no more faceto-face appointments available that day. Overall, Telemedicine is improving the consumer experience, as well as making huge savings in time and money by freeing up physicians.

"TELEMEDICINE IS IMPROVING THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS MAKING HUGE SAVINGS IN TIME AND MONEY

BY FREEING UP PHYSICIANS"

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anomedicine is a rapidly evolving field which controls individual atoms and molecules at the extremely minute ‘nanoscale’ of 1 to 100 nanometres. To put that into perspective, a single newspaper sheet is about 100,000nm thick.

Nanomedicine is mainly used to effectively diagnose, treat and

By 2025, the global nanomedicine market could be worth over

$350bn 68

prevent various diseases.

Compared to conventional medicines, it is much better at precise targeting and delivery systems, paving the way towards combating complex conditions such as cancer. It is anticipated that the global nanomedicine market could be worth over $350billion by 2025.

In addition, advances in genome sequencing and the associated field of genomics are also set to offer us better understanding of how diseases affect different individuals. With the genetic profile of a person’s disease and knowledge of their response to treatment, it should be possible to find out more about the likely effectiveness of medical interventions such as prescribing drugs to treat a disease (pharmacogenomics).

THE NEW ERA OF NANOMEDICINE

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The VR healthcare services market is expected to grow from $8.9million in 2017 to an expected

$285million in 2022

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R is making waves in healthcare, providing a multi-sensory, immersive experience that can benefit both physicians and patients. Examples include healthcare worker training, creating a realistic and lowrisk simulated environment for trainee surgeons, and offering therapy and rehabilitation for those suffering from acute pain and anxiety disorders. The Embodied Labs ‘We Are Alfred’ programme uses VR technology to show young medical students what ageing means. Everyone can be the hypothetical ‘Alfred’ for seven minutes and experience how it feels like to live as a 74 year-old man with audio-visual impairments. The technology’s ultimate goal is to solve the disconnection between young doctors and elderly patients due to their huge age difference.

At the same time, Medsights Tech creates three-dimensional

"VR IS A VERY COST-EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TOOL FOR BOTH TEACHING AND TREATMENT" reconstructions of tumours, empowering surgeons with ‘x-ray views’ without any radiation exposure, in realtime. In the same vein, 3D printing has come a long way in offering faster prototypes, from personalised prosthetics to revolutionising organ transplants and tissue repair.

VR is therefore a very costeffective and efficient tool for both teaching and treatment, and the VR healthcare services market is expected to grow from $8.9million in 2017 to an expected $285million in 2022.

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ast but not least, robotic surgery is sweeping through hospitals, allowing doctors to perform delicate and complex procedures that might be otherwise impossible. Typically, surgeons control a device with a camera and mechanical arms, giving them a highdefinition view of the surgical site.

According to the Mayo Clinic, this method generally enhances precision, flexibility and control, comes with fewer complications such as infections, and results in less obvious scars because it is minimally invasive.

While technological adoption into the medical field doesn’t come without its own challenges, the value is clear. And given the pace at which it is moving, we are yet to see all the possibilities that healthtech will bring. Increases in accessibility, affordability and quality of care are the driving forces behind its uptake, but the real future opportunities are yet to be uncovered‌ There is certainly much to be excited about!

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"WHILE TECHNOLOGICAL ADOPTION INTO THE MEDICAL FIELD DOESN’T COME WITHOUT ITS OWN CHALLENGES, THE VALUE IS CLEAR"

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EXTENDED REALITY

Emerging tech could change the future of work, with the evolution of the human-machine partnership, according to the latest Dell report.

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DELL TECHNOLOGIES PARTNERED WITH THE INDEPENDENT FUTURES RESEARCH GROUP, INSTITUTE FOR THE FUTURE (IFT TO EXPLORE THE EMERGING TECHNOLO SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE OVER THE NEXT DECADE, A THE SPECIFIC IMPACTS AND IMPLICATIO THEY WILL HAVE ON SOCIETY AND WORK

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he report, which highlighted the rise of human-machine partnerships, noted that artificial intelligence, extended reality and internet of things will continue to underpin the wave of continuous innovation and disruption of traditional business models. These technological advancements are undeniable forces that will impact the future of work, promoting a more inclusive and equitable work environment in 2030.

would focus on what the new relationship between technology and society could look like, and what needs to be considered to prepare accordingly. It states, “By framing the relationship between humans and machines as a partnership, we can begin to build capacity in machines to improve their understanding of humans, and in society and organisations, so that more of us are prepared to engage meaningfully with emerging technologies.”

The findings indicate that rather than taking a pessimistic view of technological unemployment, a more useful conversation

Of course, people have lived and worked alongside machines for centuries, but society is about to enter a new phase,

H H TF), OGIES

AND ONS K.

THE REPORT, WHICH HIGHLIGHTED THE RISE OF HUMAN-MACHINE PARTNERSHIPS, NOTED THAT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, EXTENDED REALITY AND INTERNET OF THINGS WILL CONTINUE TO UNDERPIN THE WAVE OF CONTINUOUS INNOVATION AND DISRUPTION OF TRADITIONAL BUSINESS MODELS

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characterised by even greater efficiency and possibility than ever before. Machines will bring lightning speed and accuracy to all manner of tasks. However, it would be a fallacy to assume that technology is making human effort redundant. It is doubtful that computers will have fully mastered the fundamental, instinctive skills of intuition, judgment and emotional intelligence that humans value by 2030.

The Future of Jobs Report 2018 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) found that in 2018, an average of 71 per cent of total task hours were performed by humans, compared to 29 per cent by machines. By 2022, WEF estimates that this average is expected to have shifted to 58 per cent task hours performed by humans and 42 per cent by machines.

Over the next decade, partnering with machines will help humans transcend their limitations. Human-machine partnerships will enable people to find and act on information without interference of emotions or external bias, 78

ORGANISATIONS W VALUE AND CUSTO SATISFACTION BY THEIR RELIANCE O LEARNED SYSTEM

By 2022, WEF estimates that:

58% Task hours performed by humans

42% Task hours performed by machines

WILL INCREASE OMER GROWING ON MACHINE MS

while also exercising human judgment where appropriate.

They will learn to team up with technologies integrated with machine learning tools to help activate and deactivate the resources they need to manage their daily lives. And they will partner with AR/VR technologies to develop necessary work skills, blending experiential media with human judgement to perform well at work.

Meanwhile, organisations will increase value and customer satisfaction by growing their reliance on machine-learned systems, making it possible for organisations to find and deploy resources rapidly to wherever they are needed, whenever they are needed, to create value and higher customer satisfaction.

Their ability to evaluate talent will also be bolstered by VR/AR technology, which will increase managers’ ability to evaluate a worker’s aptitude for gaining new knowledge or learning new skills and applying this knowledge to a new scenario.

The report also highlights three shifts that could help shape a more inclusive and rewarding 79

work environment over the next decade: Shift 1: Inclusive talent – Human and machine partnerships will create more equitable workplaces by evaluating candidates based on their capabilities, rather than gender, age or class.

Shift 2: Empowered workers – With a new immersive technology like XR, collaboration among employees will empower workers more than ever before.

Shift 3: AI fluency – Human capabilities will not be replaced by AI; it will rather complement and augment human capabilities. A deep understanding of AI and human

AS WE PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE WORKFORCE, ORGANISATIONS WILL NEED TO REALISE THE POTENTIAL NEW TECHNOLOGIES CAN BRING INTO THE WORKPLACE WHILE ALSO PREPARING THEIR CURRENT WORKFORCE WITH SKILLS THEY NEED TO SUCCEED 80

not only creating new possibilities for people to connect and connect more seamlessly, they are also enabling new ways to collaborate in the workplace. As we prepare for the future workforce, organisations will need to realise the potential new technologies can bring into the workplace while also preparing their current workforce with skills they need to succeed. The next decade brings with it an opportunity to apply emerging technologies to shape the future such that more people can engage in meaningful, creative and sustaining work. Strengthening human-machine partnerships will bolster opportunities for economic empowerment as well as decent work for all.�

and machine systems will unlock human potential and set workers apart. It will allow workers to use their skills to manage workflows and accomplish tasks.

Alok Ohrie, President and Managing Director, at Dell Technologies, India, said, “Emerging technologies today are

Given the pace of industry disruption, now is the time to strengthen individual and organisational capacities to engage actively in humanmachine partnerships, whether upskilling workers who fall behind or creating equal opportunities.

Navigating the dilemmas will require a forward-thinking approach to re-architect the world of work, but the result will be a fairer workplace for people throughout the world.

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A RT I F I C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C E

NASA is reportedly hiring engineers to develop a new, next generation humanoid robot.

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Robonaut 2

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IT HAS BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE NASA UNVEILED VALKYRIE, A STATE-OF-THE-ART, FULL-SIZE HUMANOID ROBOT, DESIGNED TO BE CAPABLE OF OPERATING IN DEGRADED OR DAMAGED HUMAN-ENGINEERED ENVIRONMENTS. t competed in the 2013 DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC), and since then, NASA has continued to work with the bot at the Johnson Space Center, providing several universities with Valkyrie robots. Building on this experience, Valkyrie continues to offer plenty of potential for robotics research, whether implementing improved electronics or upgrading sensors for increased perception capability.

That is why it is perhaps unsurprising to hear about job openings for roboticists who are interested in working with NASA on “the next generation of humanoid robot.” The winning

candidates will join the Valkyrie humanoid robot team in NASA’s Robotic Systems Technology Branch, building on the success of the existing Valkyrie and Robonaut 2 humanoid robots and advance NASA’s ability to project a remote human presence and dexterous manipulation capability into challenging, dangerous and distant environments, both in space and here on Earth.

The roboticists will have the opportunity to contribute directly to the design of the next NASA humanoid robot, with an emphasis on creating new, integrated electrical system designs for power distribution, battery and 85

SEE VALKYRIE IN ACTION

battery management systems, and electromechanical power conversion for high performance robot actuation. This will see the individuals supporting new designs from conception, analysis and manufacturing, through to operational test and deployment.

But, the question is, why is NASA continuing to develop its own humanoid robot when it could save time and money by using a platform that already exists? The answer is, perhaps no existing platforms meet NASA’s stringent requirements. And if that is the case, what kind of requirements are we talking about?

The obvious one would be the ability to work in the kinds of environments that NASA specialises in – space, the Moon 86

and Mars. NASA’s existing humanoid robots, including Robonaut 2 and Valkyrie, were designed to operate on Earth.

Robonaut 2 ended up going to space, but its hardware was certainly never intended to function outside of the International Space Station.

Working in a vacuum involves designing for a much more

rigorous set of environmental challenges, and things get even worse on the Moon or on Mars, where highly abrasive dust gets everywhere.

We know that it’s possible to design robots for long-term operation in these kinds of environments because we’ve done it before. But, if you’re not actually going to send your robot off-world, there’s very little reason to bother making sure that it can operate through high temperature swings like you’d find on the Moon. However, with NASA increasingly focusing on a return to the Moon, maybe it’s time to start thinking about a humanoid robot that could function on the lunar surface.

The other possibility is that this next humanoid robot will be a direct successor to Robonaut 2, intended for NASA’s Gateway space station orbiting the Moon.

Trey Smith, Roboticist at NASA Ames Research Center Intelligent Robotics Group, said, “Everybody at NASA is really excited about work on the Gateway space station that would be in near lunar space. We don’t have definite plans for what would happen on the Gateway yet, but there’s a general recognition that intra-vehicular robots are important for space stations.

And so, it would not be surprising

to see a mobile manipulator like Robonaut, and a free flyer like Astrobee, on the Gateway.”

If you have an un-crewed cargo vehicle, packed to the rafters with cargo bags, and it docks with the Gateway when there’s no crew there, it would be very useful to have intra-vehicular robots that can pull all those cargo bags out, unpack them, stow all the items, and allow the cargo vehicle to detach before the crew show up.

“ONE OF THE SYSTEMS ON BOARD GATEWAY IS GOING TO BE INTRAVEHICULAR ROBOTS. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY LOOK LIKE ROBONAUT, BUT THEY’LL HAVE SOME OF THE SAME FUNCTIONALITY AS ROBONAUT” Julia Badger, Autonomous Systems Technology Discipline Lead at NASA

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“EVERYBODY AT NASA IS REALLY EXCITED ABO GATEWAY SPACE STATION THAT WOULD BE IN WE DON’T HAVE DEFINITE PLANS FOR WHAT W THE GATEWAY YET, BUT THERE’S A GENERAL RE INTRA-VEHICULAR ROBOTS ARE IMPORTANT FO Trey Smith, Roboticist at NASA Ames Research Center Intelligent Robotics Group

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OUT WORK ON THE NEAR LUNAR SPACE. WOULD HAPPEN ON RECOGNITION THAT FOR SPACE STATIONS”

Artist's concept of the Lunar Gateway orbiting the Moon

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Julia Badger, Autonomous Systems Technology Discipline Lead at NASA, added, “One of the systems on board Gateway is going to be intravehicular robots. They’re not going to necessarily look like Robonaut, but they’ll have some of the same functionality as Robonaut – being mobile, being able to carry payloads from one part of the module to another, doing some 90

dexterous manipulation tasks, inspecting behind panels, those sorts of things.”

Since Gateway won’t be crewed by humans all of the time, it will be important to have a permanent robotic presence to keep things running whilst also saving on resources. As for whether robots designed for Gateway would really fall into the

“THE LEGGED VERSION OF ROBONAUT 2 SEEMS LIKE A LIKELY TEMPLATE, BUT REDESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP TO WORK IN SPACE”

humanoid category, it’s worth considering that Gateway is designed for humans, implying that an effective robotic system on Gateway would need to be able to interact with the station in similar ways to how a human astronaut would interact. So, you’d expect to see arms with end-effectors that can grip things as well as push buttons, and some kind of mobility system.

The legged version of Robonaut 2 seems like a likely template, but redesigned from the ground up to work in space, incorporating all the advances in robotics hardware and computing that have taken place over the last decade.

NASA is yet to confirm their plans, so we wait with bated breath for news of the roboticists’ latest work.

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IN THE SP OTLIGHT

START-UP OF THE MONTH SempTech is an international sales and marketing start-up, created specifically to market SNAP software, revolutionising the way businesses are using their customer data.

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n 2014, the founders of SempTech saw a unique opportunity to change the way businesses approach the use of the customer data they hold within their legacy back-end systems. The answer? SNAP, a next generation visual application platform, purpose-built to enable

the rapid creation and deployment of modern, responsive digital business applications without the need to resort to traditional manual coding or the inevitable scheduling and cost uncertainties of traditional IT projects. The platform provides an agile approach to software development, helping businesses to accelerate their digital transformation.

Through non-stop application design, innovation and delivery at speed, SNAP enables enterprises to continuously innovate their digital business operations. Colin Brooksbank, Digital Business Director at SempTech, explained, “More competition, new market opportunities and ever-changing customer expectations mean that companies need to innovate their digital business operations

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continuously and at speed.

However, all of the major industry analysts are predicting a growing skills gap will impact businesses’ ability to satisfy the demand.

“The analysts are urging companies to look at alternative automated application platforms, such as SNAP, to address these challenges and avoid the threats of increasing development costs and disruptive competition, predicting that those, who don’t, face the prospect of failure.”

SNAP allows users to build business applications for any device, whether Windows, Mac, iOS or Android, up to 10 times faster than with manual coding. Business users and IT personnel can collaborate together to visually design business applications, with easy-to-understand, pre-built code blocks, meaning no previous in-depth coding experience is required.

“In my view and from personal experience, companies across the world today must rapidly learn how to serve their customers better. In order to do that, they must have all relevant customer information in one place in real time.

This information needs to be easy to access and understand, and very carefully used to assist customers when making decisions about what they actually need” Charles Hudson, Managing Director and Chairman at SempTech

Integration with existing back-end systems is handled by SOAP Web Services and REST API’s, unifying existing disparate data stores and back-end applications via a single repository for building, storing and sharing. Once the integration is complete, SempTech continues to provide support and maintenance, training, and application design and development.

business solutions for large corporations, the software is being rolled out across all manner of industries including financial services, telecoms, government, retail, logistics, healthcare, and travel and hospitality.

With a vast amount of experience in creating unique and relevant

For further information on SempTech, visit www.semptech.com 93