Solar Gets Smarter: How AI Can Expand Clean Energy
We live a comfortable life with the conveniences of electricity, but what if that all came to a halt? Electricity is mainly run by burning fossil fuels and coal, both limited resources with fossil fuel expected to run out in this century1. On top of that, using fossil fuels and coal for electricity contributes to climate change, causing 25% of the greenhouse gas emissions in 20212.
Greenhouse gases trap heat on Earth, contributing to severe weather and natural disasters such as drought, hurricanes, and wildfires that can cause trillions of dollars in damage and pose dangers to human health3. This makes finding an alternative source of renewable and clean energy vital. A possible solution? Solar power.
Solar energy does not produce greenhouse gases or carbon emissions in generating electricity4, and enough solar power travels from the sun and reaches the Earth every hour to support our planet’s power needs for an entire year5. So why hasn’t this clean source of energy replaced fossil fuels yet?
The Challenges of Adopting Solar Energy
Efficiently and effectively harnessing this all-natural, completely renewable power can be challenging. Rapid expansion and widespread adoption of solar energy are slowed by challenges around grid scaling, the high costs of constructing solar systems and farms, and integration with the existing grid.
Researchers, utilities, startups, and governments are exploring ways to expand solar’s impact with the help of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Here, we’ll look at a few ways AI is already accelerating solar energy expansion.
Solar Site Selection
Environmental conditions can significantly affect solar production and storage capabilities. Each individual solar system project presents various challenges unique to the geography and location.
By analyzing large amounts of environmental and geographical data, AI can help energy companies identify locations and sites that provide the best solar conditions and resources. AI can also find ideal positioning for later continued development and verify the ease of access for connection with existing grid systems.
As one example, Airworks Automate6 helps governments, energy providers, and land developers identify ideal sites for solar farms and accelerate their development with the help of AI AirWorks’ AI algorithms process and train thousands of acres of geospatial data at varying GSD levels. Their models can process data from sources like drones, aircraft, and LiDAR to deliver site plans that clients can use to manage their projects.
Solar Energy Performance
Because clouds, timing, and planet position can affect the levels of solar power that reach the Earth, solar farms and systems run into problems around weather or mismatches in supply and demand. Sudden cloud cover, for example, can cause a noticeable dip in solar power generation, so grid operators lean on fossil fuel plants to overproduce energy as a backup. AI can analyze vast quantities of environmental data consistently and constantly, improving forecasting accuracy and providing real-time adjustments to new and changing conditions.
In the U.K., the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), which operates the country’s electricity system, is partnering with the nonprofit Open Climate Fix to build an AI-powered tracking system that matches cloud movements with the exact locations of solar panels7. To be used in the national control room, the system will help ESO forecast cloud movements in hours and minutes instead of days. This could potentially improve solar forecasting accuracy by up to 50%. With better forecasts, ESO could reduce the fossil fuel energy held in reserve — improving efficiency while cutting carbon emissions.
Grid Integration
Integrating solar systems into existing energy grids can be a complicated endeavor. Because the electricity generated by solar power is intermittent, it’s critical to carefully consider and plan energy storage and supply needs to avoid service disruptions or grid outages. Solar system integration is a crucial element in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting carbon emissions,
Accurate solar power generation predictions improve forecasting and production uptime and help expand energy systems and storage. AI can accurately assess and analyze huge quantities of complex data and use predictive abilities to suggest innovative alternative options, making it a valuable technology for integration.
The traditional power grid has a unidirectional power flow and information transfer, which limits its capacity for scalability, efficiency, and renewable energy integration. Companies are developing smart grids (S.G.s) as more intelligent power grids with bidirectional power flow and information interchange.
BluWave-ai’s Solar Predictor, part of its Smart Grid Optimizer, offers utilities precise solar generation forecasts by combining rules-based modeling of equipment specifications, weather observations, and projections with time series machine learning predictions8. The Solar Predictor accurately predicts solar generation based on historical data, weather patterns, and other relevant factors. This capability enables energy providers to enhance the utilization of solar assets, plan energy distribution, and make informed decisions for sustainable grid management.
The Bright Future of AI and Solar
The convergence of AI and solar — two powerful emerging technologies — is already having a real-world impact on the transition to a cleaner energy economy. As both technologies continue to evolve, that impact will likely expand exponentially. By amplifying solar’s role in the world’s existing power grids, AI can help utilities and governments reduce the costs of electricity generation and achieve global goals of net-zero emissions by 2050.
How Ambiq is Contributing
AI is a power-hungry task, and creating sustainable energy such as a solar site with power-hungry devices is counterintuitive. At Ambiq, we’re obsessed with energy and sustainability. We enable connected endpoint devices capable of AI to run longer on a single charge of their battery by dropping the energy consumption up to 10X lower than anything on the market.
Through our use of ultra-low power system-on-chips (SoCs) and our patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT®) platform, we will reduce our carbon footprint by empowering millions of smart sensors and meters like the ones used to identify solar sites. We will help create green energy using green energy devices.
References
1 When will we run out of fossil fuels? | FairPlanet | April 30, 2023
2 Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions | US EPA | October 5, 2023
3 5 things you should know about the greenhouse gases warming the planet | UN News | January 8, 2022
4 The Promise Of Solar Energy: A Low-Carbon Energy Strategy For The 21st Century | United Nations | 2007
5 Solar Energy Facts and Stats Every Homeowner Should Know | April 19, 2023
6 Airworks | 2023
7 Sun in Their AIs: Nonprofit Forecasts Solar Energy for UK Grid | February 24, 2023
8 BluWave-ai | 2023
Smart Glasses have been around for a decade since the introduction of Google Glass. But since Google’s inception, manufacturers have been working to change how users see with smart glasses and hear. Thanks to technological innovations, smart glasses are now adding speakers and microphones to the frame, which has applications from listening to music, enhancing your entertainment, and helping users with hearing impairments.
How Smart Audio Glasses Work
Smart Glasses with speakers and microphones, otherwise called smart audio glasses, are like combining your wireless headphones with your glasses. They connect to your phone or smart device via Bluetooth ® so you can play your favorite music or podcasts.
The speakers are built into the frame around your ear. This projects sound directly to your ear, allowing you to listen to audio without disturbing others.
Because of the open design, instead of inserting an earbud or covering your ears with headphones, you can still hear the world around you. While this may sound like a hindrance, there are many reasons why this could be useful.
Imagine going for a stroll through the city, walking in the woods, and listening to your favorite podcast. Users can retain situational awareness of moving cars or the snapping branch sound of an animal in the woods. This can make users feel comfortable, safe, and connected to what’s happening around them.
Use Cases for Audio Glasses
Whether you use audio glasses to listen to a podcast in the park, talk on the phone, or relax with music, there’s a style and fit for everyone. Here are some of the ways companies are enhancing sound with smart glasses.
Bose Frames Tempo
Bose is one of the leaders in sound for home entertainment, speakers, and headphones, so their pair of Audio Sun Glasses called the Bose Frames Tempo 1, only made sense. The Tempo allows users to listen to music or podcasts while enjoying their favorite outdoor sports. They have an open audio design perfect for cyclists who want to listen to their playlist while keeping an ear out for their surroundings. They are water resistant, so users won’t have to worry about breaking a sweat and ruining their audio.
Ray-Ban Stories
The iconic brand Ray-Ban knows what’s cool, so they teamed up with Meta to create the stylish Ray-Ban Stories 2, a set of smart glasses that allow users to listen to music, live stream videos, take and upload photos and videos straight to their Facebook or Instagram account. In October 2023, The Ray-Ban Stories debuted their next iteration of the smart glasses, taking user feedback to improve audio sound for higher volumes, bass, and less audio leakage, even in noisy environments.
Smart Glasses for Hearing Loss
Besides entertainment, audio glasses make a strong case for transforming how those with hearing impairments use hearing aids. The World Health Organization reports that 430 million people have some form of hearing loss and estimates that by 2050, that number will reach 2.5 billion people 3. Some manufacturers are utilizing the speakers and microphones in smart audio glasses for this new purpose.
Oculadio
The Norwegian company Oculadio 4 is developing a patented pair of audio glasses built as an alternative to hearing aids. The Oculadio uses 16 built-in microphones and a front HD camera that uses algorithmic facial recognition to detect when someone is speaking to you and amplify their voice while cutting the background noise of other conversations around you. The Oculadio was designed as a stylish and discreet alternative to traditional hearing aids.
Xander
While not audio glasses that project sound, start-up company Xander 5 enhances sound with their pair of smart glasses that capture speech and create subtitles that appear behind the user’s lens. The Xander glasses use noise-cancelling microphones to convert speech to text. This appears as subtitles behind the lens via augmented reality. The speech-to-text technology is built into the glasses, so users don’t need to rely on a strong service connection or smartphone to use it. This visual aid will help enhance how those with hearing loss communicate even if they wear hearing aids.
Limitations and Concerns with Smart Audio Glasses
While a pair of audio glasses can feel exciting and innovative, it is an emerging technology that can only be improved with time. The open-ear design means you will not be as immersed in whatever you’re listening to as you would with noise-cancelling headphones. Smart glasses are also limited by battery life, so if you use them often throughout the day, expect to run through the power.
Users also have privacy concerns about smart audio glasses. Will the built-in microphones record conversations, or will others be able to hear what they are listening to? Many manufacturers promise security with their audio glasses. Still, the privacy concerns that Google faced 6 with their smart glasses may have tainted the perception of smart glasses and the user’s willingness to adopt this technology. Despite these concerns, manufacturers are doing their best to address these issues and create a secure and excellent experience for all.
The Future of Smart Audio Glasses
Smart audio glasses add a great function to the already exciting innovation of smart glasses. Advancements will keep making it sound better for users and even be able to assist those with hearing impairments. Smart audio glasses will have the potential to be on par as an everyday item in the way smartwatches are.
How Ambiq is Contributing
Smart audio glasses that analyze the user’s environment and adjust the sounds to create a more personalized experience can take a lot of power. If you use the features of smart audio glasses a lot, you may just be using them as regular glasses by the end of the day.
Ultra-low power systems-on-chip (SoC) like the ones from Ambiq were designed to give smart device manufacturers more flexibility to create high-performing, feature-rich products that utilize up to 10X less power than conventional circuit designs. Our patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT ®) platform can help wireless and lithium-powered devices go days, weeks, and sometimes months on a single charge. The next wave of smart audio glasses looks brighter with Ambiq.
References
1 Sport Bluetooth Sunglasses (bose.com) | 2023
2 Introducing the New Ray-Ban | Meta Smart Glasses | Meta (fb.com) | September 27, 2023
3 Deafness and hearing loss (who.int) |February 27, 2023
4 Oculaudio – TOGETHER WE ARE CHANGING THE HEARING AID FOREVER | 2023
5 XanderGlasses | 2023
6 As smart glasses come back into focus, privacy risks fog the lens | S&P Global Market Intelligence (spglobal.com) | April 15, 2021
Artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are changing every industry on the planet. Healthcare is just one example of technology disrupting and improving a market sector.
Pulmonary medicine, for example, is changing drastically thanks to AI and IoT, with digital remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices already improving patient outcomes. With innovative products from leading technology companies, how we monitor lung health and respond to breathing issues may never be the same.
Key Statistics: Respiratory Illness and Death
Pulmonary disease is one of the most prevalent health concerns in the world. Lung issues can take many forms, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, lung cancer, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea, and more. All of these problems have one thing in common: they make it frighteningly hard to breathe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control1, 4.6% of all American adults have been diagnosed with COPD, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis. In 2021 alone, COPD caused roughly 791,000 visits to emergency departments across the country. During the same year, there were 142,342 deaths in the country, making it the sixth most-common cause of death in the U.S.
Globally, respiratory illness statistics can be even more frightening. The World Health Organization2 says COPD is the third-leading cause of death worldwide. In low- and middle-income countries, 90% of COPD deaths occur in people under 70 years old. In India, the most populous country3 in the world, COPD is the second-largest killer.
This issue has created a need for digital pulmonary devices to help those affected return some normalcy to their breathing.
The Market for Digital Pulmonary Devices
The global market segment for pulmonary devices is huge. According to Future Market Insights4, the pulmonary devices market reached $1.4 billion in value in 2023. It’s already large and expected to grow. The market will reach $3.8 billion by 2023, meaning a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 10.3% over the next ten years.
This growth is caused by an “increased general consciousness of the dangers of lung cancer,” as well as the importance of early treatment, which AI-powered pulmonary devices can support.
Most of the activity in this market is occurring in North America. This is because of the continuous development of innovative products from the United States and Canada.
Innovations in Digital Pulmonary Medicine
Emerging digital pulmonary devices will change how we prevent, diagnose, and treat respiratory conditions. Here are some of the ways companies are taking on pulmonary disease:
Inspire
Sleep apnea devices like Inspire5 provide a small device that goes inside patients’ bodies and opens their airways by sending a gentle pulse. This device eliminates the need for hoses and masks and is controlled by a remote that patients and their doctors can configure based on the patient’s needs. Sleep apnea patients can resume breathing normally while getting a better night’s rest.
100Plus
Pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, and COVID-19 are just some of the respiratory illnesses the RPM Pulse Oximeter from 100Plus can detect6. This cellular-connected device measures oxygen saturation and irregularities in the bloodstream. It will then send the data to the patient’s provider so they can receive better care between visits.
ResApp
Some applications, such as ResApp, have been created to diagnose and manage respiratory illnesses using only a smartphone7. ResApp uses machine learning to analyze the sounds of a cough or breathing and match them to a large database of sound recordings with known clinical diagnoses. This removes the need for in-person visits and is more accurate than a stethoscope.
CapMedic
90% of patients with asthma fail to use their inhaler correctly, meaning most of the drug doesn’t reach the lungs and treat the patient effectively8. CapMedic simplifies this process with a smart medical cap that goes over the top of an inhaler and guides the patient with lights and sounds on how to use the inhaler. It can connect to your smart device and share your data directly with health providers, ensuring you are treating your respiratory symptoms efficiently.
Issues and Concerns with AI-Powered Pulmonary Devices
The technology behind digital pulmonary devices is advancing rapidly, but there are still concerns with digital pulmonary devices.
New technology, regardless of the type, will have issues. AI-supported pulmonary devices are no different. The European Respiratory Review9 says that one concern is “iatrogenic risk.” Essentially, the issue is that a small error in the data could be amplified into thousands, even millions, of misdiagnoses.
The confidentiality and security of medical data is also an issue. The risk of revealing patient identity is real, and many will avoid adopting the technology until these issues are settled.
Despite these concerns, manufacturers are consistently finetuning and adjusting these innovations to record the most accurate data for pulmonary disease diagnosis and build a better and more secure architecture that keeps the patient’s data and personal information safe.
The Future of Digital Pulmonary Devices
The transformation in digital remote patient monitoring devices will continue improving the outcomes for pulmonary disease patients. More patients will be able to receive better in-home care without the need for a doctor’s visit, improving efficiency and reducing barriers to healthcare for everyone.
How Ambiq is Contributing
Remote patient monitoring devices that can diagnose pulmonary illnesses and analyze data is a power-hungry task. These devices will require a reliable source of power to become practical for patients and their care providers. Ambiq provides a range of ultra-low power system-on-chip (SoC) solutions built on the patented Subthreshold Power Optimization Technology (SPOT ®) platform that dramatically reduces the power consumption of computer inferencing on remote-powered devices by 10X. The future of pulmonary medicine begins here.
References
1 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Includes: Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema | September 14, 2023
2 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) | March 16, 2023
3 India overtakes China to become world’s most populous country | April 24, 2023
4 Pulmonary Devices Market Snapshot (2023-3033) | May 2023
5 Inspire Sleep Apnea Innovation – Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment
6 Pulse Oximeter | Remote Monitoring Devices | 100Plus | 2023
7 Chronic Respiratory Disease – ResApp Health | 2023
8 CapMedic – Simplifying Respiratory Care by Correct And Regular Inhaler Use (capmedicinhaler.com) | 2023
9 Artificial intelligence in pulmonary medicine: computer vision, predictive model and COVID-19 | August, 20, 2020
Live demo of a Qt for MCUs Latest Graphics UX on Apollo4 Plus Display Kit at Embedded World 2024 on April 9-11, 2024
Ambiq, a leader in exceptionally energy-efficient semiconductors for enabling AI on endpoint devices, team up with Qt Group, a global software company that offers cross-platform solutions for the entire software development lifecycle, to present a live demo of the Apollo4 Plus Display Kit running powerful and vivid graphics using the latest Qt for MCU wearables graphics library.
Ambiq’s energy-efficient Apollo4 Plus SoC enables endpoint devices with high-performing vibrant graphics with a 2D/2.5 graphics accelerator and hardware alpha-blending support via a round 1.4″ AMOLED display with 454×454 pixels.
This powerful collaboration showcases Qt’s impressive and easy-to-use graphics framework with Ambiq’s ultra-low powered GPU capabilities, enabling developers to design visually compelling smartphone-like user experiences on resource-constrained devices embedded with a microcontroller, saving manufacturers time and money to go to market.
The Apollo4 Plus Display Kit demo with the Qt for MCU-Powered Wearable HMI will be on display at Qt’s booth during Embedded World 2024 in hall 4 booth #258. Please book a meeting to learn more.
About Ambiq
Ambiq’s mission is to develop the lowest-power semiconductor solutions to enable intelligent devices everywhere and drive a more energy-efficient, sustainable, and data-driven world. Ambiq has helped leading manufacturers worldwide develop products that last weeks on a single charge (rather than days) while delivering a maximum feature set in compact industrial designs. Ambiq aims to enable always-on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mobile and portable devices, using Ambiq’s advanced ultra-low power system-on-chip (SoC) solutions. Ambiq has shipped more than 230 million units. For more information, visit www.ambiq.com
About Qt Group
Qt Group (Nasdaq Helsinki: QTCOM) is a global software company, trusted by industry leaders and over 1.5 million developers worldwide to create applications and smart devices that users love. We help our customers to increase productivity through the entire product development lifecycle – from UI design and software development to quality management and deployment. For more information, visit https://www.qt.io/
Contact
Charlene Wan
VP of Branding, Marketing, and Investor Relations
+1.512.879.2850
Read Article in: Japanese | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese
November 15, 2023, Austin, TX – Ambiq®, a recognized technology leader in mega-low power semiconductors for IoT endpoints, together with Xiaomi, a consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an IoT platform at its core, collaborated again on Xiaomi Smart Band 8, a new smart band to assist consumers in defining their unique style.
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 completely reimagined a band by its looks, features, and functionalities. Enabled by Ambiq’s Apollo4 Blue Lite SoC, Xiaomi Smart Band Xiaomi Smart Band 8 is equipped with all-day SpO2 and heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, pressure monitoring, and even female menstrual cycle1. With 200+ pre-set watch faces, Xiaomi Smart Band 8 offers an upgraded appearance, includes a racetrack-shaped 1.62″ crystal clear high-resolution AMOLED display, and its upgraded 190mAh battery provides up to 16 days of typical usage on a single charge. The device features 150+ sports modes, providing users with a wide selection of fitness activities to choose from.
“The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 redefines what a smart band can be,” said Fumihide Esaka, CEO at Ambiq. “While many smart band manufacturers shy away from adding more intelligent functionalities due to power constraints, our partnership with Xiaomi embraces more intelligent features with plenty of power to spare.”
The Apollo4 Blue Lite SoC, launched in July 2023, is purpose-built for products that intend to go beyond the preconceived definition of their category with an emphasis on health monitoring. The collaboration between Ambiq and Xiaomi resulted in a brand new device, the Smart Band 8, that can deliver optimized energy efficiency, state-of-the-art graphics, intelligent processing, a dynamic interface, and a commitment to a premium user experience.
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 is now available for purchase. For more information, visit the Ambiq website.
About Xiaomi Corporation
Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is a consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an IoT platform at its core.
With an equal emphasis on innovation and quality, Xiaomi continuously pursues high-quality user experience and operational efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology.
As of the second quarter of 2023, Xiaomi ranked among the top 3 in the global smartphone market, in terms of smartphone shipments, according to Canalys. The company has also established the world’s leading consumer AIoT (AI+IoT) platform, with 654.5 million smart devices connected to its platform, excluding smartphones, tablets and laptops, as of June 30, 2023. Xiaomi products are present in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. In August 2023, the company listed as Fortune Global 500 for the 5th consecutive year.
Xiaomi is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, Hang Seng TECH Index and Hang Seng China 50 Index.
About Ambiq
Ambiq’s mission is to develop the lowest-power semiconductor solutions to enable intelligent devices everywhere by developing the lowest-power semiconductor solutions to drive a more energy-efficient, sustainable, and data-driven world. Ambiq has helped leading manufacturers worldwide develop products that last weeks on a single charge (rather than days), while delivering a maximum feature set in compact industrial designs. Ambiq’s goal is to take Artificial Intelligence (AI) where it has never gone before in mobile and portable devices, using Ambiq’s advanced ultra-low power system on chip (SoC) solutions. Ambiq has shipped more than 230 million units as of October 2023. For more information, visit www.ambiq.com.
Contact
Charlene Wan
VP of Branding, Marketing and Investor Relations
[email protected]
+1.512.879.2850
Read Article in: Japanese | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese
1 This product and its features are not designed to be a medical device, and are not intended to predict, diagnose, prevent, or cure any disease.