Sight to Smell : Sound to Touch : Text to Music / Saga of Fungible Senses

 

 

Context :

Ø  Smell-o-vision might be making a comeback — in VR?    …… Interesting Engineering / 09 May 2023

Extract :

Usually, when someone pitches a revival of smell-o-vision, you'd be forgiven if you imagined a 1950s American movie theatre playing some B-movie about monsters destroying a small town while theater workers pump perfumed air into the auditorium, but the latest attempt at incorporating smell into interactive entertainment isn't nearly as crude as efforts that have come before.

Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong, Beijing University in China, and elsewhere have developed a new approach to bringing olfactory sensations to the latest entertainment, only this time, they are looking to enhance the VR experience with a new wireless, wearable device that can provide complementary aroma to match the virtual world you might be inhabiting.

"Recent advances in virtual reality (VR) technologies accelerate the creation of a flawless 3D virtual world to provide [a] frontier social platform for human[s]," the researchers, writing in a paper published in Nature Communication, said. "Equally important to traditional visual, auditory and tactile sensations, olfaction exerts both physiological and psychological influences on humans."

It's well-established that smell is one of the senses most deeply tied to our memory, and it would make sense that those looking to immerse a user in a virtual world would eventually have to get around to creating a smell-scape of sorts in order for the user to make-believe that what they are seeing is real.

"Olfaction plays a significant role in human perceptual experiences," the researchers write, "which is equally important to visual and auditory feedbacks. As one of the typical five senses, olfaction has shown a crucial influence in shaping human lives, as most aspects of daily life [are] associated with olfaction coming from manmade materials, industry, transport, household products, etc."

While it might be tempting to impute the attempt to create a scent-generating wearable for virtual reality immersion, it's not really that dumb an idea when you think about it.

VR is all about plunging you deep into a virtual space that by virtue of the technology can seem very real to anyone who has tried it, and along with hearing and haptic touch feedback, having an olfactory experience in VR would certainly add a new layer of immersion, if it can shake the fetters of its more silly past attempts.

Still, given the power of VR to craft powerful, never-before-experienced sensations for users, there is always room for improvement. After all, what good is there in creating a virtual rose bush if there's no way to smell the roses?

 

My  Take :

Ø  Kissing : From Metaverse to Covid-Verse  ………………………… 05 Apr 2023

 

Ø  As Envisaged : Merging – Morphing – Melding of Senses     29 April 2022

 

Ø  2024 ! – V 2.0 of Orwellian 1984 ?..................... ……………… 07 July 2017 

 

Ø  Nostradamus could have said ?........................................  08 Nov 2018

 

               Extract :

               In twenty hundred and twenty four

               A Sea of Waves will roar,

              Light will follow sound :

              And , in Smell and Taste

              Earth will abound ,

              Brain will hide no more

              Your secrets gore  !

 

Ø  Big Brother is watching us ! And how !  …………………… 09  Feb  2018 

 

Ø  Nightmare ? #Aadhar #PrivacyDataProtection            04  March  2016 

 

Extract :

#  Technology has advanced so far – and continues to accelerate even faster –

     that it is possible to treat “ Content ( personal  / private data ) “ like an air

     molecule , which keeps travelling freely around the earth and gets inhaled a

     trillion times ( content consumption ) by a billion humans .

 

#   With the arrival of Quantum Computing, it will soon become possible for the

    same content ( personal / private data ) , to exist simultaneously at multiple

     places , but in differing formats

     A “ Text Posting “ on Facebook may well appear on different media as

     Voice  or  Image  or  Smell  or  Touch !

 

Google brings 'MusicLM' text-to-music AI to public 

Extract :

Google has reportedly released a new experimental AI tool "MusicLM" that can generate high-fidelity music in any genre given a text description. The tool was first announced in January this year and is now available to the public. The text-to-music AI tool is available in the AI Test Kitchen app on the web, Android or iOS.

 

"Starting today, you can sign up to try it in AI Test Kitchen on the web, Android or iOS. Just type in a prompt like a soulful jazz for a dinner party" and MusicLM will create two versions of the song for you. You can listen to both and give a trophy to the track that you like better, which will help improve the model," Google said in a blog post on Wednesday.

What next ?

Resurrect ( as a 3D Volumetric Hologram – ala IKIN ), in broad daylight, all those sweet ( and sour ) DREAMS , that you dreamed last night ?  Or those memories of past , hiding in some obscure corner of your brain ?

While this may appear to be far-fetched , I consulted ChatGPT re what kind of “ Sense Transformations “ are feasible in near future. Chat GPT replied as shown below

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.hemenparekh.ai  /   12  May  2023

 

My poser to ChatGPT :

Of late there is a flurry of launches of AI tools that transform a text into image / text into music etc. Our perception of the World around us, is through following 5 senses viz; Sight - Sound - Smell - Taste - Touch

It seems possible that a " content " appearing as any one sense, can be transformed into " content " as some other sense ( eg; Text prompt to Music sound )

What are the total number of such " transformations " possible ? Could the total number of " Permutations " and " Combinations " equal FACTORIAL 5 ? = 120 ?

Please generate TABULATED FORMAT having following column-headings / Serial No / Transforming from following SENSE / Transforming to following SENSE / Long Term Feasibility / Whether suitable AI Tool already exists ( provide Name of Tool ) / Whether AI Tool will become available by 2025 ?

 

ChatGPT  replied :

As there are several ways to interpret and define a "transformation" from one sense to another, the total

number of possible transformations is subjective. However, I can provide a list of some common

transformations and their feasibility:

Serial No	Transforming from following SENSE	Transforming to following SENSE	Long Term Feasibility	AI Tool available	AI Tool availability by 2025?
1	Text	Image	Feasible	DALL-E	Already available
2	Image	Text	Feasible	Google Cloud	Already available
3	Text	Music	Feasible	AIVA	Already available
4	Music	Text	Feasible	Amper Music	Already available
5	Text	Smell	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
6	Smell	Text	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
7	Image	Sound	Feasible	NSynth	Already available
8	Sound	Image	Feasible	NSynth	Already available
9	Image	Smell	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
10	Smell	Image	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
11	Image	Taste	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
12	Taste	Image	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
13	Sound	Smell	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
14	Smell	Sound	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
15	Sound	Taste	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
16	Taste	Sound	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
17	Smell	Taste	Less feasible	N/A	N/A
18	Taste	Smell	Less feasible	N/A	N/A

Note: Long term feasibility is subjective and depends on several factors such as technological advancements, scientific breakthroughs, etc.

 

 ================================================

Added  on  02  July  2023 :

Smells replicated using AI

• Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)
• 2 Jul 2023

key clue to ancient fragrances is art. 

Flowers stand in for perfume; vials worn on the person hint at odours that had to be kept at bay. 

Could artificial intelligence (AI) help scan art and text for such clues, and help recreate the “smell” of a time, place or scene?

A team of 38 researchers from six European countries (the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, UK and Slovenia) have been working since 2020 on a three-year EU-funded project called Odeuropa. 

“It began with the idea of using AI to detect olfactory imagery and vocabularies within digitised art collections,” says Sofia Ehrich, olfactory events and exhibitions coordinator with Odeuropa.

An AI algorithm is now being used to scan a vast dataset of books and art works from across four centuries of European history (the 17th to 20th). 

The dataset includes 30,000 images and over 40,000 books in six languages (English, Italian, French, Dutch, German and Slovene). 

The results are analysed by the team of 38, drawn from the fields of history, art history, cultural heritage, language technology, computational linguistics and heritage sciences.

The aim is to eventually replicate elements of the olfactory landscape too.

Historians and heritage researchers, for instance, have recreated the stench of the 17th-century Amsterdam’s canals.

They have also worked with perfumers from the International Flavour and Fragrance corporation to recreate the spicy scent of pomanders, which were pieces of intricately carved personal jewellery worn to ward off such miasmas or bad air.

 The pomander scent was typically a mix of cinnamon, oregano and floral notes. These trinkets are often visible in works of art.

Most on these olfactory histories will be available to the public on the free online Encyclopaedia of Smell History and Heritage, set to be launched by the end of the year. 

Offline, there is a plan to recreate more smells for museums, to add another sensory dimension to exhibitions.

 

First Step : 8 years / Next Step 10 months ?

 

 

Context :

Delhi govt unveils draft policy to regulate cab aggregators, delivery service providers    …   BL  /  10 May 2923

Extract :

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), on Wednesday, announced the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Scheme 2023, which is aimed at regulating cab aggregators and delivery service providers.

“This scheme prioritises the safety of passengers and ensures timely grievance redressal, while also promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and reducing pollution levels in the city, Kejriwal said.

By transitioning to EVs and promoting electric bike taxis, the government will be able to reduce pollution levels in Delhi and create new opportunities for employment and economic growth, he added.

The scheme follows a ‘polluter pays’ principle, which will make the per vehicle licence fee for a conventional vehicle significantly higher than an EV.

For instance, the licence fee for an electric taxi may be zero, but the licence fee of a CNG taxi may be ₹650. Second, all licence fees and penalties under the scheme, shall also be credited to the State EV Fund which, in turn, supports EV promotional activity.

 “The scheme will also mark a historic first for the nation where a state government will be introducing a mandatory transition of commercial vehicles from conventional vehicles to electric vehicles,” said GNCTD.

The aggregator scheme also provides for phased mandates for fleet operators to transition their fleet from conventional vehicles to electric. These mandates only apply to an incremental percentage of new on-boarded vehicles over a period of four years to avoid any knee-jerk reactions to existing livelihoods, it added.

For instance, five percent of new on-boarded cars need to be electric in the first 6 months of the scheme. Thereafter, 4 years from its notification, all new commercial 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers will need to be EVs.

Similarly, after five years from its notification, all new commercial 4-wheelers need to be EVs. The Aggregator and Delivery service provider shall also be mandated to switch to an all electric fleet by April 1, 2030.

The aggregator scheme will be applicable to any person or entity that operates, on-boards, or manages a fleet of motor vehicles through digital or electronic means or any other means to ferry passengers or connect a driver offering to deliver or pick up a product, courier, package, or parcel to connect with a seller, e-commerce entity, or consignor.

The scheme lays the foundation for a regulatory provision for bike taxis and rent-a-bike services. Since Delhi has never permitted bike-taxis to operate in the city, the scheme provides for such services to be regulated in the city.

As a new business opportunity, the scheme ensures that all bike-taxis and two-wheeler renting services in the city shall only be via electric two-wheelers. These provisions are in-line with the Delhi EV Policy 2020.

 

Dear Shri  Kailash  Gahlotji

{  Minlawtpt.delhi@nic.in  /  kgahlot@gmail.com }

 

Congratulations on this bold policy  initiative

I urge you to consider my suggestions in the following email :

Ø  POLLUTION SOLUTION , aka " PollSolv "  .. ……………………. 30  Dec  2015

 

[  Implementation of this suggestion has following implications :

#    It will set a world record and a BENCHMARK MODEL to be copied by cities

      around the World

#    It will enable Delhi Government to earn annually , CARBON CREDITS worth

      Rs 10,000 Crore   ]

Extract :

It is said : Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Let us rephrase :  Essentiality is the Mother of Intervention

This is in response to Odd / Even driving rule being experimented in Delhi from Jan 1 2016

Equally applicable to any other city , threatened by vehicular emission pollution

This solution will be named : PollSolve

It will be in two parts , as follows :

  

#  VEHICLE BASED DEVICE

  

All vehicles (existing and future registrations) to be fitted with a GPS locator ( compulsory )

Each of this locator will carry Vehicle Number ( hard-coded )

A software in Delhi Transport Department , will then , be able to track in real time , movement of each vehicle ( 24*7 ) , on several computer screens

If a Odd numbered vehicle is travelling on Even date , it will show up as a RED colored dot on the screen and through linkage with RTO records ,an automatic alert will be issued to the mobile phone of the nearest Traffic Police to catch / stop that vehicle and take that vehicle, off the road !

The owner / driver can take it back after one week of grounding !

This technology is available , commercially and off - the - shelf

Should not take more than 6 months to implement

 

  

#  MOBILE BASED APP

 

Each citizen of Delhi will have to ( compulsorily ) download and install on his smart phone , an App called :  CarPool

He / she will enter following data in the App :

 

*   Name / Gender /  Aadhar Card No

*   Email Id / Mobile Number / Residence Address / Work-place Address

*   From / To ( in the morning ) / Starting Time of travel

*   From / To ( in the evening ) /  Starting Time of travel

*  If owning a vehicle , then :

     #  Vehicle type : 2 - 3 - 4 wheeler

     #  Fuel type     :  Petrol / Diesel / Electric

     #  Vehicle Capacity : 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 persons ( including driver )

     #  Vehicle Number :

     #  Vehicle Registration Date ( to compute " Age " of vehicle )

     #  Serial Number of GPS locator fitted on vehicle ( must be unique / Mfrr to

         take care )

     #  CarPool Number (Unique Serial No allotted by App) : To be entered after

         joining a Pool

CarPool App will not accept the data ,nor get activated ,until Mobile Owner also keeps " ON " the GPS location feature built into the phone

With this data , software will analyze / display , a list containing names / contact info of other citizens ( matched gender-wise ) , travelling on same , approximate " route " and the nearest pick-up points , on Google Map

Citizens will then contact other vehicle-owners and form a CarPool

Then , they will enter their CarPool Number ( as mentioned above )

The software will reanalyze / redisplay the list if any entered data gets EDITED later

After compiling data about ONE BILLION actual cumulative travels undertaken by each type of vehicle ( 2-3-4 wheeler ) , BIG DATA ANALYTICS software , will carry out ,

 

*  Millions of permutations / combinations of " Car Pool Universes " possible

*  Using ( updated version of ) " Karmarkar's Algorithm " , figure out the optimum

   Car Pool Universe which minimizes the overall pollution level in Delhi

 *  Calculate for each citizen , the " LEAST POLLUTING ROUTE " based on data

     compiled from the " Optimum Universe " and  send " Car Pooling

     Recommendation " to each citizen thru CarPool app

     

This could be somewhat like " Travelling Salesman Problem " in Linear Programming ( - improved versions could be found in Fuzzy Logic / Neural Network / Artificial Intelligence )

{ " Big data has the potential to make a huge impact on Public Services in India, as it will streamline the decision-making " : Stephen Brobst , Global CTO , Teradata Corporation }

Another suggestion :

 

If ODD / EVEN rule provides for 50:50 probability and reduces the no of vehicles on roads by 50 % , use of an algorithm which picks only 25 % of the car numbers from the database of cars , using a  RANDOM NUMBER TABLE , will reduce the vehicles on road to 25% !

And nothing " arbitrary " about a computer selection, announced 24 hours earlier !

This will eliminate the incentive to rush and buy a second car with either odd or even number !

Given the prevalent START-UP wave in India, any number of Indian Start Up companies would be happy to take on this " Two Part " challenge and implement in 6 months . 

It is the least expensive / permanent / replicable solution , suitable for the entire World

All that is required is a POLITICAL WILL and some genuine cooperation between Shri Gopal Rai ( Delhi Govt ) and Shri Nitin Gadkari ( Central Govt )

 

It is time to offer to the World , an INDIAN ANSWER to vehicular pollution

 

Dear Gahlotji ,

To eliminate  any and all “ Reservations “ that you might have regarding the

FEASIBILITY of my suggestion, I took help from ChatGPT as follows

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.hemenparekh.ai  /  11  May  2023

 

My poser to ChatGPT :

Air Pollution / Global Warming / Traffic Congestion , caused by vehicular traffic , is a serious problem for all big cities of the World.

In past 7 years since I made following suggestion, a lot of initiatives have been taken to mitigate this problem .

Technology wise also there is a huge progress in terms of RFID - Sensors - Vehicle tracking using CCTV and GPS ( NAVIC ) satellites - IoT and of course, Artificial Intelligence .

In a TABULATED FORMAT , please evaluate the feasibility of suggestion in my following blog .

Against each parameter of my suggestion, indicate in a separate column, time period ( in No of Weeks ) , that might be needed to implement it

 

ChatGPT replied :

Feasibility Evaluation of PollSolve Solution:

Parameter	Feasibility	Time period (in weeks)
GPS locator in all vehicles	Highly feasible	24 weeks
Real-time vehicle tracking	Highly feasible	8 weeks
Automatic alert system	Highly feasible	8 weeks
Car grounding period of 1 week	Feasible	4 weeks
Compulsory CarPool app	Highly feasible	16 weeks
Data entry fields in CarPool app	Feasible	4 weeks
Matching algorithm for CarPool app	Highly feasible	20 weeks
Pollution minimization algorithm	Feasible	40 weeks
Least polluting route algorithm	Feasible	40 weeks
Car number selection algorithm	Highly feasible	16 weeks
Political will and cooperation	Depends on circumstances	N/A

Overall, the PollSolve solution appears to be highly feasible with most of the parameters being feasible within a timeframe of 40 weeks or less.

The most time-consuming aspect of the solution is the development of the algorithms for pollution minimization and least polluting routes, which may take up to 40 weeks.

However, these algorithms are crucial for achieving the desired results of reducing vehicular pollution.

The implementation of the solution will also require political will and cooperation, which may vary depending on the circumstances.

 

 

Dear Shri Gahlotji,

At my prompting , ChatGPT even calculated for completion of each activity :

#  Minimum Time ( Optimistic Time )

#  Maximum Time ( Pessimistic Time )

#   Most likely time

#  Slack Time .. etc

It also computed the time for the  CRITICAL PATH  and even drew a  PERT diagram

If desired , please write to me ( hcp@RecruitGuru.com ) and I will mail these calculations to you

For that matter , I will be happy to share these with any reader

 

Related Readings :

With clean air and less noise, the EV future has already arrived in Norway

Internet of Vehicles ( IoV ) ?  .    04 Mar 2017

On the Horizon : Internet of Vehicles ( IoV )  … 14 Apr 2022

Thank You, Shri Kailash Gahlotji  …  08 Apr 2022

Thank You, Shri Gehlotji  …..  03 Jan 2022

Thank You Shri  Gahlotji ,  ………. 15 July 2021

Congratulations ,  Shri Kailash Gehlotji  !    28 Nov 2018