Alexa

Ctrl-labs raises $28 million from GV and Alexa Fund for neural interfaces

On the software side of the equation, the accompanying SDK is “more mature,” with built-out JavaScript and TypeScript toolchains and new prebuilt demos that give an idea of the hardware’s capabilities. Programming is largely done through WebSockets, which provide a full-duplex communications channel.

“We’re at the point of the launch where … we want to get it out [to] developers,” Berenzweig said.

The final version of Ctrl-kit will be in one piece, and it won’t be an entirely self-contained affair. The developer kit has to be tethered to a PC for some processing, but the goal is to get to the point where overhead is such that it can run on wearable system-on-chips.

The underlying tech remains the same. Ctrl-kit leverages differential electromyography (EMG) to translate mental intent into action, specifically by measuring changes in electrical potential caused by impulses traveling from the brain to hand muscles. Sixteen electrodes monitor the motor neuron signals amplified by the muscle fibers of motor units, from which they measure signals, and with the help of AI algorithms trained using Google’s TensorFlow distinguish between the individual pulses of each nerve.

The system works independently of muscle movement; generating a brain activity pattern that Ctrl-labs’ tech can detect requires no more than the firing of a neuron down an axon, or what neuroscientists call action potential. That puts it a class above wearables that use electroencephalography (EEG), a technique that measures electrical activity in the brain through contacts pressed against the scalp. EMG devices draw from the cleaner, clearer signals from motor neurons, and as a result are limited only by the accuracy of the software’s machine learning model and the snugness of the contacts against the skin

As for what Ctrl-labs expects its early adopters to build with Ctrl-kit, video games top the list — particularly virtual reality games, which Berenzweig believes are a natural fit for the sort of immersive experiences EMG can deliver. (Imagine swiping through an inventory screen with a hand gesture, or piloting a fighter jet just by thinking about the direction you want to fly.) And not too long ago, Ctrl-labs demonstrated a virtual keyboard that maps finger movements to PC inputs, allowing a wearer to type messages by tapping on a tabletop with their fingertips.

It remains to be seen if Ctrl-labs can succeed where others have failed. In October, Amazon-backed wearables company Thalmic Labs killed its gesture- and motion-guided Myo armband, which similarly tapped the electrical activity in arm muscles to control devices.

Still, it’s managed to attract talent like former Apple autonomous systems engineer Tarin Ziyaee, who’s heading up dev at Ctrl-labs’ San Francisco office, and Anthony Moschella, previously vice president of product at Peloton and MakerBot. Moreover, investors like Erik Nordlander, general partner at GV, are convinced that Ctrl-labs’ early momentum — in addition to the robustness of its developer tools — will help it gain an early lead in the brain-machine interface race.

“Ctrl-labs’ development of neural interfaces will empower developers to create novel experiences across a wide variety of applications,” he said. “The company has assembled a team of top neuroscientists, engineers, and developers with deep technology backgrounds, creating human-computer interactions unlike anything we have seen before.”

This robot vacuum works with Alexa—and it's an amazing price right now

This is an incredible deal on a vacuum with these impressive features. (Photo11: Ecovacs)

— Our editors review and recommend products to help you buy the stuff you need. If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. However, our picks and opinions are independent from USA Today’s newsroom and any business incentives.

Unless you identify with Monica Gellar and Marie Kondo, I'm willing to bet cleaning does not top your list of your favorite things. And really, I don't blame you. Life is busy and we never really have as much time to clean as we want. But robot vacuums can help ease some of the burden of keeping your floors looking like you have it all.

Right now, there's a really great deal on a robot vacuum we think you might like. The Ecovacs Deebot 901, which typically costs $399, is on sale for one day only at Amazon for $299. The lowest price we've seen on this vacuum until now was $349, so the extra $50 discount is super exciting.

More: The best affordable robot vacuums of 2019

How does this robot vacuum stack up against the competition?

We test a LOT of robot vacuums here at Reviewed, including this model, which is a slightly watered down version of the pricier Deebot Ozmo 930 ($449.99 at Amazon). It is not the best robot vacuum we've ever tested, but it's nowhere near the bottom of the barrel, either. It's got average suction power, but it's packed with features that set it apart from other models in this price range.

What makes this robot vacuum special?

The Deebot 901 can connect to WiFi, which gives you control over the vacuum right from your phone, or with Alexa or Google Home voice commands. That's all well and good, and there are plenty of smart robot vacuums that offer this feature as well.

Where the 901 sets itself apart from other affordable smart robot vacuums is its laser guidance system. With Smart Navi 3.0 Navigation & Mapping, the 901 scans your home and builds a virtual map. From there, you can tell it where you do and do not want it to clean. This is great if you've got an open floor plan and a shag carpet that would stop any robot vacuum in its tracks. Overall, it stops the vacuum from going where it shouldn't, which is not a feature commonly found in this price range.

This robot vacuum also analyzes your floor plan and optimizes its cleaning path to be more efficient so it can clean more before its battery runs low. You can also schedule cleaning times, set it to clean when you're at work and forgot the in-laws are coming for dinner, and keep track of how it's performing. The app even lets you know if the Deebot encounters a problem so you can shut it off remotely if it does get stuck.

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered this holiday season. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Prices are accurate at the time this article was published, but may change over time.

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2019/02/21/ecovacs-deebot-901-smart-robot-vacuum-its-lowest-price-ever/2927411002/

Amazon’s Alexa Fund joins $28M round for CTRL-labs, makers of neural interface technology

CTRL-labs connects the human brain to a machine via a wrist-worn device. (CTRL-labs Photo)

CTRL-labs, the New York-based startup that is reimagining how the human brain can connect with machines, has closed another big funding round, with Amazon’s Alexa Fund pitching in on the $28 million haul.

The round was led by GV, according to a news release on Friday, and Amazon was joined by Lux Capital, Spark Capital, Matrix Partners, Breyer Capital, and Fuel Capital. A previous round last May also raised $28 million and included the late Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital among investors.

The company was co-founded by Thomas Reardon, who helped develop Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser, and Patrick Kaifosh, a theoretical neuroscientist. CTRL-labs has raised $67 million to date and the latest round will help with, among other things, the building and distribution of its developer kit, CTRL-kit, currently in preview for select partners.

With a wristband that picks up signals from the brain and allows users to control a digital device without moving a finger, CTRL-labs’ long-term vision is to pave the way for mass consumer adoption of non-invasive neural interface technology. The new kind of universal controller is meant to “empower humans to harness their machines as natural extensions of thought and movement,” according to the company.

“Like the developers and creators we hear from, we feel fundamentally dissatisfied with the pervading technologies of the last century,” Reardon said in a statement. “Our objective with CTRL-kit is to give the industry’s most ambitious minds the tools they need to reimagine the relationship between humans and machines.”

Check out some of these videos, demonstrating CTRL-labs technology in action:

And here’s Reardon introducing CTRL-kit at the startup event Slush 2018 in December: