Closing the Gap is an accessible overview of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and the impact it is set to have on various sectors in South Africa and Africa. It explores the previous industrial revolutions that have led up to this point and outlines South Africa’s position been through each one.

With a focus on artificial intelligence as a core concept in understanding the 4IR, this book uses familiar concepts to explain artificial intelligence, how it works and how it can be used in banking, mining, medicine and many other fields.

Written from an African perspective, Closing the Gap addresses the challenges and fears around the 4IR by pointing to the opportunities presented by new technologies and outlining some of the challenges and successes to date

An accessible overview of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and the impact it is set to have on various sectors in South Africa and Africa. It explores the previous industrial revolutions that have led up to this point and outlines what South Africa’s position has been through each one.

With a focus on artificial intelligence as a core concept in understanding the 4IR, this book uses familiar concepts to explain artificial intelligence, how it works and how it can be used in banking, mining, medicine and many other fields.

Written from an African perspective, Closing the Gap addresses the challenges and fears around the 4IR by pointing to the opportunities presented by new technologies and outlining some of the challenges and successes to date.

How robots will change our world Some fear that robots could do half our jobs and even wipe us out. But is that likely? Smart machines already make our cars and clean our homes. Soon they could drive us about, teach our children, and keep our parents company. While dealing with the ethical concerns about Artificial Intelligence, Bennie Mols and Nieske Vergunst reveal the history, present and future of robots. They show how moving AI could allow the lame to walk again, rescue survivors from collapsed buildings, and boost the global fight against hunger and pollution. Welcome to a vivid view of our robot future. With 60 colour photos. Topics From dolls to industrial workers, a history of robots How robots respond to their surroundings What robots learn about human speech Why self-driving cars are safer and greener The possibilities of robots in education Meet the 'cyborgs' who learn to walk again Why evolution designs the best robots Will rogue robots take over the world? Using robots as weapons and drones What the future holds: 2100, a Robot Odyssey Table of Contents 1 A short history of robots, from dolls to androids Machines as man throughout history Mechanical dolls: forerunners of the robot Enter the working humanoid robots The next step: android robots that look like you Uncanny valley: the problem with creepy robots 2. How do robots see their surroundings? Getting to grips with a new environment Seeing through the eyes of a robot Training robots to recognise objects Robots can see what a person cannot see Feeling with whiskers: sensing the way forward Robots use electronic ears to listen 3. How does a robot brain work? A robot must learn to think like a human Keeping it simple with an insect brain Machine learning is trial and error Robots can learn without supervision The football world cup for robots Developing robot emotional intelligence 4. Giving humans a helping hand Robots suck: doing the dirty jobs at home A robotic arm reaches deep into the supply chain Joseph Engelberger, father of car factory robots Co-bots will work alongside people Coping with variation is Amazon's challenge Building a robot car 5. Learning to speak to people The problem with machine talk SHRDLU! The first experiment in robot conversation Toilets are hidden: translation problems A robotic teacher never runs out of patience 6. Robots get emotional Emotional robots encourage humans to interact with them A robot can work out how you are feeling Why am I afraid? Understanding human emotions Help! My robot looks angry Establishing a bond with a robot 7. Humans need robots and robots need humans Meet the robot psychologists Under-promise and over-deliver performance Silicon Valley utopias vs calm technology What is the best ratio of robots to humans? In the rubble: the search and rescue robot The paradox of robotization 8. Humans need robots and robots need humans Meet the robot psychologists Under-promise and over-deliver performance * Silicon Valley utopias vs calm technology What is the best ratio of robots to humans? In the rubble: the search and rescue robot The paradox of robotization 9. Evolution designs the best robots How robots travel in a bumpy world Robothand has nature's grip A two-legged walking robot The first robot baby Working out the best path through evolution 10. Swarming robots show the wisdom of crowds The power of robots working together A robot swarm without a boss Goal is mapping a building about to collapse Predicting how a robot will behave Robot swarms in the real world A robotic swarm looks for a queen 11. The importance of building ethical robots Isaac Asimov's three rules about rogue robots When robots go wrong Responsible roboticists are planning for the future Robots and the UN's development goals How will robots change the human race? Killing machines: robots in the military 12. 2100 - A Robot Odyssey The future of work in a robotic world Fusing mind and body with soft robotics And then the smart robot became creative Was that move really creative? Will robots really take over the world?

How will artificial intelligence change our world within twenty years?

AI will be the defining development of the twenty-first century. Within two decades, aspects of daily human life will be unrecognizable. AI will generate unprecedented wealth, revolutionize medicine and education through human-machine symbiosis, and create brand new forms of communication and entertainment. However, AI will also challenge the organizing principles of our economic and social order and bring new risks in the form of autonomous weapons and smart technology that inherits human bias. AI is at a tipping point, and people need to wake up-both to AI's radiant pathways and its existential perils for life as we know it.

In this provocative, utterly original work of "scientific fiction," Kai-Fu Lee, the former president of Google China and bestselling author of AI Superpowers, joins forces with celebrated novelist Chen Qiufan to imagine our AI world in 2041 in ten gripping short stories.

Gazing toward a not-so-distant horizon, AI 2041 offers urgent insights into our collective future and reminds us that we are the authors of our own destiny.

Build 11 awesome LEGO (R) machines! With 58 LEGO (R) elements. This activity kit will have you building 11 machines that whirl, flip, punch and cruise! Including: a gravity-powered car, a boxing robot, a claw, a catapult, a spin-o-vision, a ghost mobile car, a rollin' T-Rex, a whirling fan, a mixing machine, a micro movie maker and a gravity-drop coaster. Make, experiment and play with KLUTZ . What is Klutz? Klutz is a premium brand of book-based activity kits, designed to inspire creativity in every child. Our unique combination of crystal-clear instructions, custom tools and materials, and hearty helpings of humor is 100% guaranteed to kick-start creativity. Super-clear instructions Open-ended Creativity Rewarding Reading Skills to Build On Everything You Need

Written to cultivate the ability to design and analyze feasible control algorithms for a wide range of engineering applications, this comprehensive text covers the theoretical and practical principles relevant to the design and analysis of control systems. From the development of the mathematical models for dynamic systems, the author shows how they are used to obtain system response and facilitate control, then addresses advanced topics, such as digital control systems, adaptive and robust control, and nonlinear control systems. The feedback control theory presented here provides insight into the fundamental nature of control systems and how to engineer effective controllers.

Artificial intelligence is smarter than humans. It can process information at lightning speed and remain focused on specific tasks without distraction. AI can see into the future, predict outcomes and even use sensors to see around physical and virtual corners. So why does AI frequently get it so wrong and cause harm?

The answer is us: the human beings who write the code and teach AI to mimic our behaviour. Scary Smart explains how to fix the current trajectory now, to make sure that the AI of the future can preserve our species. This book offers a blueprint, pointing the way to what we can do to safeguard ourselves, those we love and the planet itself.

As the world has entered the era of big data, there is a need to give a semantic perspective to the data to find unseen patterns, derive meaningful information, and make intelligent decisions. This 2-volume handbook set is a unique, comprehensive, and complete presentation of the current progress and future potential explorations in the field of data science and related topics. Handbook of Data Science with Semantic Technologies provides a roadmap for a new trend and future development of data science with semantic technologies. The first volume serves as an important guide towards applications of data science with semantic technologies for the upcoming generation and thus becomes a unique resource for both academic researchers and industry professionals. The second volume provides a roadmap for the deployment of semantic technologies in the field of data science that enables users to create intelligence through these technologies by exploring the opportunities while eradicating the current and future challenges. The set explores the optimal use of these technologies to provide the maximum benefit to the user under one comprehensive source. This set consisting of two separate volumes can be utilized independently or together as an invaluable resource for students, scholars, researchers, professionals, and practitioners in the field.

The Future of Creative Work provides a unique overview of the changing nature of creative work, examining how digital developments and the rise of intangible capital are causing an upheaval in the social institutions of work. It offers a profound insight into how this technological and social evolution will affect creative professions. Expert international contributors explore how robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, global digital platforms and autonomous systems will shape the design, production and consumption of culture. Taking a multidisciplinary approach incorporating creative industries studies, business, education and economics, the book analyses the technological drivers of disruption in the world of creative work. Chapters reveal how these changes will create new axes of power and inequality in the global sphere of creative work, predicting that conventional creative professions will be challenged and different species of creative work will evolve as a result. By charting the impact of digital and technological developments, The Future of Creative Work challenges traditional views of creative work, careers and education. This book will be a valuable resource for students and researchers undertaking creative industries studies. Its discussion of the application of creative careers across the economy will also be beneficial for scholars and practitioners interested in business, economics, and advertising and marketing studies.

SIMATIC is the worldwide established automation system for implementing industrial control systems for machines, manufacturing plants and industrial processes. Relevant open-loop and closed-loop control tasks are formulated in various programming languages with the programming software STEP 7.
Now in its sixth edition, this book gives an introduction into the latest version of engineering software STEP 7 (basic version) . It describes elements and applications of text-oriented programming languages statement list (STL) and structured control language (SCL) for use with both SIMATIC S7-300 and SIMATIC S7-400, including the new applications with PROFINET and for communication over industrial Ethernet. It is aimed at all users of SIMATIC S7 controllers.
First-time users are introduced to the field of programmable controllers, while advanced users learn about specific applications of the SIMATIC S7 automation system.
All programming examples found in the book - and even a few extra examples - are available at the download area of the publisher's website.

The monograph provides an overview of the recent developments in modern control systems including new theoretical finding and successful examples of practical implementation of the control theory in different areas of industrial and special applications. Recent Developments in Automatic Control Systems consists of extended versions of the selected papers presented at XXVI International Conference on Automatic Control "Automation 2020" (October 13-15, 2020, Kyiv, Ukraine) which is the main Ukrainian Control Conference organized by Ukrainian Association on Automatic Control (National member organization of IFAC) and National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute". This is a third monograph in the River Publishers series in Automation, Control and Robotics, which is publishing based on the selected papers of the Ukrainian Control Conferences "Automation", in particular, first monograph "Control Systems: Theory and Applications (2018) was published based on the "Automation - 2017" and second monograph "Advanced Control Systems: Theory and Applications" - based on the "Automation - 2018". The monograph is divided into three main parts: (a) Advances in Theoretical Research of Control Systems; (b) Advances in Control Systems Application; (c) Recent Developments in Collaborative Automation. The chapters have been structured to provide an easy-to-follow introduction to the topics that are addressed, including the most relevant references, so that anyone interested in this field can get started in the area. This book may be useful for researchers and students who are interesting in recent developments of the modern control systems, robust adaptive systems, optimal control, fuzzy control, motion control, identification, modelling, differential games, evolutionary optimization, reliability control, security control, intelligent robotics and cyber-physical systems.

This textbook offers a tutorial introduction to robotics and Computer Vision which is light and easy to absorb. The practice of robotic vision involves the application of computational algorithms to data. Over the fairly recent history of the fields of robotics and computer vision a very large body of algorithms has been developed. However this body of knowledge is something of a barrier for anybody entering the field, or even looking to see if they want to enter the field - What is the right algorithm for a particular problem?, and importantly: How can I try it out without spending days coding and debugging it from the original research papers? The author has maintained two open-source MATLAB Toolboxes for more than 10 years: one for robotics and one for vision. The key strength of the Toolboxes provide a set of tools that allow the user to work with real problems, not trivial examples. For the student the book makes the algorithms accessible, the Toolbox code can be read to gain understanding, and the examples illustrate how it can be used -instant gratification in just a couple of lines of MATLAB code. The code can also be the starting point for new work, for researchers or students, by writing programs based on Toolbox functions, or modifying the Toolbox code itself. The purpose of this book is to expand on the tutorial material provided with the toolboxes, add many more examples, and to weave this into a narrative that covers robotics and computer vision separately and together. The author shows how complex problems can be decomposed and solved using just a few simple lines of code, and hopefully to inspire up and coming researchers. The topics covered are guided by the real problems observed over many years as a practitioner of both robotics and computer vision. It is written in a light but informative style, it is easy to read and absorb, and includes a lot of Matlab examples and figures. The book is a real walk through the fundamentals light and color, camera modelling, image processing, feature extraction and multi-view geometry, and bring it all together in a visual servo system. "An authoritative book, reaching across fields, thoughtfully conceived and brilliantly accomplished Oussama Khatib, Stanford

Written by a team of experts, Advances in Flowmeter Technology surveys the full range of modern flowmeters for product managers, strategic planners, engineers, distributors, and students. The origins, principles of operation,controls and instrumentation, and the relative advantages of each major flowmeter type are thoroughly explained. Extensive coverage of new types that employ cutting-edge technologies - such as coriolis, magnetic, ultrasonic, vortex, thermal flowmeters - is provided. The text includes comparative examples, placing these new types of meters in the context of more traditional ones, such as differential pressure, turbine, and positive displacement flowmeters.

For readers of Robot Building for Beginner (Apress, 2002 and 2009), welcome to the next level. Intermediate Robot Building, Second Edition offers you the kind of real-world knowledge that only renowned author David Cook can offer. In this book, you'll learn the value of a robot heartbeat and the purpose of the wavy lines in photocells. You'll find out what electronic part you should sand. You'll discover how a well-placed switch can help a robot avoid obstacles better than a pair of feelers. And you'll avoid mistakes that can cause a capacitor to explode. Want a robot that can explore rooms, follow lines, or battle opponents in mini-sumo? This book presents step-by-step instructions and circuit and part descriptions so that you can build the robot featured in the book or apply the modules to your own robot designs. Finally, you'll find the complete schematics for Roundabout, a room explorer that requires no programming and uses only off-the-shelf electronics. With Roundabout, you'll use many of the same techniques used by professional robotics engineers, and you'll experience many of the same challenges and joys they feel when a robot "comes to life."

This textbook provides a comprehensive, but tutorial, introduction to robotics, computer vision, and control. It is written in a light but informative conversational style, weaving text, figures, mathematics, and lines of code into a narrative that covers robotics and computer vision—separately, and together as robotic vision. Over 1600 code examples show how complex problems can be decomposed and solved using just a few simple lines of code. This edition is based on Python and is accompanied by fully open-source Python-based Toolboxes for robotics and machine vision.  The new Toolboxes enable the reader to easily bring the algorithmic concepts into practice and work with real, non-trivial, problems on a broad range of computing platforms. For the beginning student the book makes the algorithms accessible, the Toolbox code can be read to gain understanding, and the examples illustrate how it can be used. The code can also be the starting point for new work, for practitioners, students, or researchers, by writing programs based on Toolbox functions, or modifying the Toolbox code itself.

Practical and up-to-date, TECHNICIAN'S GUIDE TO PROGRAMMABLE CONTROLLERS, Seventh Edition, provides you with the most comprehensive introduction to programmable logic controllers (PLCs) available on the market today. Written by professionals with experience in industrial automation, the text covers each topic in a way that makes even complex material easy to understand and apply, while all-new color figures, step-by-step programming information and detailed examples provide valuable practical insights. Theory, hardware, instructions, programming, installation, startup and troubleshooting are discussed in detail, and programming examples using PLC instructions from the text help you understand the various instructions and how they can be used to create simple yet effective control logic solutions for today's world. This thorough guide will give you a solid understanding of PLC and industrial automation fundamentals, helping you prepare for success in the classroom and your future career.

- The book discusses the recent techniques in NGS data analysis which is the most needed material by biologists (students and researchers) in the wake of numerous genomic projects and the trend toward genomic research. - The book includes both theory and practice for the NGS data analysis. So, readers will understand the concept and learn how to do the analysis using the most recent programs. - The steps of application workflows are written in a manner that can be followed for related projects. - Each chapter includes worked examples with real data available on the NCBI databases. Programming codes and outputs are accompanied with explanation. - The book content is suitable as teaching material for biology and bioinformatics students. Meets the requirements of a complete semester course on Sequencing Data Analysis Covers the latest applications for Next Generation Sequencing Covers data reprocessing, genome assembly, variant discovery, gene profiling, epigenetics, and metagenomics

Now in its seventh edition, Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change enables graduate and undergraduate students to develop the unique skill set and the foundational knowledge required to successfully manage innovation, technology, and new product development. This bestselling text has been fully updated with new data, new methods, and new concepts while still retaining its holistic approach the subject. The text provides an integrated, evidence-based methodology to innovation management that is supported by the latest academic research and the authors' extensive experience in real-world management practice. Students are provided with an impressive range of learning tools--including numerous case studies, illustrative examples, discussions questions, and key information boxes--to help them explore the innovation process and its relation to the markets, technology, and the organization. "Research Notes" examine the latest evidence and topics in the field, while "Views from the Front Line" offer insights from practicing innovation managers and connect the covered material to actual experiences and challenges. Throughout the text, students are encouraged to apply their knowledge and critical thinking skills to business model innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, service innovation, and many more current and emerging approaches and practices.

The second edition of this handbook provides a state-of-the-art overview on the various aspects in the rapidly developing field of robotics. Reaching for the human frontier, robotics is vigorously engaged in the growing challenges of new emerging domains. Interacting, exploring, and working with humans, the new generation of robots will increasingly touch people and their lives. The credible prospect of practical robots among humans is the result of the scientific endeavour of a half a century of robotic developments that established robotics as a modern scientific discipline. The ongoing vibrant expansion and strong growth of the field during the last decade has fueled this second edition of the Springer Handbook of Robotics. The first edition of the handbook soon became a landmark in robotics publishing and won the American Association of Publishers PROSE Award for Excellence in Physical Sciences & Mathematics as well as the organization's Award for Engineering & Technology. The second edition of the handbook, edited by two internationally renowned scientists with the support of an outstanding team of seven part editors and more than 200 authors, continues to be an authoritative reference for robotics researchers, newcomers to the field, and scholars from related disciplines. The contents have been restructured to achieve four main objectives: the enlargement of foundational topics for robotics, the enlightenment of design of various types of robotic systems, the extension of the treatment on robots moving in the environment, and the enrichment of advanced robotics applications. Further to an extensive update, fifteen new chapters have been introduced on emerging topics, and a new generation of authors have joined the handbook's team. A novel addition to the second edition is a comprehensive collection of multimedia references to more than 700 videos, which bring valuable insight into the contents. The videos can be viewed directly augmented into the text with a smartphone or tablet using a unique and specially designed app. Springer Handbook of Robotics Multimedia Extension Portal: http://handbookofrobotics.org/

A smart building is the state-of-art in building with features that facilitates informed decision making based on the available data through smart metering and IoT sensors. This set provides useful information for developing smart buildings including significant improvement of energy efficiency, implementation of operational improvements and targeting sustainable environment to create an effective customer experience. It includes case studies from industrial results which provide cost effective solutions and integrates the digital SCADE solution. Describes complete implication of smart buildings via industrial, commercial and community platforms Systematically defines energy-efficient buildings, employing power consumption optimization techniques with inclusion of renewable energy sources Covers data centre and cyber security with excellent data storage features for smart buildings Includes systematic and detailed strategies for building air conditioning and lighting Details smart building security propulsion. This set is aimed at graduate students, researchers and professionals in building systems, architectural, and electrical engineering.

Bus systems are the basis for industrial communication. Using Industrial Ethernet as the universal standard for automation makes open communication possible from the management level all the way to the process level. Additional bus systems such as PROFIBUS, AS-i, EIB, or CAN are connected to the Ethernet with their specific interfaces and communication protocols. To meet industrial requirements such as availability, real-time capability and robustness, the exchange of data must function as free of interference as possible and with minimal loss. Industry-standard connection technologies, network structures, PROFINET, and Industrial Security aid in meeting these requirements. This book conveys the fundamentals and terminology for the use of Industrial Ethernet and communication buses in industrial automation to plant planners and operators, programmers, and commissioning engineers. Readers learn how network configuration and diagnostics are implemented and what must be observed in terms of Industrial Security. Using realistic examples, beginners, newcomers, and those who want to brush up on their skills can familiarize themselves with, understand, and apply the basics of communication protocols. Content Communication buses: PROFIBUS, AS-i, EIB, CAN, Industrial Ethernet (EtherNet/IP, Modbus-TCP, PROFINET) ? Industrial Ethernet: operating principle, communication examples, diagnostics ? PROFINET: operating principle, real-time concept, Component Based Automation, components, system examples, diagnostic functions ? Networks: topology, management, diagnostics, implementation into practice ? Industrial Security: threats, Industrial Security concept, implementation

At publication, The Control Handbook immediately became the definitive resource that engineers working with modern control systems required. Among its many accolades, that first edition was cited by the AAP as the Best Engineering Handbook of 1996. Now, 15 years later, William Levine has once again compiled the most comprehensive and authoritative resource on control engineering. He has fully reorganized the text to reflect the technical advances achieved since the last edition and has expanded its contents to include the multidisciplinary perspective that is making control engineering a critical component in so many fields. Now expanded from one to three volumes, The Control Handbook, Second Edition organizes cutting-edge contributions from more than 200 leading experts. The second volume, Control System Applications, includes 35 entirely new applications organized by subject area. Covering the design and use of control systems, this volume includes applications for: Automobiles, including PEM fuel cells Aerospace Industrial control of machines and processes Biomedical uses, including robotic surgery and drug discovery and development Electronics and communication networks Other applications are included in a section that reflects the multidisciplinary nature of control system work. These include applications for the construction of financial portfolios, earthquake response control for civil structures, quantum estimation and control, and the modeling and control of air conditioning and refrigeration systems. As with the first edition, the new edition not only stands as a record of accomplishment in control engineering but provides researchers with the means to make further advances. Progressively organized, the other two volumes in the set include: Control System Fundamentals Control System Advanced Methods

Data-driven discovery is revolutionizing how we model, predict, and control complex systems. Now with Python and MATLAB (R), this textbook trains mathematical scientists and engineers for the next generation of scientific discovery by offering a broad overview of the growing intersection of data-driven methods, machine learning, applied optimization, and classical fields of engineering mathematics and mathematical physics. With a focus on integrating dynamical systems modeling and control with modern methods in applied machine learning, this text includes methods that were chosen for their relevance, simplicity, and generality. Topics range from introductory to research-level material, making it accessible to advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students from the engineering and physical sciences. The second edition features new chapters on reinforcement learning and physics-informed machine learning, significant new sections throughout, and chapter exercises. Online supplementary material - including lecture videos per section, homeworks, data, and code in MATLAB (R), Python, Julia, and R - available on databookuw.com.