This week we look at advances in Personal Orthopedics. Many of us will need a new knee or hip at some point in our lives so the quicker this field advances the better. We also discover how William Shatner (Captain Kirk from Star Trek for those too young to have heard of him) is telling his life story. A new Computer Vision based personal training system will quickly get you working out with proper form. Finally we investigate some Faster Transistors that will soon drive our computers and other devices.
Personal Orthopedics
Austin, Texas based startup Monogram have developed personalized press-fit (as opposed to cement fitted) implants for knee and hip replacements. There are 700,000 knee and 300,000 hip replacements in the US each year. Monogram claims that 20% of patients express some sort of dissatisfaction with their surgery.
Monogram uses a 3D printed joint and robotic surgery to improve patient outcomes. This is an example of a knee replacement.
A UCLA study has shown improved stability and strength outcomes when using the Monogram replacements. Product distribution commenced in 2021. They also believe that by 2027 approximately 50% of all knee procedures will be robotic.
William Shatner’s Life Story
In January we spoke about an AI driven chatbot that would read your social media posts and learn enough about you to be able to have a conversation with a friend or relative. This chatbot was limited by the amount and range of posting that you did on social media.
Los Angeles startup, StoryFile has taken this idea a step further. They are currently filming a series of interviews with William Shatner (BTW Happy 90th Birthday for last week Captain). Their goal is to create an interactive video program that discusses his life. Viewers will be able to ask William a question and the AI will seek out a piece of video that supplies the best response. The goal is to allow a natural conversation between the viewer and the AI William Shatner.
The next step is likely to be combining this answering capability with an artificial video of Shatner answering the questions that have been built by the AI from the range of input data.
StoryFile’s strategy is to have individual’s, film interviews that can be codified onto their platform. Future generations can then have life-like conversations with their ancestors. A great way of preserving the family legacy. The William Shatner interactive video will be available in May.
Virtual Personal Trainer
We have examined a few emerging Personal Trainer programs over the past 100 editions. Kemtai is another entrant into what is now becoming a crowded market. The AI based system uses computer vision to provide personalized feedback on your movement accuracy. To date online personal workouts have been one way instruction without the real time feedback that you receive from a good personal trainer.
The system detects and analyses human motion and skeletal position during your home workout. The system then provides specific feedback on your movements.
The system can also analyze performance in real time and adjust the exercise difficulty to ensure that you are performing to your optimum. No more distracting the trainer with anecdotes of your weekend in order to steal a few more seconds of rest between exercises. The system works in a web browser and requires no specialist equipment.
Faster Transistors
All of our computer equipment currently uses silicon based transistors which have reached their maximum efficiency. Cambridge GaN Devices have now developed a faster and more reliable alternative. Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors have a higher switching frequency (100 times faster), lower losses (5 to 10 times less) and lower on-resistance than most silicon alternatives.
This new type of transistor will allow smaller transistors (3 times smaller) and smaller circuitry, reduced cooling requirements, lower cost and can easily displace silicon alternatives. Built on a silicon substrate, Gallium Nitride transistors benefits from current low cost manufacturing processes.
Applications range from Data Centers, Wireless charging, Solar Panel Inverters, on-board chargers, power supplies and LED drivers. Almost anything that requires power.
Cambridge GaN Devices was created after a decade of research at Cambridge University in the UK. They have recently raised capital to commercialize the products.
Paying it Forward
If you have a start-up or know of a start-up that has a product ready for market please let me know. I would be happy to have a look and feature the startup in this newsletter. Also if any startups need introductions please get in touch and I will help where I can.
If you have any questions or comments please email me via my website craigcarlyon.com or comment below.
I would also appreciate it if you could forward this newsletter to anyone that you think might be interested.
Till next week.