The month in technology: O2 powers smart ambulance trials and Facebook uses police bodycam footage to train AI

Costa Coffee to introduce IoT-enabled coffee machines

Costa Coffee is launching internet of things-enabled vending machines around the world to change the way people buy hot drinks, reports Mobile Marketing.

The coffee shop chain has teamed up with UK-based industrial IoT connectivity firm Eseye to equip its Costa Express machines with real-time data collection and an end-to-end IoT service to track the machines more accurately.

The machines are equipped with the Eseye AnyNet Secure multi-IMSI SIM, which connects to any available mobile network instantly, allowing the machines to communicate with back-ends systems when they are switched on.

Costa will also use Eseye’s AnyNet Active Management service, which offers a multi-network Switching as a Service capability to ensure it delivers near 100% connectivity uptime for the machines.

O2 powers smart ambulance trials

Mobile network provider O2 is providing connectivity for a new ‘Smart Ambulance’ vehicle at Millbrook Proving Ground, as part of a trial that could revolutionise patient diagnosis, transport and treatment.

The project involves equipping a standard ambulance with state-of-the-art devices and connectivity to create a ‘Smart Ambulance’ that will simulate 5G connectivity to act as a unique remote consultation room.

The trial is being developed at the vehicle testing facility in Bedford, which will help O2 to develop and safely test the new system before it is deployed on the public network, replicating real world 5G capabilities.

The trial will simulate an emergency call out, allowing paramedics to conduct checks, collect data and communicate with consultants remotely using onboard equipment.

The mobile provider is also conducting a similar trial involving six ambulances for the East of England Ambulance Trust.

O2 is partnering with Samsung for the devices, Visionable for the video collaboration software, and Launchcloud for the asset tracking.

Gen Z the most likely to be influenced online

Generation Z (people born in the mid-1990s to early-2000s) is the most likely age group to be influenced online, according to an Adobe survey. Forty-three percent of consumers (across gen Z, millennials, gen X and baby boomers) think gen Z are most likely to be influenced online, compared to just 17% for baby boomers.

Gen Z is also thought to be more sophisticated online than other generations. Thirty-three percent of the age group take an active role in configuring data preferences on social networks compared with 29% across the other age groups. Meanwhile, 69% are willing to share data with brands compared with 52% of baby boomers.

“As ‘Digital Natives’, gen Z has developed relationships with brands from a very early age, meaning they’re much more familiar with data/experience value exchange,” said Gavin Mee, vice-president of Northern Europe at Adobe. “But companies can’t take these relationships for granted – if a brand falls short of their high expectations, this data-savvy age group has no problem exercising choices and moving to a competitor that can deliver a personalised, relevant experience.”

Facebook to use police bodycam footage to train AI

Facebook has partnered with the UK police force to obtain footage to train its automated content moderation tools.

Starting in October, the UK’s Metropolitan Police Service will provide the social media network with bodycam footage taken during its firearms training exercises. Facebook will use this to train its video recognition AI to be able to automatically identify footage of an attack, remove it and notify the police.

The footage from the Met Police will include training drills of terrorist incidents and hostage situations across land, public transport and water-based locations. The footage will also be passed on to the UK’s Home Office to share with other tech firms.

The Met became involved with the project as a direct result of the National Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit’s long-standing relationship with Facebook.

Speaking about the project, the UK’s top-ranking counter terrorism police officer, assistant commissioner for specialist operations, Neil Basu, said: “The technology Facebook is seeking to create could help identify firearms attacks in their early stages and potentially assist police across the world in their response to such incidents.

“Technology that automatically stops live streaming of attacks once identified would also significantly help prevent the glorification of such acts and the promotion of the toxic ideologies that drive them.”

Gatwick Airport to roll out facial recognition boarding checks

Gatwick is the first UK airport to confirm it will use facial recognition cameras on a permanent basis for ID checks before passengers board planes, reports the BBC.

Following a self-boarding trial with easyJet last year, the London airport said the technology could reduce queuing times but would still require passengers to carry passports.

“More than 90% of those interviewed said they found the technology extremely easy to use and the trial demonstrated faster boarding of the aircraft for the airline and a significant reduction in queue time for passengers,” said a spokeswoman for Gatwick.

“Gatwick [is now planning] a second trial in the next six months and then rolling out auto-boarding technology on eight departure gates in the North Terminal when it opens a new extension to its Pier 6 departure facility in 2022.”

The spokeswoman added that Gatwick had designed its use of the technology to be “compliant with all data protection law” and that passengers can still choose to have their passports checked by airport staff.