Metadeck has set up an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning meetup in the North West. The first pf it’s kind was held at the Innovation Centre at Fort George and was a great success, with 30 local people in attendance and 10 attendees travelling from nearby Letterkenny.
The meetup was set up as the first step in creating an AI/ML focused startup hub in the North West. When people with similar interests get together on a regular basis, ideas can flow and this was certainly the case on the day.
MetaDeck’s CEO, Declan McDonough gave a short talk on the goals of the group and also spoke on the subject of image style transfer. Image Style Transfer uses a convolutional neural network to extract the essence of an artists style. The style can then be applied to other images.
Professor Damien Coyle spoke about how machine learning is used at the University Of Ulster campus to teach software how to read the brainwaves of users. This is especially helpful for people with limited or no mobility as they are able to control software by thinking about moving their left or right arm. The software can be used to control a wheelchair or simply allow the user to speak through a specially designed app.
Abhishek Singh, author of “Machine Learning Using R“, presented an interesting use case on “Non-Intrusive Appliance Load Monitoring”. This essentially allows the electrical signals from a smart meter to be monitored. Using Machine learning, the electric signals from home appliances can be detected and identified. This would allow for itemised electric bills and would let you know what appliances in your home are consuming the most electricity.
One major takeaway from the meetup was that we have top class resources on our doorstep, including Magee Intelligent Systems Lab and the Cognitive Analytics Research Lab. These facilities are unfortunately being underutilised by local companies.
This is just the start in an exciting series of upcoming brainstorming sessions with fellow AI enthusiasts in the North West, and we’re extremely excited of what’s to come at our next meetup.
