Everyday Stuff Gets Makeover Using AI

 

"Located on Sesame Street and filled with toys, the office of AI startup Viam, founded by tech veteran Eliot Horowitz, is nothing if not fun.

Visitors are greeted by an animatronic fluffy dog, a claw machine and a robotic arm that can pour you a glass of wine (well, water from a wine bottle) -- all examples of Viam's aim to use software to command, control and monitor everyday stuff. And yes, it is literally on New York's Sesame Street -- at 63rd Street and Broadway -- named for the iconic kids show that Viam shares a building with.

"The challenge here is that the number is infinite." said Horowitz, co-founder and former chief technology officer of database company MongoDB, on the potential applications for Viam's technology.

Founded in 2020, Viam is built on the premise that anything can be made "smart," through the combination of its software platform, existing hardware and AI. This includes smart refrigerators, of course, but also smart bathroom lines and even smart pizza.

Many things in the physical world either generate some kind of data or are surrounded by something that does (like a security camera).

Viam provides a platform to bring that data to the cloud, where it can be analyzed for insights -- and sometimes managed and controlled remotely.

"I walk around my house, I walk around my office, and I want everything to be smarter," Horowitz said.

Case in point: Viam said it is working with Long Island's UBS Arena, home to the New York Islanders hockey team, to shorten bathroom lines. The platform plugs into existing security cameras and then uses computer vision to determine which bathrooms have the shortest lines. That critical data are sent to fans using the official New York Islanders + UBS Arena app.

One day the app might even tell fans when to go to the bathroom.

The Islanders now wear a Viam logo on their helmets in anticipation of that momentous day.

But the vastness of possibilities here can also be a challenge, said board member Carolyn Everson, who also sits on the boards of beverage company Coca-Cola and media company Walt Disney. She said that on first meeting Horowitz, she had trouble understanding what the company actually did. It is hard to describe, she said, because it essentially does everything. It can be difficult for people to get their head around that, she said.

The big question is whether Viam can persuade enough other companies to make their businesses "smarter" through the company's tech. Viam said that custom pricing is available for enterprises but declined to share specific numbers.

There have already been plenty of attempts to integrate the physical world with software. They range from predictive maintenance sensors in factories to the app that you probably never use to control your home dishwasher.

Horowitz's pitch is that there is a disconnect between the companies that make the data-generating hardware such as sensors and the companies that run the software algorithms. Getting the data off the sensor and into a usable format can be a big lift -- and that is on top of the cost of the sensors themselves. Some companies said they have been able to make this work and do it well. Horowitz says it can be a lot easier.

Viam positions itself instead as the platform that plugs into anything, even low-tech security cameras, and does the heavy lifting of bringing the data into a usable format. Viam's platform can be directly installed on many devices but some require a small piece of additional hardware.

That flexibility is critical for a company like pizza chain Sbarro, which is typically more focused on pepperoni abundance than installing high-end monitoring equipment.

Six years ago, Sbarro did install cameras over the pizza buffets that would -- every 30 minutes -- send HQ a static photo of what the display of available slices looked like at that given time. "We use those images as coaching and teaching and ways to reward our stores that do a great job," Rohan Shearer, Sbarro's senior vice president and chief administrative officer. "It's really not Big Brother."

Now Viam is using those cameras to analyze how long certain pizzas have been sitting out and to generate alerts when it is time to replace them.

That also opens up possibilities including monitoring which pizzas are selling the most at given times or matching supply to the expected demand at a given hour, Shearer said.

The company said all its corporate-owned locations have been equipped but that it is still working on helping the franchises catch up. "It's a work in progress," Shearer said.

Hundreds of miles off the East Coast, meanwhile, Viam is also making fishing boats smarter. Canyon Runner, a sportfishing company that offers coaching, seminars, chartered voyages and live advice for fishing boats, is using Viam's platform to pull and analyze critical data from its customers' boats.

That data, which can include speed, positioning, water temperature and wind direction, are used to help Canyon Runner provide customers critical insights on where the swordfish and mahi-mahi are biting on any given day.

Viam has raised a total of $87 million from investors including Union Square Ventures and Battery Ventures, and its service became available in 2023. The company declined to share its current valuation.

"The goal here that Viam is pursuing by building a comprehensive platform is to abstract away much of this complexity and just let people focus on 'what are the smarts I want this machine to have?,'" said Albert Wenger, managing partner at Union Square Ventures.

In its New York headquarters, the company constantly brings in various pieces of equipment to play around with and make sure it can make the plumbing work. Part of the space includes a series of robot arenas where staff can relive the glory days from high-school robotics club as a way to stay sharp on programming physical devices. Horowitz curated the whole layout himself, and it is a work in progress.

"I've been upset that we can't bring tractors in," Horowitz said." [1]

1. Everyday Stuff Gets Makeover Using AI. Bousquette, Isabelle.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 16 Dec 2024: B.1.

Kaip atsikratyti parazitų: „Pasidaryk pats“ požiūris į saulės energiją pritraukia namų savininkus

  „Pavargę nuo aukštų saulės energijos įmonių kainų, kai kurie namų savininkai pradeda naudoti „pasidaryk pats“, kai nori pereiti prie saulės energijos. Tai gali apimti savo komponentų pirkimą, o kai kuriais atvejais net dirbti vieno asmens importuotoju, užsakyti plokštes ir kitą įrangą. iš Kinijos ir sveikinti siuntas JAV uostuose.

 

 Paprašius saulės energijos įmonių pasiūlymų dėl skydų sistemos savo namuose Niujorko valstijoje, Nachshonas Pelegas nusivylė kainomis, kurios, jo nuomone, buvo per didelės. Taip jis išsinuomojo 20 pėdų U-Haul sunkvežimį ir nuvažiavo į uostą Elizabete, N.J., kad gautų 5500 svarų sterlingų saulės baterijų sekimo prietaisų siuntą tiesiai iš pardavėjo Kinijoje.

 

 Įrangą į gabenimo konteinerį pakrovė, per vandenyną pervežė ir iškrovė į sandėlį logistikos įmonė. Užpildęs kai kuriuos muitinės dokumentus, įskaitant tarifų mokėjimą, Pelegas palaukė, kol krautuvas į jo sunkvežimį įkėlė sekiklius, kurie juda saulės kolektorių plokštes nukreipti į saulę, ir nuvažiavo paskutinius šimtus mylių iki jo namų.

 

 "Jie įkiša konteinerį į jūsų sunkvežimio galą, ir jūs važiuojate – viskas. Tai yra procesas", - sakė Pelegas.

 

 Po kelių savaičių, kai jo saulės baterijos atkeliavo iš kito gamintojo Kinijoje, Pelegas nusprendė mokėti už pristatymą į namus. Kai jie buvo pristatyti į jo važiuojamąją kiemo dalį, aukšta medinė dėžė svėrė 2 298 svarus, tik 2 svarus nuo jo traktoriaus 2 300 svarų talpos. Montavimą planuoja atlikti pats.

 

 Neseniai atliktas finansinių konsultacijų bendrovės „Lazard“ tyrimas parodė, kad saulės energija ant stogo yra brangesnė, nei bet kuris kitas atsinaujinantis energijos šaltinis JAV, matuojant pagal išlygintą energijos kainą, įprastą įvairių energijos šaltinių sąnaudų palyginimo priemonę. Aukščiausios klasės saulės energija ant stogo gali būti net brangesnė, nei branduolinė energija, matuojant elektros energijos vienetui.

 

 Remiantis energetikos analitiko Wood Mackenzie tyrimu, 2024 m. gyvenamųjų namų saulės energijos įrenginių instaliacijų skaičius sumažėjo 26 proc. 

 

Be kitų veiksnių, nuosmukis buvo susijęs su klientų abejonėmis ir aukštesnėmis palūkanų normomis.

 

 Emersonas Gomesas, sistemų inžinierius Teksase, patyrė šoką su lipdukais, kai anksčiau šiais metais paprašė dešimties skirtingų įmonių pasiūlymų dėl saulės energijos įrengimo ant stogo. Apskaičiavimai svyravo nuo 55 000 iki 90 000 dolerių.

 

 „Nusprendžiau atlikti tyrimą, nes mano tėvai gyveno užsienyje, o jie įsirengė saulės energiją už nedidelę kainą“, – sakė jis.

 

 Atlikęs kai kuriuos tyrimus, jis rado daug žadančių kainų elektroninės prekybos platformoje „Alibaba“. Jis pradėjo susirašinėti su pardavėjais, bandydamas rasti ką nors, kas norėtų tvarkyti siuntimo ir muitinės klausimus, pavyzdžiui, tarifus.

 

 Galiausiai jis rado Kinijoje įsikūrusį pardavėją, kuris turėjo prieigą prie sandėlio JAV. Pardavėjas į sandėlį nugabeno konteinerį, pilną padėklų, o plokštės 18 ratų sunkvežimiu atkeliavo į jo namus Ostine, Teksase. Jis pasidalino padėklo nuotrauka ir sakė, kad plokštės buvo „nei kiek nesugadintos“.

 

 Kitas reikalas buvo rasti montuotoją, norintį su juo dirbti. „Tą akimirką, kai pasakysi: „Ei, aš turiu savo įrangą, jie išjungia telefoną ir viskas“, – prisiminė Gomesas.

 

 Galiausiai jis susisiekė su Jeremie Branton, vietiniu montuotoju, kuris norėjo padėti. Spalio viduryje Gomesas laukė galutinio patikrinimo, kad galėtų prijungti savo įrenginį prie tinklo.

 

 Gomesas apskaičiavo, kad „pasidaryk pats“ metodas smarkiai sumažino laiką, kurio prireiktų saulės sistemai atsipirkti. Jo skaičiavimais, sutaupytą energiją jis susigrąžins per penkerius–šešerius metus. Jei jis būtų pasirinkęs iš montuotojų gautas kainas, būtų reikėję 10 ar 11.

 

 Brantonas, montuotojas, dirbęs su Gomesu, sako, kad apie 20–30 % potencialių klientų, kurie su juo susisiekia, įsigijo arba galvoja apie savo įrangos įsigijimą.

 

 Tačiau įrangos kainos nėra vienintelė priežastis, dėl kurios saulės energijos įrenginiai gali atrodyti per brangūs.

 

 Pasak Energetikos departamento, apie 65% saulės energijos sąnaudų sudaro „minkštos išlaidos“, į kurias įeina darbo jėga, mokesčiai ir pridėtinės išlaidos. DOE apskaičiavo, kad beveik 20 % saulės energijos lipdukų kainos suvalgo pardavimas ir rinkodara.

 

 Tikrosios paslėptos išlaidos, pasak Brantono, kyla iš finansavimo įmonių, kurios bendradarbiauja su saulės energijos montuotojais, kad pasiūlytų paskolas.

 

 „Šios finansų bendrovės imasi 30 % iš saulės energijos įmonių, kad išrašytų paskolą. Kaip rangovas, parduodantis saulės energiją, jūs neturėtumėte suteikti klientui kainos pamažinimo, jei jis sumokės grynaisiais – net neturėtumėte jam pasakyti, ką jūs darote,slaptai priversdami jį mokėti už šių finansavimo galimybių siūlymą“, – sakė Brantonas.

 

 Galutinis rezultatas, pridūrė jis, yra tas, kad montuotojai siūlo kainas, kuriose yra paslėpti finansavimo išlaidų antkainiai, nepaisant to, ar klientas gali sumokėti grynaisiais. Minesotos generalinis prokuroras Keithas Ellisonas neseniai padavė į teismą keturias saulės energijos paskolų bendroves dėl apgaulingos skolinimo praktikos,  kad tariamai išpūstos išlaidos 15–30 proc. Vartotojų finansinės apsaugos biuras taip pat paskelbė perspėjimą vartotojams dėl „brangių ir sudėtingų paskolų“ saulės energijos įrengimui.

 

 Nors neaišku, ar „pasidaryk pats“ saulės energijos projektai nekelia realios grėsmės esamam įrengimo verslui, analitikas Wood Mackenzie prognozuoja, kad saulės energijos pramonė ant stogų pasikeis dėl kitokio verslo modelio: trečiųjų šalių nuosavybės struktūrų, kuriose namų savininkai gali nepirkti ir turėti plokštes ant jų stogų. Šis modelis auga iš dalies dėl mokesčių lengvatų Infliacijos mažinimo įstatyme.

 

 Tuo tarpu tiems, kurie gali išvengti kai kurių švelnių išlaidų, gali sutaupyti.

 

 Yujun Zhang daug savo įrangos įsigijo „Facebook Marketplace“. Ištyręs kainas, jis galėjo nusipirkti daug savo įrangos iš savo veiklą nutraukusio platintojo.

 

 Zhangas iškvietė profesionalią montavimo pagalbą, du kartus užropojęs ant stogo. „Negaliu net stovėti ant stogo“, – sakė jis.

 

 Apskritai jis išleido 21 000 dolerių saulės sistemai, kurioje buvo „Tesla“ automobilinis įkroviklis ir baterija. Remdamasis iš jo paprašytomis kainomis, jis mano, kad sutaupė mažiausiai 10 000 dolerių.

 

 Prieš diegdamas saulės energiją, Zhang sakė, kad vasarą jo vidutinės mėnesio sąskaitos už elektrą buvo beveik 300 dolerių.

 

 Kai projektas buvo baigtas, jo išlaidos sumažėjo nuo maždaug 50 dolerių per savaitę iki 10 arba 20 dolerių." [1]

1. DIY Approach to Solar Power Catches On With Homeowners. Brown, H Claire.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 16 Dec 2024: B.1.

How to Get Rid of Parasites: DIY Approach to Solar Power Catches On With Homeowners

"Fed up with high price quotes from solar companies, some homeowners are DIY-ing their transition to solar power. That can include buying their own components and, in some cases, even working as a one-person importer, ordering panels and other equipment from China and greeting the shipments at U.S. ports.

After soliciting quotes from solar companies for a panel system at his upstate New York home, Nachshon Peleg grew frustrated with prices he thought were too high. That is how he found himself renting a 20-foot U-Haul truck and driving to a port in Elizabeth, N.J., to receive a 5,500-pound shipment of solar-panel trackers directly from a seller in China.

The equipment had been loaded into a shipping container, hauled across the ocean and unloaded into a warehouse by a logistics company. After completing some customs paperwork including tariff payments, Peleg waited while a forklift loaded the trackers -- which move to orient solar panels toward the sun -- onto his truck, then drove them the last hundred-plus miles to his home.

"They stick the container in the back of your truck, and off you go -- that's it. That's the process," Peleg said.

A few weeks later, when his solar panels arrived from another manufacturer based in China, Peleg opted to pay for home delivery. When they were delivered to his driveway, the tall wooden crate weighed 2,298 pounds, just 2 pounds shy of his tractor's 2,300-pound capacity. He plans to do the installation himself.

A recent study by financial advisory firm Lazard found that rooftop residential solar power is more expensive than any other renewable energy source in the U.S., as measured by the Levelized Cost of Energy, a common means of comparing costs of various energy sources. At the high end, rooftop solar can be even more expensive than nuclear power when measured per unit of electricity.

Nationally, residential solar installations declined by 26% in 2024, according to research from energy analyst Wood Mackenzie. It attributed the downtick to customer uncertainty and higher interest rates, among other factors.

Emerson Gomes, a systems engineer in Texas, experienced sticker shock firsthand when he solicited quotes from ten different companies for a rooftop solar installation earlier this year. The estimates ranged from $55,000 to $90,000.

"I decided to do some investigating because I had my parents living abroad, and they had solar installed at a fraction of the price," he said.

After some research, he found some promising prices on the e-commerce platform Alibaba. He began messaging with sellers, trying to find someone willing to handle shipping and customs issues like tariffs.

Eventually, he found a seller based in China who had access to a warehouse in the U.S. The seller shipped a container full of pallets to the warehouse, and the panels arrived at his home in Austin, Texas on an 18-wheel truck. He shared a picture of the shrink-wrapped pallet and said the panels arrived in "pristine" condition.

Finding an installer willing to work with him was another matter. "The moment you say, hey, I have my own equipment, they hang up on you and that's it," Gomes recalled.

He eventually connected with Jeremie Branton, a local installer who was willing to help out. In mid-October, Gomes was waiting on a final inspection so he could connect his setup to the grid.

Gomes estimates the DIY approach dramatically shrank the amount of time it would take for the solar system to pay for itself. According to his calculations, he will recoup his costs in energy savings in five to six years. Had he gone with the quotes he received from installers, it would have taken 10 or 11.

Branton, the installer who worked with Gomes, says about 20% to 30% of the prospective customers who reach out to him have purchased or thought about purchasing their own equipment.

But equipment costs aren't the only reason solar installations can seem overpriced.

According to the Energy Department, about 65% of the cost of going solar lies in "soft costs," which include labor, taxes and overhead. The DOE estimates that nearly 20% of the sticker price of solar is eaten up by sales and marketing.

The real hidden costs, Branton says, come from financing companies that partner with solar installers to offer loans.

"These finance companies charge solar companies 30% to write the loan. As a contractor selling solar, you're not supposed to give the customer a break if they pay cash -- you're not even supposed to tell them what you're being charged to offer these financing options," Branton said.

The end result, he added, is that installers offer quotes that include hidden markups for financing costs, regardless of whether the customer is able to pay cash. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison recently sued four solar lending companies for deceptive lending practices that allegedly inflated costs by 15% to 30%. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also has issued a consumer advisory about "costly and complex loans" for solar energy installation.

While it isn't clear whether DIY solar projects pose any real threat to existing installation businesses, analyst Wood Mackenzie projects that the rooftop solar industry will undergo a turnaround led by a different business model: Third-party ownership structures, in which homeowners don't buy or own the panels on their roofs. This model is on the rise in part due to tax benefits in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Meanwhile, for those who can avoid some of the soft costs, the savings can add up.

Yujun Zhang purchased much of his own equipment on Facebook Marketplace. After researching prices, he was able to buy much of his equipment from a distributor going out of business.

Zhang called in professional installation help after crawling up to his roof twice. "I can't even stand on the rooftop," he said.

All in, he spent $21,000 on a solar system that included a Tesla car charger and a battery. Based on the quotes he solicited, he estimates he saved at least $10,000 on the project.

Before installing solar, Zhang said his monthly electricity bills averaged close to $300 in the summer.

After the project was complete, his costs fell from about $50 per week to $10 or $20." [1]

1. DIY Approach to Solar Power Catches On With Homeowners. Brown, H Claire.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 16 Dec 2024: B.1.