Advanced Technology on Display at AWS re:Invent

At most trade shows, the Expo Hall is a "must see" area for attendees as that's the place innovation can be experienced, and that was the case at the recent AWS re:Invent show. In the Expo Hall, the cloud vendor set up several stations to show real-life examples of many of its advanced technologies. It's often the case that while the interest in new technologies is high, adoption can be slow as IT pros aren't sure how they can be used. By showing examples, AWS can help "prime the pump" and stimulate adoption.

The four stations I visited were:

AWS DeepRacer enables developers to experiment with learn machine learning through a cloud-based racing simulator. The digital twin of a car is trained to move around a complex racetrack. Once trained in the cloud, the machine learning algorithms are uploaded into a physical 1/18^th scale autonomous race car that makes its way around a track.

Robotic tap room is a robotic arm that automates the pouring of drinks for several beer taps. The quality of the pour is analyzed using real-time computer vision and data collected by IoT sensors. The data is then displayed on a monitoring dashboard and can be used for quality improvement. 

AWS Cloud Quest is an interactive, gamified training and certification program. Learners gain practical AWS experience by completing a 12-part quest while building cloud skills and engaging in a virtual city. There is also a related AWS Industry Quest that uses a similar process for industry-specific training. At the event, AWS was demonstrating financial services.  

Basketball Free Throw Analyzer is an interactive demonstration where a user attempts five free throws. Each shot is captured using computer vision and then analyzed on an AWS Snowball Edge server. Once the five shots are taken, analysis is shown on a dashboard and shows body motion, ball trajectory, and other information.

More detail on each video can be found in this ZK Tour video from the event. I enjoyed each of the demonstrations and hope you enjoy watching them.

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