FIU is returning to the eMerge Americas conference to participate in innovative panel discussions and highlight the latest advances out of Miami’s only public research university.
“eMerge Americas continues to be a shining light for innovators and tech entrepreneurs in our community,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. “There is truly great work being done in our city and we are grateful that eMerge has given us all a platform to network and learn from each other.”
The two-day exhibition portion of eMerge Americas takes place Monday and Tuesday, April 23 and 24, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The FIU pavilion is located in section C1.
On Tuesday at 10:50 a.m. Rosenberg will participate on a panel about the future of education along with Salim Ismail, founding executive director of Singularity University; Carlos Penzini, senior vice president of people at Magic Leap; and moderated by eMerge CEO Xavier E. Gonzalez.
FIU also will present two panel discussions: On Monday at 3 p.m., Saif Y. Ishoof, vice president of Office of Engagement at FIU, will lead a panel on “Innovation and diversity in the cybersecurity workforce.” On Tuesday at 10 a.m., Life Sciences South Florida will host “Health tech innovation & our ecosystem,” moderated by Frances A. Colón of Jasperi Consulting and formally the deputy science and technology adviser to the U.S. secretary of state.
Additionally, FIU will highlight companies that have been incubated at StartUP FIU, the university’s start-up accelerator:
- 300 Technologies Inc.: More than 20,000 Americans visit emergency rooms each year because of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by small gasoline-powered engines or portable generators. 300 Technologies Inc. manufactures the only bolt-on, replacement muffler designed to eliminate 99.1 percent of the carbon monoxide emissions of all small gasoline powered engines.
- Mandatum: On average, American consumers spend approximately five hours per week shopping online for goods and services at what they hope are the lowest prices, while companies spend billions of dollars trying to reach such consumers. Mandatum is a software designed to work with Amazon, the largest online marketplace, that allows consumers and providers to connect faster and at the lowest price.
- Metastatic AI: Approximately one in eight women develop invasive breast cancer. Metastatic AI leverages artificial intelligence to help doctors provide breast cancer diagnoses with over 99 percent accuracy in less than one millisecond, while helping patients and insurance companies save money. Using a patient’s genomic data, lab results, biopsy data, and imaging data, Metastatic AI will become the personalized medicine engine of the future.
- SmartsAid: An application for mobile devices that leverages data from non- governmental organizations, The United Nations, charities, health care systems, and the private sector, SmartsAid was developed to help individuals make more effective decisions about their giving. By creating greater engagement, trust and transparency for charitable transactions, SmartsAid looks to revolutionize humanitarian efforts globally.
As a solutions center for community and beyond, FIU looks to solve society’s most pressing challenges. Several of FIU’s recent innovations will be on display at eMerge, including:
- Quick tests for cocaine: FIU chemists patented new tests that quickly, accurately and affordably confirm the presence of cocaine. In seconds, officers can test saliva and unknown powders on the side of the road by adding them to a liquid solution. If there is cocaine, it glows under a light. This one-step process does not require expensive equipment or lab services.
- Robots to remove nuclear waste: The U.S. faces the world’s largest and costliest environmental cleanup project resulting from nuclear weapons production and nuclear energy research. FIU’s Applied Research Center (ARC) has developed robots to assist with cleanup efforts of contaminated sites across the nation. These robots allow people to work remotely, protecting them from harmful radiation. The wall crawler scales walls and moves around pipes, while the pipe crawler travels through pipes. The mini rover, or “mouse,” travels on top of the pipe crawler.
- Protecting smart devices: In the next few years, billions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices will be connected worldwide. These devices range from smart phones and smart watches to many home security systems and autonomous vehicles. And they’re all vulnerable to hacking. The first university to offer an IoT degree in the country, FIU is producing engineers to safeguard these gadgets. These highly trained IoT specialists will also meet the demand for jobs in this emerging field. At eMerge, they will simulate security breaches.
- Developing life skills: A virtual simulation, similar to a game, is being developed to teach students how to successfully manage everyday situations that may affect their educational and personal success. This simulation places students in a virtual campus where they face challenging scenarios designed to develop vital critical thinking, academic, financial, and personal success skills. The simulation presents a series of choices that students typically encounter in everyday life. The end goal is to help students make the best decisions, from when to eat or study to when to sleep or just relax. This technological application is the first of its kind, and this simulation will be used as part of FIU’s First Year Experience course. Additionally, the simulation platform will be focused on data acquisition used to enhance student success outcomes for the student body at large.
- Joining forces to collect data: Global Health Intelligence (GHI) of Coral Gables faced the challenge of delivering healthcare analytics consulting in Brazil, a country where data is unreliable and there are more hospitals than the United States. FIU Business’ ATOM, a faculty-driven technology consulting group, and the Small Business Development Center at FIU joined forces to develop a new database of Brazil’s hospitals and medical equipment. ATOM’s customized solution supported GHI’s entire workflow, from data collection at call centers throughout Latin America to the delivery of analytics to clients.
