Microsoft wants to make an AI backpack – Times of India

AI is everywhere, and now it has come for the bags on our backs. Microsoft is seemingly working on an AI-powered backpack. Yes, you heard it right – a smart backpack with artificial intelligence.
Microsoft recently filed a patent for a smart backpack powered by AI technology and equipped with various sensors. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently approved the application, filed back in May.
The patent is for “AI-assisted wearables,” but the illustrations show a backpack. The proposed backpack would use speakers, a camera, GPS, and pressure sensors embedded in the straps to sense the surrounding environment. There is also a microphone to listen to the user’s commands.
Microsoft says that it chose the form factor of a backpack to provide a completely hands-free experience. While mobile devices already have similar functionality, they require users to look at a screen and use at least one hand. The company also compares the backpack’s capabilities to home assistants like Apple’s HomePod, Amazon’s Echo Dot, and Google’s Nest home speakers, and the back offers an added advantage of being usable outdoors over them.
What sensors will do
According to Microsoft, the sensors would give the AI assistant a higher environmental awareness level than similar assistants in mobile phones and home-based
In a scenario mentioned, the camera can scan a poster for an event, and users can ask the assistant to add the event to the calendar. The patent also describes a scenario where a customer is holding a banana in a grocery store while the assistant provides information on banana prices from nearby sellers. In another scenario, a skier can ask if they could go down a certain path, with the backpack using its sensors to relay information to the AI, which informs the skier which path to follow.
These patents may not always come to fruition, as companies at times file patents to do research and development purposes. So, the chances of Microsoft actually making an AI backpack is dicey. However, Microsoft could choose to use the AI backpack’s ideas in other devices or not at all.