Friday Finds: Drones In Airports, Depression-Detecting Algorithms, and the Nosulus Rift

1. Leashed Drones in French Airports

Word just got out that at least two airports in France are now making use of these small copters to help with inspection and craft maintenance. However, strict rules on drones being near aircrafts means the drones are tethered to the ground.

This is the first time this has happened on an airspace, and it’s a precursor to how drones will become a norm across industries.

2. Algorithm that Identifies Depression through Instagram Photos

Research, with the help of a machine-learning algorithm, shows that depressed individuals tend to use bluer, grayer, or darker filters in their Instagram photos. With this finding, we are closer to being able to detect early symptoms of mental illness.

Machine learning is still in its infancy and can’t mass predict consumer tendencies. But with the amount of funding and research put into machine learning, it will only be a matter of years before predictive machine learning begins to influence the way businesses work and interact with their customers.

3. Meet Oculus Rift’s Likely Cousin — the Nosulus Rift

Welcome the latest virtual reality wearable for gaming that’s about to overwhelm not your sight — but your sense of smell. The latest innovation from Ubisoft, the Nosulus Rift, an accessory to the new South Park game, allows the gamer to smell the character’s power — fart.

Absolutely not the coolest thing anyone would want to smell (check out the video below), but this innovation is going to places in pushing the boundaries of what virtual experience really means.