Abstract: Embodiments for delivering goods to customers by a processor are described. A plurality of goods to be loaded onto a delivery vehicle are selected based on customer-associated information. A delivery route for the delivery vehicle is determined based on the customer-associated information. A customer order for at least one of the selected plurality of goods is received. The at least one of the selected plurality of goods is caused to be delivered from the delivery vehicle on the delivery route to the customer using a drone.

Abstract: Embodiments for assigning tasks to a robot device by a processor. A target region may be selected from a displayed image of an image capturing device. One or more tasks may be defined according to a plurality of objects displayed within the target region such that the defined one or more tasks are arranged according to a task workflow. The defined one or more tasks may be communicated to a self-directed device thereby assigning the self-directed robot to perform the defined one or more tasks according to the task workflow.

Abstract: Embodiments for facilitating communication between users sharing a visual cue. A gaze location of a first user is determined as an approximation in three dimensional space. The gaze location is transmitted to a second user. A gaze focus of the first user based on the determined gaze location is displayed to the second user.

Abstract: A method for a mobile device to prevent loss including monitoring environmental parameters by a mobile device; storing the environmental parameters in the mobile device to form a history of the environmental parameters; applying statistical analysis to a current set of environmental parameters as compared to the history of the environmental parameters to determine a probability that the mobile device is lost; and responsive to determining the probability that the mobile device is lost exceeds a threshold, performing an action to prevent loss of the mobile device.

Abstract: A system or computer usable program product for a mobile device to prevent loss including monitoring environmental parameters by a mobile device; storing the environmental parameters in the mobile device to form a history of the environmental parameters; applying statistical analysis to a current set of environmental parameters as compared to the history of the environmental parameters to determine a probability that the mobile device is lost; and responsive to determining the probability that the mobile device is lost exceeds a threshold, performing an action to prevent loss of the mobile device.

Abstract: An approach is provided for sampling crowd sourced data. The approach selects an sampling node from a set of crowd nodes. The sampling node receives a data acquisition request from a data collector and receives data from the set of crowd nodes with the data being responsive to the data acquisition request. The received data is processed by the sampling node to reduce redundant data as defined by the data acquisition request. An acquired data message block is generated and transmitted from the sampling node to the data collector.

Abstract: An approach is provided for sampling crowd sourced data. The approach selects an sampling node from a set of crowd nodes. The sampling node receives a data acquisition request from a data collector and receives data from the set of crowd nodes with the data being responsive to the data acquisition request. The received data is processed by the sampling node to reduce redundant data as defined by the data acquisition request. An acquired data message block is generated and transmitted from the sampling node to the data collector.

Abstract: Embodiments for manipulating an audio environment by a processor. A noncalibrative stimulus is detected in the audio environment. In response to the detected noncalibrative stimulus, a component in the audio environment is caused to modify an audio characteristic in order to change a physical property of sound generated in the audio environment.

Abstract: A method for efficiently acquiring data from a plurality of proximate devices including a mobile ad-hoc network (manet); selecting one of the mobile devices as a harvest node to transmit data to a repository for storing data; responsive to detecting a first data stream and a second data stream from a respective first mobile device and a second mobile device, determining that the data from the first and second data streams have a threshold similarity; utilizing a node in the manet to compress portions of the first data stream and the second data stream to produce a compressed data stream according to a first compression technique, wherein data from the first data stream and the second data stream are present in the compressed data stream; and transmitting the compressed data stream to the repository by the harvest node.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for indicating an area of an object that is considered dangerous to a user via a head mounted display (HMD) system. The object being used by the user and one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous are identified. Responsive to identifying one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous, an overlay for each of the one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous is generated. The overlay for each one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous is displayed via a display layer of the HMD system so that the one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous are identified as an overlay to the object that is being seen by the user through the HMD system.

Abstract: A system or computer usable program product for efficiently acquiring data from a plurality of proximate devices including a mobile ad-hoc network (manet); selecting one of the mobile devices as a harvest node to transmit data to a repository for storing data; responsive to detecting a first data stream and a second data stream from a respective first mobile device and a second mobile device, determining that the data from the first and second data streams have a threshold similarity; utilizing a node in the manet to compress portions of the first data stream and the second data stream to produce a compressed data stream according to a first compression technique, wherein data from the first data stream and the second data stream are present in the compressed data stream; and transmitting the compressed data stream to the repository by the harvest node.

Abstract: A device of updating a media file for an increased resolution includes an I/O interface, a processor, and a storage device. The I/O interfaces acquires a first media file having first data samples and a second media file having second data samples. Each first data sample is sampled from an analog media signal and encoded with P bits and each second data sample is sampled from the analog media signal and encoded with Q bits, wherein “P” and “Q” are integers, and a resolution in bits of Q is greater than a resolution in bits of. The processor divides each second data sample by a corresponding one of the first data samples to calculate third data samples. The storage device stores the calculated third data samples as a third media file.

Abstract: The present invention provides a 3-D time helix renderable in a virtual universe. In one embodiment, there is a time helix tool, including a construction component configured to: generate a 3-D time helix in a virtual universe, and populate the 3-D time helix with a set of data objects. The time helix tool further comprises a rendering component configured to render the 3-D time helix with at least one of the set of data objects to a user of the virtual universe.

Abstract: A method, system or computer usable program product for controlling an on-demand hot water heater including providing a plurality of nodes for receiving hot water from an on-demand hot water heater in a hot water delivery system, receiving a demand with a node identifier for hot water at a node, determining a hot water temperature for the node from a centralized database, the database including a set of node identifiers with a corresponding set of preset hot water temperatures, and controlling a temperature of hot water flowing from the water heater based on the determined hot water temperature.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for indicating an area of an object that is considered dangerous to a user via a head mounted display (HMD) system. The object being used by the user and one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous are identified. Responsive to identifying one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous, an overlay for each of the one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous is generated. The overlay for each one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous is displayed via a display layer of the HMD system so that the one or more areas of the object that are considered dangerous are identified as an overlay to the object that is being seen by the user through the HMD system.

Abstract: A method, system or computer usable program product for detecting visual interaction factors indicative of visual impairment through normal use of a mobile device including monitoring and recording in memory visual interaction of a user with content presented by the mobile device during normal use of the mobile device in accordance with predetermined parameters; establishing a baseline pattern of visual interaction factors in accordance with the predetermined parameters; utilizing a processor to compare the visual interaction of the user with the baseline factors to determine a set of differences; and responsive to the set of differences exceeding a predetermined threshold, providing a notification of visual impairment.

Abstract: An approach is disclosed that provides assistance to disabled individuals when utilizing public spaces. In the approach, a wireless message is received at a detector of the system with the wireless message being from a device worn by a disabled individual. The wireless message includes impairment data pertaining to the disabled individual. In addition, reception of the wireless message indicates that the disabled individual has entered a physical area that provides accommodations to disabled individuals. The approach identifies an impairment pertaining to the disabled individual and adjusts a device setting of a device in the physical area based on the identified impairment of the disabled individual.

Abstract: An approach is disclosed that provides assistance to disabled individuals when utilizing public spaces. In the approach, a wireless message is received at a detector of the system with the wireless message being from a device worn by a disabled individual. The wireless message includes impairment data pertaining to the disabled individual. In addition, reception of the wireless message indicates that the disabled individual has entered a physical area that provides accommodations to disabled individuals. The approach identifies an impairment pertaining to the disabled individual and adjusts a device setting of a device in the physical area based on the identified impairment of the disabled individual.

Abstract: An approach is disclosed that provides assistance to disabled individuals when utilizing public spaces. In the approach, a wireless message is received at a detector of the system with the wireless message being from a device worn by a disabled individual. The wireless message includes impairment data pertaining to the disabled individual. In addition, reception of the wireless message indicates that the disabled individual has entered a physical area that provides accommodations to disabled individuals. The approach identifies an impairment pertaining to the disabled individual and adjusts a device setting of a device in the physical area based on the identified impairment of the disabled individual.

Abstract: An approach is described for enabling motion control of a client device, such as a mobile device, via a video feed transmitted from one or more video capture devices. An associated method may include establishing, via a communications network, a communication session between a client device and one or more video capture devices. The method further may include identifying a user of the client device via the one or more video capture devices and negotiating parameters of a video feed for transmission from the one or more video capture devices to the client device via the communication session. The method further may include, upon transmission of the video feed from the one or more video capture devices to the client device, facilitating control of the client device in response to any device control gesture received from the user based upon the video feed.