Global Excellence 2020

8 Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2020 6 Issue 1 2020 Dec19097 odern technology is often judged for its ability to fundamentally change lives for the better, and to make daily activities that much easier. A time-tested proposition, other major advances have met the same criteria and remain in usage today. Professor Stephen Hawking, for example, had his life radically changed by disability. Technology provided him with a method of not only communicating, but continuing his research and remaining one of the world’s foremost scientific thinkers. Initiatives and innovations that have advanced the discussion around technology and what it can achieve are happening constantly throughout the world, but one Sydney-based firm is bringing it back to a more humane level. Seeking to enrich the lives of those affected by disability, Frasil offers a range of companion solutions integrated into a comprehensive platform that is designed to lend a helping hand to those most in need. Accessibility is a huge thing for people whose lives are affected by disability. Frasil is the technology that makes the world infinitely more accessible for people, through a wide variety of online tools and programmes that encourage connection. It is a browser-based solution that continuously empowers individuals in connecting and engaging with communities around them. Akin to an AI-powered humanoid, Frasil enables people living with disabilities to express their needs to a digital companion. More than power, or control, or the ability to connect, the humanoid offers its users a choice. Many who suffer with disabilities have little choice in their lives, but the Frasil platform offers that choice back to them, for the things that matter. It truly is a life-enhancing and augmentative piece of technology, that fulfils the responsibility and necessity of looking after those most vulnerable in society. Despite the abundance of development currently happening in the technology industry with regards to artificial intelligence and machine learning, there is little available that is suited for use by people living with disabilities. In order to ensure a personalized experience for each user, regardless of disability, mobility, or capability, Frasil’s platform capitalises on artificial intelligence and machine empathy to create something the world has not seen or heard of before. The malleability and learning capacity of the platform is exemplified by the individualization of the AI for each user. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, it learns from the user to offer a more tailored service. In order to achieve this level of personalization for each user that comes into contact with Frasil, the platform operates with a preference engine. Each user is asked a series of questions, so that M the system can switch and transform to match the user’s specific needs and requirements. This only adds to the uniqueness of the platform, and the brilliance of its design and capability. Even if there were more than one hundred million concurrent users, the platform humanoid would still deliver a distinctly personalized feature to every single user. Powered by a Machine Empathy engine, Frasil includes twelve apps that are all designed to bring people with disability into the community that already exists around them. Through an AI machine empathy engine-powered platform, the firm is helping disabled people connect to the Internet and express themselves like never before. The world is at their fingertips, with apps such as MyEntertainment which can connect people to search functions, social media and streaming services, and MyHome, which allows them to control devices, windows, doors, lights, and appliances around a home. More than simply connecting to entertainment and communication services and devices in the home, Frasil is a companion for those struggling with disability. MyFeelings allows users to stay how they are feeling at any given moment, whilst MyNeeds enables them to communicate urgent needs that are immediate. MyVoice means that Frasil will speak for users when they cannot, and MySelf allows them to say exactly what physical assistance they require. More than just a browser-based solution or companion app, Frasil is a life- changing piece of technology that means those living with disability do not have to be disconnected any more. However, just as the success of Frasil as a proprietary technology is truly monumental, the dedication, determination, and commitment of its owner and founder is just as inspiring. Prior to establishing the firm, CEO Fran Killoway spent two decades of her life learning about and endeavouring to understand artificial intelligence through working with some of the largest multinational corporations in the world. However, in the midst of her exciting and vibrant career, Fran took a three-year break from corporate life due to personal reasons. Returning in 2010, Fran was more determined than ever to translate her knowledge around the potential of artificial intelligence into real, tangible solutions to help enhance the lifestyle of those people living with disabilities. That determination resulted in the formation of Frasil Group in 2014, a firm built to commercialize artificial intelligence and create solutions for people living with disabilities. Solutions that don’t just help address some of the biggest areas in their lives, but also the small ones; the things that people without disabilities often take Augmenting Lives Through Artificial Intelligence Technology has proven to be a demonstrably powerful tool in helping people living with disabilities to live truly autonomous lives. In the world today, rapid advancements in areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning have meant that empowering those affected by disabilities is easier than ever before. Frasil, is the realised dream of founder, inventor, and visionary Fran Killoway. Discover how the firm is changing lives in radical ways. Leaders in Customised Browser Solutions for the Disabled - 2020