Robots, Pipes, Stampedes, Oh My!

Thirty two people from around the world have gathered in Bellagio to talk about the future. We are part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s “searchlight function,” an effort by the organization to work with teams around the world to uncover new and future developments that will affect the poor. In addition to about 10 sets of researchers, there are an additional 6-7 guests who have been seeded among us to add complexity and alternative perspectives to the conversation. Which is why, at breakfast yesterday, I found myself learning about the way robots can be used to find water leaks inside pipes and detect bank robberies before they happen.

Let me explain. Old leaking and cracked pipes are a big issue in many countries—developed and developing. The last month alone in Mumbai, the media has reported at least 5 major pipe bursts due to festering leaks. Smart robots can actually prevent this from happening by finding current or potential weak spots and patching them up.

As Andre-the-robot-man explained to me, the robots are programmed to sense dissonance in patterns. In the case of a pipe, they can sense when there is a break in the surface because it is different from the other parts of the pipe. The same kind of technology can also be used to identify when a bank is being robbed or when a crowd is getting out of control. The system maps the usual behavior, and when it notices a break in the pattern, it can alert the main system. Think about how useful this would be for crowd situations in India, where there are stampedes several times a year that inevitably cause unnecessary deaths of dozens, and sometimes hundreds of people. The technology developed by Andre’s company can actually detect a simmering situation about 4-6 minutes before it explodes—giving the powers that be time to react and prevent it.

At Bellagio, we are quite far from these realities--Indian stampedes and robots that find leaks--but the peacefulness here makes it surprisingly easy to focus and get on with the thinking.

Breaking Bread at Bellagio

Lake Como’s stillness has been interrupted by an afternoon shower. A look out the window of my room reveals that the thunder and lightning have made the storm sound more aggressive than the pepper of drops turns out to be. But, where the “storm” is lacking in moisture, it makes up in fog. My view, just moments ago, was of three or four hills converging on the lake. Now, there is just a gray cloud, and barely any hill to be seen at all.

I am here for a 4-day workshop at the Rockefeller Foundation study center in Bellagio, Italy. The property is set on more than a few acres of land that have, over the last 500 years, played roles as diverse as that of princess’ villa, Capuchin monastery, fortress, and hotel. Fifty years ago, the aforementioned princess bequeathed the property, with its many villas, landscaped hillsides, Lake Como swimming hole, and views of Italy and Switzerland to the Rockefeller Foundation.

Today, I climbed up the switchback paths to the leftover fortress, followed by bumble bees and scaring up quite a few lizards, to see the view of the other side of the lake. On the way, I passed through a dark, wet cave, and before that, went through a few gardens where it looked like a sane Edward Scissorhands did some handiwork. It is quiet here—perfect for thinking. But here there is an energy to the quietude.

That energy was apparent at dinner. Around the table sat men and women from Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, India, America, and Nigeria (and that was just one table of 7). We are all here to share our findings and methodologies from foresight research we’ve been conducting over the past 6 months. But, conversation at my side of the table focused on the World Cup, dowry practices in East Africa, relations between Pakistan and India, and flying times from Milan to everywhere we came from.