Important Innovations

  Global Development of Commuter Electric Planes Source:  Eviation's Alice US, UK, Israel Global Epicenters of E-Plane R&D One of the hottest new areas under development for the future of travel is electric and hybrid electric aircraft.  Major centers of electric plane innovation include Israel, the US and the United Kingdom.  In the UK, a startup aviation company Faradair plans to deploy a fleet of 300 electric planes by 2030.  The planes can carry 18 passengers.  They are tri-planes driven by propellers that are powered by electricity.  Faradair just contracted with Seattle, Washington based MagniX to provide electric motors for the fleet. MagniX Washington based MagniX is an up and coming player in the electric aviation industry.  It has a deal with Sidney Seaplanes in Australia to retrofit a 9 passenger Cessna with battery powered electric motors and is also retrofitting a 40 passenger de Havilland Dash 8Q-300 with two electric motors powe...

  US EPA Setting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Planes                        Source:  Stock Image of Airplane Emissions Planes Among Top Fastest Growing Emissions Sources The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing the world's 1st regulations on aircraft greenhouse gas emissions.  The new emissions standards are now being formalized and will apply to commercial aircraft and large business jets.  The EPA says this will align with international standards including that for the UN global aircraft emissions standards. Big aerospace companies like Airbus SE and Boeing support the standard.  Critics of the new regulations, now being formulated, think that they should be toughened by incoming President Joe Biden. More Details The compliance date on the new EPA regulations for airplanes is January 1, 2028.  If not in compliance by then, aircraft that are not modified will ...

  New, Urban Electric Commuting                                       Source:  Serial 1 Cycle Company New Form of Travel Harley Davidson's spinoff company Serial 1 Cycle Company has just introduced four new e-bike models.  There are three new models of the Rush/Cty speed e-bike priced from $4,399 to $4,999 and one new model of the $3,399 Mosh/City e-bike.  These bikes are getting rave reviews for innovation, styling and smooth riding.  Serial 1 is an independent electric bike brand, but Harley Davidson holds a minority stake in the company. Many former Harley engineers work there.  Serial 1 is the beneficiary of Harley Davidson's decades of top-of-the-line motorcycle technology. Competitive Bike Lanes E-bikes are exploding in popularity as commuters look to avoid pubic transit and exposure to COVID by doing solo urban commutes.  The trend ...

  FAA Approves Small Drones Flying Over People & At Night                                                      Source:  Amazon Opens the Way to Widespread Commercial Drone Deliveries The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has just approved small drones flying over people and at night.  This regulatory clearance is viewed as enabling the start of widespread commercial drone package deliveries in the US.  For companies like Amazon, Walmart and UPS, this is a long-awaited decision and a big business opportunity.  Until now, drones have been restricted to very limited operations involving direct participants and required FAA clearance and waivers for more public exposure, such as testing drone package deliveries in specific neighborhoods. Security Issues The FAA is addressing security concerns by requi...

  Hayabusa 2 Mission Source:  JAXA Priceless Space Rocks Retrieved from Asteroid Ryugu Japan's second asteroid mission - Hyabusa 2 - has safely returned to Earth with a treasure trove of priceless space rocks collected from the asteroid Ryugu.  For the Japanese space agency JAXA, the Hyabusa 2 mission is a spectacular success.  And the priceless space rocks brought back to Earth open up a brand new avenue of scientific discovery about the origin and composition of asteroids and the search for signs of life in space. Asteroid Mission Started in 2014 The mission was launched in 2014,  Hyabusa 2 arrived at Ryugu in 2018 and landed on it in 2019.  It used several landers and blasted the asteroid's surface with a space gun to collect rocks, sediment and dirt.   World Awaits Space Rock Analysis Astronomers and space enthusiasts around the world are waiting for the analysis of the space rocks and sediment to be finalized.  Questions include what mat...

  Interceptor to Neutralize Hypersonic Nuclear Warheads                                       Source:  DARPA Glide Breaker DARPA's Glide Breaker Project The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA is developing a hypersonic interceptor vehicle, which experts are calling a potential gamechanger.  It's called Glide Breaker. The vehicle would travel at extremely high, hypersonic speeds while flying at such a low altitude that it evades early warning radar systems that track ballistic missiles.  The technology is extraordinary and straight out of science fiction. Twenty Times The Speed of Sound The technology is designed to take down a nuclear warhead travelling at 20 times the speed of sound.  It's the equivalent of hitting a bullet with a bullet.  And, the enemy "bullet" is capable of evasive maneuvers.  The intercept...

  CEO Oliver Zipse's Personal Commitment to Electric Vehicles                            Source: BMW Next Vision e-Car Concept 20% of All New BMW's Will be Electric by 2023 BMW CEO Oliver Zipse is putting BMW into overdrive for the production of electric vehicles.  The Germany based luxury car maker intends to build 1 million more electric cars than originally planned between 2021 and 2023.  It is a major commitment from the top leader of BMW to move in a very electric, zero emissions direction. Electric Charging Infrastructure Needed In 2020, 8% of all new BMWs sold are electric.  By 2023, CEO Zipse wants that electric vehicle number to hit 20% of all new vehicles sold.  To support the electric car and vehicle market, Zipse is calling for a dramatic increase in investment in electric charging infrastructure, both on a private and public basis.  His point is clear:  to supp...

  AI Breakthrough                              Source:  USAF Dragon Lady Spy Plane Historic Flight For the first time in history, a robot has co-piloted a US Military plane.  The robot fully shared control of the plane and the test mission with a human pilot.  The artificial intelligence algorithm, called ARTU from Star Wars fame, took charge of the navigation and sensors of a U-25 Dragon Lady spy plane.  The flight in mid December 2020 was successful, historic and a first.  The spy plane is based at the USAF 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base in California. ARTU The artificial intelligence system, ARTU, was developed by the Air Combat Command U-2 Federal Lab.  It was trained for the test flight to search for enemy missile launches during a simulated attack, while the human pilot searched for aircraft.  They used the same radar.  ARTU was in...

Boat Designed To Reduce Shipping Industry's Carbon Footprint                                               Source:  Sailcargo, Inc. Capable of Carrying 350 Tons On the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, an international team of 200 workers from 27 nations are building a hybrid sailboat.  It's an international project designed to demonstrate that it is possible to transport cargo without polluting the environment.  The 148 foot vessel will rely mostly on wind-power but it will also have two electric engines for moving around ports and for power in low wind conditions.  The hybrid vessel is capable of transporting 350 tons of cargo. Zero Emissions Cargo Transport The company Sailcargo Inc. was founded and is led by CEO and professional ship captain Danielle Dogget of Canada.  She aims to make the hybrid sailboat called Ceiba "enviro...

Fantasy EV:  GTX Electric Muscle Sleigh for Santa's Christmas Ride by Journalist/Author Edward Kane Santa Going High Tech, GTX, Electric The recent International Sleigh Show at the North Pole debuted the first electric muscle sleigh for Santa's legendary Christmas Eve ride.  The chairman of Reindeer Motors Rudolph Reindeer said:  "Santa will be able to deliver gifts and complete his ride in record time with this high performance EV muscle sleigh.  The cockpit for Santa will be loaded with connectivity at the 6G level.  We'll make the muscle sleigh autonomous, so Santa and his reindeers can take a mid-air break between his global gift deliveries." Santa Is Loving It Santa commented:  "Most impressive is the advanced autonomous system Reindeer Motors has put in this sleigh.  With the burgeoning world population, I have more stops to make every year.  This gives me a chance to nap between stops." Rudolph Is All For It "This is clearly a GTX electric ...

  From Maryanne Kane, a Very Merry Christmas!!!

  Prime Minister Suga's Green Growth Strategy                                                                 Source:  Tokyo Traffic                                                  Source:  Tokyo Highways Reaching New Zero Emissions  Japan has very ambitious green, zero emissions plans.  It plans on eliminating gas powered vehicles within 15 years or by 2035.  It also wants to reach net zero carbon emissions and achieve $2 Trillion a year in green growth by 2050.  The sales of gas powered car would be replaced by electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell cars.  To spur electric vehicle sales and reduce EV costs, the gov...

Greenland's Ice Melt 60% More Than Expected by 2100 Source:  Greenland Not So Subtle Signs from Nature A new research study by scientists at the University of Liege Belgium demonstrates that the effects of Climate Change on the ice melt in Greenland and the Arctic are far worse than previously predicted.  The scientific team used revised climate models that they say are far more accurate.  They found that the Greenland ice melt by 2100 will be 60% more than expected.  Greenland's ice sheet is the second largest in the world.  Rising water levels from the melt will have very serious consequences. Messages of Accelerating Climate Change From Nature Should the Greenland ice sheet completely melt, the scientists say that would cause sea levels to rise 23 feet.  The study says the Netherlands would be completely under water, Denmark would be a lot smaller and some cities in the Atlantic coastal regions of the US could be submerged.  The scientists add there...

  Volocopter of Germany, eVTOL Flying Taxis. in Singapore                                             Source:  Volocopter Takeoff by 2023 Germany's Volocopter will start flying taxi service in Singapore by 2023.  The first flights will carry a pilot and one passenger.  When cleared for autonomous operations, the Volocopters will carry two passengers.  This is a world first and the beginning of an exciting era of flying urban mobility with Singapore leading the way. Singapore At the Forefront Singapore is at the forefront of putting flying taxis into service thanks to its more supportive regulatory environment for deploying new technologies as compared with other nations.  The Volocopter is nimble and small enough to travel into densely populated cities and take-off from small spaces.  It's an eVTOL or electric, vertical take...

  Hydrogen to Power Cars, T rucks, Boats and Trains                                                  Source:  Hyundai Hyundai's New HTwo Hydrogen Powertrain Hyundai recently unveiled some key components of its strategy for the future, including hydrogen powered vehicles.   Hyundai has unveiled its new hydrogen fuel cell powertrain HTwo.  It stands for hydrogen's molecular structure H2.  HTwo will be the hydrogen powertrain for Hyundai's next generation fuel cell vehicles.  And Hyundai wants cars, boats, trains and future large scale vessels to be powered by HTwo.  Hyundai's ultimate goal is to seriously fight climate change as hydrogen is emissions free.  The South Korean company is currently prioritizing increased energy density and affordability of its hydrogen powered vehicles. Flying Hydrogen Tax...

Tech Communicating Using Body Language, Sounds & Lights Source:  Volvo 360c Incorporating Origins of Human Communications  Volvo's vision of the future of autonomous driving is based on the origins of human communications, going back 10,000 years.  The Sweden based company is developing technology to enable autonomous cars to communicate with each other, other drivers and pedestrians.  The techniques include body language, basic sounds and light pulses.  Volvo said today that it believes the long term solution to avoiding accidents and safer driving is autonomous, self-driving vehicles. Volvo 360c Autonomous Car Concept The Volvo 360c is Volvo's proprietary, autonomous concept car, leading the autonomous way.  The vehicle communicates with other vehicles, bikes and pedestrians on the road.  It uses external lights, sounds and even subtle "body language" movements to communicate what the vehicle is about to do.  Volvo researchers aim to give se...

  Eagle Robots Down on the Farm                                             Source:  UK Farm Robot                                        Source:  Xihelm's Eagle Robot Next Generation Farming In the UK, farmers are turning to robots to help on the farm.  The robotic farming trend is accelerating because of labor shortages caused by COVID and Brexit.  One interesting startup is London based Xihelm, founded by former Google executive James Kent.  He says his Eagle robot will eventually cut the number of workers needed for harvest by 50% to 70%. Commercial Use of Robots on the Farm Xihelm and other startups are competing to bring farm robots into commercial use.  Experts say that could happen within several ye...

Apple is Developing an Electric & Possibly Autonomous Car                                                  Source:  Apple Project Titan - Apple Electric Cars Apple hopes to produce an electric car powered by it own next-generation battery by 2024 or 2025.  Apple has been working on developing an electric car since 2014.  The development project is called "Project Titan".  And, there is a key ingredient:  Apple's own, inexpensive, long range breakthrough battery.  Tonight, Reuters is reporting that Apple is moving ahead with an electric, mass market, passenger vehicle.  Apple is not commenting at this time. From Smart Phones to Electric Car Manufacturer?   How would Apple start manufacturing electric cars?  Experts note that Apple makes hundreds of million of smart phones and electronics and ...

 Journalist Edward Kane's  Latest Books on Innovation                                                       Source:  Amazon Available on Amazon & Kindle Journalist Edward Kane's latest book "USA: THE INNOVATION SUPERSTAR" is now available on Amazon and Kindle.  It showcases the top new innovations just invented in the US for the 2020's.  For  a preview, go to  https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B08R269FRV&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_uDo4FbGAH2N70 Ed's two previous books "EUROPE: THE GLOBAL INNOVATION LEADER" and "ASIA: THE INNOVATION POWERHOUSE" are perfect companion books.  They chronicle big innovation breakthroughs in Europe and Asia.  To preview Europe, go to  https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B08MSDR7JZ&preview=newtab&linkCode...

  Reusable, Affordable, Flying, Launch & Release Drones                                 Source:  DARPA's Gremlins Program For the US Military and Multi-Purpose Missions DARPA, the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, has a fascinating, highly advanced drone program underway to launch and catch airborne drones.  DARPA calls it the Gremlins program and it just completed the first flight test of its X-61A drone vehicle that is designed for airborne launch, free flight, swarming and then retrieval in the air, for re-use thereafter.  Drones Within Inches of Retrieval What DARPA is striving for is the aerial recovery of multiple drones that are low cost and reusable, unmanned aerial systems or  GAV (Gremlin Aerial Vehicles). The test drones each flew two hours autonomously and successfully tested for all formation flying positions and for safet...

   Journalist Edward Kane's Latest Book on Amazon and Kindle                                                  Source:  Amazon Big, New Innovations Created in United States Journalist Edward Kane's latest book "USA: THE INNOVATION SUPERSTAR" has just been published on Amazon and Kindle.  It showcases the latest, big innovations created in the US.  To preview the many fascinating innovations, go to  https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B08R269FRV&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_H733Fb12H9WCT     I co-authored the book with Ed.

  New Glenn Rocket Part of NASA's Commercial Launch Fleet                                            Source:  Blue Origin Jeff Bezos's Rockets Soaring Into Space Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin has scored a big win.  NASA has selected the New Glenn rocket as a launcher for future NASA missions in the mid-2020's.  New Glenn joins NASA's fleet of launch vehicles. New Shepherd NASA has launched Blue Origin's New Shepherd suborbital vehicle dozens of times to fly payloads into space.  The New Glenn is an orbital launcher that can reuse its first stage booster rocket.  Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos says he expects the vehicle will carry humans as well as cargo into space. Space Technology New Glenn is a two stage booster rocket vehicle.  The rocket's reusable first stage is designed to re-fly twenty-five times, after...

  Mysterious Radio Signal from Exoplanet                    Source: Cornell University - Bootes & Magnetic Field A First From Space This is an extraordinary scientific finding from space.  You might characterize it as an exoplanet talking to Earth.  A research team of scientists led by researcher Jake Turner at Cornell University has detected a mysterious radio signal from an exoplanet deep within space.  The radio "message" comes from the constellation Tau Bootes.  It is the first radio signal ever discovered from one of the 4,500 exoplanets documented by astronomers, trillions of miles above the Earth.  Their work has been published in the prestigious scientific journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. The Search For Life in Space Is this a message from an alien world?  Well, researchers think the radio signals may provide a new way to explore the possibilities that life does exist outside of the ...

    FDA Approves Moderna COVID Vaccine                                                                                Source:  Stock COVID image FDA Okays Australia's Home Diagnostic Test For COVID The FDA has given emergency approval to Moderna's COVID vaccine, making it the second COVID vaccine, along with Pfizer's,  available in the US.  The vaccine is 95% effective and is available to adults, while trials are expanded for teenagers. Meanwhile, the Australian diagnostic test company Ellume has scored a big win.  The FDA has approved its over the counter, at home,  COVID-19 test.  This is the first COVID-19 test approved for use at home.  Ellume Home COVID Test The system uses a nasal swab to collect data...

  COVID Safer Micro-Mobility                                               Source:  London e-Scooter One Problem:  They're Not Legal in the UK By the thousands, Londoners are abandoning the Tube, London's underground subway system, and hopping onto e-scooters for their daily commutes.  They are doing so to avoid the crowds on public transit and the possibility of being infected by COVID-19.  But, there is one big problem.  In the UK, e-scooters are not legal on public roads, on pavements, on cycle lanes and in pedestrian only areas.  E-scooter experts are calling upon the UK government to regulate them for safe and legal riding. UK & e-Scooter Regulations E-scooters typically cost about $400.00 and have top speeds of 15 mph.  They can be legally used in the UK and London only if they are part of a testing ...

Mystery EV That Subaru's Been Working on For Years                                                                           Source:  Subaru Concept EV SUV Announcement from Subaru Europe Subaru has confirmed that it is developing an all electric SUV.  The company says it is a mid-sized vehicle, that's similar to the size of the Subaru Forrester.  Toyota has a large financial stake in Subaru.  The new EV will be built on a platform that Subaru shares with Toyota. Details to Come in 2021 The company is quiet about specific details. For instance, it says that the EV will be launched sometime in the first half of the 2020's.  The announcement was made by Subaru Europe, which indicates that the vehicle's target market will be Europe.  Subaru say...

  Zoox Travels Up to 75 MPH Source:  Amazon Zoox Electric, Autonomous Taxi Service from Amazon This is a new example of USA travel innovation that is green and self-driving.  Amazon bought the California based, autonomous, robotaxi service Zoox in June 2020.  Now, Amazon has unveiled a cutting edge Zoox robotaxi under development for the past six years that Amazon's investment has helped bring to fruition.  The robotaxi is electric, autonomous and loaded with technology, including sensors, artificial intelligence, lidar and a lot more and has no steering wheel.  The vehicle is designed like a cube and can transport up to 4 passengers.  It can hit speeds up to 75 mph. The vehicle contains innovative, awesome technology that Amazon is rolling out. Incredible Technology and Maneuverability The Zoox can change direction without going into reverse.  It has four wheel steering and can drive bidirectionally for unprecedented maneuverability in tight urba...

Tencent's Jamoca  Keeps Balance on Difficult Terrain                                                                                                                                                      Source:  Tencent Jamoca Tencent Robot Walks Like Kung Fu Master Chinese technology company Tencent has created a four legged robot that has the balance of a Kung Fu master.  The robot uses cameras and visual modeling to accurately perceive its environment and perfectly coordinate eye and foot calibrations.  Just like a real dog, it ...

  MIT's RoboGrammar Program                                             Source:  Stock Image of AI                                                        Source:  MIT Designs Created by RoboGrammar AI Program For More Innovative & Efficient Robots MIT C-SAIL (Computer Science AI Lab) researchers have invented a remarkable AI program called RoboGrammar.  You tell RoboGrammar what task you want the robot to perform and what parts you have to create it.  The program provides an optimal design approach to create the robot.  The C-SAIL team believes RoboGrammar will result in more innovative and efficient robotic designs. Three Step Process The AI program goes through ...

  Purchase is About Technology for Autonomous Cars                                             Source:  Boston Dynamics $1.1 Billion Deal South Korean automaker Hyundai has purchased from Japan's Softbank the majority stake in robotics company Boston Dynamics for $1.1 billion.  Boston Dynamics is a cutting edge robotics firm and world famous for its robot dog Spot.  Hyundai is making the purchase to advance its autonomous technology for self-driving cars. Multi-tasking Spot Spot is a highly advanced, semi-autonomous, 4 legged robot that works around the world in many capacities.  It is on duty in many hospitals to help minimize medical staff exposure to COVID.  Spot works on construction sites, factory floors, on oil rigs and can even serve as a personal companion that opens the door or a bottle of coke.  Now, its robotic te...