Important Innovations

Robotic Parking Service from Stanley Robotics Source:  Stanley Robotics Deployed, Tested and Being Greatly Expanded at Top European Airport The outdoor, robotic parking service developed by Stanley Robotics has tested so well that it's being expanded at Lyon Airport in France. The Airport is expanding the service from 500 parking spaces to 2,000 by summer of 2020 and 6,000 beyond that. Lyon Airport and Stanley Robotics have invented a very innovative and convenient airport parking lot that is leading the way in passenger parking convenience. Convenient and Easy Airport Parking by Robot Valets The expanded robotic service will be run by seven autonomous robots working simultaneously with 28 cabins to drop off and pick up cars.  Lyon Airport CEO Tanguy Bertolus says the service enhances customer convenience and the airport experience and cuts the environmental impact of airport activities.  In fact, it cuts the carbon dioxide emissions from cars looking for a p...

Rivian Partners with Lincoln to Produce Lincoln's 1st Electric SUV Hot Start-Up with Amazon & Ford Investment Backing Goes with Classy Brand Lincoln has announced that it's partnering with Detroit based EV startup Rivian to co-produce Lincoln's first all-electric vehicle.  Rivian is one of the hottest EV startups with $700 million in investments from Amazon and $500 million from Ford.  What Rivian has developed is a unique flexible skateboard platform on which to build electric vehicles.  Rivian has demonstrated the technology with its own electric SUV (shown above) and electric truck. This is a big coup for Rivian and a big opportunity for Ford to get a substantial return on its investment. According to Ford and Lincoln executive, the Lincoln electric SUV will have a special, classy style of its own on the Rivian skateboard platform. "Quiet Flight on a Flexible Skateboard" Lincoln executives say the new electric ve...

India's Tata Group Puts a Big Push on Electric Vehicles Source:  Tata Group's Nexon Electric SUV Ecosystem for Electric Vehicles Tata Group, the $160 billion conglomerate headquartered in India, is putting an unprecedented push behind the use of electric vehicles.  It's drawing on expertise from its four core businesses:  Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Chemical and Tata Croma, which sells consumer electronics.  This is a unique attempt by Tata to use synergistic expertise to enable a rapid rollout and acceptance of zero emission, electric driving.  They say they're using "an ecosystem" to accelerate the use of EVs in India.  By the way, Tata is the owner of the British luxury brand Jaguar Land Rover. 2020 Nexon EV SUV This week in Mubai, the Tata Group unveiled its 2020 Nexon electric SUV.  It's very affordably priced at $19,400.  They plan on rolling out four EVs within two years. Deploying the Conglomerate's Synergies Tata ...

Adidas Going Very Blue and Green Source:  Adidas Ocean Waste Commitment Two New Fabrics 100% Recycled German based sports gear giant Adidas is going very green and blue.  It just introduced two new fabrics:  Primeblue and Primegreen.  Both are composed of 100% recycled polyester.  Primeblue contains Parley Ocean Plastic, which is a fabric made from recycled ocean plastic waste.  Adidas will unveil some new products made of Primeblue during the upcoming Super Bowl on Sunday.  Primegreen, which contains only recycled plastic and recycled polyester, will introduce new products later this year. Adidas has showcased some running shoes made of recycled ocean plastics.  Today it greatly widened its environmental commitment. Very Specific Environmental Goals For 2020, Adidas has committed to having 50% of the polyester it uses in products recycled polyester.  By 2024, it will use only recycled polyester.  And, it commits to cut...

New Tech for Green, Sustainable Energy  Source:  Toyota Hydrogen Powered Car Real Time Energy Source Hydrogen is abundant, affordable and clean.  It's considered a feasible alternative to fossil fuels that could transform the energy economy and cut Climate Change.  Up until now, ways to separate hydrogen from the compounds that it's contained in have been slow, inefficient and expensive. Now,  scientists in China have invented a new technology that produces hydrogen fuel on the spot. Novel Process Chinese scientists at Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences just announced that they've developed a separation process that generates hydrogen "on-demand", "on the spot".  Using the chemical alloy bismuth along with tin, gallium and indium, they pressed the unique alloy material on an aluminum plate in water.  It immediately produced hydrogen in real-time.  They placed the hydrogen in a proton exchange membrane f...

Audi AI:ME - May Be World's Most Intelligent Car Source:  Audi AI:ME Audi's Concept Car that's Electric, Autonomous with Enhanced AI The AI:ME is Audi's vision of the future of autonomous, intelligent mobility.  The concept vehicle is  electric, autonomous and loaded with enhanced Artificial Intelligence and what Audi calls "empathetic learning". This concept vehicle is expected to be a big part of Audi's mobility future. Awesome Technology The AI:ME is designed to show how Audi engineers are integrating future powertrains and drive systems with autonomous functionality and electric propulsion into their new vehicles.  One incredible component that Audi is working on is empathetic AI that can read the moods of occupants and adjust various features to make the drive as comfortable as possible. Real-Time Interior Adjustments thru AI for Maximum Comfort Infotainment, lighting. climate control and even seat ergonomics are continuously adjus...

New Royal Cartoon Series Source:  "The Prince" Spoofing the Doings at Buckingham Palace This blog is just for laughs.  A very successful US TV producer, Gary Janetti, is launching a very funny and innovative cartoon series in the US aimed at getting a Royal laugh.  It's called "The Prince".  It's an innovative spoof on the doings at Buckingham Palace. Picture Tells it All The animated parody satirizes Royal life through the eyes of 6 year old Prince George, son of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  No release date yet but it will debut on AT&T's HBO Max streaming video service. Janetti, who produced two hit US TV shows "Will and Grace" and "Family Guy" will write and executive produce the series.  Some TV critics are already saying it's going to be the funniest TV show of the year.  If it's as hilarious as the picture above, it will provide a good laugh on royal life. 

New Prototype Targeting Speed Records Source: Rolls-Royce The ACCEL Rolls-Royce has unveiled an electric plane prototype named ACCEL that it has big plans for this spring.  ACCEL has been going through testing and in the spring of 2020 Rolls-Royce will begin attempts to break the world speed record for electric aircraft.  The ACCEL (accelerate the electrification of flight) is capable of more than 300 miles per hour, according to Rolls-Royce.  The current record set by electric aircraft is 210 miles per hour.  With this prototype, the company's goal is to advance e-plane technology and set new records for performance and speed. Flying with Zero Emissions and the Densest Battery Pack ACCEL has the densest battery pack ever used in an electric aircraft.  It's able to travel 200 miles per charge.  There are three electric engines.  They produce a constant 500 horsepower.  Most importantly, the e-plane is quiet and has zero emissio...

Debuting at 2020 Tokyo Olympics: Airless Tires Source:  Bridgestone World First from Bridgestone It's been a long time coming but Bridgestone has created airless tires.  They're going to debut them on a fleet of bikes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  The airless tires are a world first and took years to develop.  Among the hurdles that Bridgestone had to overcome for the tires:  distributing the vehicle weight on the tires evenly, consistently transmitting loads and finding a means to prevent debris from trapping inside the tires. Recycled Materials The tires are made of recycled, high strength thermoplastic resin spokes. The non-pneumatic, airless tires won't puncture, won't go flat and don't need refills.  You also don't need spare tires.  Bridgestone also says it reduces CO2 emissions from vehicles. Keep on Trucking The company is developing airless tires for the passenger vehicle market and they say that's sparking a great ...

Genesis GV80 2020 Source:  Hyundai Available in South Korea, Coming to US Hyundai's Genesis GV80 is the South Korean automaker's first luxury SUV.  Of great interest, it has an advanced augmented reality navigation system with displays to help the driver better understand the road.  The vehicle has concept car styling and a 14.5 inch infotainment screen. It's available in South Korea and will be coming to the US this summer. Loaded with Advanced Technology The GV80 has three rows of seats and is loaded with technology including a new system that detects driver drowsiness or inattention behind the wheel.  It also has a handwriting recognition interface and advanced safety features.  It packs a 3.0-litre turbocharged, 6 cylinder, diesel engine.  When it reaches the US, gas engine options will be available. Quiet Technology The SUV is designed to be quiet.  The engines can hardly be heard because the vehicle has a noise cance...

German Scientists' Breakthrough Invention Source:  Max Planck Institute Potential Wide Applications Scientists at the Max Planck Institute and the University of  Bayreuth in Germany have invented a transparent, extremely thin material that both conducts and insulates heat simultaneously.  That's a first.  The scientists say the first application is for the creation of high-performance LEDs.  But it could be even bigger than that. Everyday Life Applications Thermal insulation and thermal conduction are important to our everyday lives from heating our homes to computers, where it's important to dissipate heat as quickly as possible.  The new material has the potential of widespread impact as it both conducts and insulates heat at the same time. Novel Breakthrough The team made the material by manipulating how heat travels.  They stacked wafer thin plates of glass in layers and placed polymer chains between them.  The configuration cut...

Blue Innovation From the Commonwealth Nations Source:  Secretary General's Paper on  Blue Ocean Initiative Commonwealth Blue Charter The Secretary General of the Commonwealth nations Patricia Scotland just laid out what she sees as new opportunities to invest in the emerging Blue Ocean Economy.  She notes that 95% of the world's oceans are still unexplored.  The value of global ocean assets is conservatively valued at $24 Trillion and the global ocean economy is worth $2.5 Trillion a year, according to experts cited by Secretary General Scotland. There is a series of investment opportunity ideas that the 53 Commonwealth nations have signed on to in their new Commonwealth Blue Charter. The Commonwealth nations that span the UK to Canada, Kenya, India and Australia include 1/3rd of all world coastal waters and 42% of all coral reefs within their jurisdictions.  Their commitment to the Blue Ocean Charter has the potential of a big impact. ...

Very Controversial Street Surveillance System Stock Image:  Surveillance Camera Purpose to Stop Violent Crime London is becoming one of the largest city in the Western world to utilize advanced and highly controversial facial recognition cameras on its streets.  China is the biggest user of the technology.  Critics are calling London "Beijing Lite".  Critics argue facial recognition technology violates individual's privacy and has an extremely high false positive rate of 81%, according to independent research. European Union, Google and Microsoft Snooping Wars Major players are weighing in on this emerging, disruptive technology.  The European Union has proposed a 5 year temporary ban on use of facial recognition technology until the kinks are ironed out and abuses can be thwarted.  At Davos this week, Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that he supports a temporary ban.  On the other hand, Microsoft CEO Brad Smith does ...

GM Investing in Ride Sharing Source:  GM GM's Cruise Origin Cars are expensive to buy, insure, park, fuel and maintain.  They pour tremendous amounts of pollution into the air, globally on a daily basis.  Personal vehicles have low utilization  rates.  For all of those reasons and more, GM is moving to capitalize on a significant, alternative driving trend for the near future: ride sharing. California Cruising GM's self driving subsidiary Cruise just unveiled its new vehicle Origin in San Francisco.  Origin is a new, ride sharing shuttle that can carry up to six passengers.  It's all-electric, totally autonomous and specifically designed for ride sharing.  For GM, this is a mass production vehicle as they believe the market potential for it is big.  The vehicle has no steering wheel and no pedals.  The vehicle is a new and additional business model for GM.  The company has petitioned US transportation officia...

Electric, Autonomous Driving Future Unique Concept Car Based on Avatar Movie When Mercedes Benz looks at the future of driving, it envisions all-electric, autonomous vehicles.  The Vision AVTR concept car captures their imaginative, creative vision.  The design of  this sustainable, electric, autonomous concept car was influenced by the blockbuster, sci-fi movie Avatar that was released in 2009. Driving with No Steering Wheel The technology and technology concepts in the car are spectacular.  There's a 110 kilowatt hour electric motor that produces 469 horsepower and  has a range of 435 miles.  The car self-drives and has no steering wheel.  Mercedes Benz designers say the car would establish "a biometric connection with the driver". Driving on the Vegas Strip Source:  Mercedes Benz The Vision AVTR took a spin on the Las Vegas Strip recently at the 2020 CES.  There are transparent doors, a vegan l...

Using AI on Health Care is One of the Biggest Opportunities for 2020's, Google Thinks Source:  Google AI & Your Health This is fascinating and directional advice on the future of artificial intelligence from the CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet.  Sundar Pichai revealed, before the huge global corporate crowd at the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, that for the next five to ten years the greatest potential for using AI is to improve health care outcomes.  That is going to be a major focus for Google's development of AI. The Google CEO added that the tech giant will preserve the privacy of patients benefitting from the new AI powered devices and tech that Google will develop.  He made those comments today in Davos. Potential Uses are Profound CEO Pichai said the potential for this AI HC tech is profound.  His example in Davos was cancer.  If it means the difference in outcomes, the disease can be devastating. Pichai sa...

CEO Says Fleets of Electric Air Taxis Deployed in 2022 Source:  Volocopter Electric VTOL Volocopter CEO Florian Reuter says fleets of Volocopter air taxis will be flying in 2022.  The flying taxi is the world's 1st, manned, fully electric VTOL (vertical landing and takeoff vehicle).  It's fully sustainable, drone like technology that has been successfully flown in demonstrations in a number of global cities.  Volocopter is headquartered in Germany.  Reuter made the announcement in Davos during the 2020 World Economic Forum. 100% Electric with Zero Emissions and VoloPorts According to Volocopter, their air taxi meets international certifications to be as safe as an airliner.  It's 100% electric powered and emissions free.  The drone like VTOL can carry two passengers.  And, it's quiet with the 18 electric powered rotors on one level.  Volocopter has a whole ecosystem to support their air taxis.  Specifically VoloPorts to con...