DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

-

 DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF

                                                                      

                 By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane


VW's ELECTRIFIED, NEW VW BUS



                                            Source:  VW


  • Called the ID Buzz, the new, retro VW Bus is electric, faster, longer, roomier than the iconic original and has a 3rd row of seats
  • Just unveiled, this version of the ID Buzz is specifically made for customers in North America, whom VW executives say "need more room"
  • A 2-row version and a commercial van version are available in Europe only
  • ID Buzz specifically emulates the 60's version known as the VW bus and associated with hippies
  • Comes in 2 versions: rear wheel drive with electric motor in back, pumping out 282 hp, top speed of 90 mph
  • 2d version: All-Wheel-Drive, 2 electric motors front & back with 330 hp and top speed of 99 mph
  • EVs come with 13" center touchscreen on dash and removable storage console
  • Data band across dash suggesting actions like a turn or urgent braking
  • Priced at $40,000 & expected to be available in 2024.

UNITED's AIR TAXIS READY FOR TAKEOFF



                                        Source:  Archer Aviation


  • United Airlines has ordered 200 Archer Aviation Midnight air taxis, totaling $1 billion
  • The eVTOLs are designed for short-hop flights between major cities and their airports, saving time and operating costs
  • Commercial flights should start in 2025, one year later than expected because the FAA has changed eVTOLs  certification category to "power-lift" which requires a new set of regulations
  • California based Archer is a leader in the urban air mobility industry and says just Los Angeles would provide it the potential of 5 million customers a day
  • eVTOL Midnight tech specs:  6 pairs of battery powered propellers on top of the wings, 12 motors, 100-times quieter than a helicopter, zero emissions
  • Passenger cost:  $100 per seat
  • Time savings:  5-to-10-minute flight vs. 1-to-2-hour drive
  • First routes:  Newark International Airport to Manhattan &  Chicago to O'Hare International Airport.

ROBOT BUTLER DOES ALL YOUR HOUSEHOLD CHORES


                                                        
                                        


                                            Source:  Stock & Prosper Robotics
                        
  • A phenomenal new household robot is being developed to do all your household chores by London-based Prosper Robotics
  • It runs on wheels and has two arms that go up & down to do a multitude of tasks
  • The owner can be alerted by app on their phone about what the robot is accomplishing while they're away from home
  • One issue is pricing for such a multitasking home robot to make it realistic for families to bring home
  • Prosper is targeting the $6,000 to $12,000 range for the robot along with a monthly fee for maintenance & insurance
  • Initial setup:  humans in the house will have to demonstrate the task, like vacuuming, to teach the robot to do it
  • Next step:  robot will be alpha-tested in homes in about 8 months and go to market in next few years.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

-
Image
D A ILY INNOVATION BRIEF   By Journalists Edward  Kane & Marya nne Kane  NEW SCIENCE: DOG OWNERSHIP PROTECTS YOU FROM EARLY DEATH                                     Source: Winnie & Brewster Kane There are many benefits from owning a dog, but this one is truly profound.  Scientists from New York's Mount Sinai University and Sweden's Uppsala University have found that owning a dog cuts your risk of dying young by 24%.  They have found that owning a dog is "protective against dying of any cause".  Here are some key facts: Their research is massive, involving 70 years' worth of research study data on 4 million people in the US, UK, Canada, Scandanavia, Australia & New Zealand Dog ownership cut the risk of dying young by 24% It's even more compelling for people who've had a heart attack or stroke It cuts their risk of dying from cardiovascu...
Read more

New Electric Surfboard from Sweden

-
Image
  Surfing With No Waves Needed, Anytime of Year                                                                                Source:  Awake Surfboard Can Hit 36 MPH Sweden-based Awake has developed a powerful electric surfboard that can hit speeds of 36 mph.  It can accelerate from 0 to 30 mph in just 4 seconds.  The Ravik S 22 electric surfboard is able to surf on any body of water any time of year including on snowy winter days.  And, it doesn't need waves to surf! It provides an extreme surfing ride, developed by an award-winning surfboard company. Tech Specs The e-board is powered by a 12-kW brushless motor.  The motor has three speed settings and three throttle sensitivity modes.  It has a wireless speed contr...
Read more

DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

-
Image
D A ILY INNOVATION BRIEF   By Journalists Edward  Kane & Marya nne Kane  GOOGLE IS USING AI TO MONITOR CORAL REEFS THROUGH THEIR FISH INHABITANTS                                             Source:  Coral Reef stock Google DeepMind is listening to fish as a means of monitoring the coral reefs that they inhabit.  It's a remarkable use of AI technology to determine the health of coral reefs during this time of Climate Change.  Here are some key facts: Google used deep learning and trained an AI model on thousands of real fish recordings that were identified by marine biologists The public also helped by listening to reef fish recordings on the website Calling in Our Reefs Healthy reefs are noisy with the sounds of fish Unhealthy reefs sound like radio static All of the information has resulted in the AI-powered SurfPerch tool t...
Read more