Important Innovations

D A ILY INNOVATION BRIEF   By Journalists Edward  Kane & Marya nne Kane THE MICROSOFT CAR CONCEPT                                      Source:  Leasing Options & Stock A Microsoft Car!  It's a fascinating idea and AI has generated a compelling concept that could become a reality. AI, deployed by UK-based car leasing company Leasing Options, has created a very stylish and compelling Microsoft Car. It's an intriguing look at the possible future of a car by the tech giant. Here are some key facts: The EV is a stunning aerodynamic sedan Microsoft's logo colors light up the front and the Microsoft logo is on the roof The car has no mirrors; it uses cameras Microsoft has not said that it plans to build a car It's currently focused on the "Cloud" and enterprise solutions Microsoft does have a connected vehicle platform It offers Azure to power services for Cloud-based car engines The AI design is stunning but Microsoft has made no comment Meanwhile, Apple con

Ring Drone Flies Double the Time of Conventional Models Source:  Flybotix New Innovation from Switzerland A Swiss scientist has created a new ring shaped drone that operates for double the time of conventional models.  It's also more energy efficient.  It's small and potentially of great use for inspections of hard to reach and fragile areas of buildings and other structures.  It's called Flybotix  and is very interesting new innovation.  For a great news blog, go to Important Innovations Collection: New Drone Flies Twice as Long : Ring Shaped, Bicopter Drone Source:  EPFL - Samir Bouabdallah & his Ring Drone Flybotix This new, novel drone Flybotix can fly t...

Quadruped Spacebot that Leaps, Roams and Flies Source:  ETH Zurich Designed for Low Gravity Environments like Moon, Mars and Asteroids This is extraordinary innovation from a team of PhD to undergraduate students at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.  It's a Quadruped Robot that leaps up to 6 and a half feet, soars in flight and roams low gravity environments like Mars, asteroids and the Moon. The lower the gravity, the longer it flies.  It is now being tested at the European Space Agency.  It is something to be aware of.  For more, go to Important Innovations Collection: Spacebot from Switzerland : To Roam the Moon, Mars and Asteroids Source:  ETH Zurich Dynamic Walking & Flight Phases The Spacebot, a quadruped robot, was cr...

Rocks Capturing Climate Change Swiss Innovation to Reverse Global Warming Swiss scientists from ETH Zurich University are injecting carbon dioxide into rocks deep inside a mountain to see if they can lock it away and stop increasing climate change. Novel Experiment Carbon dioxide is the main contributor to global climate change.  In the Swiss Jura Mountains, there is a layer of rock that contains impermeable clay.  Scientists are trying something novel.  They're injecting carbon dioxide into the impermeable clay to see if it can be captured and doesn't leak. Lab in a Mountain This is scientific innovation being performed in a lab in a mountain.  The scientists are now pumping carbon dioxide dissolved with salter water into rock.  They want to see if the gas interacts with the clay and a fault develops in the rock and the CO2 leaks.  If it doesn't, they may have invented a new means of reducing carbon dioxide in populated areas.  A number of nations and corpor

Skaterbot Source:  ETH Zurich Plays Ice Hockey Too - Ice Skating Machine Roboticists at ETH Zurich have created the world's first ice skating robot.  It can even play ice hockey with humans.  Its name is Skaterbot and it is an incredible learner. Moves on the Ice Lead researcher Prof. Stelian Coros of the Computational Robotics Lab at ETH says the only thing his team did was to inform the robot how one skate worked and behaved on ice.  They then told Skaterbot it was free to move in the direction of the blades.  The robot took that information and figured out on its own how to move and skate on ice. Quadruped This is a modular, quadruped robot.  Based on the information provided by the team, the robot determines where its legs need to be to stay balanced on the ice.  The researchers believe their robot has many potential uses for deliveries, helping people and search and rescue.  It's remarkable innovation - a skating machine that performs so well as an ice skate

Tiny, Elastic Microrobots to Deliver Targeted Drug Therapies Source:  EPFL Breakthrough Robotic Innovation from Switzerland Scientists at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and ETH Zurich have developed very smart, highly flexible microrobots.  They can change shape depending on their surroundings . For Targeted Drug Therapy Delivery The tiny robots are modeled on microorganisms like bacteria that change shape as their surrounding conditions change.  They are fully biocompatible.  The bots optimize their movements in order to get to hard to reach places in the human body.  They're thought to have the potential to revolutionize targeted drug delivery. Nanocomposites and Nanoparticles The bots are made of hydrogel nanocomposites.  They contain magnetic nanoparticles allowing them to be controlled by an electromagnetic field.  They are so tiny and flexible they're able to swim through narrow blood vessels, arrive at the target and deliver drug thera

Breakthru for VR & AR - New Ultra Lite Gloves Source:  ETH Zurich Enables Touching Virtual Objects for Real It's the ultra-lite glove that's less than 8 grams per finger.  The gloves enable you to feel, grasp and manipulate virtual objects.  The system developed by Swiss scientists provides extremely realistic feedback and could run on a tiny battery. That allows unparalleled freedom of movements for VR and AR.  This is a big development in VR, AR tech. Global Quest for This Tech Globally for years, scientists, engineers, and software developers have been trying to achieve what the scientists at ETH Zurich and EPFL have just done.  It's the quest for tech that lets users grasp, touch and manipulate virtual objects while feeling they're touching something real. Swiss Scientific Achievement The gloves are called DextrES.  They've been successfully tested on volunteers and will be presented at  an upcoming international symposium.  The gloves are comp

Brighter, Lighter Smart Phones & TVs Scientists have developed a process that could open a new generation of high definition technology. This will pave the way for lighter, brighter and more energy efficient smartphones and TVs. Quantum Dots They've discovered that quantum dots, which are small semiconductors that radiate bright colors, improve screen displays of televisions and smartphones.  The research was done by scientists at Queen's University Belfast and ETH Zurich. Connecting the Dots They clustered the quantum dots which are highly valued for their vibrant colors.  By putting the dots together they were even more brilliant and florescent. They also created their own quantum dots which enhanced the vibrancy. 50% More Color for Screen Displays The researchers say this will increase the number of colors displays can present by 50%. They add, this new process is ushering in a new generation of high definition technology within 3 years.

Robo-Sub Developed by Caltech and ETH Zurich University It's a motor-less, mini-sub, with no power or propulsion supply, created by engineers at California Institute of Technology and ETH Zurich.  The 3D printed tech wonder moves through water without any engine.  It's utilizing a new propulsion concept designed for swimming robots.  The sub paddles through the water without motor power. Strokes like Rowing By responding to water temperature changes, the robo-sub moves its paddles back and forth.  The motion is very similar to rowing.  The swimming sub propels itself by driving its oars back. The oars are activated by "shape memory polymer strips" that act like muscles.  The tech developments in this 7.5 centimeter mini-sub with paddles is awesome.  And it was created by 3D printing. Future Journeys The scientists intend to scale up their mini-sub and develop it for ocean exploration.  They also expect to be able to activate the propulsion not jus