Important Innovations

   DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                  By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane KIA OFFERS 1ST MASS MARKET 3 ROW, ELECTRIC SUV                                                                                           Source: Kia Kia has given a sneak peek of its upcoming, 2024 electric, 3 row SUV, EV9 This much anticipated EV is the 1st battery powered SUV of its size to be priced at an expected, affordable price It faces competition from 2 high priced rivals, Rivian R1S  & Tesla Model 4, both in the $100,000 range With distinctive styling, it combines sleek, sculptured shapes with assertive geometry to deliver a "contemporary and gracefully serene" SUV   Seats up to 6 or 7 people with 2nd row seats capable of swiveling 180-degrees Two touch screens combine into a 24.6" display Kia will disclose key facts like price, range, e-motors & battery size later in March. WORLD'S

  US-Based MagniX and Brazil's Desaer Partner on Electric Aircraft                                             Source:  Desaer and MagniX E-Plane Uses Significantly Less Fuel With Reduced Emissions An important, global partnership has been announced in the development of electric powered aircraft.  Everett, Washington based MagniX and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Desaer have formed a partnership to develop a hybrid electric plane for regional commuting.  The plane will be an electric hybrid version of Desaer's ATL-100 regional aircraft.  The hybrid electric propulsion system is being developed by MagniX.  The environmental importance of this new aviation technology is significant.  The companies say the new plane will operate with 25 to 40% less fuel consumption depending on the range. Big Fuel and Emissions Savings The new hybrid-electric plane will be good for the environment.  Called the ATL-100H, the aircraft will be powered by two MagniX 350 electric propulsion engine s

US-Based MagniX and Brazil's Desaer Partner on Electric Aircraft                                             Source:  Desaer and MagniX E-Plane Uses Significantly Less Fuel With Reduced Emissions An important, global partnership has been announced in the development of electric powered aircraft.  Everett, Washington based MagniX and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Desaer have formed a partnership to develop a hybrid electric plane for regional commuting.  The plane will be an electric hybrid version of Desaer's ATL-100 regional aircraft.  The hybrid electric propulsion system is being developed by MagniX.  The environmental importance of this new aviation technology is significant.  The companies say the new plane will operate with 25 to 40% less fuel consumption depending on the range. Big Fuel and Emissions Savings The new hybrid-electric plane will be good for the environment.  Called the ATL-100H, the aircraft will be powered by two MagniX 350 electric propulsion engine sys

  Xavier on Patrol to Fight Small Crimes                                                  Source:  Singapore & HTX Also Known as "Snitch" Bot For the next month on the streets of Singapore, a bold robotic experiment is getting underway.  A pair of robots, both named Xavier, will help Singapore police spot small, petty crimes.  Their duties include patrolling a popular shopping center to spot "undesirable social behavior" like hawking and illegal product selling, smoking in unauthorized areas, motorbiking on sidewalks, gatherings of more than 5 people in violation of COVID restrictions and illegally parked vehicles.  The 2 Xaviers are being jokingly nicknamed "snitch-bots" because of their surveillance duties. When Xavier spots questionable activity, he sends an alert and video to police command and control and a human police officer comes to the scene to investigate, if need be.  New Robotic Technology The pair of Xavier's were built by Singapore&#

  Xavier on Patrol to Fight Small Crimes in Singapore                                                  Source:  Singapore & HTX Also Known as "Snitch" Bot For the next month on the streets of Singapore, a bold robotic experiment is getting underway.  A pair of robots, both named Xavier, will help Singapore police spot small, petty crimes.  Their duties include patrolling a popular shopping center to spot "undesirable social behavior" like hawking and illegal product selling, smoking in unauthorized areas, motorbiking on sidewalks, gatherings of more than 5 people in violation of COVID restrictions and illegally parked vehicles.  The 2 Xaviers are being jokingly nicknamed "snitch-bots" because of their surveillance duties. When Xavier spots questionable activity, he sends an alert and video to police command and control and a human police officer comes to the scene to investigate, if need be.  New Robotic Technology The pair of Xavier's were built b

Electric Hydrogen Vehicle That Flies Like Ocean Crossing Birds                                             Source:  RDC Aqualines Creation of RDC Aqualines of Singapore Using the physics of ocean crossing sea birds, a team of developers at RDC Aqualines of Singapore have created a hybrid boat-plane that flies a foot over the water at speeds of 70 mph plus.  The 72 foot, EP-15 uses a cushion of air, known as ground effect, to fly above the water and land on water.  The boat-plane uses a principle of physics that ocean crossing birds use to travel faster, longer and with much less energy expenditure.  When the vehicle reaches an altitude roughly half the length of its wingspan, ground effect produces excess air pressure which provides additional lift for the plane and cuts the downdraft pressures on it. The EP-15 is designed for passenger service and cargo.  There is a smaller model for sports.  The company says these vehicles are zero emissions and designed for clean, green travel. Tech

  Franzi Cleans Hospital Floors, Talks, Sings & Cracks Jokes                                         Source: Dr. Rettler SERVICE A Robot Putting Smiles on Patients' Faces During the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, a new robot named Franziska, or Franzi for short, is spotlessly cleaning the hallway floors in a Munich, Germany hospital.  And importantly she is cheering up patients, staff and visitors along the way with her talking, singing and joke-telling.  Franzi can clean floors for ten hours on a single charge.  She receives her cleaning duty commands by smart phone.  The 3.3 feet tall robot has become quite the sensation while doing highly valuable service and keeping human workers out of harms way. Robotic Workforce in the Pandemic Franzi is an advanced member of the robotic workforce during the pandemic.  She is stationed at Neuperlach Hospital in Munich and is part of Dr. Rettler SERVICE, a German company that specializes in hospital cleaning, which is a critical service du

  Operation Hazel                                                                                        Source:  Razer Top COVID Weapon Gaming equipment maker Razer has developed a highly advanced, reusable face mask that they say is a medical grade respirator.  The mask ventilates and purifies the air to guard against COVID-19.  It has a built in microphone and amplifier to prevent muffling of the wearer's voice.  Razer calls development of the mask Operation Hazel.   Highly Advanced COVID Fighting Gadget Razer says the mask uses a N95 medical grade respirator, detachable and rechargeable ventilators.  The ventilators are sanitized by putting them into their wireless recharging box which contains disinfecting UV light.  The mask is made of recycled material and has lights that automatically turn on in the dark.  There's a choice of 16.8 million colors to select from for the mask. CES 2021 Razer is headquartered in Singapore and Las Vegas.  Early in the COVID pandemic, it conv

  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 takeoff and landing vehicle. Technology Innovation Volocopter says it is working with Singapore battery developers, material scientists and with authorities to

  Singapore Ranks #8 on Global Innovation Index                                               Source: Singapore Stock Image City-State Investing Heavily in Technology and Innovation Singapore is investing heavily in technology and innovation,  It hopes to become the world's first smart nation.  And, its investments are paying off.  The funding it put into digital innovation helped it to continue to do business during the COVID pandemic.  COVID has devastated its tourism business.  So, Singapore is using AI to help bring tourists back safely to its MICE economy.  Singapore is a global leader in meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions otherwise known as MICE. AI "Chat Bots" on Duty From Vouch Tourism and business travel to Singapore this year took a very hard hit.  From January - July 2020, it was down 76%.  In July alone, visitor arrivals were down 99%.  Now reopening its borders after months of restrictions, Singapore is using advanced, innovative technolo

Breakthrough New Material from National University of Singapore Next Generation of Soft, Conductive Robots An innovative, new metallic material that bends, folds and stretches has just been unveiled by inventors at the National University of Singapore.  Experts say this material is so innovative it could lead to a next generation of soft conductive robots. Singapore Innovation The team at NUS developed a new process called "graphene oxide-enabled templating synthesis".  They take paper, soak it in graphene oxide, dip it in metallic ions and burn it twice.  The result is a thin metal layer that can stretch, bend and fold.  It can withstand high temperatures, remain electrically conductive and function as an antenna for wireless devices. De-icing Robots The inventors say the new metal's properties could allow robots made with a backbone of the material to operate in hazardous conditions and de-ice themselves if necessary.  For a free listen to my audi

New Portable, Air Quality Monitor from Singapore Source:  NTU Singapore Real-Time Detection of Toxic Gases & Chemicals in the Air Researchers at Nanyang Technological University - NTU Singapore - have invented a sensor that can identify a wide range of airborne gases and chemicals instantly.  This includes gas leaks and pollution toxins both indoors and outside.  The prototype device is portable and made for rapid deployment by agencies to identify airborne hazards immediately. Seconds Fast Results Current technology can require up to a few days to identify specific toxins in the air.  This new sensor is made for emergency situations that require quick and ongoing analysis.  The device is composed of a chip made from a porous nanomaterial that traps gas particles.  A laser beamed on the chip interacts with the gas molecules to produce a lower energy light.  That light is analyzed by a camera to see if its spectroscopic signature matches known toxic gases.  It provides a

New Hydrogel Invention from Singapore to Harvest Fresh Water from Ocean Air Source:  Stock Ocean Image Huge Water Resource Scientists from the National University of Singapore have invented a system to pull fresh water out of ocean air.  They've developed a hydrogel using a zinc based material that is able to absorb more than four time its weight in water.  Huge amounts of water evaporate every day from the ocean, lakes, rivers and reservoirs.  The team in Singapore has found an innovative way to harvest the water in the humid surface air above the water surface. Secret Ingredient - Sunlight The system has been successfully tested.  The team put the gel in devices floating on the ocean surface where it collected water vapor created during evaporation.  By placing the gel in a glass container in sunlight, fresh water was created and harvested.  The salt content in the water was negligible. Renewable, Reusable Energy Rather than relying on electricity, the new hydroge