Important Innovations

 Flying-V:  Fuel Efficient Alternative to Long Haul Jets Source:  The Flying-V  TU Deflt Concept and Scale Model KLM and Delft Technical University New Concept A new aircraft, the Flying-V, is a look at the exciting future of flying.  A scale model of the experimental aircraft just took flight from a military base in Germany.  The aircraft has huge wings and is designed in a V configuration.  The blended wing concept is the invention of Delft Technical University (TU Delft) of the Netherlands, funded by KLM Airlines and assisted by a support team from Airbus. Radical New Design The flying-V is a fuel efficient, long range aircraft designed as an alternative to traditional jumbo jets.  It gets 20% better fuel efficiency than a traditional Airbus A350 jet, which is today's most advanced aircraft design.  Passenger seats, baggage and fuel tanks are all built into the wings.  When full scale, it will have the capacity to hold 314 passengers.  It is 15% more aerodynamically efficient th

Amphibious Pelican Drone from The Netherlands Source:  TU Delft, Pelican Drone in Action This Week Water Testing in Minutes The Pelican amphibious drone is able to deliver water tests in minutes.  This new technology is gamechanging because current water quality testing is time and labor intensive, requires on site visits by humans and then the water samples have to be transported to a lab. The traditional process is expensive and many times the water samples no longer accurately reflect current water conditions, which dynamically change. The Pelican drone provides water quality testing results in real-time. Autonomous and Real Time Water Monitoring A team at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands has invented the Pelican drone that flies over the water surface and scans it for problem areas with its onboard hyperspectral cameras.  If there's a potential problem, the drone swoops down and takes a water sample.  The sample is transferred to a porta