Important Innovations

  Spot the RoboDog on Duty to Monitor & Protect Pompei's Ancient Ruins                                                                                                     Source:  Pompei New Tech Guarding Ancient History This is a fascinating case of highly advanced robotic, AI, drone and laser technologies being deployed to guard and protect ancient, historical ruins dating back more than 2,000 years.  Famous robot dog Spot, created by US based Boston Robotics and now owned by Hyundai, is deployed by Italy's Archeological Park of Pompei to roam around the ruins to inspect and monitor the condition of the famous archeological structures. Robotic Patrols for Data Collection Spot is a quadruped robot with great dexterity and AI intelligence.  He is able to travel on different and difficult types of terrain as well as to maneuver and squeeze in and out of difficult locations.  At Pompei, Spot is monitoring and gathering data on the ruins for comparative studies and possible in

  Zuri 2.0 eVTOL Has 435 Mile Range Source:  Zuri Highly Advanced Hybrid Electric Flying Machine Prague, Czech Republic-based, urban air mobility startup Zuri has unveiled a long distance, unmanned eVTOL (electric, vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle. The aircraft has a big range of 435 miles which could make it an industry gamechanger.  To date, most eVTOLs have had very limited range: many in the neighborhood of 50 to 100 miles.  Zuri extended the vehicle's range by using a hybrid electric powertrain.  Zuri 2.0 is designed to carry 4 to 5 passengers for regional travel.  The company has also unveiled a cargo version of the eVTOL.  Both versions fly by autopilot.  All phases of the flight are unmanned. Technology Details Zuri is a hybrid eVTOL with eight tilting electric motors (4 propellers in the front and 4 propellers in the back) for vertical takeoffs and landings.  There's a turboprop engine for forward flight.  It can fly 435 miles in less than 3 hours. The maximum cru

  President Biden Targets Intoxicated Drivers                                                                      Source:  Stock Images $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Tucked into President Joe Biden's $1 trillion Infrastructure package is a big initiative to fight drunk driving with highly advanced technology.  The push against drunk driving is not just a number of public service announcements with warnings not to drive drunk on the road.  The law has teeth and requires automakers by 2026 to install new technologies in new cars that detect and prevent intoxicated drivers from hitting the roads. New Law with Teeth Currently in the US, 10,000 people a year are needlessly killed in drunk driving accidents and nearly 300,000 are injured.  Drunk drivers cause 30% of all traffic deaths.  Biden's plan is designed to cut those deaths to 600 a year.  The innovative technologies being considered are smart sensors embedded in the car that detect and measure the driver's alcohol leve

  President Biden Targets Intoxicated Drivers                                                                      Source:  Stock Images $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Tucked into President Joe Biden's $1 trillion Infrastructure package is a big initiative to fight drunk driving with highly advanced technology.  The push against drunk driving is not just a number of public service announcements with warnings not to drive drunk on the road.  The law has teeth and requires automakers by 2026 to install new technologies in new cars that detect and prevent intoxicated drivers from hitting the roads. New Law with Teeth Currently in the US, 10,000 people a year are needlessly killed in drunk driving accidents and nearly 300,000 are injured.  Drunk drivers cause 30% of all traffic deaths.  Biden's plan is designed to cut those deaths to 600 a year.  The innovative technologies being considered are smart sensors embedded in the car that detect and measure the driver's alcohol leve

  Shape Shifting Robotic Hoop to Help Improve Your Game                                                  Source:  MIT CSAIL Smart Basketball Hoop MIT researchers have invented a robotic basketball hoop that changes size and raises and lowers the hoop to help people improve their game.  The robotic basketball training machine was invented by researchers at MIT's world famous CSAIL - the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab.  The shape-shifting hoop is designed to help people improve various aspects of their game as they shoot balls. Highly Advanced Robotic Technology The hoop works autonomously and in conjunction with the player's improving basketball shots.  It has a special pieze sensor on the backboard and a switch sensor on the rim to detect when the ball goes into the hoop.  An algorithm shrinks the hoop and raises it as the player improves their shots.  The hoop makes the shooting more difficult as the player consistently gets better at shooting the ball. Comme

  Highly Advanced Sensors to Warn of COVID in the Air                                                                           Source:  COVID-19 stock image US Defense Dept.'s DARPA Push The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA plans to build a series of prototype detectors capable of spotting the COVID virus in the air.  The devices are targeted for use in office buildings and schools.  The sensors would quickly and accurately detect the presence of the virus in the air in order to alert occupants and prevent the spread. Rising COVID Toll Experts have warned that the virus is airborne.  More than 52 million people worldwide have been infected and more than 1 million have died.  Both Europe and the US are experiencing a second wave of the pandemic with cases rapidly accelerating.  But there is hope in the form of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the emerging Moderna vaccine.  Now, DARPA is moving on airborne detectors. Highly Advanced Technology Highl

Technology At the Cutting Edge Source:  Robot Lawn Mower Robot, Mow My Lawn! Don't want to mow your lawn during summer heat waves?  Let your robot lawn mower do the job for you!  A growing number of people are doing just that.  According to Worx, the company that manufactures the highly rated Landroid robot mower, autonomous robot lawn mowers are growing in popularity. Loaded with Technology There are a growing number of robot lawn mowers on the market.  Among the top rated are Flymo, Worx's Landroid, Lawnmaster, Robomow, Honda's Miimo and Husqvarna Automower.    The robots use artificial intelligence and sensors to avoid hitting obstacles.  A special perimeter wire installed around the lawn keeps the mower on the owner's property.  The mowers are battery operated, quiet and run automatically, based on the schedule that the owner customizes in an app.  And the companies say they are safe with children and pets. Buy or Rent Still, the robot lawn mowers a

US Scientists Enable Jellyfish to Swim 3-times Faster Source:  Caltech New Invention with Big Potential to Monitor Health of Oceans Scientists at Stanford University and Caltech have created a pacemaker-like device that enables natural jellyfish to swim three times their normal speed.  The microelectronic, pulsing, tiny, prosthetic device generates electric jolts that make the fish triple their speed while using just twice as much energy.  The scientists and engineers involved in the project says the device causes no additional stress to the sea creatures.  They say the potential for this system is as vast as the ocean itself. Network of Live Ocean Monitors The scientific team says the combination of speed and energy efficiency from this device opens the possibility of using jellyfish to gather data from across the world's oceans. They envision equipping the jellyfish with sensors to track ocean temperatures, salinity and oxygen levels.  They say this could

MIT's Underwater Sensor Network to Take the Ocean's Pulse Source:  MIT Powered Solely by Sound Waves To investigate the vast unexplored areas of the oceans, MIT engineers are building a submerged network of interconnected sensors that send data to the surface.  It's an underwater internet of things to monitor temperature changes from climate change, ocean pollution and marine life over long time periods.  The MIT team has invented a battery-free sensor, powered by sound waves. The device can monitor the ocean environment at great depths over long periods of time with no battery.  The submerged system uses the vibration of piezoelectric materials to generate power and send and receive data. Underwater Communications System This MIT invention appears to be a major breakthrough.  Up until now, the difficulty of deploying deep water sensors to study ocean conditions has been greatly limited by their battery life.  It's very difficult to change batteries at great

Israeli Startup TriEye's Breakthrough Sensor Technology for Greater Driving Visibility Source:  TriEye Porsche Investing and Banking on It Israeli startup TriEye is aptly named.  It has developed what Porsche believes is sensor technology with great potential for the next generation of driver assistance systems and autonomous driving systems.  Porsche just invested in the company.  TriEye uses HD cameras to provide unprecedented visibility during bad driving conditions like fog, strong storms and night driving with limited light.  The system has been proven to work and is ready for mass production.  For more news on this innovation from Israel, go to Important Innovations Collection: Porsche Invests in Road Visibility Advanced System... : Israel's TriEye Unique Sensor Technology for Driving Visibility Source:  TriEye Clearly Seeing the Road in the Worst Driving Condi...

Tattoo Health Technology Source:  Technical University of Munich Tattoo Dermal Sensors that Monitor Health Scientists at Germany's Technical University of Munich have invented a tattoo with specially designed ink that monitors the bloodstream for specific conditions such as rising or dropping glucose levels in a diabetic.  The tattoos change color if there is a changing level of specific metabolic substances.  For a news blog with more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Tattoos that Monitor Health : Dermal Sensors Source:  German's Technical University of Munich Tattoo Health Technology Dermal sensors, that are essentially per...

Bot in the Driver's Seat Source:  IVObility. Beyond Autonomous Israeli start-up IVObility is developing a robot that can sit in the driver's seat of an ordinary car and drive it.  The robot does this with sensors and cameras that see exactly what a human driver sees and the bot drives accordingly.  This is a new iteration on autonomous vehicles. Remarkable Technology & Innovation The driver robot is set to launch in 2020 at first for government and commercial uses that don't run on public roads.  A consumer version is also being considered.  What's remarkable is that the robot in the driver's seat doesn't require special drive-by-wire equipment.  It's able to drive autonomously on its own technological capacity.  IVObility stands for Intelligent Vehicle Operator and mobility.

Flexible Robotic Fingers with Human Touch Source:  Cambridge Consultants' Hank Big Applications like eCommerce Cambridge Consultants, the UK's "breakthrough innovation consultants" have created Hank.  The new robot has flexible robotic fingers inspired by the human hand.  Hank is expected by the inventors to have a big application in eCommerce operations that are under pressure to deliver goods cheaply and quickly. Breakthrough Sensory System The robot can hold and grip delicate objects using just the right amount of pressure.  It does so by using a pioneering sensory system embedded in its pneumatic fingers.  The fingers are soft and controlled by airflow that can flex the fingers and apply force. Grand Challenge The company says Hank could prove very valuable in agriculture and warehouse automation.  For those sectors, as well as eCommerce, the development of robots able to pick up delicate, small and irregular objects has proved to be a "Grand Ch

Cornell University Innovation Source:  Stock image  Milk Cartons that Are Smart and Help You This new gadget technology, a smart food carton, is designed to prevent food waste by helping consumers and retailers know how fresh a product actually is.  The container is more precise than the expiration dates we look for on a product.  Cornell University food scientists call it the carton of the future.  It gives consumers precise "best-by time" data. Shelf Life Information that is Precise The Cornell team is applying digital agriculture tools directly to the cartons to specify the shelf life and history of the product.  Their research is particularly targeted at milk cartons because consumers get rid of them so quickly based on the best by date.  Most consumers don't know that date indicates when the product is likely to be at peak quality not the expiration date. Cornell's  New Tech Cornell has developed a QR code and sensor placed inside the smart carton. 

MultiUse Wearable Health Monitor Comprehensive Health Armband for Athletes and Patients In Sweden, KTH Royal Institute of Technology researchers have invented a wearable armband that provides a comprehensive health monitoring system by analyzing both sweat and blood.  It sends the information to an app.  It was designed for runners but also works for patients.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: Comprehensive Wearable Health Monitor : Swedish Invention:  Multipurpose Sensor Monitors Blood & Sweat Source:  KTH Royal Institute of Technology New Health  Armband For ...

Smart Pill Bottle from Saudi Arabia Source:  KAUST Sends Alerts in the Event of Tampering, Overdose or Unsafe Storage This new medical gadget from KAUST in Saudi Arabia forwards patient safety.  The bottle sends a wireless alert in the event of any sign of tampering, overdose or unsafe storage.  The lid can count the number of pills.  There are also sensors to monitor temperature, humidity, moisture and if the bottle has been opened.  For a great news blog on this, go to  Important Innovations Collection: Very Smart Pill Bottle from Saudi Arabia : Sends Wireless Alerts if Tampered with or Unsafe Source:  KAUST Enhanced Patient Safety From Saudi Arabia A team of engineers at KAU...

Squishy, Droppable Robot for Search and Rescue Missions Source:  University of California - Berkeley Invented by Engineers at UC Berkeley It's a round, mobile sensor robot that's capable of surviving a drop of 600 feet.  The robot is designed for search and rescue missions in disaster areas.  It's the invention of engineers at UC Berkeley.  For more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Squishy Robots from UC Berkeley : Disaster Bots Source:  Squishy Robotics For Search and Rescue Missions Round, squishy robots capable of being dropped 600 feet and su...

Toyota's New Robot that's a World Class Athlete Source:  Toyota's Cue3 Shooting Hoops with Visual Feedback Cue3 Robot Does Amazing Basketball, Shooting Hoops Toyota has created a new, big,6'10" athlete robot called Cue3 that shoots basketball hoops. It performs 3 point shots with incredible accuracy.  The purpose is to demonstrate robotic visual feedback.  The performance is better than NBA professional averages for shooting 3-pointers.  It's very impressive robotic innovation.  For a great news blog go to, Important Innovations Collection: World Class Robot Athlete : Toyota's Basketball Star Source:  Toyota's Cue3 Shoot Out Winner Toyota's new Cue3 robot is a great sharp shooter.  In a...

New Biomedical Innovation - Smart Wrist Band for Heart Early Warning Device on A-Fib and Stroke  This breakthrough medical device, that looks like a watch, is from an international team of biomedical engineers and scientists based in Lithuania and Sweden.  Their smart wrist band detects early warning signs of A-fib and stroke that can save the wearer time to get medical attention. This is a continuous, easy to use monitoring system.  Up to now, people at risk went to periodic clinic checkups.  Potentially big medical innovation.   For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: Smart Wrist Band : Wrist Device: Stroke Early Warning System Source:  Kaunas University of Technology International Biomedical Engineering Breakthrough ...

Breathe London Project - Kids' Backpacks With Sensors Source:  Breathe London Project In London, World's Largest Air Quality Study The massive, citywide air quality study is being spearheaded by scientists at Kings College London.  It's called the Breathe London Project and schoolchildren are part of the project.  Dyson has created backpacks for 250 students that contain sensors monitoring the air they are breathing during their daily routines.  The sensors are lightweight and show when and where the children are exposed to pollution.  For a news blog with more details on the project, go to Important Innovations Collection: World's Biggest Air Quality Study - London :  Breathe London Project - Kids' Backpacks Monitoring Air Pollution Source:  Breathe London Project  State of the Art Sensors in B...