Important Innovations

Singapore - Global Capital of Innovation Singapore provided President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the global stage for what appears to be their very successful denuclearization summit.  Singapore is much more than a world meeting place for diplomacy.  It's also a global capital of innovation with a long term and big budget backing it up.  The island nation's government is spending $19 billion over a 5 year period to develop Singapore as a knowledge-based , innovation driven, future focused economy. That scale of innovation investment leaves most of the rest of the world, including the United States, in the dust. RIE2020 The innovation investment program is called RIE2020 or Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020.  Goals include strengthening the entrepreneurial atmosphere and commercializing innovation technologies for global markets.  Investments are focused on 4 key technology areas:  advanced manufacturing and engineering...

The Flyer Takes-Off Flying cars are part of our transportation future.  A number of companies are working on prototype models globally.  But Google co-founder Larry Page and his company Kitty Hawk Corporation have just taken off with their Flyer, a sleek, good looking, one seat, flying car.  It's a pleasure craft that doesn't require a pilot license. Wow Technology The Flyer is engineered quite differently than other flying car prototypes like Terrafugea's Transition, which is a small plane-car hybrid that runs on gas.  The Flyer is powered by ten electric fans along the sides of the craft.  On the underside are slim pontoon-like "wheels" for landing.  It's designed to fly over water and can stay aloft for 20 minutes.  Flyer cruises up to 20 mph and hovers over the water at 3 to 10 feet.  It's categorized by the FAA as an ultra-lite craft and consequently doesn't require a pilot's license.  It's restricted right now to uncontrolled,...

DARPA Bots At Sea The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency - DARPA - has developed a "ghost" ship.  It's called SEA Hunter and has an all-robotic crew.  No humans allowed on board.  It's the first prototype of an autonomous, robotic sub hunting ship.  It's been christened and is now being tested, deployed and developed by the Office of Naval Research.  It gives new meaning to Wagner's Opera "The Flying Dutchman". SEA Hunter's Awesome Technology Robo ship uses a 5th generation medium frequency sonar system mounted on the hull.  It conducts both active and passive sonar passes.  DARPA is also working on the development of nonconventional sensor technology to further enable the vessel to precisely spot and track enemy subs, mines and vessels on the high seas. Revolutionary Prototype DARPA believes SEA Hunter is a revolutionary prototype vehicle that could ultimately lead to a new class of ocean going vess...

I am Not a Robot! Yesterday, I blogged about robot attorneys.  It's forecasted that by 2030, robotics and artificial intelligence will dominate the legal profession and totally restructure it. The robotic revolution goes across industries. Oxford University researchers forecast 47% of all US jobs will be held by robots within 20 years.  As a journalist, I wondered if similar disruptions could possibly happen in the world of news and sports reporting.  Much to my chagrin, the answer is yes. Robo News on a TV and NewsStand Near You Robotics have had a significant photographic role in the news business.  Robotic cameras have been in television studios for news and entertainment programs in the US for about 15 years.  And drone cameras are used by the print and broadcast press to shoot stills and video particularly in breaking news situations. Drone cameras are common even in small news markets, like Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  But traditionally the l...

My Attorney The Robot The robotic workforce is on the rise.  Oxford University estimates that 47% of all US jobs will be held by robots within the next twenty years.  The most vulnerable jobs are repetitive tasks such as assembly line work and restaurant wait and kitchen staff.  But more intellectual, creative positions are also being claimed by robots.  Case in point: robot attorneys. Scales of Justice Tilt Robotic Instead of an army of lawyers and paralegals reviewing reams of documents and billing on an hourly basis, robots can do it efficiently and at a fraction of the cost.  A Palo Alto, California company has developed software that can analyze 1.5 million documents for under $100,000.  That means law firm staffs billed out to do document reviews are becoming passe, thanks to artificial intelligence and robotics.  As one law firm managing partner put it, robots don't get bored, don't get headaches and don't make mistakes.  They also...

Solar Cars Go Mass Market Source:  Tokai Challenger Solar Prototype Solar cars are typically electric vehicles powered solely or mainly by solar energy.  Photovoltaic cells contained in the solar panels convert the sun's energy into electricity.  They combine some of the technologies used in the aerospace, alternative energy, automotive and bicycle industries.  The design of the cars has been limited by the amount of solar panels needed to draw in enough solar energy to power the vehicles.  As a result, prototype solar cars have primarily been built for solar car racing.  But now that is changing. Road Ready Chinese solar panel manufacturer Hanergy has developed four prototype solar cars for the consumer mass market.  Production is scheduled for 2019.  The cars are equipped with lithium ion batteries powered by the sun.  They'll first be offered to Chinese consumers and are styled like a normal car. Hanergy says exposure to 5...

Wednesday Series:  Innovation Addressing Pressing Global Needs - Hybrid Electric Planes Cutting CO2 Emissions The signs of climate change are all around us.  Extreme weather, rising sea levels, melting polar icecaps, deadly disease outbreaks, severe environmental stress on animals.  The Union of Concerned Scientists says the cause is too much heat trapping carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. A major contributor is global aircraft exhaust.  Enter a solution - the dawn of electric powered planes.  The biggest player:  hybrid electric planes Take-Offs Current aircraft spew 500 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.  Scientists warn if the amount of CO2 isn't cut 80% by 2050, it will be disastrous.  As it stands right now, the amount of CO2 is expected to triple by mid-century.  By contrast, electric planes spew no CO2.  They are clean, green technology and can be cheap to operate.  An ...