DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

 DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF

                                                                      

                 By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

POLLY, WANT A CRACKER?  NO, I WANT A VIDEO CALL

                                      

                             Source:  University of Glasgow
                

• Scientists at the University of Glasgow & Northeastern University in Boston have taught parrots to make video calls to their parrot friends
• They first taught the birds to use a tablet to make the video calls
• They then taught them to do it on their own
• 15 pet parrots & their owners participated in the 2-month long research study
• Incredibly, the birds made 147 video calls to each other
• In 2 weeks, the parrots were taught to ring a bell and tap on a photo of another participating parrot on an electronic tablet to start the video call
• The parrots enjoyed it so much they started initiating & receiving calls with their fellow parrots
• All 15 birds made calls & were highly engaged, touching the screen, singing, vocalizing & even ringing the bell vigorously if the parrot at the other end of the call wandered off screen
• Why is this important?  Polly is very smart & wants a lot more than crackers.  They want interaction, communication & engagement with their fellow parrots to make their lives in captivity richer & happier
• This team of scientists have also developed a dogphone that enables a dog, through training, to make a video call to its owner.

CITROEN'S AUTONOMOUS 1st-of-its-kind MOBILITY VEHICLE

                                            

                                        Source:  Citroen

• At the Shanghai Auto Show, Citroen, now owned by Stellantis,  unveiled a unique, electric automotive concept:  the autonomous Mobility Vision & it's a first of its kind
• It's built on Citroen's Skate Platform that's modular & can be outfitted with different pods, including a personal travel pod, a retail store unit and an entertainment venue
• The pods are named the Immersive Air, Cozy Capsule & Wander Cafe
• Immersive Air is an entertainment pod to travel in while playing music, video games, movies & can carry multiple people
• Cozy Capsule (for personal travel in a crystal exterior shell) & Wander Cafe (for food experiences while driving) are both digital, according to Stellantis
• Mobility Vision is specifically designed for the huge China market & can also serve as a very high tech, autonomous rickshaw
• Also has the potential to haul cargo and make deliveries.
• Citroen's unique visionary concept is getting a lot of attention for its innovation in global automotive circles.

DOMINICA AIMS TO BE MOST CLIMATE RESILIENT NATION

                                        Source:  Dominica

• The tiny Caribbean Island of Dominica aims to be the world's most climate-resilient nation
• On this Earth Day & every day, Dominica is one of the world's most at risk places from Climate Change
• Dominica was devastated by Category 5 Hurricane Maria and other natural disasters in the past few years
• Their goal to be the world's most climate resilient nation is ambitious & is already being implemented with these key initiatives:

1. Protecting its ecosystems
2. Building climate resistant homes
3. Strengthening building codes
4. Extensive weather alert system to get residents to safety
5. Alert system includes latest smart phones & radio alerts
6. Network of 6 people in each island hamlet trained in community emergency response
7. Traditional conche shells to sound long, drawn out alarms to get people to evacuate safely.

• Dominica may be tiny but it is mighty in its ambition to be the world's 1st climate resilient nation.