Important Innovations

  Vision FK Concept is a Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Plug-in Hybrid                                             Source:  Hyundai Zero Emissions and Very Fast Hyundai has a Hydrogen Vision 2040 plan to offer in its commercial fleet only hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2040. As it develops its hydrogen technology system across its portfolio, it has just unveiled a 670 horsepower fuel cell plug-in hybrid sports car - the Vision FK concept. This vehicle combines plug-in electric vehicle power with hydrogen fuel cell technology.  A full recharge takes only 5 minutes.  The photos of this exciting concept are camouflaged but it looks sleek and very fast with intake openings to increase speed where the rear doors should be. It is a very promising, zero emissions work in progress. Tech Specs The vehicle combines zero emissions with a lot of power.  There is a 500-kilowatt dual motor powertrain.  Each rear wheel has a motor. The EV accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in less than 4 seconds.  A plug in hybrid, h

  South Korea's Ssangyong X200 Could Take on Jeep                                                   Source:  X200 Concept                                             Source: Ssangyong Models A Vehicle "Powered by Toughness" South Korean carmaker Ssangyong has just released sketch designs of its new concept, the X200.  The new design philosophy behind the concept is "Powered by Toughness", which Ssangyong says is the future for their company.  The company is using an eco-friendly electric powertrain for the vehicle, including for its J100 mid-sized electric model.  The company says that its new design philosophy is reflected in the vehicle's round headlights with LED accents and the blacked out grille with five, diamond shaped inserts.  There are huge air intakes on either side of the front bumper, squared body panels and a bulky shape -- all adding up to a "chunky" rugged looking vehicle. It appears to be a new competitor for Jeep Wrangler in the g

  Hyundai N 2025 Vision Concept                                       Source:  Hyundai N 2025 Vision                                   Source: Hyundai N 2025 Vision                                      Source:  Forze Hydrogen Racing                                                                                Source:  Hyundai New Energy Powered Race Car Possibly Headed to Le Mans Hyundai is developing a radically new, hydrogen powered hypercar that could be headed for competition in The Le Mans.  The N 2025 Vision concept demonstrates what Hyundai's Le Mans entry could look like - sleek, ultra fast, flashy red, powerful aerodynamic design and green energy.  The N 2025 combines hydrogen and electric battery power, which Hyundai believes will create tremendous future options for motorsports and normal driving.  The company is looking into the possibilities of using hydrogen as both a range extender and power booster on electric vehicles. Le Mans The Le Mans is the world's oldest

  20 Miles of Green Energy                                                                      Source:  Daejeon, South Korea                                           Source:  Solar Bike Highway                                   Source:  Sejong, SK Solar Energy and Green Transportation South Korea has built a 20 mile solar "bike highway" that is both green and highly innovative.  The solar bike lane sits on top of a 20 mile stretch of highway running between the city of Daejeon, which is a transportation hub with a population of 1.5 million and Sejong, the de-facto administrative capital of South Korea.  Solar panels cover the path's roof for the entire 20 miles.  They shield cyclists from the sun and also generate electricity.  The location is highly unusual as 3 lanes of highway traffic straddle either side of the solar bike path. Green Electricity The solar bike path is highly effective.  It produces enough electricity to power the highway's electric vehicle charg

  20 Miles of Green Energy & Pedal Power Source:  South Korea Solar Bike Highway                                                       Source:  Daejeon, South Korea Source:  Solar Bike Highway                                           Source:  Solar Bike Highway                                   Source:  Sejong, SK Solar Energy and Green Transportation South Korea has built a 20 mile solar "bike highway" that is both green and highly innovative.  The solar bike lane sits on top of a 20 mile stretch of highway running between the city of Daejeon, which is a transportation hub with a population of 1.5 million and Sejong, the de-facto administrative capital of South Korea.  Solar panels cover the path's roof for the entire 20 miles.  They shield cyclists from the sun and also generate electricity.  The location is highly unusual as 3 lanes of highway traffic straddle either side of the solar bike path. Green Electricity The solar bike path is highly effective.  It produc

  Summer Debut for Genesis Brand in Europe Source:  Genesis Electric and Hybrid Vehicles To Be Showcased South Korea's Hyundai is debuting its luxury Genesis brand in Europe this summer.  It will offer both electric and conventional vehicles but it is clearly pushing its electric and hybrid models into the European market.  There is a strategic reason for it.  Europe is one of the world's fastest growing electric vehicle markets.  Sales of electric and plug in hybrid vehicles tripled in the European Union in 2020 to over 1 million vehicle sold, which amounted to more than 10% of total sales. Driving Electric Genesis will premier in Europe, starting in June, its sedans and SUVs.  The electrified G80 will be the first all electric Genesis to arrive in Europe.  Within the next year, two more battery powered electric cars will be added to the Genesis mix in Europe providing customers with the choice of three zero emissions Genesis vehicles.  Automotive analysts think that Genesis h

  Summer Debut for Genesis Brand in Europe Source:  Genesis Electric and Hybrid Vehicles To Be Showcased South Korea's Hyundai is debuting its luxury Genesis brand in Europe this summer.  It will offer both electric and conventional vehicles but it is clearly pushing its electric and hybrid models into the European market.  There is a strategic reason for it.  Europe is one of the world's fastest growing electric vehicle markets.  Sales of electric and plug in hybrid vehicles tripled in the European Union in 2020 to over 1 million vehicle sold, which amounted to more than 10% of total sales. Driving Electric Genesis will premier in Europe, starting in June, its sedans and SUVs.  The electrified G80 will be the first all electric Genesis to arrive in Europe.  Within the next year, two more battery powered electric cars will be added to the Genesis mix in Europe providing customers with the choice of three zero emissions Genesis vehicles.  Automotive analysts think that Genesis h

  South Korea Investing $43.2 Billion in Offshore Wind Farm                         Source:  Stock Image of Offshore Wind Farm South Korea's Green Eco-Environmental Recovery   South Korea is investing $43.2 billion to build the world's largest offshore wind farm by 2030.  This is a big part of the South Korean government's effort to rebuild its economy from the COVID-19 pandemic through building environmentally friendly big projects.  The green economic recovery effort is SK President Moon Jae-in's Green New Deal. Global First The size and scope of this offshore wind project is a global first. It  will have a capacity of 8.2 gigawatts.  Through this major offshore wind project, the South Korean government says that it is accelerating its eco-friendly energy transition and moving toward carbon neutrality by 2050.  South Korea is a major, global innovation hub and it is Asia's #4 largest economy. Big Power Source The offshore wind farm will boost the nation's wind

  South Korean Invention Interprets Your Dog's Bark                                            Source: Petpuls AI Collar Petpuls Bark Recognition  to Better Understand Your Dog We know that a dog's bark is their best way of putting their owner on alert that something important is up.  A South Korean company has invented an AI enabled dog collar called Petpuls that is AI driven and interprets the dog's bark. The technology relays the information to the owner via their smartphone.  This collar specifically enables the owner to understand exactly what the dog is trying to communicate.  The dog's bark may be communicating emotions like anger, anxiety, sadness, happiness or relaxation.  The bark showing anger and anxiety could be communicating that there is something wrong at your home. All five emotions are determined by the artificial intelligence through the collar.  This new gadget was just unveiled at CES 2021. A Fitbit for Dogs The gadget is being marketed as a Fitbit

  Purchase is About Technology for Autonomous Cars                                             Source:  Boston Dynamics $1.1 Billion Deal South Korean automaker Hyundai has purchased from Japan's Softbank the majority stake in robotics company Boston Dynamics for $1.1 billion.  Boston Dynamics is a cutting edge robotics firm and world famous for its robot dog Spot.  Hyundai is making the purchase to advance its autonomous technology for self-driving cars. Multi-tasking Spot Spot is a highly advanced, semi-autonomous, 4 legged robot that works around the world in many capacities.  It is on duty in many hospitals to help minimize medical staff exposure to COVID.  Spot works on construction sites, factory floors, on oil rigs and can even serve as a personal companion that opens the door or a bottle of coke.  Now, its robotic technology will empower autonomous vehicles.  Experts say Spot's robotic technology may also enable the smart factories of the future and innovative, new tech

Invented by South Korean Doctors Source:  Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials  Collects Patient COVID Samples Doctors and researchers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials have invented a remote-controlled robot - the KIMM robot - that performs and collects COVID-19 tests from the noses of potential patients.  For medical personnel, there is no direct contact with the patients.  The robot performs the tests and collects the samples by being remotely controlled by a doctor.  This system reduces the risk of exposure to COVID for the medical staff. Parallel Caregiving The system is based on parallel caregiving where a doctor in one room tells the robot what action to take.  The doctor and patient are connected by audio and video and stay in constant contact.  This is part of a growing trend of robots being put on the front lines of the fight against COVID.  In Boston, Spot robots were used to screen patients remotely using iPads that enabled doctors to sc

South Korea's Grand Experiment  South Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) Automated Ball-Strike Systems Start in August 2020 South Korea's minor league baseball teams will start utilizing robot umpires during regular games starting in August.  About 20 games in the Korean Baseball Organization's Future League will have the automated ball-strike systems operating for the entire 2021 season.  If it works as expected, South Korea's Major League baseball teams will deploy it too for their 2022 season. Advanced Radar Technology The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) calls the system the "robot umpire".  But, there are actually no robots behind the catcher on the field to make the calls.  This is a radar-based ball tracking system that is automated/robotic, pinpoints the location of the pitch and tells the human home plate umpire, via an earpiece, the correct call.  The ball's trajectory is shown on a large screen display at the ballpark. Major League

New NASA, ESA, South Korea Virtual Network to Monitor Air Pollution Source:  UK Government - Air Pollution in Europe Hourly Air Quality, Air Pollution Updates NASA, the European Space Agency and South Korea are joining forces to create a new constellation of satellites with highly advanced instrumentation to monitor global air quality and air pollution.  The system is so advanced it is capable of monitoring, tracking and providing hourly updates on air quality anyplace on Earth. South Korea Launch The environmental watch from space was just kicked off by South Korea's launch of its Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer, aboard its ocean monitoring satellite.  NASA will launch similar instruments in 2022.  The European Space Agency will launch its own satellites and instruments in 2023.  It will be the world's first, real time, air quality monitoring system covering the globe with updates every hour. Global Air Quality Monitoring Networ

Next G Rollable TV Display Source:  LG's Rollup TV Display Unveiled at CES 2019 Unveiling at CES 2020 Next Week South Korea tech giant LG has invented a 65 inch, UHD OLED TV that rolls down from the ceiling just like a projector.  The new design form means it's not visible when not in use and it doesn't take up space or require any furniture.  This is breakthrough technology that will be unveiled at the annual 2020 CES trade show in Las Vegas next week.  No pictures of the new TV have been released as of now. More Innovations At CES 2020, LG will also introduce other innovations including a laptop sized rollup TV screen for cars and a transparent screen for airplanes.  LG has been developing the rollable display TV concept for the past several years.  At CES 2019, it introduced its first commercial rollable TV display concept that rolled upwards from a specialized rectangular speaker box by pressing a button.  It's called the LG Signature OLED TV R.  Appare

One of the Top Cars at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show Source:  Hyundai 45 Concept  The Future of Driving Electric The world's largest auto show, the Frankfurt Auto Show 2019, is showcasing the future of car travel, production ready electric cars and concept vehicles that point to future design.  A great glimpse into the future of electric vehicles is the Hyundai 45 Concept. The vehicle is getting a lot of attention as a new hot electric concept. Hyundai is headquartered in South Korea. Like a Diamond The vehicle is all electric and is shaped in silhouette like a diamond.  The doors slide and open wide.  Inside the cabin, there are chairs that swivel, making it easier to talk with your fellow passengers and get in and out of the vehicle.  It also has cube headlights.  Experts say this is an example of the innovative design direction that electric vehicles are headed.

Hot, Foldable, Smart Phone:  Samsung's Galaxy Fold Sells Out in South Korea & Coming to US and Europe Samsung launched its Galaxy Fold smartphone on Friday in South Korea and it proved to be a sell-out as soon as it went on sale.  The foldable smartphone that folds out into a tablet sold out in one day.  Another round of pre-ordering will start in South Korea on September 18th and it will be launched in the US in upcoming weeks. A First This is Samsung's first, foldable smartphone.  It includes 5G mobile connectivity.  It's priced at $2,000.  It will be going on sale in Germany, France and the UK within two weeks.  The US launch follows after that.  The device has been greatly anticipated.  An April launch was delayed by screen defects in samples. Phone and Tablet The Galaxy Fold opens into a tablet with a 7.3 inch screen that can display up to three apps simultaneously, if you like to multi-task like I do.  This is part of Samsung's commi

Thin, Flexible Artificial Muscles Source:  KAIST New Invention from KAIST University, South Korea KAIST scientists have developed thin, flexible artificial muscles that can power the wings of a robotic butterfly, open the petals of a robotic flower brooch and have applications for active biomedical devices, soft robotics, wearable robotics and much more.  For a news blog, go to Important Innovations Collection: Thin, Flexible Artificial Muscles : New Innovation from KAIST of South Korea Source:  KAIST Many Potential Uses: Like Wearable Robotics, Active Biomedical Devices This i...

SK's New Commitment to Renewables Source: South Korea Coal-Generating Power Plant Accelerating with Renewable Energy South Korea is accelerating its shift to cleaner, greener energy.  It has set long term renewable energy targets. The government of South Korea wants to reach a goal of 35% renewable sources of energy by 2040.  That is about four times the amount of renewables they are using right now. South Korea Energy Mix South Korea is currently utilizing 8% of renewable energy sources as part of its energy mix.  They are highly reliant on coal generating plants and nuclear power for their electricity.  They hope to have renewable energy sources up to 20% by 2030 and increase that significantly by 2040.  The great news here is how many nations are setting schedules and agendas to make more renewable sources a significant part of the energy mix.

Seoul's Robot Science Museum Source:  MAA's Concept Visualization of the Museum Autonomous Building This is a first.  For Seoul, South Korea's new Robot Science Museum, robots and drones will play a role in all aspects of the construction project, including design, manufacture of building parts and assembly.  The architectural firm MAA of Turkey is the creator and developer of this ambitious project.  MAA came up with the winning concept in the South Korean government's open bid process. South Korea is delivering on its desire to promote public education on robots and raise awareness of AI innovation through the new Museum. Only Robots and Drones Need Apply Construction gets underway in 2020 and there is a delegation of work.  One group of robots will mold, weld, assemble and polish the Museum's metal façade.  Another group will 3D print concrete slabs.  Drones will map the construction site and provide regular inspections.  They'll also serve as secu