Important Innovations

For Kids: New Tech to Let Them Know Where Parents Are on Flights Source: West Jet Gadget for Connections In Flight The WestJet Flight Light innovation is a gadget that enables children and their parents who are inflight to connect in real-time.  This is an interesting gadget that serves a need for millions of kids with parents who are travelling. WestJet is based in Canada and their invention provides kids a visual image of where their parents are as they travel by plane to a destination.  The image is on the ceiling of the child's room at night. R/T Communications This device communicates by Bluetooth with a smartphone App that the parent  uses to enter their flight at WestJet.  The flight data goes to the WestJet Flight Light where it's projected onto the ceiling, as a continuous updating airplane and flight map.  Parents can also send text messages and emogies for projection alongside the map.

Less Depression Breakthrough Research New research from Washington University in St. Louis has documented a big medical benefit  for kids playing team sports.  The scientists have linked participation in team sports to less depression in boys ages 9 to 11. Brain Changes The scientists have also documented significant positive brain changes from playing team sports.  In adults, depression is associated with the shrinkage of the hippocampus.  That's a region of the brain important to memory and response to stress.  The new research has shown  participation in team sports  results in "larger hippocampal volumes in children" and significantly less depressions in boys 9 to 11. Improving Children's Mental Health The scientists found that non-sports activities like music and art did not have the same effects.  The results were particularly strong in team sports rather than non-team.  More than 4000 children participated in the study, along with their parents.

AI Equipped Robotic Car Designed to Teach Kids Robolink's artificial intelligence equipped, robotic car platform received the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show's Best of Innovation Award in the Robotics and Drone category.  It's designed as a learning tool to educate kids about AI and self-driving cars. A Car with a Ph.D Zumi is equipped with the latest in technology.  It uses machine learning and computer vision to navigate a track that can be reconfigured by the user.  Importantly, it is able to adhere to traffic lights and signage.  It also adjusts its course to avoid obstacles like pedestrians, trees and objects on the road. Zumi is an educational lesson in driving, motion and AI.