Important Innovations

Smart International Pedestrian Traffic Lights Source:  Vienna's UT  Innovation from Vienna These may be the world's most intelligent traffic lights.  Created by a research team at TU Graz, they incorporate cameras, computers and algorithms to predict the intention of a pedestrian moving toward a road.  This is not just a smart traffic light.  It's very advanced technology to make roads safer for pedestrians and drivers.  Just invented in Vienna, Austria. For a great news blog, go to Important Innovations Collection: Vienna's Intelligent Traffic Lights : Making Streets Smarter and Safer for Pedestrians and Drivers Source:  TU Graz, Vienna Lots of Technology and Research Involved A tea...

Japan Restricts Foreign Ownership in IT and Telecom Sectors Moves to Protect Technology Innovations On the very day that President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were meeting in Tokyo, the Japanese Government announced plans to extend their foreign ownership restrictions to 20 sectors of the information technology and telecom industries.  The purpose is to protect  innovations being developed in those industries from leaks and theft.  For more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Japan Restricts HiTech Foreign Ownership : Information Technology and Telecom Protected Source:  Tokyo Skyline stock image Protecting Vital Technological Innovations The gover...

International Consortium Making Big Investment Source:  Stock image of Israeli top dishes Global Food Innovation Center Finistere Ventures and three Israeli companies have formed a partnership and are investing $100 million to grow AgriTech & FoodTech startups in Israel.  This announcement after the government of Israel established an innovation incubator focused on food technology.  The incubator is being built in northern Israel.  Finistere, which is a global agrifood investment leader, and the three companies say they're going to bid to operate the incubator. Very Big Food Players The four partners are all big players in the food industry and they are betting big on agrifood innovation.  Finistere is backed by investors like Bayer and PepsiCo.  Tnuva, Israel's largest food company that's controlled by China's Bright Foods, is a partner.  Beverage maker Tempo and Our Crowd, which is one of Israel's biggest venture capital firms, are all onboard and

Very Original Origami for Spacecraft Landings Source:  University of  Washington Softens the Blow and Enables Rocket Reuse A team at the University of Washington has invented an origami inspired metamaterial.  It's designed to soften the force generated when a spacecraft lands and enable its reuse.  The researchers also say it can be used in cars to soften the blow of an accident.  For a news blog with details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Origami Invention for Spacecraft : Designed to Soften Impact of Landings Source:  University of Washington Origami Inspired Metamaterial This is unique innovation deve...

Fiat Chrysler and Renault in Merger Talks Source:  Fiat Chrysler Production Line Combo Would Be World's 3rd Largest Automaker The $35 billion proposed merger between Fiat Chrysler and Renault is in response to the seismic technological changes hitting the automotive industry.  Examples include autonomous vehicles and electric powered cars.  For the latest on the proposed deal go to Important Innovations Collection: Fiat Chrysler + Renault : Proposed Merger of  Equals Source:  Fiat Chrysler Surviving Together Through Massive Technology Change Fiat Chrysler is pressing its...

Novartis Gene Therapy to Cure Rare Disease in Infants Source:  Novartis Basel, Switzerland $2.125 Million Dollar Cure The US Food and Drug Administration just approved the first gene therapy for a specific and deadly type of spinal muscular atrophy.  This is a very rare inherited disease that is detected in infants.  Novartis has priced the drug at $2.125 million or $425,000 for a five year regimen.  This raises many serious ethical questions about the cost of life saving drugs, who receives them and how to pay. Novartis Acquisition Novartis acquired the blockbuster drug through a $8.7 billion acquisition. They are now launching it.  It's raising a lot of issues, concerns and hope.  If Big Pharma can address this rare disease and save infant lives, can it save other lives at birth from other diseases and at what cost and profit for them? SMA Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is an inherited neuromuscular disease that causes progressive muscular atrophy.  The gene therapy

An ADIFO - All Directional Flying Object Source:  Bucharest Polytechnic University Not a UFO This aircraft was developed by a Rumanian aviation expert more than ten years ago.  Now a new team of Rumanian engineers have created a prototype of the flying saucer like aircraft and just successfully completed its first test flight.  It may look like a UFO but it's actually an ADIFO, an all directional flying object. Highly Mobile and Dexterous According to the engineers, the aircraft can change direction and angle in mid-air with great agility and even fly upside down.  They say the original aircraft is an extraordinary aerodynamic concept with the backing of thirty years of research behind it. Future of Aviation The prototype is a combination of motors to push it forward and rotors to rise in flight.  It's an award winning piece of innovation.  The Rumanian team behind it believe it has the potential to revolutionize aviation and has application to both manned and unm

New Sports Helmet Inspired by the Brain Source:  Fluid Inside Fluid Protection Inside the Helmet The new Fluid Inside sports helmet takes its inspiration from the brain and its first line of defense against brain injury -- Fluid, specifically Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF).  For details on this innovative helmet, go to Important Innovations Collection: Brain Inspired Sports Helmet : Helmet Mimics Fluid Protection the Brain Provides Source:  Fluid Inside Fluid Inside The new Fluid Inside sports helmet take its lea...

Synchronizing Lights by Fireflies - Quite a Light Show Source:  Smoky Mountains, TN Fireflies Synchronize Lights  Eco-Tourists Flocking to 2 Appalachian Forests being Lite-Up by Rare Fireflies This is nature at its most impressive and beautiful.  Swarms of rare fireflies that illuminate at the same moment and stay bright for ten seconds lighting up a remote forest area..  They go dark for a minute and then light up the forest again.  This is such a magnificent phenomena of natural synchronization, it is attracting crowds of tourists who care about the environment.   They are flocking to two remote forests in the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Summer Light Shows Fireflies that light up and are in sync are extremely rare.  Globally, they are found in the US Allegheny and Smokey Mountains in PA, and TN, also in remote parts of South Carolina and Arizona and in Southeast Asia.  As so much innovation comes from nature, you have to wonder what this magnificen

Bike that Charges Your Devices While You Ride Source:  PedalCell No Batteries Needed You might call this new gadget charging peddle power.  The CadenceX generator attaches to the front wheel of your bike, spins and generates power to charge your personal devices, bike lights, GPS and more.  For a news blog, go to Important Innovations Collection: Charging Peddle Power : New Bike Gadget Charges Your Devices Source:  PedalCell's CadenceX No Battery - New Invention It's called the CadenceX gener...

DARPA Project Funded and Underway Source:  Stock Image Non-Surgical Mind Control of Weapons for US Troops The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, has started a research program to develop technology that enables seamless communication between the human brain and machines.  The purpose is thought controlled weapons like sending by thought swarms of drones into the sky to counter a threat or beaming images by a thought from one brain to another. Very Serious DARPA Endeavor This is fascinating research that almost strikes you as part of the realm of science fiction.  But it is very real, well funded and purposeful.  DARPA calls the program the Next-Generation Nonsurgical Neurotechnology N3 Program.  Six research teams have received federal funding to make this happen. DARPA goal is for technology that enables a two way channel between the human mind and machines, again with no surgery involved.

MIT's New Robot that Helps Humans Lift Heavy Loads Sourc:  MIT Human-Machine Collaboration This is a leading edge example of an AI enabled robot helping humans lift heavy objects.  The robot has just been unveiled at MIT and it points the way to the future of human and robots collaborating to get jobs done more quickly and easily.  For details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Robot Helps You Lift Objects : New MIT Robot Shares Lifting Objects with Humans Source:  MIT Sharing the Load with a Robot MIT's latest robot helps you lift he...

IBM, Cera Care Test Self-Driving Car Sensors for New Use Keeping Elderly Home Longer with Tech This is a six month pilot program to see if LIDAR laser sensors can be used to help the elderly stay longer in their homes.  One of the big uses of LIDAR is to help self-driving cars "see".  IBM Research UK and Cera Care are teaming up to test the unique use of the LIDAR technology, Mapping Safety LIDAR uses laser light pulses to generate images and maps of surroundings and to help self-driving cars navigate streets.  In June, 15 volunteer households in the UK will have LIDAR sensors installed by IBM Research UK and Cera Care.  They'll use IBM machine learning software to build a detailed picture of each patient's daily routines and home environment.  They'll utilize the images to pinpoint and alert caregivers of any possible problems in health, falls, etc. during the patient's routine to let caregivers know when they need to be in the home.  It's a cutti