Important Innovations

Breakthrough Innovation from Saudi Arabia Artificial Skin that Feels A team at KAUST, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, has developed a new, magnetic skin that could enable new, wearable consumer technology and assistive devices for the elderly and disabled.  The skin is imperceptible, biocompatible and very innovative.  The new tech ushers in a new generation of touch sensors with low-cost technology applications. No Batteries or Wires Needed What is remarkable is the skin doesn't require embedded electronics....no wires, batteries or antennas.  The material is ultra flexible.  It's powered by an elastomer matrix mixed with magnetic powder. Tailor-Magnetized for Specific Uses The skin is tailor-magnetized for specific applications.  The uses include tracking eye movements to detect disease and robotic arms and prosthetics with haptic perception.  The key innovator is KAUST PhD. candidate Ahmed Alfadhel who started by investigatin

Controlling Your Dashboard - New Big Tech War Source:  GM Embedding Google Tech in 3.6 Million Cars Yearly GM has selected Google Technology to be embedded in their vehicles starting in 2021.  The win for Google is huge.  Their tech could be installed in 3.6 million GM vehicles yearly.  The Google technology will power navigation and provide voice-activated controls.  It will also deliver expanded infotainment functions.  Google beat Amazon for this deal which is part of a big, emerging race among technology companies to control vehicle dashboards. Google Apps Onboard GM Vehicles Google Assistant, Google Maps and other applications will be available through the Google Play App Store for all GM brands.  The first brands with built-in Google technology will roll in 2021 with more to come.  The one market this won't be available in is China, as of right now. Amazon Versus Google This Google win was a big defeat for Amazon which is trying to sell its rival

Autonomous Trash Collection System Source:  Vishwakarma Government Engineering College New Innovation from India Using Advanced AI to Detect & Collect Trash There's a lot of highly advanced technology in this AI powered trash collection system.  The technology includes machine learning algorithms, convolutional neural networks and autonomous systems.  The device was developed in India and ushers in a future of autonomous trash detection and collection. The inventors say it's an affordable and effective Artificial Intelligence system that detects trash and properly disposes it. Trash Detection & Disposal Powered by AI to Fight Pollution The new AI system was created by engineers at Vishwakarma Government Engineering College.  The purpose of the device is to fight the problem of the massive amounts of waste thrown away in urban areas.  It's a major source of air, water and environmental pollution worldwide. AGDC System The system is called the automatic

New Device to Cut Vehicle Noise Pollution Source:  Stock image of Paris at Night Paris Without Noise Pollution This new, innovative technology targets noise pollution from very loud sounding vehicles - motorcycles, cars and trucks.  The system is being tested in Paris and is installed on lampposts.  It identifies noisy vehicles, pinpoints their location and automatically tickets them.  Interestingly, the new device was created by engineers at Bruitparif, the city's noise pollution agency. The agency says with this device, the charge of noise pollution from revving your engines is not disputable.  They've nailed it. New Technology to Cut Noise Pollution The system uses four microphones to locate and triangulate where the vehicle loud noise pollution is coming from.  The sound reconfiguration is then linked to police CCTV camera footage to pinpoint the noisemaker.  A ticket is then automatically issued to the noise offender.  The city of Paris considers noise pollution

UK's Oldest Horse Breed Is Critically Endangered Source:  Suffolk Punch Stallions stock image Suffolk Punch Stallions Dating Back to Early 16th Century Science, technology and genetics are being used by concerned British experts to save from extinction Britain's oldest horse breed, the Suffolk Punch Stallion that dates back to the early 16th century.  A new scientific partnership is underway to save the Suffolk Punch along with 12 other very old horse breeds, like the Shetland Pony and the Welsh Pony, along with livestock breeds.  For details on this scientific rescue effort, go to Important Innovations Collection: Science Saving Oldest Horse Breeds : Suffolk Punch Stallions - Oldest Horse Breed in UK Source:  Stock image of Suffolk Punch Stallions Dates Back to Early 16th Century a...

Developing Customized Software to Combat It Source:  DARPA Disinformation Attacks Becoming More Technologically Innovative The U.S. Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, is launching a project to thwart large-scale disinformation attacks.  DARPA considers these automated fake news attacks and fake social media posts as a threat to national security.  The new program's goal is to develop and deploy customized software to immediately spot fake news disinformation. Experts say the pace of innovation in new means to hack and disseminate disinformation is unprecedented. Massive News Scanning and Evaluation by Algorithms DARPA is now in discussions with software developers to design the system.  The Pentagon's R&D center wants to put the potential systems through rigorous testing.  The algorithm testing/detection process will scan and evaluate 250,000 news reports, 250,000 social media posts with 5,000 fake news items put into the mix.  The

Advanced Water Harvester from UC Berkeley Source:  UC Berkeley's Water Harvester Capable of Supplying Fresh Water to Global Villages in Need One of humanity's biggest challenges is to develop technology to meet global drinking water supply needs.  A team at UC Berkeley has invented a new water harvester capable of collecting water from very dry desert air.  Most importantly, the team says their technology is scalable and capable of supplying clean drinking water to people in villages.  This technology promises to be a new source of clean drinking water to people in arid environments globally. New Engineering The device has been tested in the Mojave Desert and it works.  The base is a metal-organic framework (MOF) that pulls in and condenses water molecules from the very dry desert air.  The cartridges of MOFs are in a large, transparent box that includes a condenser to collect the water molecules as liquid water. Third Variation on an Innovative Theme This is the

Brilliant NASA Discovery Source:  MIT Saturn's Extremely Harsh Atmosphere Is Raining Diamonds This is very big news from NASA scientists.  They've discovered that the planet Saturn's atmosphere is so harsh, it is raining diamonds onto the planet.  For completed details and an explanation from an expert on how this is possible, go to Important Innovations Collection: Planet "Raining Diamonds": NASA Discovery : Saturn with an Unforgiving Environment Source:  MIT Discovery Just Unveiled NASA scientists have discovered that Saturn's myster...

MIT's Underwater Sensor Network to Take the Ocean's Pulse Source:  MIT Powered Solely by Sound Waves To investigate the vast unexplored areas of the oceans, MIT engineers are building a submerged network of interconnected sensors that send data to the surface.  It's an underwater internet of things to monitor temperature changes from climate change, ocean pollution and marine life over long time periods.  The MIT team has invented a battery-free sensor, powered by sound waves. The device can monitor the ocean environment at great depths over long periods of time with no battery.  The submerged system uses the vibration of piezoelectric materials to generate power and send and receive data. Underwater Communications System This MIT invention appears to be a major breakthrough.  Up until now, the difficulty of deploying deep water sensors to study ocean conditions has been greatly limited by their battery life.  It's very difficult to change batteries at great

China's Lunar Rover Makes Surprise Discovery Source:  China Lunar Exploration Project Mystery Substance on Far Side of the Moon China's historic exploration of the far side of the Moon has resulted in a remarkable discovery.  China's Yutu-2 lunar rover spotted an unusually colored, gel-like substance in a small crater on the lunar surface.  Chinese experts have not yet come up with an explanation of what it is.  For more details go to Important Innovations Collection: Exciting Discovery on Moon's Far Side : China's Chang'e 4 Lunar Rover Find Source:  China Lunar Exploration Project Unusual, Gel-Like Substance China's Chang&#3...

Dark Image New Vehicle Tease on Lamborghini Instagram Channel  Source:  Lamborghini May Be Their First Hybrid Vehicle for the Roads Lamborghini has released a big dark teaser image of a vehicle it's going to unveil at the world largest auto show, the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show, that opens on September 12.  Lamborghini posted the image on their official Instagram Channel with the tag "Just open your eyes to the future". Is It Lamborghini's First Hybrid? Automotive experts say it looks like a low-slung supercar with Y-shaped LED running lights.  There is speculation that it may be or may have taken styling and engineering details from the much acclaimed Terzo Millennio concept unveiled by Lamborghini as a design study in 2017. Source:  Terzo Millennio  MIT Joint Development Developed jointly with MIT, the concept is designed to be eco-friendly with in-wheel electric motors fed by supercapacitor energy storage technology.  This vehicl

"Artificial Chameleon Skin" Source:  University of Cambridge Big Advance in Nanotechnology to Mimic Nature From scientists at the University of Cambridge in the UK a new innovative material that changes color when exposed to heat or light. The team calls it "artificial chameleon skin" and says it has wide application from active camouflage to large-scale dynamic displays.  The skin is powered by nanomachines.  The scientists say their work represents a big advance in using nanoscale technology to do biomimicry or mimic nature. Dramatic Color Changes The scientific inspiration came from color changing animals like chameleons and in particular their color changing skin cells, chromatophores.  The team essentially created artificial chromatophores by using tiny particles of gold, coating it with a polymer shell and then squeezing it into tiny drops of water in oil.  When exposed to heat or light, the nanoparticles stick together and dramatically change color,

DARPA Tweet for Urban Underground Space For Research and Experimentation Source:  DARPA DARPA's Underground Challenge - US Defense Dept. Initiative This tweet sound like a search for a location for a science fiction movie.  But it's from DARPA, the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, that is pursing its Subterranean Challenge.  That's a competition to develop new technologies to rapidly map, navigate, search and exploit complex underground environments during natural disasters, terrorism and big, underground accidents.  DARPA's targeted research locations include massive manmade tunnels for mass transit and underground structures like extensive parking lots with stores and offices under cities. Unusual and Intriguing Request To say the least, this is an unusual request from DARPA and the deadline is tomorrow August 30, 2019.  They are looking for company or university managed large tunnels and underground structures to host researc