Important Innovations

New Portable, Air Quality Monitor from Singapore Source:  NTU Singapore Real-Time Detection of Toxic Gases & Chemicals in the Air Researchers at Nanyang Technological University - NTU Singapore - have invented a sensor that can identify a wide range of airborne gases and chemicals instantly.  This includes gas leaks and pollution toxins both indoors and outside.  The prototype device is portable and made for rapid deployment by agencies to identify airborne hazards immediately. Seconds Fast Results Current technology can require up to a few days to identify specific toxins in the air.  This new sensor is made for emergency situations that require quick and ongoing analysis.  The device is composed of a chip made from a porous nanomaterial that traps gas particles.  A laser beamed on the chip interacts with the gas molecules to produce a lower energy light.  That light is analyzed by a camera to see if its spectroscopic signature matches known toxic gases.  It provides a

One of Nature's Most Beautiful, Unsolved Mysteries Source:  Great Smoky Mountains National Park.org Natural Wonder Light Shows They are called Synchronous fireflies.  Thousands of them blink their lights in unison for ten seconds, go dark for a minute and then light up the forest again.  These fireflies are extremely rare and are found in only a few places around the world, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee where they put on a magnificent light show from mid May to mid June every year. The Synchronous fireflies are a natural mystery that still baffle scientists.  For a great news blog with more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Synchronous Fireflies Rare & Mysterious : A Light Show That Baffles Scientists Source:  Great Smoky Mountains National Park.org Inspiration from Nature It's one of the m...

Amphibious Pelican Drone from The Netherlands Source:  TU Delft, Pelican Drone in Action This Week Water Testing in Minutes The Pelican amphibious drone is able to deliver water tests in minutes.  This new technology is gamechanging because current water quality testing is time and labor intensive, requires on site visits by humans and then the water samples have to be transported to a lab. The traditional process is expensive and many times the water samples no longer accurately reflect current water conditions, which dynamically change. The Pelican drone provides water quality testing results in real-time. Autonomous and Real Time Water Monitoring A team at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands has invented the Pelican drone that flies over the water surface and scans it for problem areas with its onboard hyperspectral cameras.  If there's a potential problem, the drone swoops down and takes a water sample.  The sample is transferred to a porta

Gita: Designed to Carry Your Groceries, Gear, Equipment - All in Motion on Foot with You Source:  Piaggio Fast Forward Gita Your Personal Butler Jeeves on the Street with You This is very cool robotic innovation, a new "Follow Me" robot named Gita, invented by Piaggio Fast Forward, a Boston startup, backed by the company that licensed Vespa.  This personal cargo robot can carry up to 45 pounds of groceries, luggage or equipment and directly follow the owner in a type of  Jeeves-like butler fashion right on the street.  It's a wheeled based bot that is designed to move like humans move.  It follows the owner with visual sensors at speeds up to 6 mph.  The company calls this tech "sustainable, mobility ecology" that lets humans walk more and drive less. Cargo Following You Hands Free The inventors say Gita is designed to enable humans to do less driving and do more walking by hauling their groceries and other items with a robotic cargo system.  Gita can

Important Innovations Collection: Free ACX Codes for My Latest Audiobooks : Important Innovations Collection:  Robotics Important Innovations Collection:  Energy I have a number of free ACX promo codes for the...

New Innovation from Technical University of Munich Source:  Technical University of Munich Touch Sensitive Artificial Skin Makes for Safer, Accident Avoiding Robots This is new innovation from the Technical University of Munich.  Their H-1 autonomous, humanoid robot is covered with touch sensitive, synthetic artificial skin.  The skin is composed of 13,000 separate sensors.  The sensors enable the robot to feel the touch of humans.  New algorithms made it possible to apply artificial skin to a human sized robot. Safer Working Robots This is an important development because of concerns about humans getting hurt working side by side with robots.  Biologically-inspired artificial skin improves the robot's sensory ability, making it possible for the robot to sense its own body and surroundings. Senses Like the Human Brain The robot's artificial skin is able to measure temperature, pressure, proximity and acceleration.  The sensors are an event-based sys

Triple 3D Printing Record: Largest Object, Largest Boat, Largest Printer Source:  University of Maine University of Maine's Patrol Boat Dirigo This news story is an indication of the future of boat and other manufacturing.  A team at the University of Maine just used the world's largest 3D printer (their own) to print the world's largest 3D printed boat, which also happens to be the world's largest 3D printed object.  It's a triple winner of the Guinness Book of World Records for the University of Maine. Impressive Numbers It took the team and the UM's 3D printer just 72 hours to 3D print the 25 foot, 5000 pound patrol boat.  It's named Dirigo, which is Maine's moto in Latin for "I Lead".  They used plastic polymer pellets and printed it in one piece.  The cost is about $40,000 and it is seaworthy. Big Future Applications Dirigo was designed by UM's Advanced Structures and Composite Center as a demonstration of wha

Porsche & Boeing's Strategic Partnership to Develop Flying Cars Source:  Porsche AG 2020 Prototype:  Electric VTOL The decision by Boeing and Porsche to form a strategic partnership to jointly develop flying cars underscores the growing importance of the "personal mobility" market.  Flying cars/vehicles are expected to start creating crowded skies from 2025 and onward.  The Boeing Porsche team says they will present their developed prototype of an electric, vertical takeoff and landing vehicle in 2020.  For a great news blog on this by fellow journalist Ed Kane, go to Important Innovations Collection: Boeing & Porsche Flyng Car : New Partnership for 2020 Prototype Source:  Porsche AG Electric VTOL Vehicle US airplane manufacture Boeing and VW's luxury spor...

New Light Therapy "Highly Effective" for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Source:  MGH Much More Effective Than Current Treatments Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic, colorless, odorless gas produced by cars, trucks, fires and explosions.  Every year in the US, more than 50,000 people with CO poisoning are admitted to emergency rooms.  Now researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have invented a new light therapy that removes CO from the victim's blood.  It's proven to be much more effective than current oxygen therapy treatments. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning is frequently deadly.  It occurs when inhaled CO, for instance from a running car in a contained space, displaces oxygen from the blood's hemoglobin.  That compromises the body's ability to deliver oxygen. Light Therapy It's known that visible light can break the molecular bond between CO and hemoglobin.  Knowing that, the MGH team have combined phototherapy with an art

New Cottonseed Just Approved by FDA Regulators Source:  Texas A&M Cotton Plants Protein Packed & Hoped to Alleviate Global Malnutrition This is a remarkable, new, genetically altered cotton plant developed by scientists at Texas A&M University.  US regulators at the Food and Drug Administration have just approved the genetically modified cottonseed from the plant for human consumption and also for any type of animal consumption.  The new plant is being called a protein packed new food source.  It's said to taste like chickpeas. Helping to Feed the World Developers say it could help address global malnutrition.  The Texas A&M research team is talking with companies and expects to have the new plant commercialized and available within 5 years.  They are also working on regulatory approvals in other countries like Mexico. New Cotton Plant The key to the scientists' success is what's called RNA interference technology.  That silenced and eliminated

"How Dare You" by Journalist Edward Kane A Spirited Running Adventure with Important Life Lessons for Girls.   This story is an enchanting work of fiction by my journalist colleague Ed Kane.  It contains the adventures of Cordy.   She’s a spunky, 10 year old girl who finds herself facing a new school in a new place, where she doesn’t know anyone and doesn’t have any friends.   With one notable exception – her dog Bash. Running Team To remedy her lonely situation, Cordy helps start her new school’s girls’ cross country team.   And, she embarks on an enchanting adventure where she happens upon a magical forest with a Firefly Highway and talking animals including an opossum, squirrel, owl and birds.   Life Lessons During her running adventures, Cordy learns the value of friendship, teamwork, always doing your best and finding the goodness in others.  It's a unique work of fiction that makes you feel better after reading it whether you are a young girl or a

Audiobooks on the Latest Global Innovations Written & Narrated by US Network TV Journalists Informative & Entertaining Listening I'd like to share some free audio samples of our three audiobooks on innovation on ACX, Audible and iTunes - "Important Innovations Collection" by Edward Kane  These audiobooks provide our news summaries on the latest innovations in robotics, energy and travel, like flying car technology, commercial kite energy and breakthrough robotics that serve your medical needs. Ed and I are US national television journalists and we've wrote and narrated these news summaries.  Here are links for a listen on Renewable Energy  https://www.amazon.com/Important-Innovations-Collection-Energy/dp/B07XTQK5M4/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= For Robotics  https://www.amazon.com/Important-Innovations-Collection-Innovation-Impressive/dp/B07XTQW4JJ/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= For Travel  https://www.a

Toyota Mirai Driving on Hydrogen Power Toyota is making a bet that the preferred fuel of the future is hydrogen.  They just unveiled their 2021 Toyota Mirai concept design.  The 4-door sedan is powered by hydrogen and has enough room inside to accommodate five people. Taking Its Own Road Toyota is going a different direction than its major global competitors which are placing their bets on electric battery powered big vehicles like SUVs and trucks.  Toyota will start selling the hydrogen powered vehicles in late 2020.  It adds that it will ramp up production ten fold for what it believes will be a very popular mass market, four door sedan. Not Putting All Its Eggs in One Technology Basket For Toyota, electric vehicles are also in its mix, although it does have some concerns about the electric vehicle market.  Namely, Toyota worries about the uncertainty of consumer demand and the technical challenges of extending battery range and cutting recharging time.  Nonetheless, Toyot