Important Innovations

  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

  Cadillac e-VTOL Flying Taxi                                        GM:  e-VTOL Concept New Form of Personal Air Mobility GM surprised the world at CES 2021 by introducing a totally unexpected Cadillac personal flying machine.  It's an electric powered, autonomous e-VTOL.  The vehicle takes off and lands vertically.  It is sleek and futuristic looking.  It is a flying drone that GM calls a flying taxi.  This is not a flying car as it cannot be driven. Highly Advanced GM EV Technology GM has invested $27 billion into the development of electric vehicles.  It is utilizing its on-road electric vehicle technologies to go airborne.  The personal flying vehicle is totally powered by batteries.  GM's top of the line Ultium EV battery platform is likely to play a major role in the e-VTOL, which has zero emissions.  The four-rotor aircraft is powered by a 90 kWh electric motor.  It can reach speeds of 56 mph.  At this stage of its development, it is a one-seater and designed for short

  New Robot with AI Does the Housework for You                                             Source:  Samsung So Dexterous It Can Set a Dinner Table & Pour a Glass of Wine Samsung has unveiled a new robot Bot Handy designed to be very handy around the house and do chores.  The robot can set a dinner table, clean messy rooms or pour a glass of wine.  Samsung specifically designed this robot to be a very helpful Jeeves around the house. AI Enabled The robot is enabled by very advanced technology.  It uses AI to recognize and pickup objects.  It's able to calculate the right amount of force needed to grab and move objects.  It is capable of differentiating the material composition of a variety of household objects. Top Technology Bot Handy can make itself taller and smaller.  There's a display on the front that shows the robot's blinking eyes, which makes the robot more human.  It has a single robotic arm with hinges for dexterous movement in the fingers, wrist, hands, armpi

  UBtech's Adibot Source:  UBtech Robot Can Be Rented For $15/day UBtech, the Chinese robotic company, has invented a robot that can rid a space - like a room, office or school - of COVID-19.  It's a large, cylindrical robot called Adibot that disinfects rooms with UVC light.  The company says it provides hospital grade sanitizing in less than a minute and a half.  Adibot comes in a stationary form that can be wheeled into a room.  And there is an autonomous model that pilots itself using lidar.  It neutralizes pathogens and in particular COVID-19 with UVC light.  The light dosage can be adjusted for different diseases.  What is very remarkable is that the robot can be rented for $15/day. Robot on COVID Duty UBtech claims Adibot can give a 1000 sq. foot space a complete cleansing of COVID and other pathogens in a minute to a minute and a half.  The robot issues vocal warnings to people to stay out of the room while it is cleaning.  UVC light can be harmful to humans.  The robot

  European Union's Latest Findings on Climate Change Source:  Climate Change Stock Images Temperatures & Severe Weather Rising   The European Union's Copernicus Earth observation service says that global temperatures in 2019 were the highest on record and tied  2016 for that dubious distinction.  Also, 2010 - 2019 was the hottest decade ever. And, the pattern continues to escalate.  Europe, the Arctic and southern Siberia experienced their hottest year ever in 2020.  All experienced extreme heatwaves and fires.  In the US, the rising temperatures in 2020 caused 22 distinct disasters, including wildfires and hurricanes, resulting in $95 billion in damage. Greenhouse Gas Emissions The scientists at Copernicu s  are calling for immediate action on greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the amount going into the atmosphere.  The UN sponsored global summit on Climate Change won't happen until November in Glasgow. So the Paris Accords stand in play, which the US has withdrawn fro

  Airthings Wave Sensor                                                       Source:  Airthings Virus Alerts At the CES 2021 virtual show in Las Vegas this week, a number of innovative products are rolling out to fight COVID-19, which spreads through the air.  For example, Airthings Wave sensors were just unveiled.  The sensor tracks atmospheric conditions necessary for the virus to transmit.  The Wave Plus for workplaces tracks CO2 levels, humidity and temperatures.  It alerts the office manager to make adjustments to the room to prevent transmission of viral pathogens like COVID. Wave Mini The Wave Mini is for use in the home.  It focuses on risk factors for mold and is expected to be adapted for tracking viral transmission.  These gadgets are very creative ways to monitor the air that we are breathing.  In the future, they are likely to be incorporated into air purifiers to both monitor and clean the air of pathogens like COVID.

   Audi Phasing Out Combustion Engines Source:  Audi Electric/Autonomous Car Prototype                                             Source:  Audi e-tron EV Greening of Global Automotive Industry VW's luxury brand Audi CEO Markus Duesmann believes that protesting the environment and economic success go hand in hand.  He just disclosed his intent to phase out combustion engine cars in the Audi new vehicle lineup.  The lineup will go all electric vehicles.  That is a seismic change for any global automaker.  Audi's timeframe to accomplish this is within the next 10 to 15 years. Green Is An Environmental & Economic Good By 2031 or 2035, Audi will offer only new electric vehicles.  It is now working on a concrete time frame with target dates.  The plan, that will be finished within a few months, will detail vehicle numbers and dates for each factory.  The plan will serve as a guidepost as the plants transition production from combustion engine to electric vehicles.  This importan