Important Innovations Collection

ShadowCam - New MIT Technology Source:  MIT Cars That See Around Corners MIT engineers and computer scientists have invented a new device - ShadowCam - that enables autonomous cars to see around corners and into shadows.  The purpose is to help make self-driving cars safer and prevent accidents.   By sensing tiny changes in shadows on the ground, the new system identifies approaching objects, such as cars and people, that could cause an accident.  It can detect a moving vehicle or person walking behind a pillar in a parking garage. Advanced Warning System The technology uses overlays of images that enables the car to identify shadows in real time and determine the direction of the object casting the shadows.  Based on the information and analysis, the system tells the car to slow or stop.  It is an advanced early warning system to prevent collisions. Faster and Better than LiDAR The MIT team is led by Prof. Daniela Rus, Director of CSAIL, MIT's Computer Science Artif

"Important Innovation Collection" - Audiobook Series on Innovation Source:  Important Innovations Collection by Edward Kane/Maryanne Kane New Free Codes from ACX  National TV journalists Ed Kane and co-author/narrator Maryanne Kane have just received new free codes from ACX for listeners to enjoy for free our audiobooks on new innovations in travel modes, robotics and renewable energy.  Just email either Ed at ejkane2@gmail.com or me at mdkane26@gmail.com to get a great resource audiobook on the latest in global innovations. Important Innovations Collection: ACX Free Codes - My Audiobooks : Important Innovation Collection Audiobooks By Journalists Ed Kane, Maryanne Kane Robotics, Energy and Travel - Three New Audiobooks on t...

Important Innovation Collection Audiobooks By Journalists Ed Kane, Maryanne Kane Robotics, Energy and Travel - Three New Audiobooks on the Latest Innovations As national TV news journalists based in the US, we've created three audiobooks on the latest global innovations of great importance to all of us. "Important Innovations Collection" by Edward Kane and co-authored/narrated by me, national TV news program host Maryanne Kane, showcases top new innovations in Robotics, Travel and green Energy. Free Code & Free Copy If you'd like to have a code for a free copy, email me at ejkane2@gmail.com   Some of the codes will expire on November 12, 2019, so it's important to request a code now.

Branson's Virgin Galactic 1st Publicly Traded Space Tourism Company Source:  NYSE Listed on the NYSE Virgin Galactic is the first space tourism company to land on Wall Street.  It's listed on the NYSE as SPCE.  It began trading on Monday and right out of the launch pad it soared up 5% at its debut.  It has a market cap of $1 billion. This underscores the interest of investors and the public in space tourism. Founder & entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson  rang the First Trade Bell on Monday to commemorate the occasion.  Sir Richard commented:  "Now anyone can invest in the future of space". Space Tourism Plans Virgin Galactic has intergalactic plans. It first wants to offer space flights to six passengers at a time for $250,000 each for trips to the weightless outskirts of space.  Trips begin in the summer of 2020.  More than 600 have signed up for the space tourism journey.  Branson joins fellow billionaires including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

US Air Force's X-37B Spaceplane Successfully Lands After Record Orbit The US Air Force announced that its top secret, experimental spaceplane - the X-37B - just successfully landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in FL after a record flight. The spaceplane has been more than two years - 780 days - in orbital flight.  This is its longest test mission for a group of military technologies.  The X-37B is an experimental, test spaceship.  It was built by Boeing, is operated by the US Air Force and was launched into its latest mission aboard a SpaceX rocket. Clandestine Missions This is the spaceplane's 5th mission.  What the missions have entailed are for the most part a mystery.  They are top secret missions.  But we do know the purpose is to demonstrate new technologies, such as propulsion systems, avionics and spacecraft reentry systems for what the Air Force hopes will be a "reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform".  The vehicle will remain on the

New System to Fight Climate Change Source:  MIT image of the system New Carbon Capture Technology from MIT Engineers This new technology is from MIT engineers to clean the air of CO2 and fight climate change.  Their invention removes CO2 from air streams at almost any concentration levels from the open air to emissions from power plants.  MIT says it works like a large battery and it requires low energy and low money to operate when compared to other approaches. Like a Battery Like a very large battery, the MIT system absorbs CO2 from a gas stream that passes over its electrodes as it charges up.  While going through the process, the device alternates between charging and discharging.  During the charging cycle, fresh air blows through the system.  During discharging, concentrated carbon dioxide blows through.  As the process is done, pure carbon dioxide is discharged.  The MIT engineers say their carbon capture tech shows the power of electrochemical approaches that requir

Mitsubishi MI-TECH Concept Source:  Mitsubishi Off-Road Vehicle that Respects the Environment The Tokyo Auto Show is now underway and there's a very interesting new off-road vehicle I just came upon.  It's Mitsubishi's MI-TECH concept vehicle that's an off-roader to explore the environment that is eco-friendly. The vehicle has no doors, is primarily electric powered and looks like a great way to explore the great outdoors without significantly polluting it in comparison with other off-road vehicles. Electric Off-Road Vehicle The concept is powered by a plug in electric powertrain with a four motor electric, all wheel drive system.  There's a gas turbine engine that can run on alcohol, kerosene or diesel to recharge the batteries.  It's a new concept vehicle worth taking a look at for a greener start to explore the environment.  For free borrows of my latest books on the top new innovations, including the environment and energy, go to  amazon.com/

Toyota's Level 2 Self-Driving Lexus for 2020 Source:  Lexus Automated Highway Teammate The roads are about to become more crowded with autonomous cars.  Hyundai is starting autonomous ride sharing in California next month to test market demand.  And Toyota will debut an autonomous Lexus in 2020.  The vehicle will be equipped with what Toyota is calling its Level 2 Automated Highway Teammate - its new autonomous driving technology. Level 2 Lexus is going to start going autonomous at Level 2.  That means no-hands cruise control, under certain conditions, with the driver behind the wheel and their eyes on the road.  The new Teammate system goes beyond standard Level 2 functions like keeping the car within the lane and working the accelerator and breaks while following the leader car.  The Toyota system can handle lane changes and merging.  It can also learn and receive updates to increase its functionality on a continuing basis. For a free copy of my audiobook &

Audiobook Version Headed to Retail ACX, Audible, iTunes The audiobook version for kids of my fiction "How Dare You" is being readied for retail on ACX, Audible, iTunes and Amazon within the next few days.  This is an adventure story for children with important life lessons. The leading character is Cordy, a spunky 10 year old who finds herself at a new school, in a new place and has no friends.  There's a notable exception: her dog Bash.  The narrator is national TV anchor and show host Maryanne Kane. Running Adventure Through a Magical Forest of Fireflies Cordy remedies her lonely situation by helping to organize her new school's girls cross country team.  And that's where the running adventure takes off into a magical forest of fireflies, talking animals and a lot more. Bio-Inspired For me, nothing is more inspirational than nature, like a forest that lights-up with the magic of fireflies.  And the important inspiration I saw in the joy and lessons

Northwestern's HARP: Full Size Structures in Two Hours Source:  Northwestern University Future of Manufacturing On-Demand A team at Northwestern University have invented a 3D printer that provides rapid, on-demand manufacturing of large objects in a few hours.  It can be used to make parts for planes, cars, medical devices and more.  The HARP (high area rapid printing) device prints 100 times faster than other 3D printers.  It can create an object the size of a human in 2 hours. Record Breaking Throughput Northwestern University says this type of rapid manufacturing on-demand is the future of manufacturing that could put an end to molds and warehouses. The new printer will be commercially available within a year and a half.  It prints both hard, durable parts and elastic objects.  The throughput is record breaking and enables it to manufacture parts on demand. Non-sticky Liquid & Ultraviolet Light The printer itself is large:  13 feet tall with a 2.

Gulfstream G700 Source:  Gulfstream Flying Long Distance at Close to Mach 1 Gulfstream Aerospace, a unit of General Dynamics, has unveiled its long anticipated G700 business jet at the world's largest corporate jet airshow in Las Vegas this week.  Gulfstream says the G700 is a long range, enhanced speed and performance aircraft that is meant to set a new standard in long range business jets. According to Gulfstream President Mark Burns, it's an all new, advanced technology aircraft that "redefines safety, comfort and range at speed". Delivered to Buyers in 2022 The G700 is priced at $75 million, powered by Rolls-Royce engines and has the tallest, longest and widest cabin in the business jet industry.  It seats 19 passengers. This plane is built for distance, speed and comfort.  It can fly 7500 nautical miles at Mach 0.85.  It has five living areas, a 6-place dining or conference room, an extra large, ultra-galley with passenger lounge or crew com

Bigger Jets, Longer Flights, Sustainable Fuel Source:  Gulfstream Aerospace Business Jets World's Biggest, Business Jet Air Show The world's largest business jet air show will start tomorrow, Tuesday, in Las Vegas.  And, there are definitive, emerging innovation trends in the corporate jet global market.  Companies want larger jets, that can fly longer distances while using sustainable, greener aviation fuels.  For the longer duration flights, amenities like showers and beds need to be onboard. Corporations want new, highly advanced, private business jets that can carry their teams from destinations like London to Sydney non-stop, green sustainable and with a few amenities to accommodate long duration travel. Choppy Air The annual corporate jet show is put on by the National Business Aviation Association.  It's the world's biggest and is the top place to showcase new, corporate jets made by the biggest jet makers. The aircraft manufacturers are facing choppy

Protecting Connected Vehicles from Hackers Source:  Upstream Israel's Upstream Security Secures Millions in Funding Israel's Upstream Security has secured $30 million in funding to develop software to protect connected and autonomous vehicles from cyberattacks by hackers.  The funding is coming from automakers like Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Volvo Truck, Nationwide Mutual Insurance and venture capital firms. Upstream takes a cloud based automotive cybersecurity approach using data analytics and machine learning algorithms.  The company was established in 2017 and has received a total of $41 million in funding. New Software Market with Exponential Growth The market demand for software to protect against automotive cyberattacks is expected to reach $2.3 billion by 2025. The exponential growth is being driven by the fact that the more connectivity included in vehicles, the more vulnerable they are to hackers.  Cyber carjacking has been an issue

BMW & Daimler Looking for New Mobility Services Partners Source:  BMW Blog - Car2Go Car2Go Driving FAS Two global luxury brands are leading the way on new, automotive mobility for drivers.  BMW and Daimler have just announced FAS. It's a 50-50 collaboration of Daimler's Car2Go car sharing business with BMW's DriveNow, ParkNow and e-ChargeNow.  This is a burgeoning space for the automotive industry, a menu of new car sharing, parking and electric car recharging services. These mobility services could prove to be the ultimate and most important on the ground driving services for consumers before the era of flying vehicles takes-off by the mid 2020's. FAS Forward FAS is designed to give customers a wide choice across brands for the new menu of services.  Daimler and BMW are looking for collaborators as well as financial investments in the new venture.  The personal mobility space is just starting to accelerate.  These ventures are more traditional,

Adhesive With Stickiness of Gecko Legs Source:  North Carolina State University New Liquid Manufacturing Process This is a new and very novel approach to manufacturing.  A new adhesive has been created by harvesting liquid driven chaos.  It's the invention of scientists at North Caroline State University.  It's said to pave the way for a new generation of soft  nanomaterials including for gels, food, pastes, nonwovens and coatings. Stickiness of Gecko Legs The adhesive created by the process can adhere to virtually any surface.  The team employed liquid manufacturing which involves dissolving a polymer and rapidly mixing it with another liquid.  The chaotic turbulence results in branched particles.  The thinnest particles create a corona of nanofibers that result in adhesive.  The material, according to the team, has the stickiness of Gecko legs. New, Scalable, Inexpensive Manufacturing This new invention is a unique manufacturing process that works

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

A Light Show That Baffles Scientists Source:  Great Smoky Mountains National Park.org Inspiration from Nature It's one of the most enchanting mysteries of nature and science.  There is a species of fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee that blink their lights in unison.  They're called Synchronous fireflies.  And they are the only firefly species in the US that puts on their special light show in sync. Scientific Mystery The phenomenon baffles scientists.  These Synchronous fireflies exist in only a few places around the world.  In the Great Smoky Mountains, they light up in sync from mid May through mid June.  How they do so and why they light-up in unison for just a month have not been determined.  Thousands of them light up at the same moment for ten seconds, go dark for a minute and then light up the forest again. Firefly Inspiration Thousands of eco-tourists flocked to remote areas of the Great Smoky Mountains this past summer to

Amphibious Pelican Drone from The Netherlands Source:  Pelican Drone, TU Delft 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 portable cytasense flow cytometer,

Important Innovations Collection:  Robotics Important Innovations Collection:  Energy I have a number of free ACX promo codes for the US and UK for free copies of my latest audiobooks on ACX, Audible and iTunes:  "Important Innovations Collection:  Robotics" and "Important Innovations Collection: Energy" contains the latest news on innovations in renewable energy and robotics respectively.  Please let me know if you'd like a code at  ejkane2@gmail.com

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 system that trans

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 a