DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Edward Kane

  DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF

                                                                      

                 By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

POLLY, WANT A CRACKER?  NO, I WANT A VIDEO CALL

                                  Source:  University of Glasgow

• Scientists at the University of Glasgow & Northeastern University in Boston have taught parrots to make video calls to their parrot friends
• They first taught the birds to use a tablet to make the video calls
• They then taught them to do it on their own
• 15 pet parrots & their owners participated in the 2-month long research study
• Incredibly, the birds made 147 video calls to each other
• In 2 weeks, the parrots were taught to ring a bell and tap on a photo of another participating parrot on an electronic tablet to start the video call
• The parrots enjoyed it so much they started initiating & receiving calls
• All 15 birds made calls & were highly engaged, touching the screen, singing, vocalizing & even ringing the bell vigorously if the parrot at the other end of the call wandered off screen
• Why is this important?  Polly is very smart & wants a lot more than crackers.  They want interaction, communication & engagement with their fellow parrots to make their lives in captivity richer & happier
• This team of scientists have also developed a dogphone that enables a dog, through training, to make a video call to its owner.

CITROEN'S AUTONOMOUS 1st-of-its-kind MOBILITY VEHICLE

                                            Source:  Citroen

• At the Shanghai Auto Show, Citroen, now owned by Stellantis,  unveiled a unique, electric automotive concept:  the autonomous Mobility Vision & it's a first of its kind
• It's built on Citroen's Skate Platform that's modular & can be outfitted with different pods, including a personal travel pod, a retail store unit and an entertainment venue
• The pods are named the Immersive Air, Cozy Capsule & Wander Cafe
• Immersive Air is an entertainment pod to travel in while playing music, video games, movies & can carry multiple people
• Cozy Capsule (for personal travel in a crystal exterior shell) & Wander Cafe (for food experiences while driving) are both digital, according to Stellantis
• Mobility Vision is specifically designed for the huge China market & can also serve as a very high tech, autonomous rickshaw
• Also has the potential to haul cargo and make deliveries.
• Citroen's unique visionary concept is getting a lot of attention for its innovation in global automotive circles.

DOMINICA AIMS TO BE MOST CLIMATE RESILIENT NATION

                     Source:  Dominica & CC Resilient Homes

• The tiny Caribbean Island of Dominica aims to be the world's most climate-resilient nation
• On this Earth Day & every day, Dominica is one of the world's most at risk places from Climate Change
• Dominica was devastated by Category 5 Hurricane Maria and other natural disasters in the past few years
• Their goal to be the world's most climate resilient nation is ambitious & is already being implemented with these key initiatives:

1. Protecting its ecosystems
2. Building climate resistant homes
3. Strengthening building codes
4. Extensive weather alert system to get residents to safety
5. Alert system includes latest smart phones & radio alerts
6. Network of 6 people in each island hamlet trained in community emergency response
7. Traditional conche shells to sound long, drawn out alarms to get people to evacuate safely.

• Dominica may be tiny but it is mighty in its ambition to be the world's 1st climate resilient nation.

For more news stories like this, New Cars With Exponential Tech

... ...