Important Innovations Collection

Robots Using UV Light to Sanitize Aircraft                                                            Source: UVeya Test Trials Now Underway Swiss startup UVeya is testing its new robots armed with COVID-19 killing UV light on Swiss passenger planes at Zurich Airport.  The test trials are taking place onboard Embraer jets from Helvetic Airways.  Helvetic is a charter airline service, owned by Swiss billionaire Martin Ebner.  In 2020, Hevetic's business dropped 75% due to fears of flying because of COVID-19.  The hope is that the robot cleaners will reduce people's fear of flying as COVID continues to spread.  The target for the robot is the airline industry. Antidote to COVID on Planes One UVeya robot can disinfect a single aisle plane in thirteen minutes.  Larger planes take longer....

COVID Kids' Vaccine Moves Forward                            Source:  Pfizer-BioNTech COVID Vaccine 100% Effective in Initial Data From Trials Germany based BioNTech and Pfizer announced today that their COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective in teens, according to their initial data from ongoing trials in children from 12 to 15 years old.  The companies added kids tolerate the vaccine very well.  Their vaccine has already been approved for emergency use in young people 16 year old plus and adults.  The companies, based on their new data, say that they believe it is safe and effective for kids 12 to 15 years old to receive the two shot vaccine.  Their data is being forwarded to the FDA for its review and possible approval for use in young teens to protect them from COVID.  The companies hope to start vaccinating kids before the start of the new school year in fall of 2021. Testing O...

 BioNTech and Pfizer Testing COVID Vaccine for Kids                                                            Source:  BioNTech & Pfizer Breakthrough Medical Innovation Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech hope to be able to vaccinate children under 12 years old against COVID-19 by early 2022.  Early stage trials started in late March 2021.  The volunteers (via their parents) are as young as 6 months old.  The Pfizer BioNTech COVID vaccine for adults was the first authorized for use in the US in mid December 2020 and among the first to hit global markets in late fall 2020. In the US alone, 66 million people have received it. Shot In The Arm Only the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine is being used on 16 and 17 year old teens in the US.  Moderna's vaccine has been cleared for those 18 years...

 IATA Travel Pass                                                                                  Source:  IATA Moving Toward Quarantine Free Travel The global airline industry is launching a free, new app to help passengers get back to quarantine-free travel.  It's called the IATA Travel Pass and is being spearheaded by the International Air Transportation Association or IATA, on behalf of its 290 airline members. Digital Identity The app provides four primary functions: Global registry of health requirements for each country so that passengers know what they need to provide to enter their destination Global registry of testing and vaccination centers so passengers can make an appointment before their departure to the destination Lists of ...

60% of 1st Time Caregivers Are Young Adults & Teens                                                  Source:  Gen Z Images COVID's Global Burden For Young People - New Survey Until one year ago, the focus of attention for most young adults and teens was education, work, sports and social life.  Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.  A new study from Embracing Carers, the Global Carer Wellbeing Index, shows that 60% of all first time, unpaid caregivers are Gen Z & Millennial young adults and teens.  They are taking care of parents, siblings and other relatives with COVID-19 and other severe illnesses. The number of new caregivers globally is in the millions. The new study suggests that it is taking a heavy toll on their mental and emotional wellbeing.  This is a hidden consequence of COVID-19 that has not been well doc...

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 lig...

  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 w...

 Airbnb With a Possible $35 billion Valuation                                                       Source: Airbnb Fast, Dramatic Turnaround from COVID-19 Business Hit Airbnb,the San Francisco based home rental company, will debut on the Nasdaq on December 10, aiming for a valuation of $35 billion.  It along with DoorDash (my blog 10/30) are expected to be blockbuster U.S. IPO's to close out the year.  Airbnb was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.  As travel came to a halt, Airbnb had to layoff 25% of its workforce and get $2 billion in emergency funding from investors.  As people started traveling again in Q3 2020, the company's business turned around and it scored a surprise profit for Q3.  Two new trends moved the company forward.  People opted to book homes rather than hotels.  And, t...

COVID Vaccines Very Close to Market                                             Source:  Moderna Hope For a COVID Weary World Moderna, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, is seeking US, EU and UK emergency authorization for their COVID vaccine.  The vaccine has proved to be 94% effective.  The company adds it has no serious side effects. Highly Effective More than 1.5 million people have died from COVID.  Moderna says the vaccine is 100% effective in preventing severe cases of COVID.  It also works across demographic groups, including age, gender, ethnicity and race. Second COVID Vaccine Close to Market This is the second vaccine that is now under review for emergency authorization.  The other vaccine was developed by Pfizer and its German biotech partner BioNTech.  That vaccine is 95%.  Both the Pfizer and the Moderna vacc...

Isolated Trips To Nature                                                Source:  HipCamp Vermont COVID Proofed Vacation Destination Travel COVID-19 has caused major disruptions and damage to the global economy and to global travel.  In response the travel industry is innovating with new forms of travel such as outdoor travel trips, remote lodging and private camps far from COVID infected cities.  It's an attempt at COVID proofing a getaway and includes a great deal of social distancing and hygiene.  As people start to think about travelling again and as we await the new COVID vaccines,  travel companies are innovating with new vacation solutions to distance vacationers from the crowds and COVID.  These are largely vacations into nature and the great outdoors. Hot Trends: Biking, Rowing, Camping and Fishing According to ...

Pfizer To Request Quick Emergency FDA Approval Source:  Pfizer Suddenly There Is Hope    Pfizer has completed its late stage trial of its COVID-19 vaccine, saying it is 95% effective.  The company adds that it is effective on older adults, who are more vulnerable, and works against both mild and severe cases of COVID.  The company has the required 2 months of safety data for regulators.  Within days, Pfizer says it will apply for emergency FDA approval to start making it available for public use.  The vaccine's efficacy rate is the highest among all current vaccine candidate now in trials.  As the Economist magazine put it "Suddenly There is Hope". "The Speed of Science" Pfizer expects that the FDA will hold a public hearing on their vaccine in December.  Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says knowing that every day matters in the fight against COVID, the company is moving at what he calls "the speed of science".  The vaccine was developed jointl...

1st Pfizer/BioNTech COVID Vaccine,  Now Moderna Vaccine                                    Source: Moderna COVID Vaccine Moderna Vaccine is 94.5% Effective, Pfizer More than 90% More hope in the fight against the COVID-19 global pandemic.  Cambridge, MA based biotech Moderna reports tonight that it has a COVID vaccine candidate that is 94.5% effective against the deadly virus .  COVID-19 has infected nearly 55 million people and taken more than 1.3 million lives globally as of today.  Pfizer/Germany's BioNTech Vaccine Moderna has the second highly acclaimed vaccine candidate since Pfizer/BioNTech announced theirs a few days ago.  Pfizer claims their vaccine has a more than 90% effective rate. These vaccines have to be approved by regulatory authorities, but their results look very promising and are giving global medical experts hope of quick turnaround deploy...

Musk Says He Has a Moderate Case of COVID-19                                                       Source:  Space X SpaceX First Operational Launch Scheduled for Tonight Space X CEO Elon Musk says he has COVID.  Ironically,  Musk's SpaceX is scheduled to launch four NASA astronauts into orbit tonight to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time since it launched the Space X Crew Dragon to the ISS in May.  Weather is a big question.  But this launch, when it happens, is historic.  It will be the first time in 60 years that NASA handed over the keys for a fully operational launch of NASA astronauts to a US private space company.  And because of Musk's likely COVID infection, the incredible entrepreneur behind SpaceX perhaps will join the astronauts remotely on line, rather than wher...

Highly Advanced Sensors to Warn of COVID in the Air                                                                           Source:  COVID-19 stock image US Defense Dept.'s DARPA Push The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA plans to build a series of prototype detectors capable of spotting the COVID virus in the air.  The devices are targeted for use in office buildings and schools.  The sensors would quickly and accurately detect the presence of the virus in the air in order to alert occupants and prevent the spread. Rising COVID Toll Experts have warned that the virus is airborne.  More than 52 million people worldwide have been infected and more than 1 million have died.  Both Europe and the US are experiencing a ...

 Sales Innovation in Face of Pandemic                                                       Source:  Nissan "Complete, End to End Digital Journey" to the Purchase COVID-19 has radically changed the world and global commerce.  Here's a new example.  Because of the pandemic, global auto customers are shying away from car showrooms.  Nissan is on to a new digital approach.  What the company is calling "a complete, end to end digital journey" to  buying your next Nissan car. Nissan COO Ashwari Gupta's Digital System The Chief Operating Officer of Nissan Ashwari Gupta was tasked by a senior Nissan Board member to determine how to sell cars to customers in a COVID weary world.  Gupta came up with a digital journey.  The journey starts with the customer researching cars on line. Car models co...

Cambridge 1 Being Built By US-Based Nvidia                                                       Source  Nvidia For Drug Discoveries and Treatments in COVID World Graphics chip maker Nvidia, based in California, is creating the UK's fastest AI supercomputer for drug discoveries and treatments particularly for Covid-19. The supercomputer is called Cambridge 1. It will go on line by the end of 2020 as the world's 29th most powerful AI supercomputer and the most powerful in the UK.  The participants in the UK health care AI supercomputer effort are impressive.  They include GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), AstraZeneca, King's College, 2 London Hospitals and Oxford Nanopore.   Other Components to This Health Care Discovery Effort GSK and Nvidia have also build a London based AI lab for vaccine and treatment discovery. ...

Disinfecting Drones at Atlanta Falcon's Mercedes Benz Stadium                                     Source:  Lucid Drone Technologies High Tech Aerial Disinfecting at Falcon's Stadium In Atlanta, the Mercedes Benz Stadium, where the Atlanta Falcons play, and Lucid Drone Technologies have teamed-up to become the first professional sports venue to use disinfecting drones to protect fans, players and staff from Covid and other viruses.   Highly Advanced Technology Starting on October 11 when the Falcon's home stadium opens for limited fan capacity, Lucid's D1 disinfecting drones will release, as they fly, medical grade disinfecting chemicals after each game.  The disinfectant is dispensed by using electrostatic spraying nozzles.  Lucid says one drone can do the work of 14 workers with backpack sprays.  The drones cut the time to accomplish the cleaning b...

Passengers Protected from COVID Contact By Multiple Layers Source:  Futurebus rendering  Award Winning Design "Futurebus" is a new public transportation, bus design concept for the times that we live in.  Every aspect of the design protects passengers from the spread of COVID-19 by minimizing contact with fellow passengers.  There are self-sanitizing handles that utilize UV light and antimicrobial fabrics.  There is a large, single sliding door that allows riders to board and leave the bus with no contact.  The bus has alternated seating to create a protective barrier and cooper infused fabric to reduce pathogens. International Team of University Designers The bus was designed by an international team from Harvard University, Northwestern University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Tong University.  The design won top prize in the Four C Competition, an international design competition sponsored by Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Design....

Aston Martin's 1st SUV Source:  Aston Martin DBX Looking for a big business turnaround, British luxury carmaker Aston Martin rolled out its first, luxury sports utility vehicle (SUV) off the assembly line today.  The brand is famous as James Bond 007's car of choice.  The DBX SUV is priced at $189,000. Audible Gift Memberships Financial Drivers The company has been experiencing disappointing sales since 2018.  The financial distress has been compounded this year by the COVID-19 pandemic.  To cope, Aston Martin has cut jobs and changed top management.  Since its IPO in 2018, the company's share prices has dropped 90%.  Aston Martin says it is in need of funding.  It's financials are blinking red. DBX The company is hoping that the DBX will drive them into a more profitable era.  Deliveries of the SUV start later this month.  The company says it has more than 2,000 orders for the vehicle.  Incoming CEO Tobias Moers...

For Apple and Google, Big Health Tech Futures Source:  Stock Image Perspective from Apple CEO Tim Cook Apple and Google are launching their joint coronavirus contact tracing software. They just provided the first version to Android and iOS  developers to test it before a broader consumer launch.  The public launch will happen when Apple and Google approve the final public health version. This is a huge move in tracking the spread of the virus.  Apple alone controls a whopping 50% of the global smartphone market.  The contact tracing over their phones will provide a key means of spotting  and preventing the spread of the coronavirus, while protecting individual privacy. Consumers Opt In or Out It's up to each individual to decide to opt in or opt out of the contact tracing technology.  Both Google and Apple say the system will not disclose the individual's identity.  For those who opt in, there will be easy Blueto...