Launched by Jade Abbott and Laura Martinus, this open-source project, carried out with artificial intelligence and data experts throughout Africa, aims to apply automatic, neural network-based translation to African languages. Conventional machine learning models have to be trained with huge datasets and input from linguists. These two resources are all too rare for most African languages, although millions of people speak them. Masakhane brings together around 60 contributors who collect data in their mother tongue and train models requiring few resources. The aim is to bring more African voices into the global conversation and enable African researchers to work on international AI projects and apply the technology to the continent’s challenges.

Sources :

https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.05467

https://venturebeat.com/2019/11/27/the-masakhane-project-wants-machine-translation-and-ai-to-transform-africa/

Almost every profession is constantly evolving and most people will have several jobs in their lives. That’s why ongoing training is becoming as important as initial education. To enable everyone to play an active role in their training, the French government has launched a mobile app and website, "mon compte formation" (My Training Account) to encourage the 25 million employees to use their rights easily and independently. Developed by Caisse des Dépôts and the Employment Ministry, the account lets employees check their credits, browse a catalogue of 100,000 training sessions and, above all, book, pay for and rate one without an intermediary, even their employer. The most sought-after professions are displayed on the home page and priority is given to the programs with the best ratings from trainees.

Sources:

https://www.banquedesterritoires.fr/le-site-et-lapplication-mobile-mon-compte-formation-sont-lances

https://www.lexpress.fr/emploi/formation/mon-compte-formation-le-pari-ose-du-gouvernement_2108257.html

The ambition of Earth Bank of Codes, launched by the World Economic Forum and the Peruvian entrepreneur Juan Carlos Castilla-Rubio, is to promote an inclusive bio-economy. The project aims to make biological assets available to the world’s scientists and innovators, while making sure native populations benefit from the results. Under the first stage, begun in November 2019, the DNA of every living thing in the Amazon basin is to be sequenced. Data access and use will be recorded in a blockchain to make sure any profits are fairly shared. The Amazon’s natural treasures, from rubber trees to snake venom, have generated great wealth for manufacturers and pharma companies. The aim is to enable local communities to benefit from future breakthroughs and inventions.

Sources:

https://www.fastcompany.com/40534363/how-a-bank-of-all-the-worlds-genetic-codes-hopes-to-save-nature

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/07/preserving-the-amazon-could-solve-some-of-mankind-s-biggest-problems-and-generate-trillions-of-dollars/

Swedish start-up Doconomy joined forces with Mastercard to launch “Do”, a banking app combined with a charge card that lets users measure their purchases’ carbon footprint. The aim is to track, understand and reduce individuals’ environmental impact. Each purchase’s footprint is estimated using an index created by one of Doconomy’s shareholders, Bank of Aland. The bank calculated the CO2 generated per euro spent for each main purchase type, based on the sector’s average emissions. The Do Black card goes even further, as it lets users set a ceiling that blocks spending once an emission threshold has been reached. Users can then offset their environmental impact by making donations to UN-certified projects or sustainable development funds.

Sources:

https://www.springwise.com/credit-card-tracks-carbon-emissions-of-each-purchase/

https://www.lesechos.fr/finance-marches/banque-assurances/une-carte-de-credit-pour-reguler-son-empreinte-carbone-1029532

The start-up Land Life Company has developed a full reforestation service based on a series of technological tools, with the aim of bringing thousands of hectares back to life efficiently and sustainably. The tools are needed to restore ecosystems in severely degraded regions where nature cannot return unaided. Before any trees are planted, Land Life analyses the soil and environment to understand how the area deteriorated and plan the optimal approach to restore the ecosystem, supported by local communities. Land Life then uses an automated planting system and GPS-guided drills. To ensure the saplings survive the decisive first year, Land Life has designed a biodegradable cocoon that protects and waters the plant. Then Land Life monitors the reforestation over time, storing all the collected data in their base. Many reforestation campaigns have been announced in recent years. Some were managed thousands of miles away from the target area, with good intentions but a high risk of failure.  In-depth local knowledge is essential. With Land Life, a combination of predictive data and local governance is a decisive advantage.

Sources:

https://www.fastcompany.com/40563628/at-this-refugee-camp-residents-are-replanting-40000-trees

https://www.cleantech.com/is-profitable-reforestation-possible-land-life-company-makes-the-new-50-to-watch-list/

Samaritan stems form two observations: we walk around with our eyes on our phone and we rarely have any change on us. These two factors make us even less likely to give money to homeless people. The start-up wants to build bridges between street dwellers and the people that walk past them: “walk with, not by”. Passers-by can hear a homeless person’s story and give them a helping hand. Samaritan works with non-profits who give beacons to people in need. The beacons are linked to an app that sends notifications to nearby pedestrians, giving them homeless person’s story and the chance to send them some money. The homeless person can then spend the funds with local partners on groceries, outdoor equipment, a haircut or coffee, etc.

Sources: 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90313822/this-app-tells-you-the-stories-of-your-homeless-neighbors

https://medium.com/samaritan-journal/20-chronically-homeless-led-to-life-changing-outcomes-through-good-samaritans-with-an-app-e2a77626e0a0

Created by two engineers as a spinoff from ETH Zurich, Climeworks has developed a technology to capture the CO2 around us for various uses. In their first plant in Zurich, it is used to make greenhouses more productive. The second facility, located in Iceland, injects C02 into the ground where it binds with a layer of basalt to form white rock. The plant currently captures 50 tons of CO2 per year. Climeworks has also opened a new plant in Italy where CO2 is combined with hydrogen to make natural gas. As of 2019, Climeworks lets individuals and corporations take out subscriptions to offset their emissions and fund the start-up’s growth. Climeworks aims to cancel out 1% of the world’s emissions by 2025.

To eliminate toxic emissions from our manufacturing, transport and distribution, we must change our methods or find a way to clean them up. Climeworks’ wants to go further by rolling out thousands of small industrial units that decarbonate the atmosphere. Local opportunities provide for the reuse of captured CO2.  Climeworks also proposes to change the way CO2 is used, in line with the 3^rd scenario we outline this year: scientific methods are shared by all, but tailored to local benefits to boost reuse. A dispersed industrial model is based on multiple small units.

Sources:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/climeworks-carbon-capture-technology/

https://www.letemps.ch/economie/climeworks-societe-disparaitre-co2

Aleph Farms is a sustainable food systems pioneer, working passionately to grow delicious, real beef steaks from the cells of living cows. With a nature-inspired approach that mirrors the natural growth and renewal of tissues outside of the animal’s body under controlled conditions, it eliminates the role of antibiotics, animal slaughter or extensive use of resources, throughout the production of meat.

Striving to nourish the world and provide delicious nutrition to the growing world population through an efficient usage of resources, Aleph Farms and its partner, 3D Bioprinting Solutions, left an historical remark in September last year, when it produced meat for the first time on the International Space Station, 248 miles above any natural resource. While its efforts are focused on solving sustainability challenges on planet Earth, the space exploration offers tremendous learnings towards achieving its mission to solve global hunger, food security, food waste and climate change, providing unconditional access to healthy nutrition in the most sustainable fashion.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/07/wheres-the-beef-248-miles-up-as-first-meat-is-grown-in-a-space-lab

https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/conso-distribution/bienvenue-a-aleph-farms-ce-laboratoire-secret-ou-lon-cultive-de-la-viande-1137966

Pollution is a blight on land, sea and even in space. More and more uncontrolled satellites and other space debris are circling the earth. Astroscale, a Japanese firm, is aiming for orbital sustainability by launching clean-up satellites. The first mission, ELSA-d (End of Life Services by Astroscale - demonstration), is scheduled for 2020. It will feature a servicer and a cLinkt satellite, both fitted with magnetic plates. The aim is to show that the servicer can target, find and dispose of a junk satellite by binding with it and disintegrating on re-entry. The system could also be used to repair satellites in the future.

Cleaning up space, particularly lower earth orbits that are crammed with junk is a good idea, if a little late. We need space refuse collectors with expensive, carbon-heavy solutions, to make up for our design errors. Whether this solution has a future depends on who is willing to pay for it. In the meantime, the new space race needs to factor in sustainability from the ground up.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2019/10/11/a-japanese-space-junk-company-is-building-a-spacecraft-to-practice-removing-satellites-from-orbit/#3dae38a24213

https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/14/20909578/satellite-repair-servicing-missions-northrop-grumman-astroscale-space-debris

Professor Veena Sahajwalla and her team at the University of New South Wales have designed micro-factories that can recycle electronic waste on a small, local scale. As the modular plants can run in small places, they can be located where the waste is stored. The long-term goal is to enable poor waste collectors – like the kabadiwallas in Prof. Sahajwalla’s native India – to add more value through their work and gain social status. The project is all the more compelling as the Australian government has banned recyclable waste exports to boost the circular economy. Maybe one day businesses or even households will have to deal with their own waste. This innovation avoids the need to send waste around the world for processing, with the related carbon footprint and risk of pollution. 

Sources:

https://www.telegraphindia.com/technology/the-tech-that-turns-kabadiwallas-into-entrepreneurs/cid/1685421

https://www.springwise.com/new-micro-factory-brings-recycling-electronics/

More than 40 million people are considered victims of modern slavery. Diginex, a blockchain solutions firm, and the Mekong Club, an NGO campaigning against slavery, joined forces to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers in Thailand. The idea is to store a permanent copy of labour contracts and employment conditions in the Ethereum blockchain. eMin also lets multinationals that source from Thailand make sure their suppliers comply with anti-slavery regulations. Stopping exploitation of fragile children and adults is a noble, difficult task as modern slavery takes many forms around the world. eMin strives to protect a migrant population that is all too easy to exploit. The solution enforces a contract, provided of course that one exists.

Sources:

http://blockchainassetreview.com/diginex-and-mekong-club-to-pilot-anti-slavery-blockchain-project-for-thai-migrant-workers/

https://cointelegraph.com/news/blockchain-plays-an-unlikely-role-in-the-global-battle-for-human-rights

In theory, inanimate objects don’t reproduce, unlike living things. But this 3D-printed polyester rabbit is almost an exception. The instructions for its own cloning are contained in strands of DNA, encased in glass inside the plastic. DNA storage has great potential as huge amounts of data can fit into tiny volumes. This innovation shows how everyday objects could hold encrypted information such as tracing information. It stems from cooperation between Israeli researcher and DNA storage pioneer Yaniv Erlich and ETH Zurich applied bioscience & chemistry professor Robert Grass, who invented the glass nanofibers that contain the DNA. They succeeded in reproducing the rabbit five times in a row, creating its great-great-great-grandchild.

Sources: 

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2226644-3d-printed-bunny-contains-dna-instructions-to-make-a-copy-of-itself/

https://futurism.com/plastic-bunny-dna-make-more-bunnies

Every summer Spain is ravaged by forest fires. One solution could be to detect and prevent fires by using drones. A collaborative project managed by the telco Telefónica and involving researchers at Carlos III University in Madrid, drone tech startup Divisek Systems and drone operator Dronitec is based on existing phone masts. The towers are fitted with heat sensors that can spot a possible fire several kilometres away. The masts also contain a small drone hanger. Once the alert is given, a self-flying drone equipped with thermal and optical cameras goes to the suspected fire start to collect data. The data is sent in real time to emergency services, who can take over the drone as needed to gather more information on the possible fire.

Sources:

https://dronelife.com/2019/06/20/telefonica-combines-drones-with-iot-sensors-for-early-fire-detection/

https://newatlas.com/forest-fire-drone/60213/

To prevent the spread of epidemics among infants, 2,000 Chinese kindergartens have brought in Walklake. This childlike robot uses a set of cameras and sensors to scan each pupil’s face and hands for symptoms like fever or a sore throat, all in just three seconds. If any signs of disease are detected, the robot alerts teachers or school nurses, who examine the child and decide whether to send them home.

Sources:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2204279-robots-conduct-daily-health-inspections-of-schoolchildren-in-china/

https://blogs.letemps.ch/emily-turrettini/2019/06/02/les-bilans-de-sante-fait-par-des-robots/

Many of us want to offset our carbon footprint but are wary of funds being misused. Three US students created the Wren project. It allows people who want to fight climate change on their own scale to offset their footprint by investing transparently in projects with real impact. The Web platform calculates your total carbon footprint, based on your place of residence, diet, travel habits and so on. Then it recommends an amount to offset your environmental impact.   Wren suggests investing in projects that are selected according three criteria: measurable results, transparency of information and real funding needs. Once the subscription has been set up, the donor receives a progress report on the use of their funds every two weeks.

Sources:

https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/07/y-combinator-backed-project-wren-is-aiming-to-make-carbon-offsets-more-consumer-friendly/

https://www.fastcompany.com/90374941/this-monthly-subscription-offsets-your-personal-carbon-footprint

Alipay has added face-morphing filters to its facial recognition payment solution. The subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba announced that it would offer customers beauty filters when they make a purchase. The decision follows a survey by Sina Technology, a tech news website, in which more than 60% of 40,000 respondents thought that the scan of their face when making a biometric payment was unflattering. The filters were first used in July 2019 in the Xinhua Bookstores chain.

Data, we assume, is an accurate measure of reality. The face captured by your smartphone’s biometrics can only be yours. This objective, lifelike data lets you use your face to make payments.  But once the purchase is verified, the app alters the data to give you an improved self-image. This virtual touch-up of reality won’t surprise users of Instagram or Snapchat, which alter users’ photos with filters to make them more attractive or entertaining.  With Alipay, the app’s algorithm transforms data to make reality more satisfactory. This is a long way from objective, rational information.

Sources:

https://qz.com/1657653/alipay-to-add-beauty-filters-to-facial-recognition-payment/

https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/03/alipay-beauty-filters/

In 1976, researchers discovered huge holes in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. These polynyas covered up to 49,000 km² but how they formed was a mystery. The phenomenon reoccurred in 2016 and 2017, enabling a team from the University of Washington to conduct further studies. Publishing their findings in Nature, they explained how they collected data from three different sources: satellites, floating robots and seals with thermal probes stuck to their heads (the devices are painless and fall off after a few months). These cyborgs seals were a valuable resource as they can dive up to 2 kilometres deep, giving the researchers access to parts of the ocean they had never studied before. Thanks to this data, the team concluded that the recent polynyas were formed due to a combination of heavy storms, an undersea mountain, saltier water and unusual ocean conditions. This is a great example of human-tech collaboration using locally available resources, in this case seals.

Sources:

https://www.technologyreview.com/f/613662/cyborg-robots-satellites-antarctica-sea-ice-science-oceans/

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2019/06/11/lun-des-grands-mysteres-de-lantarctique-resolu-grace-a-des-phoques-1

German NGO Sea-Eye has saved more than 14,000 people from drowning. In its latest project, Space-Eye, it uses images from Planet, a private American satellite imagery firm, to improve detection and rescue of migrant ships trying to cross the Mediterranean. The idea is also to obtain evidence of human rights violations, e.g. failure by military or civil ships to assist in the event of an emergency. The NGO worked with researchers to analyse the history of satellite imagery from the Mediterranean to check that authorities had taken steps to help people in need. The long-term objective is to have AI examine the images in real time to spot ships in distress and come to their rescue sooner.

Sources:

https://www.betterplace.org/en/projects/68016-space-eye-support-the-satellite-based-search-for-castaways

https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/15892/space-to-the-rescue-non-profit-sea-eye-wants-to-detect-migrant-ships-with-satellite-imagery

What if a realistic simulation of your heart operation was carried out before the real thing? If your doctor could test a treatment on a digital twin before you took it? Or new drugs were designed and perfected with virtual patients before being tested on living humans? These are the goals of the Living Heart project. Stemming from collaboration from Dassault Systèmes and the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the aim is to create an ultra-realistic, 3D digital twin of a human heart to allow surgeons to simulate an operation beforehand and enable physicians to test treatments virtually to be sure of the best results.

Sources:

https://readwrite.com/2019/11/27/fda-extends-collaboration-on-living-heart-project-with-dassault-systemes

https://www.plasticstoday.com/medical/living-heart-project-beats-on-five-more-years-dassault-fda-renew-partnership/58240144161219

In Uganda, pregnant women die every day from complications that could be treated if spotted in time. To do so, Dr Prosper Ahimbisibwe designed M-Scan, a low-cost ultrasound scanner that works with any laptop, tablet or smartphone. Thanks to its portability and affordability, M-Scan can be used to examine women in remote areas with few resources and so reduce maternal mortality significantly.

Sources: 

https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/11/ultra-affordable-ultrasound-startup-m-scan-wins-techcrunch-startup-battlefield-africa/

https://techpoint.africa/2018/12/12/mscan-wins-techcrunch-battlefield-africa

99% of dyes come from petrochemicals via energy-intensive, highly polluting processes. Pili proposes an environmentally-friendly alternative: having living things make colourings and pigments. Several sectors such as biodrug or biofuel production already use enzyme synthesis by bacteria or yeast, but Pili applies the process to textiles, an industry largely ignored by technological process. Biologically made dyes would enable the sector to drastically reduce its environmental impact.

Sources:

https://www.futura-sciences.com/sciences/actualites/chimie-pili-cultive-bacteries-fabriquer-colorants-biodegradables-76578/

https://usbeketrica.com/article/4-innovations-pour-reduire-l-impact-environnemental-des-entreprises-1

Mojo is a Lyon-based startup that is seeking to disrupt the fertility market. It aims to make in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatments more affordable by using artificial intelligence and robotics to analyse and select the most viable spermatozoa and eggs, reducing costs for both clinics and patients. AI is used to make sure the chosen embryo is healthy, while handling and fertilization is automated for greater speed and accuracy. Mojo’s founders claim that they can increase the success rate of IVF to 75% by 2030, up from 25% today.

Sources :

https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/18/fertility-startup-mojo-wants-to-take-the-trial-and-error-out-of-ivf/

http://myblox.fr/index.php/2019/11/18/la-start-up-de-fertilite-mojo-veut-supprimer-les-essais-et-erreurs-de-la-fiv-techcrunch/

Kate Rose, a privacy activist, designed a line of apparel called Adversarial Fashion to avoid surveillance cameras and facial recognition. The garments are covered in a licence plate pattern that set off automated vehicle recognition cameras. The aim is to fill up these systems with junk data to make surveillance less effective. Each of the fake plates on the clothing  quotes from the 4^th amendment of the US Constitution, which protects citizens from unwarranted searches and seizures. Adversarial Fashion’s website explains how to make your own camouflage items to join the movement.

Both innovations help individuals escape digital surveillance, but Adversarial Fashion, unlike  Emotionless, fills the ecosystem with junk data rather than keeping real data out of it.  If you can’t protect yourself from the system, you can at least confuse it.  The idea is to drive the algorithm crazy so its decisions make no sense. A few years ago, the Twitter bot Tay was trained to be racist, homophobic and misogynistic by trolls. The case suggests that if you can control the data that goes into an algorithm, you can make it do whatever you want.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/13/the-fashion-line-designed-to-trick-surveillance-cameras

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/creator-of-adversarial-fashion/

Infinite Biomedical Technologies developed Sense to enable people with a prosthetic arm to have much more natural control over their gestures. The underlying principle is that the device should adapt to the wearer and not the other way around. Thanks to a learning algorithm that records nerve data through eight electrodes, Sense recognises the muscle movements used for each grip. So every time the system detects the same nerve signals it will make the corresponding movements. The Sense prosthesis comes with a Windows application that lets the user personalise the setup and learning process. Training a smart prosthesis used to require great time and investment. Sense’s virtual training system lets them control their robotic arm from day one.

Sources:

https://www.wired.com/story/bionic-limbs-learn-to-open-a-beer/?BottomRelatedStories_Sections_5

https://opedge.com/Articles/ViewArticle/2018-09-01/upper-limb-prosthetics-pattern-recognition-shows-practical-promise

Thanks to ink that captures solar power, an Australian team of researchers led by Professor Paul Dastoor has developed a solar panel that can be printed for less than 10€ the square meter. This could give household solar power the boost it needs. The panels are lighter, easier to install and suited to more surfaces than conventional models. Prof. Dastoor’s team have been working for several years on fluids that can capture and store energy. The first commercial applications of their work were installed in late 2018.

The switch from fossil fuels to renewables is a huge, vital challenge. Science plays a role in both capturing and storing energy (for when the sun’s not shining, the wind’s not blowing, etc.). Printed Solar brings solar power within more people’s reach with low-cost, easy-to-install panels.  However, energy storage is the bigger challenge, as electric vehicle autonomy shows, despite constant improvements in their batteries.  So, for Printed Solar to be truly effective, it needs a wider ecosystem of solutions Applied research has a great deal to gain from openness.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/31/low-cost-printable-solar-panels-offer-ray-of-hope-amid-energy-gridlock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxxM6gz9n34

To check whether someone has cancer, a biopsy is usually carried out, but it requires taking a sample, sending it to a laboratory and waiting for the results. Developed by a team at the University of Texas at Austin, the MasSpec Pen can identify the presence of cancerous cells in human tissue with 96% accuracy in less than 10 seconds. The pen-like probe connects to a mass spectrometer. A drop of water on its tip absorbs tissue molecules, which the spectrometer instantly analyses to detect a possible tumour. This rapid analysis will be helpful to surgeons as it lets them gauge the size of a tumour in real time during an operation.

Sources: 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190827084729.htm

https://www.sante-sur-le-net.com/identifier-tissu-cancereux-stylo-masspec-pen/

Research teams at California’s Salk Institute and Murcia Catholic University in Spain have created an embryo using both human and monkey cells. The experiment was conducted in China for legal reasons. As with previous experiments on sheep and pigs, the stated aim was to produce organs that could be transplanted into humans, in response to a lack of donors or rejection risks. The approach consists of removing cells from adult humans, reprogramming them as stem cells and implanting them in an embryo from another species. 

This experiment forces us to ask whether we are ready to create new species?  What limits should we set on what criteria? In addition, there is the risk of poorly controlled stem cells forming neurons in animal brains, with unforeseeable consequences.

Sources:

https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/07/31/inenglish/1564561365_256842.html

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/aug/03/first-human-monkey-chimera-raises-concern-among-scientists

With Coral, Google is putting artificial intelligence and edge computing together. The tech giant has launched a platform with all the hardware and software needed to make local neural networks that can work on just a Raspberry Pi computer. Coral also offers pre-compiled models that run on little energy and do not need a constant Internet connection. The models use TensorFlow, Google’s open source machine learning system.  The aim is to enable developers to integrate AI into their projects simply and effectively, while keeping their data confidential. Edge AI, independent from a remote cloud, could make computing quicker, safer and less energy-intensive.

Sources:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/14/21065141/google-coral-ai-edge-computing-products-applications-cloud

https://www.clubic.com/technologies-d-avenir/intelligence-artificielle/actualite-851621-google-coral-kit-developpement-objets-connectes-ia-integree.html

800 million Africans live in remote areas. To meet the challenge of connecting them to the Internet, the Ivorian startup Lifi-Led is banking on an LED lamppost that delivers LiFi. The solution produced lighting as well as high bandwidth from a satellite connection. To bridge the digital divide, in partnership with the local subsidiary of Eutelsat, Lifi-Led offers a €15 monthly package including lighting and unlimited Internet access, as well as educational videos on school subjects or agriculture via a local server. The startup is also committed to environmental responsibility. The LiFi posts are made from locally sourced recycled plastic. Lifi-Led currently has 25,000 subscribers in five countries.

Sources:

https://business.lesechos.fr/entrepreneurs/actu/0602539205980-lifi-led-la-start-up-qui-desenclave-les-villages-africains-334347.php

https://startup.info/fr/lifiled/

If your children have too much screen time, Banjo Robinson is the solution. To stimulate the curiosity of 5-8-year-olds and encourage them to read away from screens, parents can sign up online to Banjo Robinson, a penfriend that’s virtual but not digital. Banjo is a globe-trotting cat who posts letters to your children from his travels. Twice a month, they receive personalized letters suggesting fun, educational activities. They can reply to Banjo by leaving a letter under the sofa. Then the parents take over and personalise Banjo’s future letter based on that reply.

Sources:

https://www.eu-startups.com/2019/11/london-based-startup-banjo-robinson-raises-e1-16-million-pre-seed-round/

https://www.wemadethis.co.uk/work/banjo-robinson/

While algorithms become more and more skilled at reading our emotions, they are also becoming more closely integrated into our private lives. This is mainly happening through the smart speakers and virtual assistants in our living rooms.  To avoid the risk of emotional espionage, researchers at Imperial College London have found a way to protect our privacy. Their method consists of recording speech and extracting all emotional characteristics from the raw signal. After an algorithm has flattened the message in this way, a voice synthesizer reproduces standardised speech and sends it the smart device’s cloud. Tests show Emotionless reduces emotion recognition by 96%, but also loses accuracy with a 35% error rate.

Emotionless protects our sensitive or private data by reducing the amount of information collected by sensors. Let’s not forget that algorithms’ supposed intelligence depends on the data they are fed. Distorting or destroying data is still the best way to avoid giving away personal information for free. In this case the dataset isn’t the real world, it’s a representation of reality, minus what we want to keep to ourselves. The tech firms that benefit most from the data economy, or “surveillance capitalism” as Shoshana Zuboff calls it, won’t be pleased.

Sources:

https://medium.com/syncedreview/how-to-hide-your-feelings-from-ai-voice-assistants-2db516d9e2d7

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ne8bxd/ai-that-hides-your-emotions-from-other-ai-alexa-siri-google

Researchers at the Indian School of Design and Innovation in Bombay have come up with a greener alternative to concrete: bio-bricks made from earth, cement, charcoal and luffa, the plant commonly used for bath sponges. Plants and insects thrive on the surface of these environmentally-friendly bricks as they contain more air pockets than standard concrete blocks, making them up to 20 times more porous.  For humans, Green Charcoal has a further benefit at the pores act as thousands of tiny water reservoirs, reducing temperature and cooling interior environments. The goal of this biophilic material is to promote biodiversity in highly urbanised zones, making them healthier and more liveable.

Sources: 

https://materialdistrict.com/article/lightweight-bricks-luffa-charcoal/

https://www.dezeen.com/2019/07/14/green-charcoal-bricks-loofah-technology-materials/

DNA Nudge aims to help people make better choices when buying food by factoring in their genetic profile. A test, taking around an hour, looks for the genes that relate to caffeine metabolization or predispositions to high blood pressure, cholesterol or type 2 diabetes. Then, with an app and a smart wristband, users can scan products and receive personalised recommendations. The wristband also tracks the wearer’s physical activity. The DNA tests can be sent by post or taken in the startup’s pop-up stores in London.

Sources:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2222415-i-tested-out-dna-based-food-shopping-and-it-was-strange/

https://www.bfmtv.com/tech/un-bracelet-connecte-pour-faire-ses-courses-en-fonction-de-son-adn-1836039.html

Tended Protect is a wearable designed for the industrial sector but also horse riders, cyclists and lone sportspeople. By motion sensing, it detects a fall or accident and immediately informs emergency services. It can learn how to detect anomalies through AI. If the wearer is unable to respond to the safety alert, their emergency contacts are informed with GPS coordinates, health and activity information, and direct contact is made through a voice channel. The wristband has an emergency button as well as sensors for fitness tracking. It can run in private mode unless an accident happens. The device could also prove useful for elderly people living on their own.

Sources:

https://cityx.co.uk/2018/07/tended-wearable-safety-device-developed-lincolnshire/

https://www.producthunt.com/posts/tended

Inspired by pirate radio and the free-culture movement, an American biohacker has implanted a Wi-Fi router and hard drive in his leg. The setup, which cost less than $50, makes the human body part of a peer-to-peer network. Any Wi-Fi-enabled device can access the router, which can also connect to other PegLegs to create a local, off-grid network. The implant can store several hundred gigabytes, stream films to connected devices or function as a server for an anonymous chatroom or encrypted file transfers.

Sources:

https://www.wired.com/story/this-diy-implant-lets-you-stream-movies-from-inside-your-leg/

https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/pegleg-raspberry-pi-implanted-below-the-skin-not-coming-to-a-store-near-you/

Designed by Ruchit Nagar, a Harvard Medical School student from Rajasthan, Khushi Baby is a digital necklace connected to a mobile app. It simplifies the medial monitoring of children in developing countries. With Khushi Baby’s RFID chip, the individual’s health data is stored, password protected and can be accessed with no internet connection thanks to NFC technology. Healthcare staff can check each patient’s history and current treatment by scanning the necklace with the app. Vaccination data is updated in the cloud. Khushi Baby is a solution to the problem of fast, secure access to health data in developing countries.  Without it, children and adults are at risk of unsuitable treatment or misdiagnosis.

Sources: 

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/khushi-baby-india-gen-h-johnson-and-johnson/

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/120674402/khushi-baby-mhealth-and-wearable-tech-for-social-i?lang=fr

Free deliveries and returns are almost standard in e-commerce but entail huge costs for online retailers. Manchit Madan, a data scientist at Indian shopping site Myntra Designs, worked out how to predict the likelihood of customers sending a product back, even before they bought it, with de 83% accuracy. With fellow researchers Sajan Kedia, also at Myntra, and Sumit Borar from Google, he examined shoppers’ interactions with more than half a million products on the Myntra websites and the millions of orders and returns made per day. After analysing different criteria in customers’ shopping histories and the specific articles they put in their basket, they built an algorithm that calculates the probability of an article being returned.  For example, when a basket contains more than five articles, the shopper has a 72% chance of returning an article, compared with 9% for a single item. An e-tailer could adjust shipping costs in real time according to the likelihood of the customer returning the product.

Sources:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90372713/this-ai-knows-youll-return-those-shoes-before-you-do

https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/01/ai-predicts-whether-youll-return-an-item-before-you-buy-it/

Sigmind develops solutions that provide psychiatrists with objective analysis tools on a par with those used in other medical specialties. Lab by Sigmind is an artificial intelligence system that draws on neuroscience and voice analysis, both during and outside sessions. The aim is to help practitioners in their diagnoses, treatment decisions and patient monitoring through a visual dashboard which tracks disorders, including speech features, symptoms, life events and compliance. Lab by Sigimind shows how humans and algorithms can work together to enhance what we often assume are soft, unquantifiable skills. 

Sources:

https://www.seedstarsworld.com/company/81155/

https://tn.com.ar/salud/lo-ultimo/hecho-en-argentina-desarrollan-inteligencia-artificial-para-tratar-pacientes-con-diagnosticos_1007078

Cambridge Mobile Telematics created Safest Driver, a mobile app that gamifies good habits on the road, for the city of Boston. Users are invited to challenge their friends, families, coworkers and neighbours to see who the best driver is. The app uses smartphone sensors to assess driving quality in terms of acceleration, braking, bends and speed, as well as distraction from the phone itself.  The idea is to leverage the spirit of competition while giving objective insight through statistics. A 2016 pilot project was successful as speed limit observance rose 35% and phone distraction decreased 47% among users. A new contest was launched in 2019, allowing the city’s most disciplined drivers to win prizes. The data collected through the app was aggregated and anonymized to sow the big picture of driving habits. It gave the city a detailed map of the places where dangerous behaviour occurred most often.

Sources:

https://www.cmtelematics.com/bostons-safest-driver/

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2020/02/20/safest-driver-data-reveal-where-bostons-most-dangerous-driving-is/

Burn to Give, an app created by Chilean triathlete Eduardo della Maggiora, converts the calories burnt off by exercise into meals for malnourished children or donations to other good causes. For every calorie used up, a calorie is given to an underfed child through a program chosen by the user in the app. To date, users have worked off enough calories to give more than 500,000 meals. For businesses and sporting event organisers, Burn to Give can also organise challenges in line with its goal to tackle two major global problems – obesity and famine. 

Sources:

https://www.soychile.cl/Santiago/Sociedad/2018/03/19/522936/Burn-to-Give-la-plataforma-que-transforma-las-calorias-que-quemes-en-nutricion-para-ninos-de-Haiti.aspx

https://shortyawards.com/3rd-socialgood/burn-a-calorie-feed-a-child

Almond claims that 52% of our individual carbon footprint comes from the goods and services we buy. To do something about it, the startup created an app that encourages users to buy from environmentally responsible producers. After calculating their carbon footprint on the app, users go to a marketplace where they can buy products from partner brands. This earns them blockchain tokens they can use to offset their footprint by funding reforestation and rainforest protection projects. 

Sources:

https://medium.com/swazm/the-almond-app-a-case-of-using-blockchain-for-responsible-consumption-548895695f39

https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2019/08/21/Start-up-cuts-carbon-footprints-rewards-conscious-consumption-and-gives-responsible-brands-an-edge-over-less-sustainable-competitors

Secom, a major private security firm in Japan, joined forces with Docomo, the country’s biggest telecoms operator, and DeNa, a mobile game publisher, to design a virtual security agent. The life-size avatar is displayed in an upright mirror and comes in male and female versions to act as either guard or receptionist. Using cameras, motion sensors and face and voice recognition, the hologram can identify and scan visitors, spot suspect objects and tell whether someone is trying to conceal their identity. The avatar can also answer basic questions and give an alert is someone collapses, for example. Everything transmitted by the virtual guard can be monitored in real time on screens by human staff, who can intervene if necessary. Secom claims that its security guards are the first of their kind and could help Japan overcome its labour shortage.

Sources: 

https://soranews24.com/2019/04/29/this-handsome-anime-style-security-guard-will-be-protecting-actual-home-and-offices-in-japan/

https://futurism.com/the-byte/virtual-security-guard-anime-character

If you’ve ever made a mobile video call, you’ll know they can be disconcerting, as we tend to look at the screen, not the camera. This makes eye contact, which is essential to a natural conversation, very difficult. In its iOS 13 operating system, Apple added a feature to make FaceTime calls less awkward. Both participants’ gazes are corrected in real time so they feel they are looking each other in the eyes, even when they’re not. Users are divided as to whether the feature makes communication more lifelike or more unnatural.

As with AliPay, Facetime Attention Correction transforms reality, in this case to make video chats easier. It creates an illusion of reality that seems more natural than the real thing. In the near future, we won’t notice that reality has been subtly modified by an algorithm. Regardless of the pros and cons,  we should bear in mind that data not only informs us about reality, but also allows us to change it. In the future will we have to check whether we are viewing “natural” or unaltered reality. Do we need a “genuine reality” label? 

Sources:

https://mashable.com/article/ios-13-facetime-eye-contact/?europe=true

https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/3/20680681/ios-13-beta-3-facetime-attention-correction-eye-contact

The legaltech startup Lexigogo launched a mobile app that lets anyone create video contracts. The legally binding videos are stored in an independent cloud, where they are kept safe even if users lose their phone. To enter into an agreement, the parties just have to film themselves, with no need to write down the terms.  Lexigogo’s creators see a range of use cases: money lending between friends, hiring a contractor, confirming delivery of goods, etc. 

With a contemporary, very Gen Z-oriented approach, Lexigogo turns a legal service into a fun, mobile experience. The app is far removed from the stilted, complex world of law firms. But do we really need to contractualise more aspects of our lives? With every app or device forcing us into signing off on lengthy contracts we never read, at least with Lexigogo consumers have the initiative. Maybe it is time to take the law into our own hands.

Sources:

https://www.artificiallawyer.com/2018/11/20/make-a-video-based-legal-contract-with-lexigogo/

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lexigogo-world-s-first-mobile-app-to-create-legally-binding-video-contracts-828394824.html

Growing demand for soft water, together with pollution and climate change, makes scarcities and therefore conflicts more likely. Our resources and economies have become highly vulnerable to hydric stress. That’s why the Water, Peace and Security (WPS) project makes tools and services to support public and private stakeholders in managing water more effectively as a fragile resource. In particular, an online monitoring platform uses prediction models based on global datasets, local, information and satellite images.  The goal is to track regions and countries’ sensitivity to conflicts over water and to sound an alert when needed. WPS also develops decision tools for the sensitive zones it identifies.

Sources:

https://www.un-ihe.org/water-peace-and-security-partnership

https://www.international-alert.org/projects/water-peace-and-security

It can be hard to measure the impact that today’s decisions have on future generations. That’s why MIT and the NGO, Climate Interactive, created a detailed climate change simulator that shows what actions we can take to reduce global warming. En-ROADS is an interactive platform that lets users visualise the climate crisis and the impact of different solutions under consideration. Its starting point is a 4.1-degree temperature rise, if nothing is done, by 2100. Visitors can play with different assumptions and decisions in attempts to keep the temperature down, from energy options (e.g. less coal, more biofuels), transport methods, demographic changes, economic growth to investment in decarbonising. A useful way of realising the scale and complexity of the climate challenge we’re facing.

Sources : 

https://korii.slate.fr/et-caetera/jouez-regler-vous-meme-crise-climatique-simulateur-mit

https://www.climateinteractive.org/en-roads/the-en-roads-climate-solutions-simulator-is-here/

Designed by MIT Media Lab, Elowan is a robotic plant that can move unaided to best-lit spot for optimal growth. Elowan is fitted with sensors and an electronic brain that analyses the electrochemical signals it naturally produces in response to changes in its environment and exposure to light. A motor and wheels give it a form of independence. As well as a step towards cybernetic nature, Elowan could help optimise nutrition and enable plants to defend themselves more effectively.

We’ve seen humans augmented with robotic members, now here are plants with digital powers. These powers can improve their growth and, in the future perhaps, their resistance to harsh environments. Creating hybrid organisms is a survival strategy in a degraded or even uninhabitable world. This particular solution is restricted to a single living thing. On a wider scale, it could be an emergency response or part of a long-term plan to redesign the living world.

Sources:

https://www.dezeen.com/2018/12/07/mit-elowan-cyborg-botany-plant-robot-hybrid/

https://selectra.info/domotique/actualites/insolite/elowan-plante-intelligente

Created by Dr Hassan Yasin, a psychiatrist specializing in children and teenagers, the Moodit app is designed to help users understand and manage their emotions and mental health through interactive, fun exercises and tools. Users are encouraged to share their mood every day. The app shows how many people feel the same at the same time and produces an individual mood graph. Thanks to a machine learning algorithm, the app compiles and analyses each user’s information to give them Moodhacks. These tips help users overcome anxiety, develop their emotional intelligence and above all remove the stigma from mental health issues. Users can also follow their friends and family to see how they are feeling.  In the event of anxiety, the Safe Mode gives breathing exercises or lets you ping your emergency contacts. Moodit’s goal is to perfect its algorithm so it can spot the trends that point to imminent mental health problems so they can be tackled without delay.

Sources:

https://www.goodnewsliverpool.co.uk/2018/06/25/market-in-the-mood-believes-psychiatrist-and-entrepreneur/

https://www.builder.ai/case-studies/moodit

An anti-fake news tool created in response to Russian disinformation tools targeting the Baltic states. Demaskuok, which means “debunk” in Lithuanian, is an algorithm that seeks out the original poster of fake news. It was developed by Delfi, an online news portal based in Vilnius, in cooperation with Google. Demaskuok software sifts through online articles in Lithuanian, Russian and English to spot any signs of disinformation. By going through the online history of dubious articles, it tries to find patient zero or the origin of the fake news campaign.

Sources: 

https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/lituanie-demaskuok-le-nouveau-logiciel-pour-combattre-la-desinformation-russe

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2019/10/24/lithuanians-are-using-software-to-fight-back-against-fake-news

This startup has an all-in-one solution for obesity, diabetes, greenhouse gases and agricultural poverty.  Xilinat turns farm waste like corn residue into xylitol, a natural sweetener with a sugar-like taste but far fewer calories. It also has a low glycaemic index so can be eaten by diabetics. Using agricultural waste gives farmers a more responsible alternative to incineration, which accounts for 40% of Mexico’s CO2 emissions. In addition, farmers are paid fairly, enabling them to supplement low income in many cases.

Sources:

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/smallbusiness/article-7031887/Will-Xilinat-replace-sugars-sweeteners-help-end-diabetes.html

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/startup-wins-international-contest/

WhatsApp accounts for more than half of mobile data in Zimbabwe, a country where 98% of internet use is mobile.  As the app is free and requires very little bandwidth, it has become the most popular communication channel in many African countries. Zimbabwe’s economic collapse has made it difficult for citizens or tourists to find information or services. In response, Modern Innovations Marketing created Ipapo, a virtual assistant on WhatsApp that gives access to various business services, from a sales directory to hotel and taxi bookings. Firms can also personalise the chatbot to handle their customer relations.

Sources:

https://www.techzim.co.zw/2019/09/local-company-develops-free-business-directory-thats-accessible-via-whatsapp/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QSGnWJH_50&feature=youtu.be

The IVF start-up Genomic Prediction lets future parents carry out DNA tests on embryos to determine the risks of disease or defects.  The genetic analysis is used to select the embryo with the lowest probability of developing 11 common pathologies in their lifetime, e.g. diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, prostate cancer.

Nature doesn’t always live up to our expectations. Science can deliver practical solutions to diseases and their effects. It can also prevent them, particularly by analysing or even modifying DNA at the embryonic stage. What should we do with this information and tools for improving living things? This an ethical as well as scientific question. Genomic Prediction’s innovation raises this issue as it opens the way to embryo selection on non-medical criteria. As we see from many examples in this trend, science alone isn’t enough. It has to work with industry to apply its research and roll out developments on wider scales and with civil society to establish regulatory frameworks. Under these conditions, the scientific community can make a substantial contribution to both environmental and social sustainable development goals.

Sources:

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614690/polygenic-score-ivf-embryo-dna-tests-genomic-prediction-gattaca/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-51258-x

Katica Roy, gender economist and founder of Pipeline, is convinced that inequity between men and women in the workplace has a heavy cost for both business and society. That’s why she founded Pipeline, a platform that combines data and artificial intelligence to guide businesses in improving their financial performance by reducing inequality. The goal is to track and optimise key performance indicators that show businesses they have everything to gain from gender equity and help them rationalise their recruiting, appraisal and development practices accordingly. 

Gender equality is a crucial issue for both business and society. In most developed societies, women   have access to the same professions as men. They should also be paid the same as their male colleagues. Yet in the real world of work, this is far from the case. Pipeline uses objective data to support equality and uses language businesses understand by appealing to economic performance.

Sources:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90349777/gender-inequity-costs-the-united-states-2-trillion-in-lost-gdp

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pipeline-receives-ai-breakthroughs-innovation-award-for-ai-platforms-300877640.html

In addition to correcting mutations that lead to diseases, the CRISPR gene editing system can now be used to program and control smart materials. Gels, in particular, can change their properties when they encounter specific DNA sequences. A joint MIT-Harvard research team applied the technology to control electronic circuits and microfluids and to release gels containing drugs, proteins or living cells. These materials could be activated to deliver a treatment when they detect a specific DNA sequence. The researchers believe that CRISP-responsive biomaterials could help treat diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome or create diagnostic solutions for pathologies such as the Ebola virus.

Sources:

https://wyss.harvard.edu/news/biomaterials-smarten-up-with-crispr/

http://news.mit.edu/2019/crispr-edit-materials-gels-0822

Developed by Canopy, a startup with Spotify and Instagram alumni on the team, Tonic is a customized news reader that recommends 5 items per day.  The iPhone app stands out as it doesn’t want to be addictive or sell your data, so it doesn’t even know who you are. Thanks to an edge machine learning system, working locally on your smartphone, Tonic is designed to be totally private, learning what you prefer over time, in order to offer a personalized experience. Unlike other recommendation engines, all raw behavioural data stays on your device. You don’t even need to identify yourself or provide an email address.  When you click one of Tonic’s suggestions it opens in a private browser with no cookies. Tonic doesn’t offer endless streams and users can consult, adjust or even delete their personalization model.

Sources:

https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/20/tonic-launches-a-personalized-news-reader-that-respects-user-privacy/

https://www.cnet.com/news/tonic-app-wants-to-recommend-you-articles-stories-poems-art-from-unexplored-nontoxic-corners-of-the-internet/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0b

Fashion brand VolleBak uses science and technology to create futuristic clothing. In this case that means an alternative to high-pollution fast fashion: a T-shirt made from plants and algae that is fully compostable. The fabric is made of sustainable eucalyptus, beech and spruce pulp, shredded and transformed into fibre, while dyes are made from algae grown in bioreactors. The day your T-shirt is worn out or goes out of style, just bury it in the garden or put in a composting bin. In 12 weeks it will have vanished without a trace.

Sources:

https://www.dezeen.com/2019/08/28/vollebak-plant-and-algae-t-shirt-sustainable-biodegradable-fashion/

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/vollebak-algae-plant-shirt

We generate more data than ever before. By 2025 we’ll have produced 60 zettabytes, i.e. more bytes than there are stars in the observable universe. Our current storage methods may soon prove inadequate. One solution comes from Catalog, a start-up that took inspiration from human genetics to create DNA Data Writer. The device records information on strands of synthetic DNA at 4 MO per second. Catalog stored the entire English language version of Wikipedia on a droplet of DNA in 12 hours. This quaternary storage method could be more efficient, more environmentally-friendly and longer-lasting than binary electronics. Commercial trials are planned in 2020.

The digital sector is far from exemplary on sustainability. The production and use of tech harms the planet and the mass generation and storage of data has a substantial impact. For the sake of both efficiency and the environment, science is always on the lookout for new, eco-designed storage media. Perhaps the solution is encoded in our DNA.

Sources:

https://www.cnet.com/news/startup-packs-all-16gb-wikipedia-onto-dna-strands-demonstrate-new-storage-tech/

https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2019/5733084/catalog-dna-data-writer/

DataGrid, a startup founded by Yuki Okada and Atsushi Ogawa and incubated at Tokyo university, has developed an artificial intelligence that can generate virtual fashion models. Using generative adversarial networks (GAN), DataGrid creates lifelike, full-body images of people, including face, hair and clothes. To do so, one algorithm produces still and moving images of models and a second algorithm judges whether it is realistic enough. If it isn’t, the first algorithm makes a better proposal. The company intends to market its solution to fashion brands and the advertising sector.

Sources:

https://www.springwise.com/japanese-startup-generates-photorealistic-ai-humans/

https://thenextweb.com/artificial-intelligence/2019/05/01/this-ai-generates-ultra-realistic-fashion-models-from-head-to-toe/

Bioceanor, a French startup, has created a smart underwater weather station that constantly analyses water quality and predicts the factors that could impair it. AquaREAL is self-powered and packed with sensors that measure not only physical properties (oxygen, pH, salinity, etc.), but also the water’s microbiological quality. This usually requires laboratory analyses but AquaREAL speeds up the process through machine learning. AquaREAL is designed for environmental monitoring but also for oyster and other aquatic farms that depend on water quality.

Sources:

https://www.usine-digitale.fr/article/bioceanor-la-start-up-qui-surveille-et-predit-la-qualite-de-l-eau-en-temps-reel.N885994

https://www.lesechos.fr/pme-regions/innovateurs/bioceanor-cree-la-station-meteo-sous-marine-connectee-1170811

18-year-old Fionn Ferreira has invented a magnetic solution for extracting microplastics from polluted water. The process is based on ferrofluids, a NASA invention. It allowed Ferreira to win the Google Science Fair 2019 and a $50,000 grant. Using a combination of vegetable oil and magnetite powder to create a magnetic liquid, together with magnets, Ferreira attracted then extracted all the plastic from various samples of contaminated water. 87% of 1,000 tests were a success. The next stage, of course, is industrialisation, bearing in mind that no wastewater processing plants in Europe currently filter out microplastics.

Microplastic pollution is a fundamental issue. Many researchers are working to assess the damage it causes across the ecosystem. Finding ways to recover it is an urgent challenge, but is shouldn’t deter us from the greater goal of doing without plastic entirely.

Sources:

https://www.businessinsider.sg/microplastics-water-pollution-solution-from-google-2019-8?r=US&IR=T

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/01/us/irish-teen-wins-google-science-fair-trnd/index.html

A team at CSAIL, MIT’s artificial intelligence lab, has designed a photosensitive ink that can be reprogrammed to let objects change colour when exposed to ultraviolet light. PhotoChromeleon uses a blend of photochromic colourings that can be sprayed or painted onto any surface. The objects it covers can change colour or pattern an unlimited number of times.  PhotoChromeleon can customize phone cases, cars or shoes. The inventors believe that the programmable ink could help cut waste by reducing demand for new products.

Sources:

https://www.dezeen.com/2019/09/30/reprogrammable-ink-change-colour-mit/?

https://www.europe1.fr/emissions/L-innovation-du-jour/photochromeleon-des-objets-cameleons-grace-a-une-encre-reprogrammable-3919368

Voicesense is a startup specialising in voice analytics. Targeting customer relations and human resources departments, it claims to be able to build a personality profile and predict behaviour from an algorithm that measures more than 200 parameters a second, in several languages. Voicesense believes that listening to vocal interactions reveals more than words can say. Applications include assessing a job candidate’s motivation or the likelihood of a customer defaulting on a bank loan.

Just listening to someone’s voice is enough to know, profile or even appraise them, according to Voicesense. It illustrates the great power of data. Using a closely-guarded model, the platform captures signals to predict your actions without you realising it. The data is supposedly objective but does not necessarily take context, culture or memory into account. The startup emphasises efficiency and business benefits, making us almost forget that we are outsourcing our understanding and decisions. We need greater critical thinking when it comes to data if we are to make informed choices.

Sources: 

https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/14/18264458/voice-technology-speech-analysis-mental-health-risk-privacy

https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/voicesense-wins-excellence-in-customer-services-technology-of-the-year-award-300862376.html

A pioneering peer-to-peer electricity-sharing network has been rolled out in Bangkok’s 8-hectare T77 district. Launched by solar startup Power Ledger, the blockchain-based platform lets users – a shopping mall, schools, clinic and apartments – trade power between themselves. As solar panels are becoming cheaper, the project shows how communities can become self-sufficient in terms of energy.  The system’s total capacity of 635KW makes it one of the biggest P2P solar projects worldwide.

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-renewables-tech/in-a-posh-bangkok-neighborhood-residents-trade-energy-with-blockchain-idUSKCN1LD0Z8

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1761449/power-ledger-brings-blockchain-energy-model-to-region

A startup on the booming regtech market, Apiax aims to automate and simplify compliance procedures for banks and fintech firms. Their technology uses machine learning to turn complex financial regulations into binary compliance rules that an algorithm can understand. Apiax’s clear interface lets clients know whether their digital solutions are compliant from the design stage and their projects are in line with the latest rules. The idea is to enable companies to focus on their business goals despite the regulatory hurdles they face.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/madhvimavadiya/2017/07/21/kickstart-accelerator-fintech-startup/#7518abc45355

https://www.startup.ch/Apiax

Regular urban travel on a two-wheeler means the risk of chronic disease due to air pollution, especially in India.  Shellios is a smart helmet for city riders. It purifies the user’s air to reduce exposure to toxins. The helmet also connects to a mobile app that tells the rider when the battery is low or the filter needs cleaning.

A range of digital tools help us to assess our environment, our physical or mental states and correct them as needed. Since 2008, Netexplo Observatory has covered several smart objects that can identify dirty water, polluted soil or toxic air. In 2014 we spotted a Dutch innovation, BB.Suit. This high-tech overall can clean pollution from the air around us, helping the wearer survive in a degraded environment. Shellios works on the same principle of cleaning an individual’s immediate environment. It’s effective in the short term but doesn’t drive longer-term changes in habits or regulations.

Sources:

https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/air-pollution-helmet-with-air-purifier-delhi-startup-shellios-27836/

https://www.business-standard.com/article/technology/these-techies-freshen-up-the-air-for-delhi-s-pollution-hit-bike-riders-119110500474_1.html

ChewIt is a wireless intra-oral interface, the size of a lozenge, that could give tetraplegic people a new way to control their devices. Containing a tiny accelerometer and gyroscope, it records how users move it around their mouth. These oral movements can be programmed to work as commands, for example turning their head to steer a wheelchair. The goal of ChewIt’s creator, Pablo Gallego Cascón, a student at Auckland University’s Augmented Human Lab, is to develop assistive technology that doesn’t attract attention or make the user look weird. ChewIt is undetectable to anyone except the user.

Sources:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90396796/a-new-mouth-operated-remote-control-could-help-ar-become-truly-mobile

https://owdin.live/2019/09/11/une-nouvelle-telecommande-a-commande-buccale-pourrait-aider-lar-a-devenir-vraiment-mobile/

Blue Sky Analytics uses machine learning to analyse complex satellite data and IoT measurements in real time. The goal is to deliver high-precision environmental monitoring via Web apps.  The startup wants to enable global stakeholders to make better-informed, more sustainable decisions. Their first application, BreeZo, focuses on air quality in Indian cities, while Zuri monitors forest fires and the resulting greenhouse gases worldwide. Zorro, the third application, currently in the development phase, is designed to monitor industrial pollution. Blue Sky Analytics won the Copernicus Masters Social Entrepreneurship Challenge 2019, an international competition that recognizes innovative solutions based on terrestrial data observation.

Sources: 

https://inc42.com/features/blue-sky-thinking-the-delhi-startup-changing-how-we-track-air-pollution/

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/delhi-based-startup-becomes-india-s-first-to-win-space-oscar-in-european-space-agency-entrepreneurship-challenge-1628963-2019-12-17

Computing power is a major factor in artificial intelligence but receives relatively little attention. Optical processing units are promising, as they use light rather then electronics to boost performance. In some ways optical processors are to conventional processors what fibre optics are to electric cables. Lighton, a French startup, is a pioneer in optical processing, bringing together experts in physics, mathematics and computing. Its optical processing unit can speed up AI calculations while reducing their energy consumption. This technology enables tasks that demand great computing power, memory and energy with conventional processors to be completed much faster.

Sources :

https://www.usinenouvelle.com/editorial/lighton-l-accelerateur-optique-du-deep-learning-leve-2-9-millions-d-euros.N785879

https://www.actuia.com/actualite/lighton-lavenir-de-lintelligence-artificielle-passe-par-la-lumiere/

Startup Mate Labs developed MateVerse, an easy-to-use machine learning platform, even for non-developers. The idea is to fully automate the data cleaning process and simplify the construction and training process for machine learning models. Whether beginners who have never written a line of code or experienced developers looking to save time, MateVerse users are guided through every step in the process as they make and test new solutions.

Sources:

https://inc42.com/startups/ai-for-masses-why-mate-labs-chose-the-diy-route-to-help-non-coders-build-machine-learning-models/

https://analyticsindiamag.com/meet-mate-labs-a-startup-that-builds-easy-to-use-ml-platforms-for-non-developers-with-100-success-rate/

The start-up Unanimous.ai uses artificial intelligence to leverage collective human intelligence. The Swarm platform mimics the decision-making methods of bees. The goal is to establish the best consensus from a swarm of humans. The resulting expertise outperforms even the best individual experts.  The platform was tested at Stanford medical centre on pneumonia diagnosis based on X-rays. The collective intelligence of AI-moderated physicians achieved better results than any one doctor and was even more accurate than a trained AI system.

Sources:

https://www.prweb.com/releases/study_shows_human_swarms_can_forecast_financial_markets/prweb16574552.htm

https://bigcloud.io/predicting-a-better-future-with-swarm-intelligence/

Memory Lane is a project by Accenture Interactive and Stockholm Exergi, an energy company, that uses artificial intelligence to reduce loneliness among the elderly.  To prevent isolation, a driver of senility and depression, Memory Lane uses a voice assistant and a chatbot to collect older people’s life stories for future generations. It works through an app on Google Home smart speakers that encourages them to share their biographies and archives the results. Through a conversation designed to be as natural as possible, AI builds a detailed life story that can be turned into a book or podcast.  The prototype was tested on a group of ten people aged 75 – 101 in Stockholm, whose life stories were shared as a podcast, video and e-book on the Stockholm Exergi website.

Sources:

https://korii.slate.fr/tech/intelligence-artificielle-enregistrer-histoires-seniors-memory-lane-suede

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/04/30/accenture-interactive-creates-memory-lane-ai-project-tackle-elderly-loneliness

Korean startup n.thing developed Planty Cube, a vertical farm with modular containers that can produce up to 13 high-quality crop cycles per year. With LEDs and connected sensors, the airtight hydroponic system controls the growing environment (temperature, humidity, nutrition, parasite prevention) to optimise photosynthesis and plant growth. Planty Cube can also grow crops with specific properties, like green vegetables that are low in nitrates or potassium for consumers with kidney or heart conditions. The modular concept means users can increase the size of their farm by adding cubes as their business grow, unlike many vertical farms which have high initial costs. The aim is to foster micro-farms that grow crops all year long, at constant quality and prices. Planty Cube won a 2020 Best of Innovation Award in the Smart City category at CES 2020.

Sources:

https://www.ksvalley.com/news/article.html?no=6317

https://www.designboom.com/technology/the-planty-cube-vertical-farming-system-ces-01-14-2020/

Black Africans are at a medical disadvantage as they only represent 2% of genetic samples used in pharmaceutical research.  54gene wants to put that right by building the biggest ever pan-African genome bank. The goal is to unlock the African genome and increase scientific understanding of the world’s most genetically diverse population. The start-up works in partnership with hospitals and research institutes in African countries to promote diversity in genetic data and inclusion in scientific research.

Sources:

https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/02/only-2-of-genomic-material-available-for-research-comes-from-africa-54gene-wants-to-change-that/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2019/07/26/after-raising-4-5-million-54gene-seeks-to-lead-genetic-mapping-of-african-dna-launches-biobank/

Following the legal chatbot DoNotPay, which lets motorists contest fines, young entrepreneur Joshua Browder has launched a new tool that helps people understand the online contracts they usually agree to without reading. Bundled with DoNotPay’s 3$ monthly subscription, DoNotSign lets users download scan or copy-paste URLs to any license terms & conditions they want to check. The service uses machine learning to flag the clauses it thinks users should know about, including the possibility of opting out of data collection, and helps them exercise their rights under the agreements. 

Sources :

https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/20/20973830/robot-lawyer-donotpay-ai-startup-license-agreements-sign-arbitration-clauses

https://www.usine-digitale.fr/article/un-robot-avocat-capable-de-decrypter-les-petites-lignes-en-bas-des-contrats.N906114

Researchers at Keio University combined biomimicry and transhumanism to make Arque, an astonishing robotic tail. Arque works as a prosthesis that improves the wearer’s balance. It comprises a meter-long skeleton inspired by seahorses, and four artificial muscles that dilate or contract using compressed air.  Arque can counterbalance the wearer’s movements in eight different directions for stability in all circumstances. The research team sees Arque as useful for the elderly, physiotherapy patients or workers carrying heavy loads.

Sources:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/arque-wearable-tail/

https://www.usinenouvelle.com/editorial/l-industrie-c-est-fou-une-queue-robotique-pour-retrouver-l-equilibre-des-mammiferes.N878305

Animal Guardians is a program in Edinburgh schools, set up by Robo Wunderkind in partnership with the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA). Its aim is to increase children’s respect for animals with the help of robots. Oscar the owl, Rhu the rabbit, Campbell the cat and Caitlyn the chicken are colourful robots made from Lego. They are fitted with sensors and able to make noises and move. The educational project is for children aged 4 to 7 who have shown worrying behaviours towards animals. The designers believe that playing with the robots fosters positive attitudes towards animals’ feelings and wellbeing. Robo Wunderkind also distributes free kits that let schools make and program their own robots for the program.

Sources: 

https://www.linfodurable.fr/educationcitoyennete/royaume-uni-un-programme-scolaire-sensibilise-les-enfants-la-protection

https://www.ed.ac.uk/arts-humanities-soc-sci/news-events/news/current-news/scheme-teaches-kids-how-to-respect-animals

Auckland-based Mint Innovation has patented a technology that uses micro-organisms to extract precious metals such as gold, copper or palladium from electronic waste. Components like printed circuits from smartphones or computers are shredded then dissolved. Then metal-eating microbes are added to the solution to soak up the valuable materials, which can then be reused. This low-cost, circular process can work locally like a micro-brewery.

Sources:

https://wntventures.co.nz/mint-innovation

https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/30-03-2019/mint-innovation-is-making-e-waste-less-wasteful/

The T-Pod is a six-wheeled, 7 x 2.5-meter truck without a driver. An operator monitors a fleet of up to 10 T-Pods as far as 100km away over 5G.  It can travel at 85 km/h with autonomy of 200km.  In May 2019 the Swedish transport ministry authorised T-Pod deliveries on public roads, at a maximum speed of 5 km/h.

Electric motors are a positive step, although their environmental impact is hard to assess as it depends on how the batteries are made and the electricity is generated. T-Pod is a hi-tech innovation that heralds tomorrow’s transport, driven by artificial intelligence and powered by cleaner energy. Humans are out of the vehicle but supervise the network. They have delegated decisions and initiative to AI. Lawmakers should set frameworks for these new possibilities and assess their likely impact on employment.

Sources:

https://electrek.co/2019/05/16/electric-autonomous-tpod-sweden/

https://www.futura-sciences.com/tech/actualites/voiture-camion-autonome-t-pod-bientot-routes-suede-70774/

This startup provides businesses with a platform that feeds a wide range of data (organisational structure, statistics, workplace atmosphere surveys,  internal communication metadata) into an algorithm to detect or predict the risk of non-inclusive behaviour or practices. These include harassment, unsafe conditions and discrimination. Cassiopeia then identifies avenues for improvement and suggests practical measures for solving any problems proactively. The platform assesses results and tracks progress in line with the company’s KPIs.

Corporations, like society as a whole, are sensitive to inclusion issues, on which they are increasingly rated and expected to act. Under pressure from customers and employees alike, businesses are setting up social responsibility policies. Digital tools can provide useful support for both diagnosis and decision-making. The model and ethics behind the data collected and algorithms used are of course decisive.  Companies must watch out for any cultural or other bias in their database. The company’s inclusive vision must be clearly communicated and discussed with both employees and civil society.

Sources:

https://hrexecutive.com/5-ways-organizations-can-decrease-offensive-behaviors-from-the-workplace/

https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/company_page/cassiopeia

Deepsync Technologies has developed an artificial intelligence platform that can clone a voice in a few hours at little cost. Based on recordings of the consenting (we hope) individual, the platform creates a model that can read any text in the same voice, intonation and accent included. The startup can currently make a voice clone from two hours of audio and aims for real-time modelling in the future. The technology could be used to produce podcasts in local languages or dub content faster and cheaper, or personalize a voice assistant. Deepsync claims that you can produce your own content more quickly with this digital extension of yourself.

Sources:

https://factordaily.com/ai-based-voice-cloning-deepsync/

https://yourstory.com/2019/11/tech30-startup-deepsyncs-customised-audio-content-voice-cloning

Israeli researchers have invented. Subject Agnostic Face Swapping and Reenactment software (FSGAN) which, they claim, can create deep fakes in real time without prior training. The creators intend to make their algorithm available to the public via the open source platform GitHub. The researchers hope that by sharing their code they will help the development of counter-measures that can spot fakes in real time.

Sources:

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kz4amx/fsgan-program-makes-it-even-easier-to-make-deepfakes

https://korii.slate.fr/tech/deepfakes-pour-les-nuls-fsgan-logiciel-opensource-accessible

A team of Australian researchers has produced a flu vaccine with an adjuvant discovered by AI. They first wrote an algorithm called SAM to analyse the most effective existing vaccines. Then a second program was used to make billions of imaginary components. Then SAM selected ten or so with the highest potential. The vaccine could be 80 - 90% effective, compared with 20 - 50% for conventional vaccines. Another major advantage is that AI enabled the researchers to drastically shorten preclinical research, from five years down to two.  The vaccine is undergoing clinical trials in the USA. 

Digital tech is a valuable tool in speeding up research and bringing us closer to our sustainable development goals. Scientific progress takes time, but the planet is in a state of emergency. And it takes time to know whether the solutions are worse than the problems they are meant to solve.  AI and data can speed up research and implementation. And speed is a key success factor in achieving sustainable development goals. Another factor is inclusion, which doesn’t always sit well with ambitious, expensive research.  Once again, digital tools can lower R&D costs for more democratic applied science. This cannot happen, however, if data and the related algorithms are the sole property of private firms that, under the prevailing business model protect their discoveries with patents and their processes with expensive products.

Sources:

https://www.sciencealert.com/the-world-s-first-ai-developed-vaccine-could-prevent-another-horror-flu-season

https://usbeketrica.com/article/premier-vaccin-developpe-par-ia-teste-etats-unis

In October 2019, the dating app Tinder launched an interactive series called Swipe Night. It lets American viewers be the hero of their own adventure for three weekends running.  The story involves facing the end of the world. Every one of the user’s decisions, made by swiping left or right within 7 seconds, influences their dating matches and chats on the app, as they are displayed on their profile. The idea is that their choices in an apocalyptic situation reveal their personality and (hopefully) generate close matches. Tinder announced that millions of people took part in the program, which increased matches by 26% and conversations by 12%.

Sources:

https://siecledigital.fr/2020/03/07/tinder-lance-la-2eme-saison-de-swipe-night-la-serie-interactive-qui-peut-changer-le-destin-de-vos-matchs/

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tinder-television-exclusive/exclusive-tinder-breaks-into-scripted-original-content-wraps-filming-first-video-series-sources-idUSKBN1W12CT

The startup One Concern uses data analysis and AI to assess and mitigate the risks resulting from natural disasters (flood, fire, earthquake, etc.) and help local authorities manage them when they occur. Flood Concern, for example, is a solution that accurately predicts the areas likely to be affected by flooding. The aim is to quantify disaster impacts and map out critically exposed zones, enabling cities to be more resilient in the face of increasingly common threats.

Sources:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90232955/disaster-relief-is-dangerously-broken-can-ai-fix-it

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2019/02/07/from-rooftop-safe-haven-to-ai-a-new-generation-of-disaster-recovery-is-born/#51729a3b3f27

Founded by two former architects, Suryansh Chandra and Mostafa Elsaye, Automata Technologies’ mission is to make industrial automation more affordable. The London-based startup has created a robotic arm named Eva for a fraction of the tens of thousands of dollars that a standard industrial robot costs today. Eva is sold for under £5,000 as an advance order, or under £500 per month for a robotics-as-a-service package.  The aim is to provide a low-cost, easy-to-program collaborative robot (cobot) that anyone could have in their office to assist them in the most repetitive tasks. Automata is targeting small and medium size firms with robots that replace “tasks not jobs”.

Sources: 

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/19/abb-backed-automata-launches-eva-robot.html

https://www.ft.com/content/70b14eac-4724-11e9-a965-23d669740bfb

Plezmo is a platform for wireless sensors and actuators - Plezmo Elements - that can be controlled from an app using simple coding techniques. Children and adults can attach Plezmo Elements to toys, craftwork and science projects and program them to bring their ideas to life. Once you’ve mastered the basics, the app lets you create increasingly complex setups.  The platform also has a community where users can share ideas and inspirations. The idea is to democratise the creation of smart objects and introduce children, in particular, in the basics of coding. Plezmo won the award for Best Digital Ergonomic Product Design at NASSCOM Design4India 2019.

Sources:

https://www.elephantdesign.com/plezmo

https://www.newswire.com/news/plezmo-inc-launches-kickstarter-campaign-to-bring-early-learners-5714616

Empower has created a blockchain-based global network for blockchain recycling. The goal is to give a monetary value to plastic waste by rewarding collectors. In this way the start-up hopes to both reduce environmental pollution and fight poverty. Collectors drop off waste and receive tokens that can be exchanged for money or used to fund clean-ups in other places. Waste can also be recorded digitally to set up a transparent, traceable value chain. The idea is inspired by the Norwegian plastic bottle return system, which enables the country to achieve a more than 95% recycling rate.

Tech can bring vintage habits back into fashion. Here the old system of bottle returns is applied to plastic waste. In this modern variant, consumers are rewarded through the blockchain, guaranteeing transparency and ensuring efficient recycling. The question of the technology’s environmental impact remains open.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevorclawson/2018/12/19/the-blockchain-startup-that-plans-to-save-the-world-from-plastic-waste/#2aed04856987

https://www.theexplorer.no/solutions/empower-blockchain-powered-plastic-waste-collection/

Research students at Cape Town University have discovered how to turn human urine into building materials. Working on more sustainable building materials, they turned to a natural process, microbial carbonate precipitation, to create these organic bricks. The principle, similar to how shellfish grow, formed the materials from a combination of urine, sand and bacteria. The bricks solidify at room temperature, a huge environmental gain because they do not need to be fired in a kiln, so huge energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are avoided.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45978942

https://www.springwise.com/new-process-makes-bricks-from-urine/

Three Italian design students, Simone Caronni, Paolo Stefano Gentile and Pietro Gaeoli, had a 100% biodegradable and circular idea for serving chips (fries).  They came up with a cone made from the skins of the potatoes used to make the chips, which usually end up in the bin. Peel Saver is made by macerating the skins then letting them dry naturally so they harden and bind together.  The designers say the cone can feed animals or plants after use.  Peel Saver is a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging, which is still widely used despite its heavy environmental impact.

Sources:

https://www.neozone.org/insolite/peel-saver-le-cornet-de-frite-en-pelure-de-pomme-de-terre-100-biodegradable/

https://www.dezeen.com/2018/09/26/peel-saver-potato-skins-ecological-packaging-fries/

Which brand pays its fair share of taxes? Which company pays its employees correctly? Which businesses respect the environment? Moralscore is an online platform that lets consumers identify the businesses that are most closely aligned with their personal values. The platform rates companies in every sector and weights the results according to each user’s criteria. A personalised score for every brand lets consumers select the companies that best suit their ethics.

Sources :

https://start.lesechos.fr/innovations-startups/tech-futur/moralscore-le-site-qui-compare-les-marques-selon-vos-valeurs-14619.php

https://www.forbes.fr/business/moralscore-le-comparateur-rse-en-fonction-de-la-morale-des-utilisateurs/?cn-reloaded=1

Neglect of patients by hospital staff is often unintended but can have fatal consequences. To prevent it, Inspiren, a startup, has developed a smart device that uses computer vision, deep learning and motion recognition to monitor medical environments. With a 360° view, this digital assistant watches everything that happens in a hospital room, detects whether nurses are present, indicates the patient’s clinical parameters and spots any sign of discomfort or distress. iN is connected to an analytics platform, enabling hospitals to make sure every patient gets the care they need. The system is currently running in a hospital in Queens, New York.

Tech-based management obviously raises ethical questions over surveillance.  Under the trend we call Interface Zero, smaller and smaller devices are increasingly part of our homes, workplaces and public spaces. They capture multiple types of data to appraise a situation and act accordingly, with no human intervention (Decision Zero). What purpose are they serving?  What criteria govern the algorithm that decides whether a healthcare professional should be penalised, for example? In addition to improving patient care, what is the hospital’s goal: staff appraisal, remote control, cost savings? 

Sources :

https://www.fastcompany.com/90204532/patient-neglect-kills-this-ai-could-stop-it

https://www.technology-innovators.com/inspiren/

ATLAN Space is a Moroccan start-up that uses artificial intelligence and drones to monitor and protect marine ecosystems. Using a network of drones guided by deep learning, ATLAN Space can classify, spot, identify and follow members of endangered species. It can also watch over large areas of sea, on the lookout for environmental threats, whether illegal fishing or toxic spills, in order to assess any damage and warn the relevant authorities. ATLAN Space won the National Geographic Society’s Marine Protection Prize for of a pilot project on illegal fishing in the Seychelles.

With ATLAN Space, robots help to enforce good behaviour on untrustworthy humans. Drones watch out for illegal fishing and pollution from tankers. We’ve also seen drones that monitor industrial sites, endangered species and crime-prone city streets. Seeing a sky full of drones can be worrying. These flying robots can capture a wide range of environmental and behavioural data at a distance. It will soon be impossible to stay out of their range. With the Interface Zero trend, we outlined the omniscience of the digital ecosystem. This will be very useful in the influence scenario we describe here, citizens and corporations’ behaviour monitored at all times. If the influence system is to remain at all ethical, its governance must be strictly defined.

Sources:

https://www.thedrive.com/tech/22898/atlan-space-develops-ai-drone-software-to-identify-environmental-crimes

https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/moroccan-tech-entrepreneur-solution-combat-illegal-fishing/59150/

Researchers at University of California Santa Barbara have created a system that can identify individuals through Wi-Fi waves, even behind a door or wall. Two Wi-Fi spots and a prior video are enough. Everyone’s gait is unique. As an individual walk through a Wi-Fi field they make electromagnetic waves. The researchers put a Wi-Fi transmitter and receiver behind a wall, then compared the waves generated by an individual walking on the other side of the wall with a simulation of the waves made the same person, based on a prior video. In tests on three different locations, the system could tell whether it was the same person with 82% - 89% accuracy. It was already possible to detect presence but not to identify individuals in these circumstances. XModal-ID could be used by security forces to identify the suspect of a crime caught on camera. It could also help tailor the services in a smart home to its inhabitants. Needless to say, this breakthrough also raises privacy concerns.  

Sources:

https://www.futura-sciences.com/tech/actualites/ondes-identifier-personne-travers-murs-cest-possible-77780/#xtor

https://steemit.com/news/@mauromar/xmodal-id-wi-fi-and-videos-to-identify-people-behind-the-walls

Nataliya Kosmyna, a researcher at the MIT Media Lab, has designed a device that measures the wearer’s concentration in real time. AttentivU, shaped like a pair of glasses, detects brainwaves (EEG) and eye motion (EOG) to measure cognitive processes such as tiredness and focus. It can be used to give the wearer audio or haptic feedback when their attention wanes, for example when driving, or to adjust the environment when cognitive overload is spotted, by switching off notifications for instance. The solution is especially useful for individuals, especially children, with attention disorders, as a less intrusive alternative to medication and the related side effects. AttentivU is easy to put on and take off so can be worn whenever needed, in a socially acceptable form. The system can also work autonomously and offline to keep all data confidential.

Sources:

https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/shock-student-glasses/

https://iatranshumanisme.com/2019/01/06/medecine-wearable-devient-crucial-pour-rester-en-vie/

Marc Teyssier, a designer and researcher at Télécom Paris, together with scientists at the Sorbonne and Bristol University, designed an artificial skin that reacts precisely to different contacts, making a smartphone or other device touch-responsive. The membrane, shaped like a smartphone case and called Skin-On, responds to pinching, tickling, stroking and twisting.  The next version should even come with hair and body temperature. Marc Teyssier’s goal is to create new ways of interacting with our devices. He has also created an artificial finger that fits onto a smartphone, that can reach out and touch its owner.

Sources: 

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2220453-creepy-human-like-skin-makes-your-phone-ticklish-and-pinchable/

https://siecledigital.fr/2019/10/21/skin-on-une-membrane-tactile-qui-imite-la-peau-humaine/

The human genome is a unique personal identifier. Even identical twins can be told apart. This creates confidentiality issues for researchers. Studies have shown that participants in trials can be re-identified by crossing their data with genealogy databases and public records. In response to this threat to privacy, IQVIA developed E360 Genomics, a scalable genotyping database solution that de-personalizes genetic data without losing relevant clinical information. The company provides researchers with a platform that can manage large, complex sets of data and draw inferences from a host of variables, while keeping identities confidential.

Sources:

https://www.ncbiotech.org/news/iqvia-launches-e360-genomics-precision-health-platform

https://www.bio-itworld.com/2019/04/24/de-identifying-genomic-data-with-hashing-technology.aspx

If you think your genetic heritage is set in stone, think again.  Our diet, stress, lifestyle and general environment influence which genes are triggered. Chronomics is a startup in this relatively new field, known as epigenetics.  Using a saliva testing kit, anyone can have access to their epigenetic profile and learn their biological age, based on the state of their DNA. Chronomics then encourages users to change their habits to reduce the gap between their real age and their biological age. Chronomics also offers subscriptions, including for companies who want to monitor their employees’ health.

Sources:

https://www.nsmedicaldevices.com/news/chronomics-digital-calculates-age/

https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/articles/chronologically-im-23-but-biologically-im-26-326645

India’s Graviky Labs view vehicle pollution as a resource. The start-up has developed Air-Ink, an ink made from the particles emitted by fossil fuel pollution. The fine atmospheric particles are collected through a Kaalink, a can-like device placed on vehicle exhausts. More than 750 litres of ink have been produced and sold to artists worldwide. One of them argues that the solution makes pollution more tangible, which generates curiosity and discussion. 

Restoring what we’ve destroyed is a virtuous goal. Recycling what we emit is a step towards the circular economy and one of its pillars, reuse. Nothing should be wasted; everything should be reused to save resources and turn waste into value. Under a clever, frugal model, recycling waste into useful materials or objects not only transforms technologies and processes, it also generates economic opportunities. In the case of motor vehicles, it solves part of the pollution problem but doesn’t encourage cities or individuals to rethink mobility or urban planning.

Sources:

https://www.businessinsider.com/carbon-dioxide-pollution-air-ink-2016-8?IR=T

https://vimeo.com/218424110

More than 30% of food produced worldwide goes to waste. Winnow has developed a solution for the catering industry. The aim is to make kitchens both more sustainable and more profitable. Using cameras, scales and computer vision, Winnow Vision identifies what produce is thrown out, after training itself to recognise different types of food from thousands of images. This enables kitchen managers to optimise their menus to reduce waste.  Winnow works with major hotel chains like Accor, Hilton and Marriott. The Vision solution has been tested in Emaar hotels in the Middle East and is ready for rollout on a wider scale.

Let’s use algorithms to look at what we’d rather ignore, in this case our trash cans. By analysing what we throw out we can cut food wastage. The AI that identifies uneaten food could also identify wasteful behaviour and correct it. Tech can be our best ally in achieving sustainability.  In this case it helps businesses improve their profitability too.

Sources:

https://venturebeat.com/2019/03/21/winnow-uses-computer-vision-to-help-commercial-kitchens-cut-food-waste/

https://thenationaldigest.com/ai-pioneer-winnow-vision-helps-to-combat-global-food-waste/

In addition to the loss of mobility, amputees often have to deal with phantom pain, i.e. pain that feel like it’s coming from the body part that is no longer there. Researchers at ETH Zurich have worked on a prosthesis containing sensors, electrodes and a microchip that enables the wearer to feel natural sensations in their leg. Sensors at the heel send signals in real time to an implant in the tibial nerve that feeds them back to the wearer, who feels sensations in their foot and knee, when they walk and bend their leg for example. This innovation increases the wearer’s confidence in their prosthesis and makes their mobility more sensorial and so more natural. The first people to test the technology also reported that their phantom pain gradually decreased. 

Sources:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2215741-an-artificial-leg-with-sensors-helps-people-feel-every-step/

https://www.begeek.fr/cette-nouvelle-prothese-permet-a-son-porteur-de-ressentir-son-pied-et-son-genou-326944