Month: July 2019

Spotted: Australia-based agtech startup FluroSat provides farmers with real-time information to assess plant health and detect crop stress. Its platform, FluroSense, combines satellite data, farming records and AI in an analytics engine to predict agricultural performance. Based on the data, it can provide recommendations on how to optimise crops. It has been less than a…

Spotted: Delhi-based food-tech startup, Daalchini, is a “phygital” (physical and digital) vending machine company designed to provide home-cooked meals to corporate employees. Founded by Prerna Kalra and Vidya Bhushan, it currently has 70 kiosks across the Delhi-NCR region and serves 3,000 meals a day. Daalchini caters to over 40 companies including Paytm, Snapdeal, OYO, and…

Spotted: The US-based Planetary Society has deployed a solar-powered spacecraft. LightSail 2 is the first spacecraft to orbit the Earth propelled only by solar power, according to the Planetary Society.  LightSail 2 features a small, bread-loaf-sized satellite and four large solar sails. The sails’ mirrored surfaces capture energy from the sun. The energy is used…

Spotted: MyAir is an app that provides real-time visualisation of air pollution around Skopje, North Macedonia. The app, designed by local tech developer Gorjan Jovanovski, is currently used by almost 5 percent of North Macedonia’s entire population. The app runs on open-source data provided by the combined input from various sensors throughout the city, including…

Spotted: German e-bike startup Calamus has developed a bicycle that lets riders know when difficult-to-see vehicles are nearing. Calamus One’s blindspot assistance feature aims to cut down on the probability of an accident occurring.  Transceivers at the back end of the bike give off ultrasound signals that can be reflected back by a nearing automobile…

Spotted: American startup Sonny has developed a portable bidet for a more hygienic way to “go to the bathroom” wherever one is. The device also aims to reduce toilet paper usage. The bidet has the capacity of a 500ml water bottle. Users only need to charge and fill it with water to use the device,…

Spotted: Professor Xiwang Zhang and colleagues from Monash University have developed an intricately-designed solar steam generator to separate salt from water. Unlike other solar-powered desalination processes, the device avoids salt from gathering on the surface of the material. The invention uses a disc made from super-hydrophilic filter paper, which attracts water. The carbon nanotubes covering…

Spotted: Canadian startup Carbon Cure has found a way to replace some of the cement mix used in concrete with C02. The C02 can be sourced from industrial facilities, potentially reducing air pollution. The process involves turning C02 into a mineral that can be injected into the concrete. With the available technology from Carbon Cure,…

Spotted: Immersive technology company Arcade uses augmented reality (AR) to enhance visitors’ experiences of tourist attractions and public spaces. Working with the Sea Life London Aquarium, Arcade created the multi-award winning Roxy the Ranger, an AR chatbot. Roxy interacts with visitors, who can pilot her vehicles in and through the aquarium’s tanks. With the app,…

Spotted: An Israeli engineering firm, Aquarius Engines, has developed an internal-combustion engine capable of running up to 7500 miles without refuelling. The cylinder design with a double-sided piston decreases friction, allowing for greater efficiency. The engine is also extremely light, weighing less than a backpack.  Shaul Yaakoby, the engineer behind the design, says the engine…