Agtech platform predicts agricultural performance

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…

By jrtrombold@gmail.com July 31, 2019 Off

Foodtech startup provides healthy meals to corporate employees

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…

By jrtrombold@gmail.com July 31, 2019 Off

Spacecraft uses solar power to orbit Earth

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…

By jrtrombold@gmail.com July 31, 2019 Off

An e-bike that alerts riders to blindspots

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…

By jrtrombold@gmail.com July 30, 2019 Off

Hydrophilic disc desalinates water with solar power

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…

By jrtrombold@gmail.com July 29, 2019 Off

An AR chatbot serves as a tour guide

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,…

By jrtrombold@gmail.com July 29, 2019 Off

A sustainable engine weighing less than a backpack

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…

By jrtrombold@gmail.com July 26, 2019 Off