Category Archives: Technology

Future Mobility: Toyota Unveils Production-Ready Ultra-Compact BEV To “Support Aging Society”

FRom a Toyota online news release:

Toyota Ultra-Compact BEVThe ultra-compact, two-seater BEV is specifically designed to meet the daily mobility needs of customers who make regular, short-distance trips such as the elderly, newly licensed drivers, or business-people visiting local customers. It can be driven a range of approximately 100 km on a single charge, reach a maximum speed of 60 km/h, and features an extremely short turning radius.

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) today announced that it will display its new, production-ready Ultra-compact BEV (battery electric vehicle) at the FUTURE EXPO special exhibition of the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show ahead of the vehicle’s planned commercial launch in Japan in 2020. The next-generation mobility solution is designed to provide short-distance mobility while limiting impact on the environment.

“We want to create a mobility solution that can support Japan’s ageing society and provide freedom of movement to people at all stages of life,” said Akihiro Yanaka, Head of Development. “With the Ultra-compact BEV, we are proud to offer customers a vehicle that not only allows for greater autonomy, but also requires less space, creates less noise and limits environmental impact.”

To read more: https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/toyota/30063223.html

Medical Technology: 3D Deep-Learning Systems Show Promise For Automated Detection Of Glaucoma (Lancet Audio)

Lancet Digital HealthOur 3D deep-learning system performed well in both primary and external validations, suggesting that it could potentially be used for automated detection of glaucomatous optic neuropathy based on SDOCT volumes. Screening with the deep-learning system is much faster than conventional glaucoma screening methods (ie, by experienced specialists), can be done automatically, and does not require a large number of trained personnel on site. Further prospective studies are warranted to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of incorporating this artificial intelligence-based model for screening for glaucoma, both in the general population and among at-risk people.

To read more: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(19)30085-8/fulltext

Technology: ANA And OmniLabs Unveil “NewMe” Avatar Robot Allowing Humans To Teleport Their Presence Instantaneously

From a Robotics Business Review online article:

NewMe Robot ANAAs part of the ANA Holdings exhibit, ANA is planning to unveil an all-new AVATAR robot “newme” to mark the next phase of the project. Engineered and manufactured by OhnniLabs with its advanced additive manufacturing process and modular architecture, the new robot is specifically designed for the Japanese market based on years of ANA’s research and experience on connecting people across the globe. The AVATAR project, also known as Avatar In,  aims to integrate multiple exponential technologies, including robotics, haptics, AR/VR, and AT, to “enable humanity to instantaneously teleport their presence, consciousness, knowledge and skills to a remote location.”

NewMe Robot ANA Telepresence

NewMe Robot ANA Telepresence

TOKYO – OhmniLabs today announced it was participating at the 2019 Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (aka CEATEC), to be held this week in Chiba, Japan. In addition, the company said it would be participating in ANA Holdings’ exhibit as a partner for the company’s ANA AVATAR project, which highlights telerobotics innovations.

To read more: https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/events/ohmnilabs-ana-holdings-partner-on-newme-telerobotics-platform/

Future Of Housing: Autonomous Off-The-Grid Prefabricated Smart Homes From Haus.me

From a Dwell.com online review:

Autonomous off the grid smart houses from Haus.meHaus.me is aimed at the luxury market, with pricing starting at $199,999 for the grid-connected base model, which can be customized to include off-grid technologies and other add-ons and finishes.

“We have plans to make it more affordable, but right now the key point is that we use high-quality finishes, natural wood, expensive electronics, built-in furniture, smart appliances, and more,” says Gerbut. “It’s a luxury dwelling and vacation home that you can install anywhere in the world.”

After years of research and prototyping, haus.me is now officially accepting sales—and last month they completed their first delivery: a fully autonomous 400-square-foot mOne unit in Ukraine that runs entirely on solar power.

Autonomous off the grid smart houses from Haus.me

What makes the haus.me product different is how it’s built, says Gerbut. “When someone starts building a house, they usually start with the frame and then go to insulation, but we did it the opposite way. We developed a patented composite polymer insulation that can also be 3D printed into a construction material for building walls.”

Website: https://haus.me/

To read more: https://www.dwell.com/article/hauseme-3d-printed-off-grid-prefab-house-1c2afec7?utm_medium=email&utm_source=postup&utm_campaign=&list=1

Ultimate Campers: The High Technology Inside 2019 Hymer Camper Vans

From a New Atlas online article:

Hymer certainly gave credit where it was due, recognizing BASF’s role in the opening paragraph of its VisionVenture announcement and detailing elements like the Chromacool exterior paint and Veneo Slate transforming-bathroom trim. Still, it wasn’t quite clear just how deep BASF’s participation ran. Knowing a thing or two about the power of a buzzy concept vehicle (like a bike or car), BASF released some additional information last week to squeeze a little extra press out of the VisionVenture, a star of the 2019 Caravan Salon that featured in RV, auto and tech publications and blogs all over the world.

Hymer Camper Van BASF Advanced Materials

VisionVenture from HymerEven with a few months of 2019 left to go, we feel confident that the Hymer VisionVenture is the coolest camper van of the year. The concept camper has absolutely captured the public’s imagination, showing how a little bit of creative tinkering can turn the art of sleeping in a van into world-class luxury travel. When Hymer announced the concept at the start of the 2019 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, it mentioned incorporating over 20 materials and technologies from German chemical giant BASF, touching upon some of the most integral. BASF jumped in this month to further detail exactly how its tech can benefit future van lifers.

To read more: https://newatlas.com/automotive/basf-details-hymer-visionventure-camper-van/

Future Of Packaging: Ioniqa Technologies Delivers World’s First Ocean And Recycled Plastic Bottles

From a DesignBoom online article:

Ioniqa Ocean Plastic Bottlesthe recycling technology is the result of a partnership between coca-cola, the dutch startup ioniqa technologies and indorama ventures, one of coca-cola’s suppliers of PET plastic. to process the material, ioniqa technologies used a depolymerization technology to break down the PET into its monomers that allow it to be re-produced as a new. it was then sent to an indorama ventures facility to be polymerized into new plastic.

coca-cola has introduced the world’s first bottle created using recycled plastic waste from the ocean. the company has launched an initial edition of 300 bottles made of 25% plastic from the marine waste collected by volunteers during 84 beach cleanups in spain and portugal.

To Read more: https://www.designboom.com/design/coca-cola-bottles-recycled-ocean-plastic-10-14-2019/?utm_source=designboom+daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=coca-cola+introduces+first

Future Of Hospital Design: EIR Healthcare’s Prefab “MedModular” Hospital Rooms Are Customizable

From the EIRHealthcare.com website:

home_fullyEIR Healthcare collaborates with each hospital to customize the optimal space. Through our technology and design, doctors, nurses and any healthcare professional interacting with patients in a MedModular room are equipped to provide nothing short of excellence within every interaction. EIR Healthcare was presented with a 2018 iF Design Award for our “Hospital of the Future” professional concept.

When a MedModular room is delivered, it is done so with every detail already executed from both technology and space design standpoints, which results in optimizing the efficiency in which hospitals and other healthcare environments are constructed – and completed.

Website: https://eirhealthcare.com/EIR

Future Of Mobility: Self-Driving Car Venture “Voyage” Specializes In Retirement Communities

From the Voyage.auto website:

Voyage (is) building the technology to deliver on the promise of self-driving cars. Our first service offers residents safe, autonomous transportation anywhere in their community at speeds up to 25 MPH. This approach lets us solve real transportation challenges today, while setting the foundation for our long-term vision: developing a technology that can drive anyone, on any road, at any time.

Our vehicles are equipped with the best sensors available, giving us a 360-degree picture of the world hundreds of meters from the car. We extensively leverage machine learning to develop state-of-the-art perception models, and have built a rich data pipeline that allows us to continuously improve based on real-world driving. Our multiple sensor modalities give us great perception, while improving the safety and operational redundancy of our autonomous service.

To read more: https://voyage.auto/technology/

Health Technology: Digital Therapeutics Startup “Kaia” Targets Chronic Pain With AI-Guided Exercise

From a VentureBeat.com online review:

Kaia Digital ExerciseKaia’s iOS and Android apps were developed with the help of physiotherapists, pain management physicians, orthopedic surgeons, and clinical psychologists, the company claims, and are registered as Class 1 medical devices with the Food and Drug Administration. They serve up video clips covering basic back and COPD pain information and step-by-step physiotherapy exercises, in addition to psychological strategies, such as mindfulness and muscle relaxation.

During each of the over 120 15-minute exercises, in-app computer vision models track connective points on the body through a device’s front-facing camera while an on-screen wireframe model illustrates the steps. Audio feedback informs users whether they’re performing exercises correctly and how they might improve, and a built-in chat tool allows them to consult with a physiotherapist or sports scientist on questions related to specific moves.

To read more: https://venturebeat.com/2019/09/17/kaia-raises-8-million-to-treat-chronic-pain-with-ai-guided-exercise/