Tech for Good

2021-08-06 07:00:07 Run on coffee

For many people like myself, having a cup of coffee is a typical morning routine. But how many of us thought about where the used coffee beans are going? A team of Finnish footwear company Rens certainly did.

They have recently launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for sneakers made of recycled plastic bottles and used coffee beans. The company claims its sustainable trainer called Nomad to be climate neutral, including raw materials, production, packaging, transport, and waste.

Each pair of shoes is made from 21 cups of used coffee grounds and six recycled plastic bottles. Rens states that coffee grounds give its sneakers some great features, like UV protection for long-lasting colors, the ability to trap odors, and dry two times faster than traditional polyester. Membrane made of recycled plastic makes the shoe waterproof. And laces from the same material are virtually unbreakable.

"Early birds" may get Nomad for $109; the retail price will be $179. The company expects to ship orders starting from December 2021.

That is the second shoe the firm has produced to similar specifications. The team has already launched their general-purpose trainer via another Kickstarter campaign in the summer of 2019. The latest launch indicates a growing trend for athletic wear made from recycled materials, alongside a rising consciousness of the importance and feasibility of more sustainable consumer products more broadly.

3-minute video of Nomad trainer
Rens Kickstarter campaign
Company website

#recycle #sustainablefashion Open / Comment

2021-08-05 07:00:11 ​The quickest Dill

Today we will again dive into the robotics industry and how it can make our work easier, safer, and more efficient.

Past year, warehouse and logistics companies have been a primary target for production automation push. Because of COVID, they had much more orders and much fewer opportunities to hire people.

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spin-off, Pickle is one of the latest startups to enter the battle on the logistics automation market. The company started a year and a half ago with a small robotics team and modest funding. However, the latter has recently changed: on April 14, the company raised $5.6 million from several venture capital funds led by Boston-based Hyperplane Venture Capital.

The company makes quite bold statements about their first robot called Dill. The team claims that their robot can unload boxes from a truck at 1,600 picks per hour, double the speed of any competitor.

The secret of the success of the Pickle team, which was able to solve one of the biggest challenges in logistics automation in 18 months, lies in keeping people in the picture. According to CTO and co-founder Ariana Eisenstein, "At Pickle, we think of our robots less like Terminators and more like sled dogs. No one expects a team of dogs to run the Iditarod on their own." For your reference, Iditarod is an annual dog sled race where teams of 16 dogs and a drover ride 1,868 km for eight to fifteen days.

The team got out of the lab and spent months inside warehouses observing operations. They realized that if you try to replace people with robots completely, the process would quickly grind to a halt.

Dill needs people to supervise the operation to maintain a high unloading speed: step in to pick up a dropped package or handle an irregular item. In turn, this approach has advantages in addition to operation speed: warehouse workers have less back pain, the reduced percentage of re-sorting and damaged parcels, and most importantly, the reduced cost of warehouse automation.

Pickle CEO Andrew Meyer assures that due to no need for expensive customization or a complete redesign of warehouse processes, the cost barrier to entry into the warehouse automation market will decrease by an insane 90%. That will help attract those customers who thought robotics was too expensive for them.

We will know the price of Dill soon, as the company promises to start shipping the robot as early as 2022. Let us put Pickle on our radar to see whether they manage to conquer the large-scale market.

Article on TechCrunch

#robotics #AI Open / Comment

2021-08-04 07:00:06 Untapped potential

Today I have a longer read about geothermal power for you. We haven't talked about this topic so far, but it looks like recent developments in the sector are really worth our attention. So if you are interested, please take your time and follow this link to read the full story. Open / Comment

2021-08-03 07:00:06 ​Vending machine that pays you cash

We've already learned that plastic waste is a huge problem. It is polluting our rivers and oceans, hurting our wildlife, and contributing to climate change. The data says that 86% of plastic never gets recycled.

Founded in 2019 in Campbell, California, Olyns is a startup trying to change people's perception of recycling. Their Olyns Cube is a reverse vending machine loaded with the latest technology that collects consumer's plastics and pays for them. The company aims at helping to meet the 1 billion pounds of commercial demand for recycled plastic (rPET).

Each Olyns Cube compresses and stores over 1,000 plastic bottles, 850 aluminum cans, and 50 glass bottles. It can deliver over one and a half metric tons of clean and recycled PET per year.

AI-enabled Cubes only accept clean containers, as there is a high demand for uncontaminated PET, and sort them at the point of deposit. The machine features touchless NFC login via the Olyns mobile app. The same app allows users to see how many containers they deposit, the CO2 they save, and the waste they divert from landfills, oceans, and incineration. There is also a leaderboard, so consumers can check how their recycling habits compare with other members of the Olyns community. This gamification is fun and can motivate people to recycle even more.

The Cubes are installed in convenient places, like grocery stores, shopping malls, gas stations, and stadiums. So people don't have to go out of their way to recycle. Olyns app users receive empty machine alerts to pick up and deliver their containers to recycling centers.

The machines have another service that helps fund more consumer recycling incentives and company growth. That service is that of a media platform. The Olyns Cubes actually look like giant iPhones. Their 65-inch full-motion video screens can air inspiring content to drive the importance of recycling and act as an advertising network for brands to communicate with millions of consumers and influence purchase decisions at points of sale.

And last but not least, you can sign up as a gig servicer (much like you can sign as an Uber driver). If you do so, you get the alert from the machine to the app saying, "I am full, come and empty me." You can open up the Cube, report on its condition, and then take the material to a processor to get paid for that service.

Olyns is trying to become one of the largest collectors of uncontaminated recycled PET in the US. It has already partnered with PepsiCo to produce a pilot program in one Safeway store that is now collecting around 1,000 containers. There will be more Olyns machines launching in Safeway stores in Milpitas and Santa Clara later this month.

Article on CleanTechnica
Olyns website

#recycle #startups Open / Comment

2021-08-02 07:00:03 ​Electric scooter from BMW

I want to start a series of posts dedicated to electric vehicles, motorcycles, and scooters. I would appreciate your feedback in the comments if this topic interests you or not.

BMW Motorrad announced the new CE 04 electric scooter as part of the brand's new personal urban mobility lineup. With a maximum output of 42 horsepower, the CE 04 can reach a speed up to 120 km/h (75mph). That means the bike is ready not only for a city but for highways as well.

The battery capacity is 60.6 Ah (8.9 kWh), providing an estimated range of 130 km (80 miles). That is enough for day-to-day emission-free riding from home to the office and smaller-scale fun tours on the weekend – not worrying about the need to recharge during the ride.

The new BMW CE 04 uses a lithium-ion battery module manufactured exclusively with green power. It takes 4 hours and 20 minutes to charge from 0 to 100 percent battery capacity. With the optional Level 2 charging cable (6.9 kW), charging time is reduced to just 1 hour and 40 minutes. From 20 to 80 percent, the charging time is just 45 minutes.

A notable comfort feature of the new BMW CE 04 is the reversing aid. The rider activates it from a left-hand handlebar-mounted switch. The TFT display shows the relevant indication. When you press down the activation switch, the BMW CE 04 can reverse at a walking pace, making it easier to maneuver.

As you may expect, BMW has equipped its scooter with the latest generation of techs. Automatic energy recuperation, high-level active safety ABS, automatic stability control to prevent uncontrolled spinning of the rear wheel - all those systems ensure decent motorbike handling. LED lighting technology on the new BMW CE 04 includes the high/low beam headlamp, the rear light, brake light, and turn signals.

The new BMW CE 04 comes with a standard 10.25-inch TFT color display screen and integrated map navigation and smartphone connectivity.

As for the exterior, you can see everything for yourself. For me, the bike looks very cool. The style showcases the electric drivetrain technology while instantly identifying the scooter as a member of the BMW family.

Article on Electric Cars Report

#EV #urbantech Open / Comment

2021-08-01 07:00:03 Here's your Sunday review of this week:

Energizing steps - floor tiles that transfer the kinetic energy of pedestrians into electrical power
Steady hands - MUSA robot assistant for microsurgeons
Transporting the sunlight - fiber optics technology that brings the sunlight into dark rooms and spaces
Plastic roads - a Dutch startup to make climate-adaptive road infrastructure from waste plastic
Solar power as an art - a unique solar energy generator that tracks the Sun like a sunflower

Guys, your feedback is really appreciated. I would love to see your thoughts in the comments. And how about a couple of polls next week - would you participate?

Have a nice weekend

Your Tech for Good

#weeksummary Open / Comment

2021-07-30 07:00:08 ​Solar power as an art

Here is the artistic and innovative application of home solar energy - the Smartflower solar tracker. Let us discuss the system and examine how it can compete with traditional solar energy systems.

Smartflower company was founded in Austria. In 2018, a Boston corporation, Energy Management Inc, has acquired it.

Much like a real flower, the Smartflower system unfolds its petal panels when the sun rises. The dual-axis tracking system follows the sun during the day, turning the petals toward the sun at a 90-degree angle.

The elevated design enables the solar panels to cool naturally; air passes behind each petal to provide natural cooling. The Smartflower automatically self-cleans each "leaf" every time it opens or closes. Long brushes attached to the underside of each petal's outer edge sweep the panel beneath it when in movement.

All of the above features allow the device to produce up to 40% more clean energy than traditional solar panels.

At sunset, the petals automatically retract until the next morning. The Smartflower will also automatically pull the petals back inside in high winds over 30 miles per hour. So the unit is capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds.

Now to the financial part. A Smartflower typically produces between 3,400 and 6,200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, depending on its location, which is about half of the average American home's annual electricity consumption. The average cost of the device is $27,000. After deducting solar tax credits available in the US, the cost per kilowatt of energy produced by the system comes to around $5,000. That is about double the cost per kilowatt of a rooftop solar panel.

Still, the estimated yearly savings for the Los Angeles area are over $10,000 for replacing part of the grid energy with green power from the system. That is a lot of savings over the 25-year lifespan.

For a budget-minded, practical consumer, the Smartflower does not make much sense compared to a rooftop system. However, if you want to inspire people to take action while tastefully adding to your property aesthetics, then absolutely, the Smartflower is worthy of consideration.

Article on Solar Reviews

#solar #urbantech #architecture Open / Comment

2021-07-29 07:00:03 ​Plastic roads

Every year 8 million tonnes of plastic waste is added to our oceans. Although efforts are made to reduce the problem, scientists conclude that we need to take more drastic actions. A Dutch startup, PlasticRoad, is turning one of the principal challenges into one of the greatest inventions.

They propose to grab all that plastic waste and make roads from it to maintain infrastructure. Their product, Plasticroad, is taking on several modern-day challenges besides mountains of plastic waste.

100% recycled polypropylene is a base material for PlasticRoad. At the end of its useful life, all parts of the road can be recycled to make new road elements. These elements cut CO2 emissions by up to 72% compared to conventional road structures.

PlasticRoad is climate-adaptive. That means it can collect rainwater and then gradually infiltrate it into the soil, preventing flooding. It also can filter the collected water during this process.

The developer claims its road to be virtually maintenance-free, taking 70% less time to install, "as easily as Lego bricks." PlasticRoad requires 75% less raw materials to manufacture. With a mass of 40kg per square meter, it ranks as the lightest paving structure globally and can be installed even in soft soil areas.

The company lists several possible applications of its road structure: footpaths, bike paths, parking spaces, pavements, platforms, schoolyards, playing fields, and sports infrastructure.

The developer has just demonstrated the product in two 30-meter stretches of cycle track in the Dutch towns of Zwolle and Giethoorn. Monitoring is ongoing right now to understand its long-term impact on the local environment. If successful, PlasticRoads can also significantly reduce the carbon footprint of traditional road construction thanks to a longer lifespan and reduction of transport movements involved in its construction.

Check out this 2-minute video of the PlasticRoad installation in Giethoorn, Netherlands, below.

PlasticRoad website

#recycle #urbantech Open / Comment

2021-07-28 07:00:12 ​Transporting the sunlight

We all love the sun. We are lucky enough if we live in a sunny place and have windows in all rooms. But most likely, there is a corner that never gets any sun. In Sweden, they very well know about the lack of sunlight. Parans Solar Lighting is a Swedish company trying to bring natural light into dark rooms and spaces with fiber optics technology.

The Parans sunlight collectors on the roof of the building follow the sun during the day, just like a sunflower. Fiber optic cables lead the precious sunlight in and through the property and spread the light in all rooms. This way, sunlight can be experienced deep into buildings and far away from windows, even 30 floors down.

Only the visible part of the sunlight travels into the building. The IR and UV radiations are filtered away outdoors. That means that much of the heat energy in the solar radiation is blocked, and the Parans light does not fade colors and harm material like UV radiation does. Studies show that natural light has a positive impact on our health. The learning capability increases, and we become more productive. Natural light impacts the human production of hormones that keep us awake at the right time and make us sleep well during the night.

Besides providing health and productivity benefits, the system also has financial benefits to the property owners. The cables are thin and flexible, which means that they can lead light vertically and horizontally, so there is no need for structural intervention in the property. That means the system does not occupy any rentable space, but also that unattractive spaces could become rentable because healthy sunlight may go to almost every room where people are working and learning.

There is also a positive environmental impact due to zero energy consumption during daytime hours. During the evening, a regular artificial setting replaces the system.

Parans has many case studies on their website: schools and hospitals, office buildings and residences, and even tunnels. Here is a link to a page where you may scroll down and see how various natural lightning options (ceiling, point, wall) work.

#solar #urbantech #social Open / Comment

2021-07-27 07:00:02 ​Steady hands

The evolution of microsurgery is here. MUSA is the world's first robot assistant for microsurgeons certified by the CE (European Union standard). The device allows the surgeon to make more precise and fine movements by filtering out natural hand tremors. Such a robotic assistant is indispensable for operations on nerves, veins, tissue transplants, and other microsurgical interventions.

The device has been developed by a Netherlands-based company Microsure. The team of engineers and surgeons created a groundbreaking solution compatible with current operating techniques, instruments, and other operation room equipment. The surgeon is seated directly next to the patient and controls MUSA via joysticks while working in an ergonomically comfortable position. That allows better posture, solving issues related to pain and fatigue.

Microsure had to postpone the device clinical trials due to the pandemic. The team says they used this unplanned delay to make several improvements to the system and hopes to bring the product to market in 2022.

In May 2021, the Dutch developer has received a financing round of $3.25 million. 50% came from Invest-NL, the other 50% - from the existing shareholders BOM Brabant Ventures and venture capital investor Innovation Industries, and private investor Ten Cate Investeringsmaatschappij (TCIM). The investment will go towards clinical trials and pilot implementation of the system in several hospitals.

In this 2-minute video below, you can see at 25x magnification how MUSA operates on a 2mm silicone tube that mimics a blood vessel. It's pretty astonishing.

Microsure website

#robotics #medical Open / Comment