Happy landings for drones
Israel’s Wonder Robotics is developing a system that supplies autonomous drones with an understanding of their surroundings. It will prevent collisions, negotiate obstacles and avoid unsafe landings.
Checking your digital identity
Two Israeli companies have been funded by the Israel Innovation Authority to develop solutions to protect systems from unauthorized users. FinCom.Co searches for a person's name in 38 different languages. Scanovate’s facial identity technology extracts text from a picture.
Timing traffic lights to save fuel
Several Israeli companies are developing smart traffic light systems (see previously). Now early reports of Google Israel’s four pilots of its AI system pilots in Haifa, Beersheba and the Israel National Roads Company, show a 10-20% reduction in fuel use and delay time at intersections.
Foldable emergency vehicles
Israel’s City Transformer (see previously) is to provide 1,000 of its electric folding vehicles to emergency NGO United Hatzalah over the next 5 years. It will allow the network of volunteer EMTs to locate a vehicle and use it to respond to medical emergencies.
Developing sustainable solutions
Israel’s NRS Agro Innovation is helping Israel’s Volcani Institute prevent the culling of male chicks (see previously). It is also working to eradicate salmonella in eggs. An NRS subsidiary, RumenEra, is working to reduce methane emissions from cows and improve land and water usage.
Cardiac ultrasound study in space
More details about the cardiac study to be conducted by Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe in the Rakia mission on the International Space Station. It will test GE Healthcare’s pocket-sized Vscan Air wireless ultrasound with the AI guidance software from Israel’s UltraSight (see previously).
We are not cute
Israel’s Unlimited Robotics is developing a service robot for homes, restaurants, gyms, airports, elderly facilities, and practically anywhere that needs assistance. CEO Guy Altagar stated, “Amazon is developing something very cute… We are not in the cute industry. We are the functional, practical industry,”
Accommodation for 1,000 more students
Israel’s Ben Gurion University has opened a 1,000-bed student village in time for the new academic year. The complex includes studio apartments, housing for married students, religious and those with disabilities. They include smart TV, full kitchen, solar water heater and more.
Tel Aviv is on the (electric) road to clean air
Israel’s ElectReon (see previously) has struck a $9.4 million deal to launch its wireless road-charging infrastructure for powering 200 Dan electric buses in Tel Aviv and in the south of Israel. ElectReon is already piloting its smart road tech in Germany, France, and Belgium.
Homeland security projects
The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation is funding two homeland security projects involving Israeli startups. A collision avoidance system for aerial first responders (Israel’s Ciconia) and multimedia emergency call communications (Israel’s Carbyne).