The robot that picks and packs

More on the robotic technology from Israel’s 1MRobotics (see previously). Select your goods and a robot will retrieve your purchased items in under 10 seconds. The first autonomous grocery store will be operated by a supermarket chain with 20 stores in New York.

Getting into hot water

Israel’s Sowillo Energy (see previously) has developed a system to use energy from the hot water wasted in showering or washing dishes or clothes. Instead of going down the drain, the system redirects the water to a tank where it heats a coil that generates hot water for others in the building.

Turning PVC waste into fuel in Thailand

Israel’s Plastic Back (see previously) has teamed up with Thai petrochemicals company SCG Chemicals on a project to recycle polyvinyl chloride (PVC) waste into naphtha fuel for industrial use in Thailand.

Reducing greenhouse gas in greenhouses

Israel’s N2OFF (formerly Nitrousink – see ) has developed bacteria to reduce Nitrous Oxide emissions in agriculture. Its recent study inside greenhouses shows N2O levels reduced by up to 54%. N2O is reportedly 265 times more potent than Carbon dioxide in warming the planet.

See what Tech Guard is guarding

The up-to-date info of the progress of the projects of Israeli non-profit Tech Guard (see previously). It now has some 200 volunteers from Israel’s tech community developing solutions to save lives.

An artificial island

The digging of tunnels for the Metro in the Greater Tel Aviv area will involve the removal of 40 million cubic meters of earth. The Ministry of Transport is examining the possibility of using this material to build an artificial island off the coast of Israel.

Cultivating bluefin tuna

Israel’s Wanda Fish (see previously) has unveiled toro sashimi made from the cells of bluefin tuna, one of the world’s most expensive fish per pound. Toro sashimi is normally made from the fatty underbelly of the fish, and Wanda says its lab-grown version has the same omega 3-rich nutritional value.

2.5 billion cubic meters of water

Underneath Kibbutz Shamir in the Upper Galilee is a massive water source – over half as much as in the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Thanks to the JNF-USA and others, the Shamir Drilling Project is reaching down a huge 1.5km to draw water for drought-threatened crops and fish farms.

Swedish car charged in 10 minutes

Israel’s StoreDot (see previously) successfully charged a fully drive-able verification Polestar 5 prototype Electric Vehicle, from 10% to 80% in under 10 minutes. The Polestar’s 77kWh battery pack comprised StoreDot’s 300Wh/kg silicon-dominant battery cells.

Generating ads with AI

Israel’s AdGPT automates the creation of advertisements for small and medium businesses (SMBs). These ads are optimized for digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), Google, Taboola and Outbrain.  (Unfortunately, I couldn’t get it to work for VeryGoodNewsIsrael.)