Answering questions automatically on social media
Israel’s Pudding.ai (founded as Nowtecc Technologies) generates insights and answers questions in real-time on companies’ social media accounts. These include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
Opening doors safely without a key
Israel’s Cobra Group (L.D. Israel Auto Equipment) has launched DOORe, a smart-lock home entrance security system that eliminates the need for house keys. The homeowner uses an app, and previously scanned fingerprints, to authorize anyone to open the front door at a specific time.
Another voice app to detect Covid-19
Israel’s Afeka Tel Aviv Academic College of Engineering has teamed up with Milan University and Cambridge University to build the Afeka app. It compares a few sentences and coughs with templates for positive and negative coronavirus patients to identify infected patients.
Clean water plus energy
Israel’s Agrobics (reported previously) purifies wastewater, producing energy to power the process. Its reactor uses anaerobic bacteria Archaea to eat pollutants, clean the water and excrete biogas. It has 3 Israeli test sites and a to build one in California with US firm Bennett & Bennett.
Power from humidity
Scientists from Tel Aviv University simulated lightening by exposing two different metals to different levels of humidity. They found that voltage develops when humidity rises above 60%. It opens the possibility for developing renewable energy batteries that can be charged from water vapor in the air.
Joint US-Israeli space projects
In addition to StemRad, other Israeli companies to benefit from the 7th round of funding from the Space Florida-Israel Innovation Partnership Program include SolCold (manipulate solar energy), Green ICPS (corrosion protection coating), and MobiliComm (communications system).
Anti-radiation vest proved in space
The vest to protect astronauts against radiation from Israel’s StemRad (reported previously) was worn by Jewish astronaut Jessica Meir on the International Space Station (ISS). Now StemRad has been awarded a grant to turn ISS plastic waste into radiation protection equipment.
ADAM’s driving test
Israeli startup ADAM CogTech can identify a driver’s cognitive state. It tests the driver’s reaction to light stimulation and determines if a vehicle operator is tired, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The system is based on artificial intelligence, machine learning and brain science research.
Microsoft’s AI-powered virtual classroom
Microsoft has launched a virtual classroom system that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide feedback on the individual performance of students. Built by Microsoft Israel’s education group, it also provides security, group collaboration and teacher supervision / inspection.
From hydroponics to respirators
Israel’s Growponics normally produces hydroponic greenhouses. But when coronavirus struck, it teamed up with physicians to develop a low-cost solution to help COVID-19 patients breathe. The device uses a respiratory balloon connected to an oxygen tank and a computer-controlled piston.