Israel Active

Israeli-founded Mobileye (now part of Intel) is partnering with China’s electric car maker NIO to develop automated and autonomous vehicles. NIO will engineer and manufacture a “first of its kind” self-driving system designed by Mobileye and based on Mobileye’s EyeQ chip.

As reported previously the collision aversion technology from Israel’s Ride Vision protects motorcyclists. Now, Italian insurance company Sara Assicurazioni will offer Ride Vision’s visual alert system to motorcyclists it insures to reduce their premiums.

Israeli startup Castor develops 3D printing software that automatically scans a company’s parts catalog to identify parts that could be manufactured using a 3D printer. It results in fast-produced, lightweight parts that are ideal for the automotive and aviation industries.

On automated production lines, manufacturers use a different robotic arm for each stage of the process. Not anymore – scientists at Ben Gurion University have developed and patented a sophisticated algorithm that enables the design of one robotic arm that can grasp multiple objects.

Scientists at Tel-Hai College in northern Israel have developed “super-wine,” an alcoholic beverage infused with nutritious organic supplements. Among super-wine’s ingredients is a substance called “resveratrol,” which is found in plants and is being hailed as a new “superfood.”

Israel’s Communications Ministry is setting up a fund to finance the deployment of fiber optic cables countrywide. Money will be given out via a tender process to telecom firms to install fiber optic cable to improve internet speeds in the Startup Nation.

To commemorate World Food Day on Oct 16, Calcalistech issued a summary of 10 Israeli companies working to tackle food waste. Most were reported previously except Save Foods (which uses hydrogen peroxide to extend the shelf-life of food) and Sufresca’s edible coatings that extend shelf life.

Israeli startup Voca.ai develops automatic voice assistants for call centers using natural language and artificial intelligence. Robots handle most mundane calls, freeing up humans for the more complex scenarios (see video).  Voca.ai has just raised funds from American Express Ventures.

There are several Israeli startups that can detect faults in machinery or predict when critical industrial equipment is likely to breakdown (e.g. Augury and 3DSignals). Another was Presenso, whose algorithms anticipate industrial machine failures. However, it has just been acquired by Sweden’s SKF.

Israeli startup Seatback develops a device that helps users correct their posture and avoid other sitting-related side effects. Its 70 sensors are embedded in a chair and detects if the sitter slouches or sits asymmetrically. A gentle vibration alerts them to stand up or to change their sitting posture.