Israel Active

On a perfectly cloudless Saturday afternoon on 19th March, solar energy was producing 13.4 percent of Israel’s total electricity consumption, breaking the country’s solar power record.

Two Israeli companies have partnered to provide technology to alert motor racing drivers to hazards on the circuit. Vehicle-to-everything chipset maker Autotalks and race car manufacturer Griiip showcased their system at the new motorsport park in Be'er Sheva, Southern Israel.

Missouri scientists have used software from Israel’s NRGene to map the genomes of two important soybean varieties. The information can help scientists increase their oil and protein content using traditional breeding methods.

Telsa CEO Elon Musk visited Israel and posted several photos of himself including one at Masada. The caption was “Paid respects to Masada earlier today. Live free or die.” Earlier he met PM Netanyahu. He praised Israel as a ‘technological power’ and said the Negev could provide the country with all its energy needs.

Israeli researchers at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have developed a proof of concept that would enable computers to run 100 times faster using terahertz microchips. The technology integrates speed-of-light optics communications with flash memory.

I reported previously that Intel Israel had developed its 8th Gen I-Core “Coffee Lake” microprocessor – the fastest yet.  Intel has now released further processors in the range, including the Intel Core i9 processor - the highest-performance laptop processor that Intel has ever built.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University have developed a low-cost infrared sensor that can be used as night-vision glasses or for self-driving cars. The device converts infrared light into visible light, allowing better vision in fog and darkness.

I reported previously on Israel’s Arbe Robotics and its radar imaging technology for drones and self-driving cars. Arbe has now won Berlin’s Automotive Tech.AD Award 2018 for outstanding achievements in the autonomous driving industry, including being “the first to demonstrate ultra-high-resolution imaging radar.”

Israeli startup MercuRemoval has developed a novel process for removing toxic mercury from flue-gas streams. Originating in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a unique absorbent liquid formulation oxidizes the mercury into a stable complex which is then precipitated out for safe disposal.

I reported previously about Israel’s AnyClip which has built up an inventory of 600,000 video clips to help businesses promote their products. AnyClip has now developed Luminous - an AI (artificial intelligence) platform that automatically edits video into clips to match a user’s requirements.