Israel Active

Muhammad Zahalqa, CTO of Experis Israel (part of Manpower group), came on ILTV news to explain how his company trains Israeli graduates for the hi-tech industry. In his words, turning them into “ninja developers” to help address the shortage of technical skills in the Startup Nation.

No, not a spy story. Tel Aviv University is partnering Russian tech company Yandex to provide courses in artificial intelligence (AI). The Yandex Machine Learning Initiative, will feature courses on machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics.

Israel’s Farmster links Tanzanian farmers to buyers for their crops even if they can’t access the Internet. They are given a simple SMS (texting) facility on their low-tech mobile phones and the buyers (who have smartphones and the FarmZee app) can quickly see what is available.

Israel’s agricultural group Yakhin is joining with Israeli non-profit Tech for Good, to set up Yakhin Impact - an accelerator to mentor agri-tech entrepreneurs. It will help sustainable development start-ups develop solutions with the potential to transform agriculture in Israel and globally.

I reported previously (, , and ) on devices to prevent parents from leaving infants in hot cars.  Israel’s Guardian Optical Technologies uses optical motion analysis to detect tiny movements within the car, including an infant heartbeat. (See video for more benefits)

Israeli startup Valerann has developed a road monitoring and traffic control system that uses wireless sensory systems installed on the road itself. Its sensors, algorithm and communication system send data on (e.g.) traffic, icy roads and stranded cars, to drivers and road operators.

The recent GPU Artificial Intelligence conference at Tel Aviv’s Fairgrounds showcased smart city plans, cyber-security and healthcare apps. It featured virtual reality headsets, audio-driven facial recognition, police cars with drones on the roof, and Viper sensors from Israel’s Adasky.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem hosted a one-day conference entitled “3D Printing and Beyond: Current and Future Trends in the World of 3D Printing.” It featured startups focusing on printing objects including buildings, prosthetics, electronic circuits, ceramics and medical devices.

I reported previously on Israel’s Foresight’s 3D Eyes-On camera Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Foresight demonstrated its upgraded QuadSight 4-camera (visible-light and infra-red) all-weather all-lighting solution at CES 2018 in Las Vegas.

Israel’s Comigo has won a $7 million deal to develop and manufacture set-top boxes for the recently launched content service of South Africa’s Cell C.  Comigo’s interactive set-top box is a broadcasting and video-on-demand device that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the TV experience.