Israel Active

Israeli startup LinguisTech Solutions. has launched EZSpeak, which helps users learn to speak English quickly and pronounce it correctly.  EZSpeak analyzes the user’s speech and creates a personalized learning program. LinguisTech is targeting the Chinese and Spanish-speaking markets.

I reported previously on the success of a Binyamina High School in the FIRST Robotics contest in the USA.  The students then went to compete in Shanghai where they finished second of 57 international teams with their robot that balanced on a beam and scored balls into goals.

Some 300 elementary schools in Israel will be adding robotics to their curricula for the 2016-2017 school year under a new initiative by the Education Ministry.  Students will learn how to code and will receive hands-on experience in operating robots of various types.

The Florida-Israel Business Accelerator (FIBA) is to collaborate with the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) on the production of innovative technologies. These include components, material combinations, simulations, and systems. Also (TY ) FIBA received $1 million from the State of Florida to attract and develop Israeli startups in the Tampa Bay area.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Raytheon, its US partner for Iron Dome production, are working to transform the combat-proven Israeli interceptor into a fully US system defending forward-deployed US forces from cruise missiles, UAVs, rockets, artillery and mortars.

The United States Department of Energy is to establish a US-Israel joint energy research center in 2017. Jonathan Elkind, a DOE official, stated that the center will build on the “extensive engagement that already exists between our two countries through the US–Israel Energy Dialogue”.

In 2018, Israel’s first high speed train is scheduled to leave Tel Aviv. It will travel over Israel’s longest bridge, through Israel’s longest tunnel and atop its tallest bridge, before (just 28 minutes later) reaching Jerusalem – Israel’s deepest station and one of the largest in the world.

Israel’s Biobee has sent 160 million predatory wasps to South Africa in order to reduce infestation levels of both the citrus mealybug and vine mealybug. Biobee’s insects have previously been used effectively in Russia, the Balkans and in Israel

The Dan bus company is to run five new entirely electric buses on its No.4 route in Tel Aviv. The technology uses supercapacitors rather than batteries, with a 3-minute recharge between trips. Dan will introduce another 17 electric buses this year and intends to replace its entire fleet with electric buses.

SayVU is one of the many Israeli security products and services deployed in Rio to protect the Olympic Games. It enables a user to send a distress signal to an emergency hotline even if a phone is locked. The message can be sent by shaking the device, tapping the camera button, or speaking into the phone.