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Sap flow sensors for smart water use
CategoriesSustainable News

Sap flow sensors for smart water use

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Agriculture production is both the largest user of water worldwide, and a major water polluter. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, climate-change-induced water shortages are expected to become more frequent. In addition, farmers in many regions are facing increasing competition for water due to rising urban population density and rapid growth of the energy and industry sectors. 

One way to help farmers reduce water use, as well as water pollution, is to use only as much water as each plant needs, avoiding runoff and excess usage. To make this a reality, startup Treetoscope has developed a platform that integrates AI, weather data, satellite imagery, and other remote sensing technologies to provide real-time sap and water uptake data.

Treetoscope’s sensor uses a heat dissipation model to measure the movement of water (sap flow) within the xylem of trees and vines. The sensor detects the distortion of the heat field around the probe, which is directly related to the velocity of water movement. The irrigation management platform is unique and integrates with other weather data to provide growers with insights into irrigation management.

In September last year, the company announced additional investments to its latest seed funding round, bringing the total raised in this round to over $7 million (around €6.5 million), and total investments of $10 million (around €9.3 million), including grants from the Israel Innovation Authority and the Bird Foundation. The funds will be used for research and development and speeding up the expansion across North America and beyond.

Reducing water use in agriculture is also the subject of innovations such as seeds that are more resilient to water scarcity and AI-driven irrigation.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Locally owned networks of air quality sensors 
CategoriesSustainable News

Locally owned networks of air quality sensors 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The World Bank estimates that the cost of health damages associated with air pollution exposure worldwide is $8.1 trillion (around €7.7 trillion) – equal to 6.1 per cent of global GDP. Indonesia has some of the world’s most polluted air, a public health challenge that led clean air technology experts Nafas to set up networks of local air sensors to help communities better manage their health.  

The Nafas app is free to use and provides real-time data on the current quality of the air. Users set their preferred locations and can sign up for alerts when conditions change. Using a green, yellow, and orange colour-coding system, Nafas makes it easy for families to decide when to travel or spend time outside. For users interested in more detail, the platform also provides in-depth articles by experts covering the latest air quality news and research.  

Nafas combines its proprietary technology with Airly air sensors to build its network. Airly sensors are designed for outdoor use and are robust enough to withstand high temperatures and significant quantities of rain. Nafas experts calibrate each sensor for its particular location, and the company invites businesses and other organisations to financially support and physically host a sensor.  

From schools and transport to retail and hospitality, all industries are affected by the health of their employees and customers. With more than 180 sensors already installed in Jabodetabek, Nafas is well on its way to providing hyperlocal air quality information for neighbourhoods and families. The company plans to continue expanding its network to increase the density of its coverage and its ability to map changes across some of the country’s most populous cities.  

Air quality has become so poor that innovators are creating cleaning products for every area of life. Examples in Springwise’s database include light-sensitive concrete that cleans the air in road tunnels and a lampshade coating that combines with pollutants to transform them into harmless compounds.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

IoT sensors for hyper-local natural disaster insights
CategoriesSustainable News

IoT sensors for hyper-local natural disaster insights

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: As locations around the world battle increasingly severe weather events, outdoor sirens, mobile texts, and television notices are common ways of notifying communities of impending disaster. The lethal fire on Hawaii’s Maui Island is an example of a time when planned emergency alerts did not work. With more than 400 outdoor alarms available for use, the fire moved so quickly that disaster management teams didn’t have time to activate them. 

One way of improving safety for residents is to install more local environment trackers, making it possible to generate super-specific alerts before a threat runs out of control. Aurassure, a Bhubaneswar-based environmental technology company, is building an extensive network of informed, connected citizens and neighbourhoods to provide real-time weather and ecosystem data for a variety of uses. 

Using a system of smart environmental monitoring devices with wireless sensors for networking, Aurassure tracks meteorological data, including wind direction and speed, humidity, temperature, and rainfall. The Internet of Things (IoT) system also tracks other essential urban information such as noise levels, the amount of UV light present, and the presence of gases and particulates in the air. And for residents living in close proximity to bodies of water,  

All sensors are customisable so that areas can track exactly what they need, and a dashboard presents information in easy-to-grasp visuals to help make it easy to spot changes over time and identify areas of potential high risk. The sensors are also usable in a variety of locations and are easily mounted on existing infrastructure. Depending on local facilities, there are different ways for a neighbourhood to transmit data to the cloud, and information is viewable on the web and via a mobile app.  

The company’s goal is to provide policymakers, urban planners, and communities with accurate, robust data on which to base ecosystem improvements. 

From portable power stations for grid independence to building-level flood alerts, Springwise’s database includes examples of innovators around the world seeking ways to predict, cope with, and thrive after monumental changes are wrought by natural disasters.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Pressure sensors inspired by nature for non-invasive surgeries
CategoriesSustainable News

Pressure sensors inspired by nature for non-invasive surgeries

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Surgeons are increasingly turning to robotics to assist with surgeries. Many of these involve ‘graspers’ – tools controlled remotely by the surgeon. One drawback of these tools is that the surgeon cannot feel exactly how much pressure is being exerted. While pressure sensors are used for this, they often lack the precision required for delicate surgeries.

Now, researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a novel aero-elastic pressure sensor, called ‘eAir’, which they hope will address these challenges. The sensor could potentially transform some types of surgery by enabling better tactile feedback for surgeons, allowing more precise manipulation of patient tissues.

Conventional pressure sensors have trouble delivering consistent readings and can miss subtle changes in pressure – leading to potential errors. To address this, the NUS team drew inspiration from a phenomenon known as the ‘lotus leaf effect’. This is a natural phenomenon where minuscule, water-repelling structures cause water droplets to roll off a leaf’s surface. The team has engineered a sensor that mimics this effect, detecting minute pressure changes.

The eAir sensor includes a liquid and a trapped layer of air. As external pressure increases, the air layer compresses. The surface of the sensor registers the movement at the interface of air and liquid, triggering a change in electrical signals that accurately reflects even minute amounts of exerted pressure.

The NUS team is hoping to collaborate with key players in the medical field to develop the so. They have filed a patent for the eAir sensor technology in Singapore, and are working to refine the sensor for real-world applications.

This is not the first time we have seen researchers take inspiration from the natural world. Springwise has also covered cancer researchers who used spiders for inspiration and energy-saving paints inspired by butterflies.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference