Spotted: A good night’s sleep is essential for maintaining health and wellbeing. But for many, it can be hard to get much-needed shut-eye. In fact, sleep disorders affect up to 70 million Americans every year.
While there are a variety of sleep-tracking devices on the market, most of them either lack accuracy or are too intrusive to be used on a regular basis. However, scientists in China have developed a smart pillow that strikes a balance between these two extremes.
The pillow is equipped with a series of sensors that track head movements to accurately monitor the quality of sleep. Crucially, the pillow is designed to be comfortable and unobtrusive, making it an ideal solution for those who want to track their sleep without disturbing their rest.
The pillow, which is outfitted with a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and sets of flexible, porous polymer triboelectric layers, is self-powered, generating electricity from the sleeper’s head movements.
While the pillow is primarily designed to track sleep quality, the scientists imagine that it could find other uses, such as monitoring patients with neck conditions or acting as an early warning system for people with sleep apnea.
Other sleep innovations spotted by Springwise include an app that uses neurofeedback for better sleep, sleepwear that protects from insect bites, and a smart mattress that encourages a better night’s sleep.
Spotted: There are now a huge number of projects working to reduce or sequester carbon. However, there is not nearly enough funding available for all the projects that require it. This is proving to be a major stumbling block to developing innovative solutions to the crisis of global warming. Estonian DAO (decentralised autonomous organisation) Solid World is working to change this by using blockchain infrastructure to supply forward carbon credits.
To offset carbon use, organisations can either purchase verified carbon credits from an advanced and ongoing offset project (such as established renewable energy or methane capture, for example) or they can invest in new projects that will generate offsets over time (such as a tree-planting project that needs time for trees to mature). Forward crediting is a method of accounting that allows companies to support early-stage projects in return for future offsets. But for forward crediting to work, early-stage projects need sufficient investment.
This is where Solid World comes in. They are creating a blockchain-based tokenised infrastructure that adds liquidity to forward markets. This will be done using a variety of mechanisms, including maintaining ‘world-class’ due diligence and risk assessment of all projects; creating tokenised agreements backed by blockchain and off-chain options; forward commodity trading which guarantees there is always a buyer and a seller at market rates; and collaboration options such as a loan facility collateralised by specific carbon credits held by traders.
Solid World Chairman Stenver Jerkku explains that the DAO is entirely rethinking the mechanics of the forward carbon market. “The carbon markets are really untransparent and predatory towards new players right now. Our mission in Solid World DAO is to fix that. Using Blockchain and web3, we can realign the economic incentives for all the players in the space, bring capital efficiency to the institutions and make sure there is a liquid forward market for carbon credits.”
Blockchain is being used for an increasing number of investment vehicles – especially those involving decarbonisation projects. Recently, Springwise has covered a number of innovations in this space including a nature-backed financial instrument and a peer-to-peer renewable energy marketplace.
The ocean matters to humanity in more than one way. Not only does it support the livelihoods of billions of people – it also has an enormous influence on the climate. An estimated 83 per cent of the global carbon cycle is circulated through marine waters, and oceans have absorbed around a third of all the CO2 ever produced by humans. Moreover, marine waters contain resources that are extremely useful in the fight against climate change. Seagrass meadows sequester carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests, and seaweed is used in a wide range of sustainable innovations.
Given the importance of oceans to our shared future, many innovators are looking to the ocean for inspiration. Although international co-operation and government action are essential for enacting change, innovation will also play a crucial role in protecting life below water.
Ocean pollution
Around 80 per cent of ocean pollution is caused by our lives on land through sources such as agricultural run-off, pesticides, plastic, and untreated sewage. And much ocean pollution ends up on the seafloor – including 60 per cent of chemical leaks, oil spill-offs, and micro-plastics. Latvia’s PurOceans Technology is tackling seafloor pollution in a unique way. The company pumps bubbles of ambient air to the lowest depths where they stick to chemical pollutants and float back to the surface.
To garner corporate funding and support for pollution clean-up, startup CleanHub has developed a tech platform that connects brands whose plastic products may end up in the ocean with local plastic collection schemes.
Marine and coastal ecosystems
Marine ecosystems are not only crucial for the vast array of species that live in them – they are also integral to the global economy. For example, hundreds of millions of people around the world rely on coral ecosystems for food and economic security. Yet, according to the UN Environment Programme, around 14 per cent of the world’s coral has been lost since 2009. In response, Blue Oasis Technologies has developed engineered underwater ‘cities’ that are designed to save coral. The structures are made up of 55-tonne modules that are lowered into the ocean with a crane, as well as smaller, stackable modules. Elsewhere, a project by Danish energy company Ørsted aims to provide a ‘safe haven’ for corals by growing them at the base of wind turbines.
While coral reefs receive a lot of well-deserved attention, they are not the only form of marine ecosystem. Seagrass meadows are home to myriad animals and plants, and act as extremely effective carbon sinks. Non-profit Beneath the Waves has teamed up with digital data company Hexagon AB to map seagrass meadows using airborne laser technology. The enhanced data will improve the accuracy of monitoring and restoration efforts.
Overfishing
The world produces around 200 million tonnes of fish and seafood every year. Statistics on overfishing are notoriously complex (and controversial). But a 2017 assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that over one-third of fish stocks are overfished. And the proportion of fish stocks that are over-exploited has increased over time.
One particular issue connected to fishing is by-catch. Globally, we throw just under 10 per cent of the fish and marine animals we catch back into the ocean. To help reduce the impact of fishing on marine life, France’s National Institute for Ocean Science is working with a number of partners to pilot an AI-powered smart net that can sort fish in the water, preventing by-catch. A simpler approach, tested in a study in Mexico, is to use illuminated fishing nets that reduce both by-catch and fishers’ workload.
SDG 14 also mentions illegal fishing as a particular challenge. In Korea, the government is leveraging drones, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things to manage octopus resources and reduce illegal fishing.
Scientific knowledge
To effectively protect and preserve our oceans, it is important for us to understand them. But more than 80 per cent of the ocean is unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored, and it is estimated that 91 per cent of ocean species are yet to be classified by science.
One way we can bolster our scientific knowledge of the oceans is through autonomous vehicles. The UK’s National Oceanography Centre has developed two new classes of autonomous underwater vehicle that can operate up to 1500 metres underwater. And, in China, a new autonomous vessel that serves as the mothership for a fleet of intelligent, self-driven air, surface, and underwater research drones, is currently undergoing trials.
Words: Matthew Hempstead
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Spotted: The desert locust, which is found in various parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, is considered the most destructive migratory pest in the world. When locusts swarm, they can destroy crops, pasture, and fodder over a large area. A small swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people, while a large swarm can eat food that could feed 81 million people.
Locust swarms are a serious threat to food security in Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, which is why a group of innovators at the Amman, Jordan FabLab decided to work on a solution. The group submitted designs for a prototype as part of an application for a funding award from the Orange Foundation. The project uses high-frequency audio to disrupt and disperse the swarms.
The team developed a small, 3D-printed rocket-shaped device, designed to be released from a drone. This system was chosen because the desert areas where swarms form are often difficult to access by land. Once released, the nose of the rocket embeds in the ground and a speaker plays high frequency audio. The team plan to use any funding they receive to further refine the design and add solar power.
In 2014, the Orange Foundation launched a number of digital education programmes to focus on young people in need. The FabLab movement offered a natural alignment with this goal and the Foundation established the concept of the Solidarity FabLab to help young people develop professional and technical skills. All of the people working on the anti-locust rocket are part of this programme.
A number of innovators are working to help farmers in regions where farmers cannot afford high-tech crop management systems. Springwise has covered a number of these developments, including a desalination system that can be adapted to off-grid use and the use of non-toxic emulsions to control fungi and bacteria and enhance crop growth.
Spotted: One fear for many electric vehicle (EV) owners is the thought of running out of juice miles from the nearest plug. Now, startup ZipCharge is poised to eliminate range anxiety with its ZipCharge Go portable charger. The company describes the Go as a ‘flexible and convenient charging solution’ for those without easy access to fixed charging points.
The portable powerbank was introduced at last years’ COP26 summit, and is about the size of a large suitcase. It weighs around 50 pounds, but is equipped with wheels and a handle, for greater portability. The idea is that users charge the Go from a household socket at a lower cost than using a public charger, then wheel it to where their car is parked. Once the Go’s power cable is locked into the car’s charging port, the device is secure, and its recycled plastic shell allows it to be used in all weather.
The ZipCharge Go can charge from any socket, and comes with a Type 2 EV socket. A 4-kilowatt-hour version will provide up to 20 miles of range after 20 minutes, and a higher capacity, 8 kilowatt-hour version will be able to provide around 40 miles of range. ZipCharge suggests this is enough for the average daily commute. The device can be charged up at home using an app, that allows users to schedule charging for off-peak hours, when electricity is cheapest.
According to a study by Ofgem, a lack of charging options at or near to home is a major factor in whether buyers decide to opt for an EV. A number of areas in the UK are installing charging points in streetlight poles or on streets, but these are often more expensive to use than home charging. The ZipCharge Go could help address those concerns. As the company says, “The best way to charge an EV is when you don’t need to. Top-up charge wherever you park, to avoid the visit to the charging station.”
As EVs become more popular, a number of innovators have turned to the issue of making charging more convenient. Some ideas covered here at Springwise include charging stations designed to include a range of amenities and AI-powered smart chargers designed to reduce the carbon footprint of charging.
Spotted: The bulk of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions from industry are caused by just three sectors: petrochemicals and chemicals, iron and steel, and cement production. The reason these industries are so emissions-intensive is that they involve processes that require extremely high temperatures. Until recently, burning fossil fuels was the only way to achieve such levels of heat. But this is set to change.
Finnish engineering company Colbrook has developed ‘Roto Dynamic Heater’ (RDH) technology that uses electricity generated from renewable sources in place of fossil fuels in the highest-emitting industrial processes. The new technology can achieve process temperatures of up to 1700 degrees Celsius thanks to its high levels of energy efficiency. Such temperatures are sufficient to replace fossil fuel burning in processes where electrification was previously impossible.
The RDH technology is extremely compact, which means it can be retrofitted into existing facilities. And Colbrook estimates that if the technology was widely adopted, it could cut up to 30 per cent of industrial CO2 emissions.
“Today marks the beginning of a new industrial era,” Ilpo Kuokkanen, Executive Chairman of Coolbrook said when the RDH Technology was launched earlier this month. “We can roll out this revolutionary technology and achieve significant emission reductions in the most energy and CO2 intensive industrial processes,” he added.
The RDH technology Coolbrook is leveraging was developed over a decade by aerospace engineering and turbomachinery academics at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, and the University of Ghent in Belgium. The technology recently completed a successful pilot project, and global building materials company CEMEX has announced that it aims to be the first commercial enterprise to incorporate it into its processes.
Other recent industrial emissions innovations spotted by Springwise include a nanonfiltration technology that reduces emissions from industrial chemical separation, solar-powered cement production, and the world’s first fossil-fuel-free steel.
Spotted: By 2035 there are expected to be one trillion Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices. Finding the most effective and sustainable way to power all these devices is a key challenge for innovators and researchers alike. Algae are one potential power source, and researchers from the University of Cambridge recently put it to the test.
The Cambridge team built a small microprocessor similar in size to a AA battery. This system was made of common, inexpensive and largely recyclable materials, and used a non-toxic and widespread species of algae called Synechocystis as its source of power. The algae naturally harvest energy from the sun through photosynthesis, producing a tiny electrical current that powers the microprocessor.
In a study published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science the researchers found that the algae could power the microprocessor continuously for a year using nothing but ambient light and water.
One of the surprising findings of the study was that the algae continued to produce a current in periods of darkness, even though they need light to photosynthesise. The researchers suggest that this happens because the algae continues to process some of the food it creates through photosynthesis even when there is no light.
Unlike batteries, the algae-based system actually creates energy rather than simply storing it. “The growing Internet of Things needs an increasing amount of power, and we think this will have to come from systems that can generate energy, rather than simply store it like batteries,” explains Professor Christopher Howe in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Biochemistry, joint senior author of the paper. “Our photosynthetic device doesn’t run down the way a battery does because it’s continually using light as the energy source,” he adds.
Other recent algae innovations spotted by Springwise include giant algae-filled ponds that sequester carbon, smart bioplastic made using algae, and t-shirts dyed using black algae.
Reflecting our global Springwise readership, we explore the innovation landscape and freshest thinking from a new country each week. This week, to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee, we’ve headed to the United Kingdom…
Climate targets: reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, net zero by 2050
Sustainability issues
Air Pollution– Nearly every home in the UK is exposed to levels of air pollution that exceed World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Ninety-seven per cent of homes are exposed to pollution levels that breach the guidelines for at least one of the three main pollutants, with 70 per cent exposed to levels that breach the limit for all three. The UK’s own legal limits are set much higher than the WHO Guidelines, but many urban areas still exceed even these thresholds.
Noise pollution – After air pollution, noise causes the second-highest pollution-related burden of disease in Western Europe. One study has estimated the medical cost of noise-related hypertension and associated conditions in the UK to be £1.09 billion per year. And the number of people in England exposed to road and railway traffic noise exceeding WHO guidelines is 11.5 million and 1.5 million respectively.
Antimicrobial resistance– Antimicrobial drug-resistant infections are becoming more common in the UK as they are elsewhere in the world. And antibiotic-resistant bacteria were estimated to cause 2,228 deaths in the UK in 2020. In the past drug-resistant infections were considered a problem for hospitals, but increasingly patients are acquiring resistant infections from the wider environment.
One fear for many electric vehicle (EV) owners is the thought of running out of juice miles from the nearest plug. Now, startup ZipCharge is poised to eliminate range anxiety with their ZipCharge Go portable charger. The company describes the Go as a ‘flexible and convenient charging solution’ for those without easy access to fixed charging points. ZipCharge plans to offer the Go on a subscription service, starting at £49 a month. It will also offer the device for sale at around the same cost as a fully-installed home charging port. Read more.
The bulk of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions from industry are caused by just three sectors: petrochemicals and chemicals, iron and steel, and cement production. The reason these industries are so emissions-intensive is that they involve processes that require extremely high temperatures. Technology developed by academics at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, and the University of Ghent in Belgium, uses electricity from renewable sources to achieve process temperatures of up to 1700 degrees Celsius – sufficient to replace fossil fuel burning in processes where electrification was previously impossible. Read more.
By 2035 there are expected to be one trillion Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices. Finding the most effective and sustainable way to power all these devices is a key challenge for innovators and researchers alike. Algae are one potential power source, and researchers from the University of Cambridge recently put it to the test. Algae naturally harvest energy from the sun through photosynthesis, producing a tiny electrical current that can power a microprocessor. Read more.
Words: Matthew Hempstead
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Spotted: Today, most wind turbine towers are made of tubular steel. But a partnership is promoting a surprising alternative: wood. Laminated veneer lumber (known as ‘LVL’) is a material made up of stacked layers of thin wood. Pound for pound it is stronger than steel, and Finnish LVL producer Stora Enso is teaming up with Modvion – a company that uses the engineered wood product to make next-generation turbine towers.
Modvion’s towers are built in lightweight modules. This approach has two key benefits from an engineering and construction perspective. First, the modular design makes it possible to build taller towers that can reach stronger winds, leading to more cost-efficient energy production. And second, the modules can be easily transported on public roads – without the need for permits or road reconstructions.
But perhaps the most compelling reason for making the switch from steel to LVL is the sustainability benefits of using a wood-based material. Wood is a renewable resource, and using it reduces the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the turbine tower by 90 per cent. Moreover, using wood as a construction material locks away the carbon dioxide absorbed by the tree during its lifetime for the long term.
“The commitment of Stora Enso to replace fossil-based materials with renewables is a perfect match for Modvion,” explains Otto Lundman, CEO of Modvion. “To solve the climate crisis, we need more renewable energy as well as increased use of sustainable, wooden constructions,” he adds.
Springwise has spotted several recent innovations that use wood as a construction material. These include a skyscraper made from cross-laminated timber, a wall system made from waste wood, and engineered wooden walls strong enough to replace all above-ground steel and concrete.
Spotted: China recently announced the construction of a massive dam on the Yellow River in Qinghai Province. The hydroelectric power station will be the second-largest in Asia. At 390-feet tall, the dam will be similar in height to the Three Gorges Dam (594 feet tall) – which is currently the biggest hydroelectric power plant in the world.
As the world moves to stop burning fossil fuels, two of the most popular renewable energy sources are solar and wind. Despite solar and wind power getting most of the attention, hydropower is more efficient and has a higher output capacity. In such a spirit, China’s Yellow River dam will show that hydropower is still a viable option for generating large amounts of renewable electricity.
Construction of the Yangqu Dam is well underway, and plans are for it to be built entirely by robots, without any human labour. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots for construction is not only faster and more efficient – it also eliminates the need for human labour, which can be expensive and dangerous. In the case of the Yangqu Dam, using robots will also help to ensure that the dam is built to exact specifications.
In 2024, the first section of the Yangqu Dam will become operational. The entire project is expected to be completed the following year. Once complete, the dam is predicted to generate almost five billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, according to the South China Morning Post. That’s half a billion more than Arizona’s Hoover Dam – which is 726 feet tall and took 5 years to build. Ninety-six people also died during construction of the Hoover Dam. It is hoped that with 3D modelling and robotics, Yangqu Dam will be built without such risks.
Other construction innovations involving robots recently spotted by Springwise include autonomous robots that reduce construction errors at the start of projects, a carbon-negative construction company that uses robotic builders, and the world’s largest 3D-printed building constructed by a robotic construction company.
