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Redefining climate forecasts with AI-powered precision
CategoriesSustainable News

Redefining climate forecasts with AI-powered precision

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The volatility of weather is increasing as climate change affects all regions around the world. The International Energy Agency reports that “the temperature today is around 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre‑industrial levels, and global emissions have not yet peaked.” More changes are likely, making it even more challenging for businesses to plan for and predict future scenarios.

A new AI-powered forecasting engine has a solution to the volatility of weather and its impact on business cycles. Designed explicitly for the commonly used quarterly reporting format of businesses across many industries, Planette AI’s climate intelligence provides mid-range forecasts up to five years in the future. Reports are available seasonally, quarterly, annually, and by the decade.

The precision of the forecasts is made possible by Earth system models that incorporate ice, oceans, and land surfaces, as well as the traditional review of the atmosphere. The Planette team then adds artificial intelligence to the process to produce rapid, timely forecasts. Without the use of the AI, forecasts based on such detailed physics data would take hundreds of hours to create.

The workflow is patent-pending, and each forecast includes an analysis of 14 variables, including flood, fire, and hurricane risk, along with the potential for hail and tornadoes and the strength of the electromagnetic radiation from the sun (solar irradiance). Each forecast covers 25 square kilometres, and companies can request analysis for as many areas as needed.

Planette AI integrates its forecasts into each company’s own API and automatically updates forecasts quarterly. Each forecast also comes with a hindcast, where Planette AI reviews its predictions against actual events and measurements. Doing this helps strengthen the AI and provides businesses with insight into the system’s accuracy. So far, hindcasts for one-year forecasts have proven to be more than 80 per cent accurate worldwide, with up to 90 per cent accuracy in some locations.

As global weather patterns change, innovators are creating new methods of making what feels like constant change somewhat predictable. Examples in Springwise’s library include micro-climate forecasting for the energy sector and hyperlocal rain predictions for the tropics.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Detecting cancer cells with an AI-powered web platform
CategoriesSustainable News

Detecting cancer cells with an AI-powered web platform

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Urbanisation may prove highly beneficial for increasing employment and educational opportunities, but scientists are increasingly noting the negative impact of urban environments on our health, including rising instances of cancers. And according to researchers, the burden of cancer is set to rise faster in developing countries in the coming years, including in Nigeria. 

At the same time, the country’s health system is woefully understaffed, with a ratio of less than 100 clinical oncologists for every 100,000 cancer patients. A team of data scientists and healthcare students saw an opportunity for artificial intelligence (AI) to help reduce that gap. Working together, they built TensorScan, a web-based tool for real-time detection of malignant cells in histology micrographs.  

With the power of AI at hand to help review cancer scans, oncologists can order more tests for more patients, thereby contributing to a reduction in waiting and diagnosis times. As patients begin to move through the healthcare system more quickly, the potential for earlier identification of malignant cells grows, further increasing the rate of positive care outcomes.  

TensorScan also provides additional services for scientists and patients. The developers built a native token called $CARE with blockchain technology to ensure the security of research data and the privacy of patients. Doctors upload scan results and receive payment in $CARE tokens. Researchers use the tokens to buy data, and patients are able to connect with others in support groups and receive payments for their time. The payments to patients can be particularly helpful in countries with less developed or accessible national health systems. 

The team envisions up to 70 breast cancer screening centres spread throughout Nigeria. After participating in the FuelAfrica 2.0 hackathon held in early 2023 and earning second runner-up, the team plans to continue developing the strength of the algorithm and rolling out the technology as quickly as possible.  

AI’s ability to handle volumes of data and tasks far greater than a human’s capacity makes the technology of particular interest to many nations struggling to provide equitable, high-quality healthcare to their populations. Springwise’s archive contains additional examples of AI improving healthcare by prioritising patient cases according to the probability of illness and examining scans for areas of secondary concern.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Understanding environmental change through AI-powered pollen analysis
CategoriesSustainable News

Understanding environmental change through AI-powered pollen analysis

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: When we think of global warming, the itchy eyes of allergy season are unlikely to be the first thing that springs to mind. But, experts highlight that worsening climate change means longer pollen seasons – and more runny noses for hay fever sufferers.

Historically speaking, researchers have analysed pollen in the air manually, which is a highly laborious task. Now, to monitor the growing rates of pollen and better understand environmental change, scientists from the University of Exeter and Swansea University are turning to cutting-edge technologies –including imaging flow cytometry and deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) to create a system that’s able to spot and categorise different pollens much more quickly.

As researcher Dr Ann Power highlights, “Pollen is an important environmental indicator, and piecing together the jigsaw of different pollen types in the atmosphere, both today and in the past, can help us build up a picture of biodiversity and climate change.”

As well as helping us to better understand our changing environment and shifting biodiversity levels, the AI-powered system could also help those with severe pollen allergies better manage their symptoms. Understanding when certain types of pollen are most prevalent, such as the grass pollens that so many are allergic to, would help to improve pollen forecasting so that individuals can limit exposure or take medications accordingly.

Accurately keeping track of biodiversity and climate change is the first step in ensuring that we are moving in the right direction for environmental protection. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted the use of AI and sensors to monitor farms and assessment software to forecast climate change risk.

Written By: Matilda Cox

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AI-powered leak detection reduces water waste
CategoriesSustainable News

AI-powered leak detection reduces water waste

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Managing water well is increasingly important as the world is impacted by climate change. Yet water in buildings is unmanaged – delivered through unintelligent pipes that are unnecessarily costly and inefficient. The average household can lose 10,000 gallons of water every year due to leaks, and when a pipe breaks or leaks, escaping water can cause severe damage. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), Israeli company Wint has found a way to change this: using intelligent pipes to detect water leaks and wastage. 

Using real-time AI, Wint’s breakthrough technology prevents water waste at the source. When there is a break or leak, the devices alert maintenance staff and can even automatically shut off water supplies when needed. Unlike other solutions, the AI system is constantly learning and adapting to different water networks, supporting systems from domestic water to air conditioning and heating to ensure the buildings can effectively manage the water throughout. 

Yaron Dycian, Wint’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer explains: “The built environment is one of the largest industries in the world sized at many trillions of dollars; it includes all construction sites, residential buildings, commercial buildings, etc… Yet this vast ecosystem is also one of the least technologically advanced one. Having built solutions for the most advanced users of IT technologies such as banks and e-commerce, I decided that it would make sense to help bring the benefits of IT to this relatively less IT-savvy world. Seeing the growing need for sustainability combined with the insurance impact of water leak damage, this seemed like an obvious area to address.” 

Recently, the company completed a funding round, raising $35 million (around €32.4 million) to drive growth for managing water through AI. 

Springwise has previously spotted other intelligent innovations in the archive tackling water scarcity through management, from an AI used to manage global water supplies to a data-driven water management system that ensures communities have enough fresh water.

Written By: Georgia King

Reference

AI-powered micro-climate forecasting for the energy and agriculture sectors
CategoriesSustainable News

AI-powered micro-climate forecasting for the energy and agriculture sectors

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: As the climate becomes more unpredictable, the importance of precise weather forecasting is more important than ever. Accurate forecasting plays a vital role in industries such as transportation, agriculture, management, and insurance. Benchmark Labs is one of those working to make weather forecasting much more accurate. 

Benchmark collects data from site-specific sensors and analyses it with its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) software. The result is accurate forecasts tailored to its customers’ precise locations, instead of the regional or grid level. Company CEO and co-founder Carlos Gaitan says that, unlike traditional approaches, “Benchmark Labs offers location-specific environmental forecasts to high-value asset managers to increase … operational margins.” 

The company claims its platform offers an improvement in the accuracy of weather forecasts by as much as 85 per cent relative to the National Weather Service. This improved accuracy translates into better planning and reduced operational costs. 

Benchmark Labs is now serving customers around the world, and over the next year will be working with leaders in the renewable energy sphere to help them obtain more accurate weather forecasts at their installations. 

Climate change is leading to the creation of a wide variety of forecasting products. Benchmark joins other innovators spotted by Springwise in the archive, including a system that uses high-resolution imagery to forecast climate risk and a platform that focuses on helping financial services with climate risk.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

An AI-powered management hub for sustainability data
CategoriesSustainable News

An AI-powered management hub for sustainability data

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: While many companies strive to have more sustainable practices, research by Bureau Veritas reveals that only a third of clients surveyed publish a sustainability report. Companies and their managers struggle to stay updated and use many resources to manage their sustainability data. But Danish startup, BeCause is working to help companies manage their data so they can make better decisions for themselves and the world.  

BeCause is an artificial-intelligence-powered (AI) all-in-one hub for collecting, coordinating, and communicating sustainability data. The ‘collect’ hub allows companies to input existing data, including past awards and certifications, diversity information about the company make-up, sustainability statements, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) priorities. With ‘coordinate’, companies and stakeholders can assign and track ongoing tasks related to sustainability targets. Finally, in the ‘communicate’ hub, users can manage their company’s public profile, easily generate reports, and retrieve widgets for company emails or websites that will automatically update with new sustainability data.

BeCause’s technology speeds up, and reduces costs for sustainability management, cutting the time and energy normally spent on repetitive and error-prone manual administrative tasks. This helps companies ensure compliance as well as maintain competitive advantage, allowing them to clearly communicate sustainability efforts to travellers and stakeholders. 

One of the target sectors for the startup is tourism, and here the software can speed up the process of transferring sustainability information and certifications to online travel agencies. Meanwhile, in the investment sector, BeCause can reduce manual data collection processes for venture capital and private equity funds, and in the electronics indystry the software makes it easy to communicate data such as the percentage of recycled material in a product.

BeCause recently secured a €416,000 investment from Danish investors Carsten Mahler and Daniel Heskia, which will be used to scale the platform. 

Springwise has spotted many innovations looking to make travel and tourism more sustainable. One startup aims to simplify the booking process for sustainable travel, while another promotes nature-based getaways.

Written By: Anam Alam

Reference

AI-powered reverse vending machines – Springwise
CategoriesSustainable News

AI-powered reverse vending machines – Springwise

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Most beverage bottles are recyclable, but actual recycle rates vary significantly. For example, although most glass is 100 per cent recyclable, only around 32 per cent of glass containers are actually recycled – and the figure for plastic beverage bottles is much worse. A Thai startup called Sustaintech is hoping to change this with a sustainable reward system for beverage bottle recycling.

Sustaintech has developed the CircularOne, an artificial-intelligence-enabled (AI) reverse vending machine that’s placed in stores. Users can deposit their used bottles in the machine. Using AI and visual analytics, the machine is able to automatically check the material quality and sort the containers, including PET bottles, aluminium cans, and glass bottles.

The CircularOne can identify each type of container, scan bar codes, and measure weight to determine if there is any liquid left in the container. ‘Depositors’ can then receive a variety of rewards for their deposit – such as vouchers, contributions to charity, or digital tokens for future purchases. The machines can also be customised to match store design, branding, and reward options.

Sustaintech has partnered with Tencent Cloud to allow the platform to produce and analyse data on the type of materials recycled. Mr. Chang Foo, COO of Tencent (Thailand), commented that, “Apart from sorting used containers, [Sustaintech’s] solutions can also detect and eject broken or damaged glass bottles and send notifications which consume less time and make the sorting process more effective.”

With recycling rates for materials like plastic and glass still quite low in many countries, it is vital to try and make improvements. Innovations that Springwise has recently spotted, like carbon-negative textiles and a backpack made from recycled plastic, are helping to show the way to circularity.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Global AI-powered weather predictor updates every 15 minutes
CategoriesSustainable News

Global AI-powered weather predictor updates every 15 minutes

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Being able to better track weather and predict near-future conditions allows communities to better plan for and respond to the natural disasters that are becoming more severe and frequent, partly as a result of climate change. One solution comes from Zurich-based climate tech data platform Jua. The company uses an artificial intelligence (AI) prediction model to create regularly updated, high-resolution weather forecasts. 

Rather than simply tweaking existing methodologies, Jua has built an entirely new weather prediction platform. The new modelling system provides details of one square kilometre at a time and includes weather anywhere in the world. The platform uses tens of millions of sensors to provide high-resolution imagery. By comparison, current systems typically rely on hundreds of thousands of sensors.

More than 15 different parameters are tracked by the platform, including wind speed and direction, precipitation, and air pressure. The company adds new areas of information to the platform every quarter. The power of the AI solution contributes to significantly less computing energy use, despite providing greater volumes of data and levels of detail.

The platform is currently available on request with plans to release it more broadly in early 2023. In October 2022, the company closed a successful round of seed funding that raised €2.5 million to put towards the full platform launch.

As climate change continues to affect more and more communities, access to the highest quality, near-to-real-time data becomes ever more essential. Springwise has spotted projects facilitating this, from a weather data app for farmers to renewable energy predictions that help producers match supply with demand.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

AI-powered sperm analysis improves fertility treatments
CategoriesSustainable News

AI-powered sperm analysis improves fertility treatments

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been a crucial breakthrough – both for human couples who want children, and for farmers who use it to manage the make-up of their herds. Despite the many medical advances that have moved fertility treatments forward, rates of success are still low. Fertility tech company Pera Labs says that IVF fails 70 per cent of the time in humans and 60 per cent of the time in farm animals. The company’s solution is to make it easier to find and select the highest quality sperm for a fertilisation.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to cut down on the length of time it takes to analyse sperm in the laboratory shortens the amount of time individuals, couples, and farmers have to wait for each round of treatment or service. The company’s proprietary algorithm SPERMAN works with images as well as video, a development that greatly increases the accuracy of sperm quality analyses. The technology also works with eggs. Because eggs are much larger than sperm, it takes only seconds for the AI to gather enough data to grade an egg’s health.

For farmers, the lab offers a sex-sorting-as-a-service option to help maintain herd health and optimum numbers of each gender. For people, the technology helps identify as early as possible before the embryo stage the possibility of any dangerous genetic mutations. And potentially, if fertility treatments speed up slightly, costs may drop, enabling more people to access treatments that are currently prohibitively expensive.

Innovations focusing on fertility are relatively rare, with Springwise spotting a Tinder-style app that helps people choose a sperm donor and a femtech platform that personalises care for conditions that often affect infertility.  

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

An AI-powered mental health and wellness app for families
CategoriesSustainable News

An AI-powered mental health and wellness app for families

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: According to Australian startup togetherAI, over 70 per cent of caregivers struggle to communicate with their children. And over the last three years, the likelihood of young people having a mental health problem has increased by 50 per cent. TogetherAI is helping families to have difficult conversations about mental health and wellbeing with an app that combines wellbeing expertise with artificial intelligence.

The togetherAI app was developed by a team with decades of experience in child psychology, research, and clinical care, and the startup’s wellbeing framework is based on empirical, evidence-based research and insights. Moreover, the company is quick to highlight that its solution is different to parent monitoring platforms which it says destroy communication. Instead, the app hopes to encourage timely conversations that develop positive mental health, build resilience, and keep children safe.

The app is based around several core features. Children create their own ‘digital companion’ that will check how they are feeling, share positivity, play games, and provide lessons on how to understand, manage, and talk about emotions. For parents, the app provides step-by-step conversation guides, as well as real-time insights into how their children are feeling. Based on these insights, the app’s AI-driven detection will flag to parents when conversations with children are necessary, and when best to have them. For the whole family, there is a messenger that enables private, secure, and personal messaging within the app.

TogetherAI is still early in its development, having only
been founded in 2021. According to Crunchbase,
the startup has raised A$3.7 million (around €2.4 million) in pre-seed and seed
funding.

Other mental health innovations spotted by Springwise
include an AI-powered
mental health companion, and a virtual
environment for treating phobias.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

Mental health is a complex issue, and those in need of urgent help can find information about the services available on the United for Global Mental Health website.

17th March 2022

Email: hello@togetherai.com

Website: togetherai.com

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