New Florence. New Renaissance.

Global Lighthouse Network

Launched in 2018, the Global Lighthouse Network is a World Economic Forum initiative in collaboration with McKinsey & Company. The frontrunner companies that comprise this network continue to demonstrate the true potential of 4IR (Fourth Industrial Revolution) technologies to transform the very nature of manufacturing. The 90th lighthouse has recently been recognized, marking more than a fivefold increase since the launch of the network.

McKinsey

High-tech headlights

For much of automotive history, innovation came to headlights gradually. But over the last few decades, the pace has quickened. Now, automakers are using LED technology to create arrays of tiny lights that can cast complex beam patterns. The so-called adaptive driving beams can illuminate an entire road while shutting off any bulbs that would shine in the eyes of oncoming drivers.

Even more sophisticated headlights have such high resolution that they can display graphics or even animations. These could be used to display warnings or other important information in front of the driver. In theory, the technology could enable a car to project an entire movie from its headlamps.

CNBC

 

Paint to reduce air-conditioning needs

The whitest paint in the world has been created in a lab at Purdue University, a paint so white that it could eventually reduce or even eliminate the need for air conditioning, scientists say.

The idea was to make a paint that would reflect sunlight away from a building, researchers said. Making this paint really reflective, however, also made it really white, according to Purdue University. The paint reflects 98.1% of solar radiation while also emitting infrared heat. Because the paint absorbs less heat from the sun than it emits, a surface coated with this paint is cooled below the surrounding temperature without consuming power.

Yahoo News

 

 

Living off the grid

If you're looking to live off the grid — like so many of us have been dreaming about as climate change ravages cities and the pandemic made us crave space — there are some things you may want to consider.

Why do you want to do it? What kind of off-the-grid dweller do you want to be? Can you afford the hefty up-front costs? And do you have what you'll need? Do you have what it takes?

Mashable

Below are two off-grid lifestyles

In a sustainable homestead

And on an island

Smart Parking

A new project involving the State of Michigan, Ford, Bedrock and Bosch will see the launch of a real-world test site for emerging parking technology, the Detroit Smart Parking Lab (DSPL) in Michigan. The group will also test technology relating to the efficient return of rental cars.

Scheduled to open this September, the lab will enable mobility and smart infrastructure companies, real-estate innovators and startups to test their own parking-related mobility, logistics and electric vehicle charging technologies.

Automotive Testing Technology International

Video of the pilot project last year

Solar Home on wheels

As electric cars catch people's interest more and more every passing day, a team of students from Eindhoven University is taking a big leap into the future and embarking on a Euro trip in a solar-powered vehicle. What makes the project even more interesting is the fact that this vehicle is a full-fledge home with a living area, shower, cooking range, and even an infotainment system.

Dubbed Stella Vita, this mobile home is designed by the Solar Team, a team of ambitious students from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands who, according to their website, "innovate without preconceptions and pressure of market demands".

Interesting Engineering

3D printed homes in Austin, TX

A quartet of houses designed by local firm Logan Architecture and built from 3D-printed concrete by construction tech company ICON has completed in Austin, Texas.

The four dwellings have ground-floor walls built using ICON's Vulcan construction system, which uses a robotic armature to layer Portland-cement-based material Lavacrete into striated surfaces.

"3D-printing technology provides safer, more resilient homes that are designed to withstand fire, flood, wind and other natural disasters better than conventionally built homes," said the company.

It took five to seven days to print each house.

Dezeen

 

Just walk out of the store!

Amazon is bringing its cashierless “Just Walk Out” technology to two new Whole Foods locations next year, the company has announced. One of the stores will be in Washington, DC, while the second will be in Sherman Oaks, California. When they’re open, customers will have the option of paying at a traditional self-checkout or customer service booth, or having the new technology automatically bill them when they leave the store.

The Verge

Below is a shopper's experience at with similar tech at an Amazon Fresh store.

The Lawn Goodbye

The American lawn has been around for generations, but lately there has been a trend — though not a very big trend just yet — of people going in other directions. Why spend all summer fussing over a lawn when you could turn that space into a vegetable garden and have something to show for it? Why not throw down landscaping blocks and turn your front yard into a patio? How about letting wildflowers grow crazy just to see what happens?

Sun Journal

Below is an example of how technology can help design a lawn free yard

Amazon's Ambient AI

Alexa, Amazon’s ubiquitous voice assistant, is getting an upgrade. The company revealed some of these changes in a virtual event today. One of the most interesting developments is that users can now personalize their Alexa-enabled devices to listen for specific sound events in their homes.

Amazon also unveiled new features and products, including additional accessories for Ring and Halo devices, and access to invite-only devices such as the Always Home Cam and a cute home-roving, beat-boxing robot called Astro.

Alexa’s latest capabilities are part of the Amazon team’s work on ambient computing—a general term that refers to an underlying artificial intelligence system that surfaces when you need it and recedes into the background when you don’t. This is enabled through the connected network of Amazon devices and services that interact with each other and with users.

Popular Science