Weed-killing robots are threatening giant chemical companies’ business models.
AI-powered weed hunters could soon reduce the need for herbicides and genetically modified crops.
Any new technology involves a certain amount of uncertainty and business risk. In the case of the Internet of Things, however, many of the risks have been exaggerated or misrepresented. While the IoT vision will take years to mature fully, the building blocks to begin this process are already in place. Key hardware and software are either available today or under development; stakeholders need to address security and privacy concerns, and collaborate to implement the open standards that will make the IoT safe, secure, reliable and interoperable, and allow the delivery of secured services as seamlessly as possible (Push Technology). Read more…
There are remote control cars and then there are Remote Control Cars. This is the latter of the two. Range Rover UK developed a prototype system that allows a Range Rover Sport to be controlled remotely through a smartphone app. And not just the door locks. The vehicle can be driven from the app. Read more…
Many companies in traditional business make a product, sell it on shelves and, hopefully, make a profit. Whether it is Philips’ Hue or Parrot’s Flower Power, one can understand why technology companies are choosing the same retail approach used by food, drink and clothes manufacturers. After all, for many digital companies, Internet Of Things devices represent the first physical embodiment in the real world, following a generation in which online, intangible development reigned supreme. But connected devices are not cans of beans or sweaters, and device makers do not need to limit their products to a single, one-time purchase event more commonly associated by perishable items. Internet-connected hardware is always-on, updateable and extendable, offering far more opportunity. To multiply their revenue potential, IoT startups should aim instead for long-term value creation. Rather than selling customers a single, self-contained product and letting theirrelationship end, this means offering them the chance to engage through multiple touch points throughout an ongoing engagement. Read more…
For all the innovation that has come out of startups, few have addressed one of the hardest tasks in the world: caring for a newborn infant. Whether it is providing milk at 3 a.m. or ensuring that the baby is exposed to the right shapes and sounds appropriate for its age, parents are faced with a near-constant barrage of challenges, often under incredible pressure and stress. Taking advantage of the convergence of mobile, Internet of Things, and cloud computing, Rest Devices, a Boston-based startup founded by a group of MIT alums and dropouts, hopes to change all that with the development of a smart baby nursery. Their first product is called the Mimo, a onesie for babies that includes sensors for monitoring a baby’s respiration, pressure, moisture and temperature. Read more …
Locking a new running technique can be tough though, so enter the Sensoria Smart Sock Fitness Tracker, which wants to track your steps and advise on running style, by doing real-time gait analysis thanks to its sensor-stuffed socks. Sensoria’s wearable device consists of a pair of socks, containing its “e-textile technology” (which basically boils down to pressure sensors, so it can figure out which bits of your foot are taking the weight as you run), plus a clip-on Bluetooth 4.0 device that also contains an accelerometer and altimeter, and attaches to the ankle of the sock via magnets (it’s detachable so the sock can be washed). This wirelessly connects to your computer or smartphone to upload your running data. Read more…