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Driverless Farm Equipment & Vertical Planting – Farm Progress Show 2017

Showcase at the Farm Progress Show 2017

There is plenty to look forward to at the annual Farm Progress Show on August 29-31, 2017 at the Decatur-Macon County Fairground in Decatur, IL.

[Wheat] is the principal crop grown in the US and over 50% of the harvest is exported to other countries each year.

Instead of showcasing the biggest pumpkin, or longest strand of string beans, the event tackles the big issues surrounding agriculture technology which include automation, driverless trucks, and non-traditional farming methods.

Considered the largest outdoor farm event in the country, the Farm Progress Show is expected to draw crowds of more than 70,000 people. More than 130 exhibitors have already signed up. Items on display include seeds, tractors, machinery, farm equipment and others.

Driverless Farm Equipment, Fully Automated Farming

American farmers are all for embracing new trends in agriculture. In time for the exhibition, CASE IH, a company making farm and agricultural equipment, has been busy developing driverless vehicles for the farm. DOT Technology Corp., a Canadian firm also has a working model for driverless farm equipment. The industry is excited about this because it has numerous applications in farming and agriculture and the farmers are eagerly awaiting a field demonstration of this bold innovation.

Combine Harvester in a wheat field.

DOT’s creation is technically not a truck, since it is designed to be a platform for various custom-designed farm equipment. It does have four wheels, and a motor and carries the necessary equipment on top of it, as it goes through the field to do its designated tasks.

Adopting this type of technology in American farms could be an important first step in automating farms to increase efficiency and production.

Urban Farming and new Crops

Non-traditional farming methods are also a hot topic, especially since the wheat industry hasn’t been performing well.  This all-important grain is the principal crop grown in the US and over 50% of the harvest is exported to other countries each year. However, the prognosis for the wheat industry is not rosy.  According to the United States Department of Agriculture, only 46 million acres of land will be utilized to grow wheat in 2017, and 2018. This is an all-time low and the decline is attributed to low prices.

Because of this, farmers cutting back on wheat planting, as they might not recoup their investments. In place of traditional wheat farming, there is a promising market in growing wheat grass.

Wheat grass is planted from seeds, in densely packed containers away from the farm. This non-traditional farming method means farmers aren’t be dependent on the amount of land under cultivation for harvest. Vertical farming and other alternative forms are already being practiced with much success in China, even in densely populated cities.

The wheat grass seedlings are harvested immediately after germination, and immediately placed inside a food processor or blender to make “wheat grass juice.”

Future Market Insights predicts rising demand for wheat grass because of its countless health benefits. Its market is mainly middle-aged to elderly consumers who need to boost their immune systems.

Packed with vitamins A,B, C, E as well K, wheatgrass is also rich in iron, magnesium, sodium, and chlorophyll. Just an ounce of wheat grass juice is equivalent to consuming two pounds of vegetables in terms of nutritional value.

 

Gravity-Powered Electricity Generator: A Bold Innovation And Solution

Electricity is a critical form of energy for modern society. Everything relies on it, communications, information, entertainment, medicine, cooking and more. Yet, many people in the world still live in areas where they lack access to electricity. Without regular electricity, they lack basic lighting—or even the ability to power small electrical components like a cell phone or a tablet. In these areas of the developing world, batteries are relatively expensive and a poor substitute for locally generated power. Here enters the bold innovation and solution that is Gravity Light—a gravity-powered electricity generator that can power lights and small devices.

Light for the Developing World

This gravity-powered electricity generator was developed by the GravityLight Foundation and Deciwatt—two nonprofit organizations—to design a new bold invention that can bring electricity to the masses at a local level and low cost. Thomas Edison, the famed American inventor, developed the incandescent electric light bulb some 130 years ago. This invention was deemed as a great innovation because it expanded the length of the productive day, by allowing people to see after sunset. However, in spite of achieving this breakthrough over a hundred years ago, a quarter of humanity in the world still lacks basic electricity. It’s thus no wonder why a gravity-powered electricity generator is a bold solution the world needs today.

Scientific American, estimates that 79 percent of people in Third World countries have no access to electricity. A total of 1.5 billion people in southern Asia and Africa still live in the dark. They lack not only light but also power, which prevents them from connecting with the wider world through phones and computers, and hampering their ability to learn and interact with the worldwide knowledge economy.

Africa is a matter of fact the second-most-populous and second-largest continent on the globe. In most parts of Africa, people still use kerosene lamps at night. Africans have no choice but to use the dangerous, expensive and polluting kerosene lamps in order to see at night and in the early morning. According to Ponmile Osibo, from the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, “The situation in Africa at the moment is quite significant, over 40 percent of the population does not have access to energy.”

Negative Effects of Kerosene Light

When night time comes, Third World countries rely on kerosene lamps for the most part. This simple way of accessing light triggers negative effects. Here are some truths about kerosene:

  • Kerosene is expensive – In developing countries, fuel (which is usually kerosene) consumes up to 30 percent of working people’s income. Lack of cheap electricity traps people in poverty.
  • Kerosene is dangerous – It’s flammable. It can spill. It can cause fires that rip through the small poor neighborhoods where it is the only fuel source.
  • The use of kerosene adds to pollution – Lamps using kerosene contribute 3 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions. It is also a source of black carbon. In addition, it is a source of indoor pollution that is unhealthy and yields negative respiratory consequences.

With the existing problems affecting Third World countries, GravityLight Foundation and Deciwatt decided to take action. The result was GravityLight, which produces light by simply lifting weights. Martin Riddiford and Jim Reeves, both based in London, invented the gravity-powered electricity generator.

Reeves notes that “With GravityLight, all you need is a weight.” Veritably, as a gravity-powered electricity generator, GravityLight can replace kerosene lamps. The device has a bag that is filled with sand or rocks and attached to a cord. The bag then slowly descends. This action powers the light, which lasts for 20 to 30 minutes. The team has already prepared an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the second generation of GravityLight. The first prototype has been tested in 26 different countries. For just $20 a unit, people can have light anywhere.

a graphic that shows the benefits of GravityLight as a Gravity-Powered Electricity Generator

The Benefits of GravityLight

The developers insist that their gravity-powered electricity generator must be beneficial to their intended demographic who struggle in Third World countries. These are the positive aspects of using GravityLight.

  • It is easy to use. GravityLight is not rocket science because people will not have a hard time learning how it works.
  • Since it is a gravity-powered electricity generator, there is no need for batteries.
  • GravityLight pays for itself because it is completely self-sustained.
  • The device can power reading lights, radios, and other small electrical machines.

GravityLight is notably a gravity-powered electricity generator that consists of the hanging point, white LED, power output socket, weight cord, bag pulley, bag hook, and a rewind cord.

Gravity-Powered Electricity Generator for All

GravityLight Foundation does not just want to aid light-source problems in Third World countries, they also want to help people through creating local jobs, improving living conditions and teaching skills. The organization wants to improve the local economy by means of making a sustainable demand for safe and clean lighting solutions. Caroline Angus, the co-founder of GravityLight Foundation, says that “The need for light is universal. Given there are solutions out there that can replace a kerosene lamp, we need to urgently get those out there.”

Third World countries do not have the luxury of electricity and must rely on kerosene lamps. The bold new idea of GravityLight, as a gravity-powered electricity generator, can be the right solution for lighting demands across the world.

STAR Surgical Robot, A Robotic Surgery Breakthrough

STAR is a Finalist in the 2017 NASA iTech Challenge

Robotic assisted surgery has come a long way in the past decade. The Da Vinci robot is popular and proficient at a range of surgeries and has been regarded as a medical breakthrough. Yet, robots like the Da Vinci are not truly autonomous; a surgeon still operates the tools, albeit remotely. The development of a truly autonomous robot has remained a distant possibility, until now, with the release of STAR.

Every living creature, including humans and pigs, has unique contours, and it is necessary for the robot to have a level of autonomy to decide how to approach the wound in order to be most effective.

The STAR technology STAR – which stands for Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot, was recently named a finalist in the 2017 NASA iTech Challenge. The formal presentation is scheduled for August, 2017 at the National Institute of Aerospace in Virginia.

STAR is a surgical robot developed by The Children’s National Health System in Washington, DC. They used $1.5 million funding to develop this bold, robotic technology, a big step forward in developing a truly autonomous system for surgery.

Designed by the Hospital’s Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, the autonomous soft tissue surgery technology has proven itself capable of suturing pig tissue, as well as live pigs, with better precision than a human hand. This was demonstrated in May 2016.

Developers explain pigs were chosen for prototype development and demonstrations because they are genetically closest to human skin.  The robot was tasked to stitch two portions of the intestine and was successful.  It can also be used for other surgical procedures like tumor removal. Miniaturizing the technology can further assist in making robotic transplants more feasible. At the very least, the tech can be used to assist in remote surgical applications.

The Age of Robotic Surgery

A picture of a bag of money and a surgical robot.

Although the day when robots perform autonomous surgery or reconstruction of injured body parts is still far off, autonomous suturing is a step in that direction. It has proven that even with the curves and contours of the human body, as well as internal organs, it is possible to have a safe and quick method to suture organs and close surgeries.

Further testing will have to be done before STAR can be included in the working tools kits of surgeons. One of the major drawbacks to robots performing a suture is the possibility that it cannot cope with an emergency when suturing has to be aborted, where the wound needs to be opened again, or other emergency procedures take priority.

It is worth noting that STAR is not just programmed to stitch sutures, but also to decide on its own where and how to make the sutures. Every living creature, including humans and pigs, has unique bodily contours, and it is necessary for the robot to have a level of autonomy to decide how to approach the wound in order to be most effective.

One of the proponents of STAR is Dr. Peter Kim, a vice president of the Institute. He led the team of five engineers in developing STAR and is listed as the director of Omniboros, Inc., a spin-off from the Children’s National Health System, that was given the license for STAR. Dr. Kim has also been part of other sister technologies of Children’s National including E-kare, a cell phone app that takes 3D pictures, allowing health care professionals to better address wounds.

STAR has been hailed as having a bold impact on the way surgical procedures are going to be done in the future. Improved surgical precision, coupled with the best medical doctors, paves the way for more accurate surgical procedures, reduced errors, and fewer complications.

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