Innovation That Matters

Spotted: A team at the University of Chicago has developed a wearable that jams microphones in smart devices. The device is more effective than a stationary alternative, because the natural movement of the wearer’s arm extends its range, and the body’s natural movements reduce any blind spots. The device also includes amplifiers to limit blind spots.

The wearable jams microphones in speakers, smartwatches, and smartphones. It has 24 separate transducers that emit ultrasonic waves to obstruct microphones, even when they are hidden. It also sends out white noise at a frequency between 24 and 26 kHz.

The team has already developed a prototype, which has responded well in tests but is too clunky to wear casually. A paper on the device will be presented at the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in April. 

Explore more: Computing & Tech Innovations

Spotted: PUMA recently projected a 360-degree hologram over cars in Chicago to promote its latest line of trainers. The life-like hologram was the first of its kind, according to the company.

A hologram of the Sky Dream sneaker and a PUMA-branded basketball were projected on the roof of parked cars near Chicago landmarks.

The 360-display used high-definition 3D Holoprojection technology, developed by Firefly and HYPERVSN. The projector spins 30 frames per second, resulting in a near life-like 3D hologram experience. 

The campaign ran from 14-16 February. Puma partnered with Havas Media for the campaign, which was created with the support of Whisk.

Explore more: Advertising & Marketing Innovations | Retail Innovations

Spotted: Netherlands-based company, EvBox, has developed ultra-fast electric car chargers that signify a new generation of electric car supplies, according to the company. 

The EVBox Troniq 100 boasts an output of 100 kW, and the redesigned EVBox Ultroniq will have an output of up to 350 kW. 

The new chargers offer continuous full power and load balancing, which will ensure the power is used efficiently. The cables are also auto-retractable, which should increase their longevity. 

The invention also includes other improvements which make charging easier and more effective. For instance, the company says that the charger’s design makes it user-friendly and adaptable to any type of electric car. The system also includes smart power management, which makes it easier to monitor the cost and energy efficiency of multiple units. 

The new chargers were unveiled at the Consumer Electrics Show in Las Vegas and will be available later this year.  

Explore more: Mobility and Transport Innovations

Spotted: UK-based startup Agriledger has created a blockchain system to help Haitian farmers sell their products at fair prices. The system fosters trust on both sides of the transaction, leading to better income for farmers and better goods for consumers.

The startup’s system offers farmers a number of services, and access to global markets and banks. Using blockchain technology, it provides registered farmers with a unique digital identification number, which makes the farmers key players in the supply chain, and gives them access to financial services, logistics, insurance and other services.  

The farmers can also tokenize their assets, making peer-to-peer trading easier and giving them further access to the commodities market. This digital system provides the farmers with several benefits; the data is inherently trustworthy, so the entire supply chain is more transparent and traceable, and it also simplifies record keeping, so it is easier for farmers to get loans and access financial services. Finally, the system includes a digital wallet, so farmers can receive payments faster. 

Eventually, Agriledger plans to create a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) enabled marketplace. That would include communications and an order management platform, easing transactions between food suppliers and retailers. 

Explore More: Agriculture and Energy Innovations

Spotted: African company, Trademark East Africa, has created an information network for small businesses in East Africa. The network aims to make their goods more competitive, by reducing trade barriers and improving transparency. 

Trademark’s Trade Logistics Information Pipeline (TLIP) was created to reduce barriers for trade. Traditionally, there has been no communication between all the actors involved in cross-border trade in East Africa, and this has meant that goods and services are nearly impossible to track. No individual actor along the chain can account for where a product is or how long it will take to ship. 

The TLIP connects small producers to foreign buyers and provides an easy-to-use information network that facilitates transparent and timely cross-border trade. Small business owners can communicate directly with foreign buyers and both parties can see how the product moves through the trade chain. This system ensures all steps in the process are synchronised, meaning that the products move from the producer to the buyer faster and with more transparency. TLIP uses blockchain technology, so all parties involved in the transaction are looking at the same source information. 

TLIP is a donor-funded project

trademarkea.com

Explore More: Financial Services Innovations

Spotted: France-based company Lactips has developed a method to turn milk into pellets that mimic plastic. The water-soluble and edible pellets are the world’s first fully biodegradable, plastic-free material, according to the company.

The company uses its own methods to turn milk protein into an edible bio-plastic.

The result is waterproof pellets that can be used to package food or industrial goods. The pellets can serve as raw material to create thermoforming, films, or any kind of plastic. They dissolve in warm or cold water and create a natural barrier to oxygen.

Lactips received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The pellets are being launched as fully biodegradable packaging for detergents, and Lactips is also planning to create a 2,5000 square metre plant in the near future. The company recently signed a distribution agreement with IMCD Group to market the pellets in France and the Nordic countries. 

Explore More: Manufacturing Innovations | Sustainability Innovations

Spotted: KFC China has created a virtual franchise system to engage customers and encourage people to order from the restaurant. Named the KFC pocket franchise, the digital interface gamifies the experience of eating out, aiming to win over new clients.

The KFC pocket franchise is not the only social commerce platform on the WeChat network. But KFC China, working with Accenture Interactive-Hocomm, has taken it further by creating a platform that encourages customer interaction.

The social media campaign and platform was born out a need to attract a younger audience to the fast-food chain. The WeChat mini programme allows anyone to own their own KFC franchise, and players can unlock new products and personalise the franchise’s storefront. The programme encourages people to “add sugar” to score points, which can be used to unlock more features. 

The point system inspires “sugar communities” on WeChat, helping players engage with the brand and interact with each other.  Digital franchise “managers” can also win real-money incentives to play, and when a digital customer buys something from a pocket franchise store on WeChat, the “manager” receives discounts at a physical KFC restaurant. 

The WeChat mini programme has caught on with younger clientele and has even developed a celebrity following.

Explore More: Retail Innovations

Spotted: French app My Label identifies products that meet your values, making it easier for shoppers to find sustainable goods and influence producers. 

My Label is one of a growing number of apps that help shoppers decode product labels. Unlike other options on the market, however, My Label bases its recommendations on consumer preferences

The app allows consumers to select from 20 criteria, including environmental, social and health factors — for instance, you can ask My Label to alert you if there is palm oil in a product. The app can also flag up products from companies that pay a fair wage. 

Users scan the bar code with the app, which then informs you if the product meets your criteria. If it does, a green smiley face appears. If it does not, My Label marks it with a red emoji and recommends a similar product that does meet your criteria. The aim is to make it easier to change your own shopping habits, and to support producers who share your priorities, the company says. 

My Label is available for both Android and iOS operating systems. Using the app is free — the company makes money by sharing consumer preferences with the companies. Launched in France in April 2019, its database includes over 500,000 products

Explore More: Sustainability Innovations

Spotted: Egyptian startup, Zeroprime, has created a reverse vending machine that rewards people for recycling. The system is part of Zeroprime’s efforts to use technology to increase awareness about recycling and help waste collectors earn money.

The CanBank is a smart vending machine that gives out presents when you deposit rubbish. The machine accepts plastic bottles and cans and, in exchange, gives out rewards like phone credit or promo codes for taxi services. 

Zeroprime founder, Eslam El-Refaye created CanBank when he saw how communities earn money by sorting through rubbish and selling it. The smart machine detects what has been deposited and automatically sorts it for collectors, who sell it to factories.

The vending machine also plays songs and reads funny messages. The idea, according to El-Refaye, is to encourage people to recycle. CanBanks are already in places in public spaces like universities, and the startup plans to install them in supermarkets across the country.

Explore More: Sustainability Innovations

Spotted: The French app Yuka decodes labels on food and beauty products, in order to make it easier and more transparent to shop for healthy goods. The app scans the barcode and rates products in real-time, alerting shoppers to unhealthy ingredients. For food products, Yuka ratings are based on three criteria: nutritional quality, additives and if the product is organic. 

The app provides an easy-to-read score: green light for healthy, red for unhealthy. There are also yellow and orange scores for products that fall in between. If the product is deemed unhealthy, the app recommends a healthier alternative.

Yuka has a similar system for rating cosmetics and personal health products. The app analyses the ingredients and grades it according to the probability that it will present a health risk.

Yuka, available for Andriod and iOS systems, is free to download. The app is currently available in several EU countries, the UK and North America. A premium version, which includes diet plans and other extra services, is available for purchase. 

Explore More: Sustainability Innovations