Week 32 – 05 August 2022
#01 🚀🧑🚀👽 | the space company of one.
There is a fine and invisible line between perseverance and stubbornness.
Joe Barnard, a Music Producer by training, has invested the past seven years self-learning how to become a DIY Rocketeer and build a rocket that can achieve Vertical Take Off and Vertical Landing (VTVL). He just did.
As an enthusiast of the aerospace industry —and, bears repeating, Music Producer— Joe represents what can be done with the power of online communities and platforms such as Patreon, which has been a cornerstone for funding the effort. In sharing every trial, prototype blueprint, unscheduled rapid disassembly (a.k.a. explosion), Joe has had the stamina to persevere and acquire not a traditional broad base of skills but a deep base of skills across a broad set of areas to make this project possible.
You can view the seven-year journey on his website right here.
How can we set the conditions on the ground (across civil society, communities, norms, values, virtues, identity, sense of self, sense of belonging, etc) to have more Joe’s in this world?
#02 🫣🥸🤓 | ´3D bioprinted´corneal implants.
World renown optical company, Carl Zeiss has announced an investment into 3D printed corneal implants made by Israeli-company, Precise Bio. The deal includes exclusive rights for worldwide sales.
“Ophthalmology is our current focus. We chose to begin with ophthalmology for various reasons: the field in general adopts innovation [more readily] compared to other medical fields,” Batt explained. “Also, the clinical endpoints are clear. For example, the outcome of the cornea transplant is clear and immediate, and from the safety perspective, the clinical studies are straightforward and relatively safe.”
— Precise Bio Co-Founder and CEO Aryeh Batt
We are at the threshold of next-generation implants and embeddable devices that can be generated on site and can disrupt the black market for organ and tissue donations.
#03 🩻🧑⚕️🩹 | ultrasound stickers.
The age of ultra-low power, portable and medical-grade wearables is upon us. MIT Researchers have developed a small ultrasound sticker that produces medical-grade images for 48 hours. Stickers like this can day become akin to band-aids.
"We envision a few patches adhered to different locations on the body, and the patches would communicate with your cellphone, where AI algorithms would analyze the images on demand," — Xuanhe Zhao, professor of mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering at MIT.
First-Aid Kits are a good analogy to the future of remote care. You don’t need many years of medical training or knowledge to know how to apply what is inside a first-aid kit. New materials and approaches to wirelessly transmit data by leveraging cellphones can enhance early detection, diagnosis and care.
When technology can reduce the strain of healthcare workers needed to gather data and the function can be augmented with ongoing quality care workers that can lead the collection of good quality data, training algorithms can then be discerned to produce faster-than-human Machine Learning detection, with decision making at the helm of clinical staff. We can advance the quality of care now and leapfrog what is possible in remote communities.
#04 🧺🚚🛀 | laundry vans as-a-community-service.
Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett are the cofounders of Orange Sky, a non-profit dedicated "to improve hygiene standards and restore dignity to people doing it tough”. Eight years later, their service has provided:
Nearly 2,000 tonnes of laundry washed to date.
Over 20,000 showers.
36 service locations.
“330,000 hours of genuine and non-judgemental conversation”.
Their eight years of experience expanding access to showers and clothes washing has also prompted them to Design and Engineer vehicles that don’t rely on the local energy sources.
"The RV3.0 contains 3 washers and 3 dryers, and the latest in Orange Sky's mobile laundry innovations (including the Waru Dryer). The RV3.0 is powered by REDARC solar panels, lithium batteries and charging system in order to effectively capture, store and use the renewable energy harnessed. This gives the vehicle the ability to produce more power than it uses (reducing electrical consumption by up to 80% per shift)."
Innovations and Ingenuity are hardly sprung from calm and confort. They happen on the edge of what we know is in our immediate reality and at the frontier of what can become possible.
#05 🧹🤖📍 | autonomous cleaning robots.
Offered only as a subscription-based service, the ICE Robotics Cobi 18 autonomous cleaning robot can effortlessly navigate and clean retail shops, high traffic areas, gyms, airports, hospitals, etc. For $20USD per day, the unit can run a 90min or 120min cleaning cycle (depending on the battery size) and self-docks to recharge.
Advanced robotics and telematics are being integrated for enterprise and retail customers at an increasing pace and at attractive price points. Without a direct-sales model, the subscriber remains at the mercy of how the machine vision algorithms work and transmit data back to the manufacturer and it is uncertain how this data is further brokered.
#06 👟😓🏃 | 3D-printed sandals.
Asics´ has begun selling the Actibreeze 3D, intended for post-workout cooling of your feet. The honeycomb structure allows air to flow through the sole and is aimed at short-term comfort (they are not meant to be worn all day.
We are seeing markets fundamentally change to embrace personalization and comfort.
As supply chains become more localized and technology enables on-site 3D printing of goods, anything from eyeglasses frames, fit-to-form clothing and shoes can not only be bought for fashion but for accessibility, mobility enhancement and even therapy. We are not far from a day when a name-brand would offer onsite printing of rehabilitation equipment at a Physiotherapy location and it will be a good rehearsal for offering the same service in space colonies in the not-so-distant future.
#07 🎨🖌👩🎨 | creative reuse centers.
Upcycle Parts Shop, Cleveland, Ohio. Photo: Elizabeth Sturm
Beyond Maker Spaces, there is a new trend in North America for creatives to source and donate used art supplies: creative reuse centers.
A creative reuse center is a craft thrift store and so much more. It's a business or nonprofit organization that collects usable materials, leftovers, or surplus creative supplies and redistributes them to the community for reuse. These organizations accept donations from individuals as well as manufacturers, industry partners, and businesses.
The art of building community and placemaking is organic and cannot be centralized. Investing time getting to know your neighbors, sharing skills and building a sense of belonging can have many benefits beyond an initial trade of goods. Creative reuse centers can fight loneliness and they can also be magnets for matching mentors, makers with enthusiasts, curious folk and a be a cradle for creativity.
#08 🌞🏍🔋 | EV motorbikes made in Kenya.
Filip Gardler, Mikael Gånge and Filip Lövström are cofounders of ROAM, an ev startup located in the fastest growing nation of sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya. Developing EV mobility in Kenya is the logical choice given that the country already generates over 90% of its electricity from renewable sources. It is non-sensical to import oil or drill for it when the majority of your country’s energy is already renewable.
"Our vehicle is built, developed and designed for and in Africa. This means we have optimised production to cater for the very needs of the product. Our philosophy is that the best possible product for a market also has to be created, built and designed in that market."
—ROAM
The motorbike sells for $1,500 USD for the single-battery model (a second battery can be purchased later). The dual-battery option sells for $2,050 USD. The range is 90km and 180km, respectively. Each battery charges in 4 hours at a cost per charge of 58 cents.
Forecasters point to the African continent as the next major area of growth past Asia. The adoption of technology across different communities is happening through telemedicine, electrification and mobility. For some of these communities, steady delivery of electricity at home will come in the form of a hot swappable battery designed to also power an electric bike. They will create a smart microgrid and they will sidestep emissions and legacy infrastructure in the process. Made by Africa, for Africa.
#09 🍘🏮🛋 | algae chandeliers.
With every unit being unique, nea Studio’s chandeliers and sconces are made from locally sourced algae. The piece provides an innovative option for interior design with a sustainable storytelling element.
"The idea of the lamps originated from a PhD research project about materials and light. I had been searching for biomaterials that were translucent and locally sourced to filter and soften the light of LED bulbs."
— Edwards Anker, nea studio's Founder
Reducing dependency of oil-based products for consumer goods will be part of what defines our species-level strategy to make a dent in emissions and extraction demand. Reducing emissions will also entail shortening supply chains and on-site use of local materials. In essence, treat Earth as if you were in Mars and keep constraints to what you can carry and care for.
#10 👯♂️🤖🎞 | digital twin adjacents.
A new tool has been developed that creates photo restorations. The outcome of this algorithm isn’t a true match to the face and features from the original photo (as the algorithm keeps learning what to do and our human training can discern from both photos and recognize the differences in AI-generated images. Having said this, it is definitely ‘uncanny valley’ territory.
The tool is called Generative Facial Prior-Generative Adversarial Network (GFP-GAN - read the PDF of the research paper here) and it can create remarkably good results from grainy photos or from physical photos with damage from wear and tear. You can access the tool here.
Here is a great explainer video: