The Innovation Report
Spotlight on AI This Earth Day: ‘AI Is Fundamentally Incompatible With Environmental Sustainability’
In December 2024, the University of California, Riverside, and California Institute of Technology calculated that training Meta’s Llama-3.1 produced the same amount of air pollution as more than 10,000 round trips by car between Los Angeles and New York City. The...
Bear Grylls’ Autonomous Drone Will Save Lives In Disaster Zones
Unlike typical drones, the AI-powered UAV can operate fully autonomously or semi-automatically, navigating treacherous landscapes that ground conventional aircraft. “You tell it where to go, and it knows,” says Justin Tooth, Certo’s Managing Director and ex-Royal Navy...
Brazil Evolves Smart City Technology To Combat Climate Change
When the rainstorm began in the Brazilian city of Pindamonhangaba on December 1st, 2024, few residents anticipated the deluge that would follow. In just 24 hours, from 7AM of that day to the same time on December 2nd, the city recorded 90 millimeters of rainfall. For...
Congress Proposes Bill To Phase Out Solar And Wind Tax Credits
A group of four Republican members of the House of Representatives proposed the Ending Intermittent Energy Subsidies Act to phase out tax credits for solar and wind projects. The plan calls for phasing out the 48Y production tax credit (PTC) and the 48E...
Michigan Astronaut Among First All-Female Crew To Complete Space Flight
More than 50 supporters packed a lively and space-themed decorated room on WCC's campus ahead of the brief tourism launch of Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission, which included Bowe, a former scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and a 2003 graduate...
Medical Drone Trials To Test Supply Drops For Emergencies
An initiative using aerial drones to deliver defibrillators, EpiPens and other medical supplies to local emergency scenes has been cleared for a test run. Drone814 partners plan to begin airlifting supplies across Greater Johnstown this summer through medical drone...
How A New Drone System May Transform Next-Gen Ecology Research
A new autonomous drone system could provide ecologists with deeper insights into animal behavior in the wild, a study suggests. Drones, or unmanned aerial systems (UAS), are often used to collect massive amounts of high-quality aerial footage of unique places. While...
Tech Workers Are Leaving Notes In Robot Taxis Seeking Workers And Lovers
How does a start-up founder hire a software engineer or a tech worker find a date in 2025? They could share a job posting on LinkedIn, log on to a dating app — or leave a handwritten note in a Waymo. That’s what Influur CEO Alessandra Angelini was thinking when she...
Robotics With ‘Potential To Transform’ Surgery Approved For NHS Use In England
State-of-the-art robotic systems that can help remove tumours or replace a patient’s knee have been approved for use on the NHS in a move that could transform treatment for thousands of people in England. Adoption of the technology could lead to shorter stays in...
Global Electric Vehicle Sales Up 29% In March, Researchers Find
Global sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose 29% year-on-year in March, helped by growth in China and Europe, while EV growth in North America was hampered by U.S. President Donald Trump's stance towards emissions standards and uncertainties around...
