AGCO?s executives think the new version of Google Glass helps tamp down suspicions that they are replacing workers with robots that does their job better. They say they're helping them do their job better. For tasks they have mastered, workers don?t need to look at the Glass screen. But they can wake it at any time to see where a part must go, and even zoom into an object on the display for more detail. Glass tells them, for example, what kind of bolt is needed?a wrong-sized bolt could seriously damage a motor?and specifies which wrench to use and how much torque is required. https://www.wired.com/story/google-glass-2-is-here/
Imagine a lamp. Any lamp. Now imagine having to water it.
Dutch product designer Ermi van Oers created Living Light: plants that double as lights. Or lights that double as plants ? whichever way you prefer looking at it. The lights run on electricity generated by bacteria in the soil.
Healthier plants produce more energy. If you take care of it properly, the Living Light will produce up to 0.1 mW. Enough to use it as a night lamp, but not sufficient to properly light a room.
Imagine if we could use boulevard trees for powering street lights?
Self-sustaining batteries are needed for activities that use sensors. These include long-term tracking of?wildlife. ?CSIRO software aims to help devices operate in an energy-neutral way, so that the battery can last indefinitely or until its recharge cycles are exhausted. An example is a device attached to animals using collars that collects GPS data to understand their movements. It also has a tiny battery and solar panel to recharge each day. https://blog.csiro.au/make-batteries-last-almost-forever/