Our last day of Innovation Journey 2019 was filled with futuristic technology. We began by meeting with SuperSmart, a company that is revolutionizing the shopping experience. They offer an affordable option for supermarkets to implement high-tech, autonomous checkout machines that operate 20 times more efficiently than a normal cashier. Using only one camera at checkout and their proprietary software, they can analyze everything in your shopping cart; yes, even those items hidden at the bottom! The machine has Artificial Intelligence technology that allows it to continually improve as time goes on. It provides a more helpful experience for end-users as well as it can recommend items that they may have missed or forgotten; it can even make sure you’re not overpaying by taking something you don’t want! The whole process takes 10 seconds so you are in and out in a flash. An added bonus for the supermarket is that it helps with loss prevention, saving them up to 4% of revenues each year. It’s an innovative solution to a daily challenge and it was impressive to hear from the founder about their rapid growth.
We then went to visit HighRoad, an organization that provides a Launchpad Accelerator for
up-and-coming startups that are revolutionizing urban technology for smart cities. As humans continue
to migrate en masse to urban centers, it’s imperative that we appropriately prepare with infrastructure
that is connected via the Internet of Things (IoT). HighRoad’s vision is to connect all major services
intelligently. Imagine a future where traffic lights have built-in smart cameras that both detect and
prevent slowdowns by managing signals. A future where a smart city is connected via a network with
ports to connect devices--that are yet to be invented--in a way that creates the infrastructure necessary
for future solutions. These are just a couple of examples of organizations that are coming out of
HighRoad. Being in their office felt like taking a peek through a crystal ball at our future. It was really
impressive to be around futurists and technologists who are taking an active role in preparing our
societies for a better tomorrow.
up-and-coming startups that are revolutionizing urban technology for smart cities. As humans continue
to migrate en masse to urban centers, it’s imperative that we appropriately prepare with infrastructure
that is connected via the Internet of Things (IoT). HighRoad’s vision is to connect all major services
intelligently. Imagine a future where traffic lights have built-in smart cameras that both detect and
prevent slowdowns by managing signals. A future where a smart city is connected via a network with
ports to connect devices--that are yet to be invented--in a way that creates the infrastructure necessary
for future solutions. These are just a couple of examples of organizations that are coming out of
HighRoad. Being in their office felt like taking a peek through a crystal ball at our future. It was really
impressive to be around futurists and technologists who are taking an active role in preparing our
societies for a better tomorrow.
Our next visit was out of this world… literally! We had the privilege of meeting with the Founder and
Senior Systems Engineer of SpaceIL, an Israeli startup that sent a robot to the moon! It was absolutely
incredible to hear first-hand how they designed a robot that ended up orbiting the moon. The company
was initially founded as part of an XPrize Foundation challenge, and SpaceIL was the only organization
that ended up building their vessel and launching it into space. What’s most impressive about SpaceIL
is that they are a non-governmental, private startup organization. As such, they are facing a significant
challenge with much more limited resources than any other country that has shot for the moon. While
the vehicle ultimately had a mechanical failure and crash-landed, it was seen as a huge success. It’s
impressive that a small company could marshall the necessary international resources, create an
innovative design, build the autonomous ship, and ultimately launch it into space to orbit once around
the moon. They are now changing their focus to educate and inspire the next generation of children
around the world to take big leaps for mankind. Who knows what galaxy they will explore next?
Senior Systems Engineer of SpaceIL, an Israeli startup that sent a robot to the moon! It was absolutely
incredible to hear first-hand how they designed a robot that ended up orbiting the moon. The company
was initially founded as part of an XPrize Foundation challenge, and SpaceIL was the only organization
that ended up building their vessel and launching it into space. What’s most impressive about SpaceIL
is that they are a non-governmental, private startup organization. As such, they are facing a significant
challenge with much more limited resources than any other country that has shot for the moon. While
the vehicle ultimately had a mechanical failure and crash-landed, it was seen as a huge success. It’s
impressive that a small company could marshall the necessary international resources, create an
innovative design, build the autonomous ship, and ultimately launch it into space to orbit once around
the moon. They are now changing their focus to educate and inspire the next generation of children
around the world to take big leaps for mankind. Who knows what galaxy they will explore next?
Our Innovation Journey ended with a company that is furthering technology that is necessary for the
future of sustainable life on planet earth. We visited the Mekorot desalination plant in Ashdod, a
company that converts salty ocean water into healthy drinking water. Israel is the largest producer in
the world of this technology, per capita. We thought it was a special treat to taste the water at their
office--but then we learned that 80% of the whole country’s water is produced by desalination! We
had been drinking desalinated ocean water the whole trip without realizing it. We had the privilege of
touring their operating facility, walking amidst the pipelines and machinery that process this water so
it is safe to drink. Every year, the facility adds more than 100 cubic meters of water to the national
water system. This technology is crucial for maintaining a healthy life source for the planet. As our
natural resources continue to become more scarce, it is these types of innovative organizations that
are paving the way for a sustainable future.
future of sustainable life on planet earth. We visited the Mekorot desalination plant in Ashdod, a
company that converts salty ocean water into healthy drinking water. Israel is the largest producer in
the world of this technology, per capita. We thought it was a special treat to taste the water at their
office--but then we learned that 80% of the whole country’s water is produced by desalination! We
had been drinking desalinated ocean water the whole trip without realizing it. We had the privilege of
touring their operating facility, walking amidst the pipelines and machinery that process this water so
it is safe to drink. Every year, the facility adds more than 100 cubic meters of water to the national
water system. This technology is crucial for maintaining a healthy life source for the planet. As our
natural resources continue to become more scarce, it is these types of innovative organizations that
are paving the way for a sustainable future.
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