Thursday 12 May 2022, presented by IDTechEx Technology Analyst Yulin Wang - Service Robots: Automate People's Lives and Multiple Industries - Who Are the Winners?

Single-use plastics account for between 30-50% of all plastic applications. Eliminating single-use plastics poses opportunities for alternative materials to supplant their applications. Materials that are biodegradable and home compostable, rather than requiring industrial composting, are particularly valuable. For this reason, there is much interest around plant polysaccharides as a source of biodegradable material. In this premium article, IDTechEx discusses three key polysaccharides derived from plants and seaweeds: nanocellulose, thermoplastic starch, and seaweed-derived hydrocolloids.

The service robotics industry has grown quickly in recent years, spurred on by advances in robotics technology and artificial intelligence (AI), and maybe set to help alleviate some of the labor issues across multiple industries.

Researchers have developed a new method that uses artificial intelligence to analyse animal behaviour. This opens the door to longer-​term in-​depth studies in the field of behavioural science - while also helping to improve animal welfare. The method is already being tested at Zurich Zoo.

The five international teams participating in the final rounds of the 3rd Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge have completed the first try-out experiment. The teams tested their algorithms and gained experience during a first crop cycle with lettuce.

Milling rice to separate the grain from the husks produces about 100 million tons of rice husk waste globally each year. Scientists searching for a scalable method to fabricate quantum dots have developed a way to recycle rice husks to create the first silicon quantum dot LED light. Their new method transforms agricultural waste into state-of-the-art light-emitting diodes in a low-cost, environmentally friendly way.

Machine vision is increasingly important for many applications, such as object classification. However, relying on conventional RGB imaging is sometimes insufficient - the input images are just too similar, regardless of algorithmic sophistication. Hyperspectral imaging adds the extra dimension of wavelength to conventional images, providing a much richer data set.

This premium article looks into vertical farming beyond leafy greens. It will give an introduction to vertical farming, as well as looking at current crops being grown by vertical farms and the limitations of those crops. Additionally, it will give an analysis of the crops vertical farming companies are looking to grow and explore the current market players.

Two scientists from the UK and the US have been jointly awarded £640,000 to build microrobots that simulate the buzzing of bees. Over three years the scientists will work to build tiny robots that can reproduce the buzzes of pollinating bees.

What started five years ago as a casual conversation among a small group at NASA's Kennedy Space Center recently showed results that one day may help feed astronauts on long-duration space missions. Plant researchers at the Florida spaceport had been chatting about new ways to plant crops in microgravity when they came up with the idea of a seed film.

This premium article looks into aquaponics methods in vertical farming, with an introduction to vertical farming and aquaponics, the difficulties associated with aquaponics, and examples of companies in the market.

Using algorithms and artificial intelligence, a research team has designed a tool which, in its initial trials, proved capable of predicting those areas with best access to potable groundwater in Africa, with a success rate of close to 90%.

This premium article looks into lighting systems in vertical farms. It introduces vertical farming, explores light recipes and choosing the right LEDS for a vertical farm, and looks at key market players.

'What gets measured gets managed' is a well-known adage in business, but could it also be applied to mitigating the effects of climate change? The recently published IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report emphasizes the importance of adaptation alongside emission reduction.

Developed in Norway, the C Disc is a mobile and efficient diver-operated tool that can be used for harvesting various species from the seabed. The technology is designed to increase the catch rate, compared to traditional hand-picking by divers. With improved efficiency, the C Disc could help make sea urchin harvesting a sustainable and commercially viable venture in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Wireless sensors can monitor how temperature, humidity or other environmental conditions vary across large swaths of land, such as farms or forests. These tools could provide unique insights for a variety of applications, including digital agriculture and monitoring climate change.

The LightWeeder is a world-first eye-safe, herbicide-free, carbon neutral, commercially viable weeding system delivered by lightweight autonomous field robots via UK agri-robotics company and Agri-EPI Centre member, Earth Rover.

Scientists are using artificial intelligence to set a new world record for producing algae as a reliable, economic source for biofuel that can be used as an alternative fuel source for jet aircraft and other transportation needs.

Just how much carbon is in the soil? That's a tough question to answer at large spatial scales, but understanding soil organic carbon at regional, national, or global scales could help scientists predict overall soil health, crop productivity, and even worldwide carbon cycles.

Using a unique hydrogel, scientists have created a solar-driven system that successfully grows spinach by using water drawn from the air while producing electricity. The proof-of-concept design offers a sustainable, low-cost strategy to improve food and water security for people living in dry-climate regions.