If the CPU is 'thought' and robotics limbs, sensing would be eyes and ears. SenseTech (that has gained prominence via autonomous driving) includes lidar, cameras, radar and ultrasonic. A brief comparison [1 2]:
Camera
- Pros: high resolution, can see colour, low cost
- Cons: blinded by sunlight, can't see in the dark
- Pros: Good ranging, can see through fog, rain, snow
- Cons: Low resolution, fuzzy, can't see edges
- Pros: Accurate 3D mapping
- Cons: Costly (millions of laser samplings), can't see through fog
- Pros: Good at very short ranges, long used for parking
- Cons: Can't see far, absorbed by soft objects
ComeUp 2020
COMEUP is a global startup festival that is held online to provide insights into the global startup ecosystem and to connect with high growth potential startups. A sample of participating startups (the last 3 are in SenseTech):
- Eccov - EV design house spun off from Hyundai Motors
- Tando - Indoor drones for security, inspections and operations
- IoT - Instrument of Things: make everything a musical instrument
- Li|Best - Flexible battery (to go with flexible screens etc)
- RoboEatz - 1000 recipes x 24 hours x 7 days, 1 dish per minute
- Worms - Vibration sensor (for raindrops, footsteps etc)
- BitSensing - Use radar for surveillance (virtual fence)
- Flexound - Make sound feel-able (kinetic sound)
Origin Innovation Awards
Technode (a tech news portal) has announced the finalists for its ORIGIN Innovation Awards. Sample:
- OneCharge - Solution for EV charging at high-rise residences
- CloudTheatre - The movie theatre recreated in the cloud
- Sesamilk - Milk from sesame seeds: aromatic, creamy, delicious
- KampungMarketer - Reskill rural folks to offer digital services
- Kumu - Social media that is TikTok + FB + Alibaba