”Your sneak preview of the future” is the slogan of Innovation Origins, and that’s just what we will highlight with our Start-up of the Week column. Over the past few days, five start-ups of the day have been featured and on Saturday we will choose the week’s winner.
Innovation Origins presents a Start-up of the Day each weekday
We shall consider various issues such as sustainability, developmental phase, practical application, simplicity, originality and to what extent they are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of UNESCO. They will all pass by here and at the end of the week, the Start-Up of the Week will be announced.
Aisens – smart sensors for physiotherapy
Polish start-up Aisens recently launched Orthyo, a sensor system that supports physiotherapy and rehabilitation therapy. The system measures joint mobility and can help specialists make the right diagnosis. Moreover, the sensors can also guide the patients in their rehabilitation exercises that they have to do at home. The data generated by these exercises may also be shared with their therapist.
With this launch, Aisens has not only introduced a promising new resource, but has also demonstrated how valuable the flexibility of startups can be. How come? The sensors were originally designed to improve drone orientation. However, the three founders discovered that these sensors could also be used to measure joint mobility. This is something that is sorely needed given that therapists have to rely primarily on their eyes at the moment. That’s according to the wife of one of the founders, who is a physiotherapist herself.
Delta X Innovation Solutions – combating drought with water reservoirs
The fact that farmers are battling ever-increasing periods of drought is no secret. Although the discussion has not yet been settled as to who should do what about this. But there are also creative people out there who are simply putting their shoulders to the wheel and looking for solutions. Such as the twenty-three year old Tijmen Dekkers from Zundert. Just like a true Dutchman, he set to work on this water problem and has invented the Delta X. Which is an underground water reservoir that stores water during heavy rainfall. This way a reliable water source is always available, even in times when there is a water shortage.
The reservoir is lightweight which makes transport and construction easily manageable. Few issues with moving it around saves on CO2 emissions. In addition, the components are recyclable and the underground storage saves space above land. That’s triple the gain.
Everest Climbing – never again the same climbing route
You would think that there is not much ‘clever stuff’ you could do when it comes to making a climbing wall. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Everest Climbing is a dynamic, rotating climbing wall (think of a vertical treadmill with climbing grips) which is not only constantly inventing new climbing routes, but also adapts itself to the needs of the user through the use of motion detectors. This makes the wall not just suitable for professionals who want to train specific skills. This climbing wall could also become a valuable resource for the rehabilitation sector.
Aside from that, it’s just a cool thing, even for people who are afraid of heights. They no longer have to struggle with anxiety because the wall just comes to them. They won’t have to assail any ominous peaks.
Heyfair – hand washing saves lives
If you’ve been raised properly, you’ll wash your hands after every use of the bathroom. But how do you know if you are washing your hands effectively? You probably won’t notice the consequences of inadequate hand hygiene at home. Yet this phenomenon does lead to millions of infections in hospitals every year. With all of the consequences that this brings. Many infections are able to be prevented with properly disinfected hands. But how do you check that? Please welcome: dyed hand soap.
The idea of the German start-up Heyfair is accessible and effective. The dye shows exactly where the soap is on your hands and consequently also reveals areas that have been missed. Moreover, from now on, others will also be able to see if you are washing your hands properly, so you won’t be able to get away with not washing your hands well anymore.
High Performance Battery – the days of the power bank are numbered
Our society cannot do without batteries. From the smartphone in your pocket to the propulsion of electric cars and the storage of sustainable energy – batteries are used everywhere. The demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to increase by 18% over the next six years. It is still unclear whether the supply of raw materials will be able to meet that demand. On top of that, the quality of today’s batteries is rapidly deteriorating. Intensive smartphone users among us will no doubt have a few things to say about this.
Besides that, the production of modern batteries is extremely environmentally damaging, partly due to the use of cobalt. The raw material is being extracted under appalling conditions, e.g. in the Congo. The search for alternatives has been going on for some time now.
And to make matters worse, these batteries also pose a safety risk. When it comes to the storage of solar energy and in electric cars, for example. It was announced last week that emergency services have great difficulty extinguishing and salvaging electric cars.
Swiss start-up High Performance Battery should put an end to all this misery. The company claims to have solved the aging issue of batteries . They have done this at the chemical level, which does not reduce battery performance. The production of this new battery no longer requires cobalt and the environmental impact is 50% less than the batteries that we are currently familiar with. And as icing on the cake, they are also non-flammable. Because of the range of problems that this new battery has the potential to solve, we crown High Performance Battery as Start-up of the Week! So put that power bank away, because according to the founder, the new generation of batteries is just around the corner.
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