”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.
Live e-trips – the Y2K generation summarized in a start-up
One of the most important things about holidays for people under thirty is of course making people on social media envious of your cosmopolitan photogenic unique jet set life. Usually we fly to exotic destinations for a few tenners. For a unique personal report of your holiday and for offsetting your flight shame, there is now Live Electric Tours in Portugal.
What is this exactly? A personal electric golf cart that will allow every tourist to make the most of the streets of Lisbon and Porto and more. The cart is equipped with a camera so that the whole world will be able to enjoy your city trip. Having to think for yourself or posting stuff is no longer necessary. Plus, you can throw out any interpersonal contact with a real-live personal guide as well. You will be presented with a route in your own language and getting stuck in traffic is a thing of the past for cars. Because these camera-equipped four-wheeled Segways are allowed on the sidewalk! And the locals? They say they love the carts.
Rosebox – Live roses in boxes
Roses are appreciated by a great many people for their distinctive appearance, beautiful colors and association with love. But roses wilt. How beautiful it would be to brighten up your surroundings with real roses without having to renew them every couple of weeks. The German start-up Rosebox has developed a special method that treats the flowers in a unique way which keeps them beautiful for far longer than their bouquet-ed competitors.
Fake flowers are virtually passé now because although these boxed flowers may not be alive anymore, they still look that way. How? These colorful flowers don’t last just days, but rather for years. And they are delivered in a box that will revamp any grey interior without you having to fuss over them. This product has never been available in Germany before and now orders are pouring in. Rosebox offers a very sustainable solution for people who like to be surrounded by fresh flowers.
Dynaxon – Particle accelerator as a drug dog
You can explore the mysteries of the universe and anything that has to do with Higgs particles at the gigantic particle CERN accelerator beneath the ground in the border region of France and Switzerland. Dynaxon prefers to keep it closer to home and has devised a very practical application for this technology. You are also able to use it for detecting explosives or drugs. Is this done by threatening suspects with a one-way ticket into the enormous accelerator? Nope, this idea is something completely different.
The initiators want to flood postage items and parcels with neutrons. These neutrons instantly show the contents of a package. Drugs, weapons, explosives and other illegal goods are in fact primarily sent by international mail. As it is impossible to check each package individually, this would be a major solution. Especially in the US there seems to be a lot of interest in this ultramodern detective which doesn’t walk on four legs and doesn’t have a physical nose.
Advantis – Brings the brain into view
Brains are rather complex in their make-up and when it comes MRI scans, their results are not exactly known for their clear imaging. The Eindhoven-based start-up Advantis has come up with a new analytical technology whereby it is possible to make a sophisticated data visualization of each brain. Moreover, the system is connected to a cloud-based system, enabling it to conduct research without the need for human intervention.
The 3D reconstruction enables a doctor to see at a glance what is wrong. If they have any questions, they can be in contact with colleagues from all over the world in no time. A good graphical representation is necessary because outdated analysis software can lead to errors in diagnoses or serious diseases may be overlooked.
SketchAR – Turn the world into your canvas
Drawing is a skill that usually requires a lot of practice. Tracing something over another piece of paper or physically covering an image with translucent tracing paper are both possible. Yet now this can all be done in a more modern and practical way. Meet SketchAR, the first app that combines augmented reality with actual drawing.
You could compare it to the technology of Pokémon Go, except that virtual Japanese figures are not going to materialize around you. Instead lines will appear that you can use to trace from. Aim the smartphone at a piece of paper (or even a wall) and all you have to do is to copy the projected lines with your own paintbrushes or pencils. The app is specially designed for people who have no sketching skills. Which means that this could be a solution for even the most desperate doodler. Don’t know what to draw? SketchAR’s extensive library will provide you with some inspiration.
The Lithuanian initiators combine creativity and technology in a whole new way and make drawing, a skill that you either have or don’t have, more accessible to everyone. It is a great example of how the real world and augmented reality can enhance each other. Its simplicity and combination of something analog with something digital have convinced IO to reward SketchAR with the title Start-up of the Week!
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