Tag Archives: technologies

HOW CAN STUDENTS GET INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES

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There are several great ways for students to get involved in the important work of developing more affordable technologies that can help protect the environment. Whether a student’s interests lie in engineering, business, policy, or community organizing, they have opportunities to contribute to solutions.

One of the best starting points is for students to take relevant coursework in their areas of study that relates directly to environmental technologies. For engineering students, courses in fields like sustainable design, renewable energy systems, environmental monitoring, green chemistry and more can provide valuable technical foundations. For business students, classes on social entrepreneurship, financing green startups, and eco-friendly product development are highly applicable. Policy and legal studies majors may consider seminars on environmental regulation and legislation. No matter the specific major, classes that blend topics like science, technology, business and policy give hands-on perspectives on bringing new ideas to market.

Students should also consider doing internships or research assistant positions at organizations developing affordable eco-tech. National labs, innovative startups, non-profits, and some larger corporations offer openings for undergraduate and graduate students to gain real-world experience. Interning at the National Renewable Energy Lab, for instance, could provide exposure to their work advancing next-generation solar panels and energy storage. Working for a startup commercializing affordable water filters or efficient cookstoves might involve assisting prototype tests and sustainability assessments. Non-governmental groups develop low-cost environmental monitoring devices, so interning could support those projects. Such experiential learning opportunities allow students to apply classroom knowledge and make valuable industry connections.

Many colleges today have green labs, makerspaces, incubators or multidisciplinary design studios where students can launch their own technology projects. These facilitated environments give resources and guidance for conceptualizing, prototyping and testing ideas. For example, engineering undergraduates led a project through their university lab to engineer a low-cost system for monitoring drainage water quality using open-source hardware and software. A business program’s incubator may support student teams commercializing their senior capstone designs for affordable water sensors. Innovating independently or collaboratively in such settings lets students gain entrepreneurial experience bringing concepts from ideation to functional prototypes.

Students can also engage through extracurricular clubs and competitions focused on environmental innovation. Groups like Engineers Without Borders facilitate student participation in international projects installing renewable energy or clean water systems in developing communities. Annual contests hosted by entities such as the US Department of Energy’s Collegiate Inventors Challenge provides funding and mentorship for undergraduate and graduate teams to advance early-stage energy technologies. Winning affordable technology proposals could lead to further research support. Extra-academic activities cultivate passion-based learning and offer additional pathways towards commercializing eco-friendly solutions.

Beyond hands-on projects, some other impactful roles for students include advocacy, community science, and policy research. Participating in campus environmental groups or lobbying legislators on tech-centered bills pertains skills in organizing and democratic processes. Volunteering time to community science initiatives deploying low-cost air/water quality sensors or conducting citizen science education spreads awareness. Conducting policy research for think tanks and writing reports with evidence-based recommendations to decision-makers shapes guidance. Non-technical contributions still advance causes around sustainable innovations.

Dedicated and creative students have growing opportunities to drive the development and adoption of eco-friendly solutions through many pathways. Course selections, internships, independent projects, extracurricular involvement and civic roles all provide avenues. With passion and persistence, the next generation will play a defining part in realizing more affordable environmental technologies benefiting people worldwide. Committing time and effort towards those aims as a student sets one up well to meaningfully advance solutions into careers after graduation.

WHAT ARE SOME INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES THAT HELP FARMERS HARVEST PROCESS AND STORE CROPS MORE EFFICIENTLY?

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One of the most significant technologies helping farmers today is precision agriculture, which uses technology such as GPS guidance systems and sensors to help farming equipment operate more precisely and efficiently. GPS guidance allows tractors to plow, plant, and harvest automatically across fields with precise row tracking, minimizing gaps and overlaps that can waste inputs and reduce yields. Sensors can also help optimize inputs like fertilizer, seed, and chemicals by monitoring soil conditions and crop health in real-time, allowing for variable-rate application of only what is needed where it is needed. This site-specific crop management can boost yields while lowering input costs and reducing environmental impact from over-application of agricultural chemicals.

For harvesting, technologies like computer vision have enabled the development of harvesters capable of distinguishing crops from weeds and other plant materials in real-time. This allows harvesting equipment to collect only the desired crops, leaving weeds and other materials behind to avoid contaminating the harvest. Precise machine vision and control have also enabled the development of robotic harvesters that can efficiently pick high-value crops like apples, oranges, tomatoes and berries with care to avoid bruising. For grains, advances in combine harvesters include systems for GPS guidance, automated grain loss monitors, moisture sensors, yield monitors and advanced threshing and cleaning systems. All of these innovations help harvest crops faster with less grain or fruit loss and lower costs per bushel or ton.

After harvest, innovative technologies are helping improve the efficiency of handling, processing, packing and storing crops. For example, automated sorting, sizing and grading systems using computer vision, optics and other sensors can efficiently sort crops by attributes like size, color, blemishes and ripeness levels at high throughput. This helps maximize value by ensuring crops are packed to the specifications required by different market segments. Automated warehouses and storage facilities also use technologies like robotics, conveyors, sorting systems and environmental monitoring to densely pack, track and dynamically retrieves crops from storage while maintaining optimal freshness.

In food processing facilities, digital tracking systems together with automated equipment help streamline operations from receipt and washing, to slicing, packaging, palletizing and shipment. Optical sorting continues to remove foreign materials and blemished produce with high selectivity. Computer-controlled slicing, dicing and portioning lines precisely cut many products per minute to package bagged salads, fresh-cut fruit, vegetable trays and more with consistent sizing. Automated packaging uses robotics, form-fill-seal and flow wrapper machines to rapidly pack finished products into bags, cartons, trays at rates exceeding 100 products per minute. Palletizers then build stacks of packaged products on pallets at high rates ready for storage and shipment.

Technologies also enable more efficient tracking of products from farm to table. For example, RFID (radio-frequency identification) and blockchain technologies provide traceability by digitally labeling inventory at the lot or individual item level. This allowstracing crops back to the individual field, harvest date and equipment used within hours if a recall is needed. Sensors throughout the cold chain of storage and transport also monitor and digitally record temperature, humidity and other conditions to assure quality is maintained, triggering alerts if excursions occur. Together, these innovative technologies are helping drive major gains in harvesting efficiency, food safety and freshness from farm to fork. With further developments, technology will continue to automate, streamline and sustainably optimized agricultural production and supply chain management into the future.

Technologies such as precision agriculture, computer vision, robotics, automation, processing equipment, packaging machinery, RFID, sensors and blockchain are revolutionizing how crops are harvested, handled, processed, packed, stored and tracked from farm to consumer. By optimizing operations at each step, these innovations are helping farmers and food companies boost yields, maximize value, ensure safety and deliver fresher foods more sustainably and efficiently than ever before. Continued technological progress will be crucial to meeting the world’s growing demand for food amid challenges of climate change in the coming decades.

WHAT ARE SOME POPULAR TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES USED FOR DEVELOPING MOBILE APPS IN A CAPSTONE PROJECT?

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Some of the most commonly used tools and technologies for building mobile apps in a capstone project include:

Programming Languages: The programming language used will depend on whether the app is being developed for iOS or Android. For iOS, Swift and Objective-C are the main languages used, while Android apps are typically developed using Java and Kotlin. Other cross-platform languages like Flutter, React Native and Xamarin can be used to develop apps that run on both platforms.

Development Environments: For iOS development, Xcode is Apple’s official IDE (Integrated Development Environment) used for building iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS software and includes tools for coding, designing user interfaces, and managing projects. For Android development, Android Studio is the official IDE which is based on the JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA software and includes emulator capabilities and tools for code editing, debugging, and testing. Visual Studio Code is another popular cross-platform code editor used along with plugins.

User Interface Design Tools: Sketch and Figma are popular UI/UX design tools used for wireframing and prototyping mobile app interfaces before development. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are also commonly used for graphics design aspects. During development, UI elements are coded using XML layout files and UI kit frameworks.

Databases: Most apps require databases for storing persistent data. Popular cross-platform options include SQLite (for local storage), and remote cloud databases like Firebase (NoSQL) and AWS. Realm is another powerful cross-platform mobile database that supports both offline and synchronized data.

Networking/APIs: APIs enable apps to pull in remote data from the web and connect to backend services. Common RESTful API frameworks used include Retrofit/Retrofit2 (Android), and Alamofire (iOS/Swift). For calling external APIs, JSON parsing libraries like Gson, Moshi and SwiftyJSON are helpful.

Testing Tools: Testing frameworks like JUnit (Java), XCTest (iOS), and Espresso (Android) help automatically test app functions. Additional tools for GUI testing include Appium, Calabash, and UI Automator. Beta testing platforms allow distributing pre-release builds for crowd-sourced feedback.

App Distribution: Releasing the finished app involves building release configurations for distribution through official app stores. For Android, the built APK file needs to be uploaded to the Google Play Store. iOS apps are archived and submitted to Apple’s TestFlight Beta Testing system before final release on the App Store. Alternatives include direct distribution through other app markets or as an enterprise app.

Version Control: Git is universally used for managing the source code history and changes through versions. Popular hosting platforms are GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket for open source collaboration during development. Integrating continuous integration (CI) through services like Jenkins, Travis CI or GitHub Actions automates things like running tests on code commits.

3rd Party Libraries/SDKs: Common third-party open source libraries integrated through dependency managers massively boost productivity. Popular examples for Android include, but are not limited to, SQLite, Glide, Retrofit, Google Play Services, Firebase etc. Equivalents for iOS include CoreData, Alamofire, Kingfisher, Fabric etc. Various other SDKs may integrate additional functionalities from third parties.

App Analytics: Tracking usage metrics and diagnosing crashes is important for improvement and monitoring real-world performance. Popular analytics services include Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, and Fabric Crashlytics for both platforms. These help analyze app health, usage patterns, identify issues and measure the impact of changes.

DevOps Automation: Tools for automating deployments, configurations and infrastructure provisioning. Popular examples are Docker (containerization), Ansible, AWS Amplify, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, Terraform etc. Help smoothly manage release workflows in production environments.

Some additional factors to consider include app monetization strategies if needed, security best practices, compliance and localization aspects. While the specific tools may differ between platforms or use cases, the above covers many of the core technologies and frameworks commonly leveraged in modern mobile application development projects including capstone or thesis projects. Adopting best practices around design, development workflows, testing and data ensures student projects meet industry standards and help demonstrate skills to potential employers.

WHAT ARE SOME POTENTIAL CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS TO THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF DIGITAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES

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One of the major challenges is infrastructure. For digital health technologies to be widely adopted, the necessary broadband and wireless infrastructure needs to be in place to support technologies like telehealth, remote patient monitoring devices, mobile health apps, and more. Internet access and speed is still lacking in many rural and lower-income areas. The upfront financial investment required to build out this infrastructure can be prohibitive.

Interoperability is another huge hurdle. For data from different digital health tools and systems to be meaningfully shared and used, solutions need to be able to seamlessly communicate and exchange information. Achieving true interoperability is incredibly difficult given the wide range of players involved like healthcare providers, insurers, technology vendors, and more who all use different standards and platforms. Agreeing on common frameworks and protocols takes immense coordination and time.

Cost is a barrier from multiple perspectives. For individuals and families, the costs of many new digital health technologies like wearable devices and connected home monitoring equipment is still high compared to their regular income even with insurance in many cases. This prevents their adoption among lower-income populations. For healthcare organizations, the upfront expenses of implementing digital health platforms, training staff, and maintaining new technologies can also be prohibitively expensive, especially for smaller practices. From a policy perspective, challenges remain around how to fairly and efficiently allocate the huge costs involved in national digital transformation.

Privacy and security concerns loom large over digital health. Many people remain worried that their sensitive health data could be compromised or used without their consent when shared and stored electronically through apps and networks. Incidents of major data breaches involving health systems or IoT medical companies often make headline news and greatly undermine public trust. Achieving watertight security while allowing authorized data access is challenging. Strict privacy regulations also differ between jurisdictions, adding complexity.

Healthcare culture and workflow integration issues persist. Introducing disruptive new technologies requires changes to entrenched processes, skills and mindsets in the healthcare sector. Doctors and nurses need to adapt how they interact with patients and each other. Legacy health IT systems may not integrate smoothly with novel solutions. Overcoming organizational and behavioral inertia takes careful change management. Doctors especially can be conservative and some may resist solutions perceived as reducing their control or use of personal judgment.

Digital literacy and the digital divide remain problematic. The ability to use digital health tools often assumes a minimum level of comfort with technology that many elderly or rural populations lack. This risks worsening existing health inequities. Even among younger, educated groups, technical glitches or confusing interfaces can frustrate users and reduce engagement. Improving digital skills and ensuring equitable access across socioeconomic segments is difficult but important for mainstream acceptance.

Regulatory landscapes are complex with uncertain implications for innovation. While regulations aim to ensure safety and privacy, navigating different rules for every jurisdiction from a business perspective is challenging. Overly cautious or ambiguous regulations may curb important R&D. At the same time, inadequate oversight could compromise standards. Finding the right risk-based, evidence-driven approach pleasing all stakeholders takes delicate policymaking.

Interoperability, costs, privacy, security culture change and the digital divide collectively represent enormously difficult systemic issues without any single straightforward solution. Incremental progress requires sustained cooperation between technology developers, medical experts, government bodies, consumer advocates and more. Only by creatively addressing these challenges step-by-step can digital health fulfill its vast promise of improving access, quality and efficiency over the coming decades.

HOW DO GOVERNMENT POLICIES SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADOPTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

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Governments around the world implement a wide variety of policies to promote the development and adoption of renewable energy technologies. The goals of these policies are to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, cut carbon emissions that cause climate change, improve energy security by diversifying energy sources, and stimulate economic growth in the renewable energy industry. Some of the key policy mechanisms governments use include regulatory standards, financial incentives, public investments, and international cooperation.

Regulatory standards are a major policy tool used by many governments. Renewable portfolio standards require electricity providers to obtain a minimum percentage of power from renewable sources each year. Feed-in tariffs guarantee renewable energy producers a set purchase price for the electricity they generate, providing long-term revenue certainty to support project development. Net metering policies allow customers who generate their own renewable energy to receive credit for excess power sent back to the grid. Biofuel blending mandates require gasoline and diesel to contain a minimum amount of biofuels. These standards create guaranteed demand for renewable technologies and help them to scale up and gain cost competitiveness.

Financial incentives are another vital policy approach to make renewable energy investments more attractive. Tax credits lower the cost of developing, constructing, and operating renewable projects. For example, the US federal tax credit for utility-scale solar and wind projects lowers costs by around 30%. Government grants provide upfront capital to demonstrate and prove emerging technologies. Low-interest loans help fund renewable projects. Rebates on the purchase of renewable energy systems like solar panels or heat pumps for homes and businesses also stimulate demand. Property Assessed Clean Energy programs allow customers to finance renewable upgrades through property taxes with no upfront costs. Together, these various incentives make projects financially worthwhile sooner.

Public investments in research, development, and demonstration projects are important for advancing renewable technologies down the cost curve. National governments and international bodies like the EU fund research at universities and national labs into new materials, production methods, energy storage solutions, and more to optimize technologies. Pilot and demonstration projects are deployed to prove technical performance at larger scales. Direct government investment accelerates technology learning and commercialization that the private sector may be reluctant to undertake due to high risks. This early stage R&D support is complemented by private sector investments as technologies mature.

Many governments promote renewable energy trade and cooperation to share innovation. International groups like Mission Innovation and the International Renewable Energy Agency organize collaborative projects among nations. Bilateral partnerships support joint research on issues like connected power grids and offshore wind. Government initiatives accelerate the development and diffusion of the most promising low-carbon technologies worldwide. International trade agreements also facilitate commerce in renewable technology goods to expand global markets and economies of scale.

If implemented comprehensively and sustained over the long run, these policies successfully drive renewable energy development according to independent analyses. Regulatory standards provide guaranteed demand to support scaled-up investments. Financial incentives overcome higher initial costs that impede market adoption. Public R&D accelerates technological progress. And international collaboration maximizes these efforts. As a result, renewable energy use has grown rapidly around the world in recent decades according to official forecasts and outlooks from groups like IEA and IRENA. With continued strong policy and market support, the share of power from renewable sources is projected to continue rising substantially in the decades ahead as these technologies progress down the learning curve. Effective policy action is vital to transition energy systems towards a sustainable low-carbon future.