Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 best inventions of the year, released this week, included a number of Israeli-developed technologies.
Percepto, based in Modi’in, was listed in the Artificial Intelligence category for its software that enables drones and robots to automate inspections, emergency response and security. The company’s solution allows critical infrastructure and industrial facilities to monitor sites remotely and without a human operator to prevent serious failures, respond quickly to disasters, and enable business continuity. The company also makes Sparrow, the most deployed drone-in-a-box solution on the market.
“It is truly an honor to receive this award from Time, a great and respected media brand for nearly a hundred years,” said Percepto CEO Dor Abuhasira. “Percepto created a new paradigm for industrial facility inspection by integrating AI and autonomous robot management with advanced visual data analysis. Being on this list is a testament to this accomplishment, and we thank the editors and staff at Time for this recognition.”
In the transportation category, ElectReon was selected for its system to charge electric vehicles wirelessly using electrical fields generated by coils under the asphalt roads. This reduces the size of batteries required in vehicles, reducing their weight and cost, and enabling an almost unlimited driving range as it obviates the need for infrastructure for charging stations and gas stations.
The company is currently working on various pre-commercial projects in Germany, Italy, Sweden and Israel, and intends to expand to North American markets soon.
“It is a great honor to be included in Time magazine’s prestigious list of inventions,” said CEO Oren Ezer.” We are working to spread the word about wireless charging technology and electric roads, to make them more central over time for fleet operators and public transportation and even for private vehicles. This announcement and the rise in awareness of the issue of reducing emissions illustrate the great potential of technology.”
In the accessibility category, OrCam’s Read uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to read any piece of text aloud, helping tens of millions of people who struggle with comprehension difficulties, poor vision, dyslexia or other issues. The device, priced at $1,990, can read text in multiple languages and respond to voice commands. OrCam, which develops multiple products for people with vision impairment, was founded by Amnon Shashua and Ziv Aviram, who also founded autonomous-driving technology giant Mobileye.
Finally, under sustainability, Afula-based SupPlant was included for its sensor-less solution to collect and analyze climatic, plant and irrigation data to guide farmers with low-cost irrigation recommendations, weather forecast and crop stress alerts, as well as AI-enabled agronomic guidance to make smallholders more resilient to climate change. The company intends to serve at least two million smallholders across Africa and India by 2022, the company has said. Last month, it provided access to 500,000 maize farmers – mostly women living in Bungoma and Busia – to technology that will help them avoid crop failures.
Time’s annual list highlights inventions “that are making the world better, smarter and a bit more fun,” with products nominated by its editors and writers, and through an online application process.