The industry of technology is rapidly turning in the most cutting-edge, and highly competitive ones of the decade. By now, everyone has already accepted the way tech affects and influences different areas of our lives, with trends and rises making the tabloids every single day.

However, we truly believe that the core relevance to innovation lays in the way it impacts and improves human lives. At the end of the day, connection and sentiment is what pushes us forward as a species, and drives us to do better.

We at Tegeria, love to celebrate values and the genuine, authentic ways tech developments impact society. By praising ideas and not necessarily people, this time we make a conscious decision to empower humanity as a whole, without excluding, nor putting anyone on the spotlight.

In the spirit of nostalgia, this time of the year endorses, we took a look back at 2018 altogether. Let us go down memory lane and revisit a snippet of the inspiring ways technology boosted various industries.

 

  1.  Khushi Baby.

Healthcare and Medicine

 

Khushi means happiness in Hindi, and this digital necklace surely radiates that feeling. This project monitors the healthcare of mothers and children by integrating mobile health, wearable NFC technology, and cloud computing. Their app provides in-field support for health-workers, eliminating guesswork and increasing efficiency for the vaccination process.

Additionally, the cultural fit of the necklace, with the system calling the mothers in their local language, makes it more adaptable.

On 17th January 2018, Khushi Baby team were named as GenH Challenge Winners and received a USD 250,000 fund to support the continuation of the project. We can’t wait to see what’s more in store for this team and their inspiring activities.

 

2. Contract for the Web.

Accessibility and Privacy

This contract might have been one of the most meaningful announcements of Web Summit 2018 in Lisbon, and we got to experience it first-hand. It was laid out on November 5th, by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, with the rules of using the internet ethically and transparently for all participants. All the principals in it incorporate privacy fundamentals, making the internet more affordable, accessible to anyone – an open letter from last year addressed the concerns behind his motives.

So far over 50 high-profile parties have signed and the full version of this contract is supposed to be ready by May 2019.

 

 

3. Virtual Reality applications in medicine.

Medicine, Education

VR has been improving the medical field remarkably, by helping people feel calmer before surgeries, making rehabilitation treatments more pleasant, treating addictions, amongst other applications.

At the Saint-Joseph Hospital in Paris, France the startup Healthy Mind, experimented this year with offering a VR headset for pain management instead of drug usage. That was achieved by placing the patients in a realistic virtual world and distracting them with a guided tour, the ability to play music, solve riddles, or paint. Subsequently, their tolerance for pain increased.

Additionally, we have witnessed an expansion of VR and AR in medical education as well. These tools allow learners to experience safely life-or-death scenarios, deconstruct a human body and its anatomy layer by layer and so much more. This allows collaborating and knowledge-sharing in surgeries and diagnosis, especially for doctors in more remote areas, or that lack experience in certain cases.

By having students experiment and get familiar with the technology, they also adapt to the inevitable domination of tech in healthcare as well.

*While nature, in this case, is metaphorical as a cure, the healing process can be less painful, if not enjoyable.

 

 

4. Renewable Energy in over 100 cities.

Environment and Renewable Energy

According to a CDP report released on February, of the 620+ global cities reporting to them, over 100 now get at least 70% of their electricity from renewable sources such as hydro, geothermal, solar and wind.

There’s no denying the impact that technological advancements have had on the field of environmental improvements. We have:

Artificial intelligence (AI) – With its modeling and predictions in renewable productions, precisely: modeling of a Solar Steam Generator, wind speed prediction etc.

Blockchain – This system eliminates the need for a third party, effectively eliminating the need for verification processes at a centralized entity. Thus, reducing costs and allowing small energy consumers and producers to participate. Now, this approach is taking on renewable energy trading in Singapore as well.

 

 

5. Oceans and Earth, the ones that will stay here beyond our lifetime

Climate and Earth

Corals

Researchers at two Australian universities have developed an underwater robot that could help in the ongoing struggle to save at-risk reefs. Harrison’s team tested LarvalBot at Vlasoff Reef, an outer part of the Great Barrier Reef along Australia’s northeastern coast. In the trial run, the submersible dispersed 100,000 baby specimens derived from corals that survived the bleaching event of 2016-17.

Ocean Cleaning & Recyclable plastic

The World Economic Forum in a 60-second long video introduced us with this quite simple, yet genius idea. In Guatemala, biofences-items created by attaching floating containers to a mesh- became really sensational. 60 percent less rubbish ends up in the sea thanks to this excellent solution. It goes to show again that big changes don’t necessarily require over the top solutions. Using plastic to fix plastic pollution; Sometimes helping to save the environment can be that easy.

We can create, produce, shape various territories, and definitely innovate, but the influence on what is left behind for the generations to come is a vital responsibility.

 

6. Art and Creativity.

The digital space

The content we have been exposed to this year was exponentially getting better in quality, substance, and message. People have become more approachable and vulnerable, by sharing their experiences through various digital platforms. This has created a sense of community and belonging, pushing the ideology that ultimately, we face similar delights and struggles. We are witnessing delicate matters like mental health, eating disorders, sex education etc. being destigmatized. None of that would have been possible without the help of countless developers working towards creating a safer, more regulated and overall convenient environment for the digital space.

Media and Movies

The rise of movie production this year is undeniable, and now thanks to technological advancement, dubbing actors might become even easier. A team led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics has developed a software package that can adapt actors’ mouth movements and whole facial expressions to match the film’s translation. The technique uses methods based on artificial intelligence can animate the whole face including eyes, eyebrows, and head position in videos, using controls known from computer graphics face animation.

However, with these advancements, controversial matters rise up as well.

If the “resurrection” of even dead actors is as easy as this TV commercial, thanks to CGI, what will that mean for the future generation of performers? How will it shift the market if the competition stakes are as high as Audrey Hepburn?

Additionally, being able to portray a public figure that accurately, means falsifying statements may become even easier.

But despite all the concerns, we have no idea how humans will adapt to the new changes, the ethical and legal precautions that will take place. However, it is truly inspiring seeing how far our imaginative and inventive skills have taken us.

An example of that is clearly shown in the most recent “Black Mirror” episode released by Netflix, “Bandersnatch”. With its interactive approach to storytelling, this production will clearly reshape the way we consume and experience content.

Beauty

This year truly has renovated the customer experience, with technology that suggests the perfect products to your unique features, and adds value to the shopping experience. With apps that allow you to play digital makeup artist with smart mirrors, ingredient discovery through AI, and so much more. These advancements not only have made the beauty industry more approachable but even more inclusive in a social standard. We now have a wider range of shades, safer products, and overall, happier consumers.

Thanks to technology and being connected, we are doing a better job at celebrating values, health, imperfections and embracing our bodies for the wonderful way they function and support us.

 

7. The Death of Business Cards

Networking & Sales

The business and networking environments are being exposed to a prevalent phenomenon nowadays, “The Death of Business Cards”. How many brands or representatives have you come across who owned one? Regardless of the digitalization of professionally connecting people, through social media or other means, there might be something more to this occurrence. We have witnessed a vast demand in genuine relationships, whether they’re platonic, romantic or business. By being displayed commercialism and cold interactions on a regular basis, people are getting tired of compulsory kindness. What is the value of distributing information, when in most cases, the follow-up won’t happen?!

With GDPR regulations reshaping the way, we view privacy, sharing personal data with one another without it serving a legitimate purpose, seems meaningless. The act of simply handing or receiving a card doesn’t define the start of your relationship. The first chapter lays in the initial step either one of you takes. Creating something genuine ought to be challenging, yet it can start with the authenticity of exchanging not only contacts but also experiences and challenges and “how can I help or add value?” mindset – it is much more fulfilling and lays a stronger foundation. Business is getting more about forging relationships than handling transactions, especially in B2B. So behold, because the dawn of real connections in business is upon us.

 

 

8. 3D printing, An Honorable Mention.

We couldn’t leave behind the making of three dimensional solid objects from a digital file now, could we? 2018 has been an important year for manufacturing companies using this technology. From cost savings to printing homes and steel bridges, we impatiently wait on what else will be made 3D in the near future.

 

 

9. Education, and our contributing spark to this year’s firework.

Education and Inspiration

Needless to say that the field of education and nurture of human knowledge holds vast importance, and we’ve witnessed that throughout the year.

Training programs for coding in diverse environments, for example, prison, have become more widespread, offering people a second chance at an improved life.

The e-learning industry as well, enhanced its impact through methodologies like: Intelligent Assistance and Chatbots, Micro-learning, Interactive Video-based Learning, and as previously mentioned, AI, VR. All these technologies are blossoming future generations, and the contribution their seeds will have on a better world. We don’t know what challenges next generations will have to face, but at least we can teach them how to think and equip them with the tools to work and learn efficiently.

 

 

We are proud to be a part of this movement, with our own little, yet exceptional plant called Taleas.

Taleas (Talents with ideas) is the educational programme Tegeria offers to young talents, that prepares them for a complex journey towards growth (technology, career, hard and soft skills). Throughout all the heartening stories we got to experience this year, obviously, the ones coming from our own young talents are especially cherished.

With the 2018 chapter coming to an end, we now look forward to what innovations await us in the next year, with stronger, newer energy and enthusiasm.

 

 

To many more,

Team Tegeria.