On the other hand
Summer has kicked in with a vengeance and temperatures are soaring.
Arson balloons and kites from Gaza are again setting ablaze dunams of Israel’s farmlands down south.
Coalition negotiations are heating up as deadlines loom.
None of these climatic, political or terror acts, however, have interrupted the flow of amazing innovative news.
ISRAEL HELPING FEED THE WORLD
As the world’s population grows rapidly and climate changes impact the availability of food resources, Israel comes to the rescue with innovative solutions.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev said they have developed a “groundbreaking” hybrid robot that can both fly and drive, as well as squeeze into tight spaces, all while using the same motor.
The square, four-wheeled, winged machine can fly up stairs, roll over rough terrain, flatten itself or raise its body, and quickly move from driving mode into flying mode. It can adjust its width to crawl or run on flat surfaces, climb over large obstacles and up walls, or squeeze through a tunnel, pipe or narrow gap. The robot can move on the ground at a speed of up to eight feet per second (2.6 m/s) and uses low energy to operate.
The FSTAR (flying sprawl-tuned autonomous robot) could be used for a variety of commercial purposes, the university said in a statement, including package deliveries, since it can fly to a target zone and then drive to the recipient’s doorstep. FSTAR can also be used for search and rescue applications because it can reach places where a regular drone cannot fly. Other areas of use include agriculture, maintenance, cleaning, filming, and entertainment, as well as law enforcement and anti-terrorist applications.
Watch it in action:
THE SECRET OF THE START UP NATION
Did you know that Israel has approximately 6,000 startups?
Learn about some of them:
ISRAELI SCHOOL PROMOTES DIALOGUE
In contrast to the media perception of Israel as a center of conflict at least one school is taking innovative action to teach and promote tolerance.
The ABC’s Middle East correspondent seems to have gone missing in action with regards the fires in Israel.