Positive Innovations: Technology Improving Our World, Part 6 of a Multi-part Series

On today’s program, we’ll discover how AI is revolutionizing ocean and ecosystem exploration and protection.

The oceans, which cover nearly 80% of our planet, are critical in maintaining ecological balance. Through the use of AI-driven AUVs and robotic submarines, scientists are now able to delve deeper into the oceans with AI-driven technologies to unravel the deep sea’s mysteries with unprecedented precision.

The next innovation we’ll look at is essential to our female friends who are at the age of having monthly menstrual cycles. Most traditional disposable tampons on the market – used by women worldwide – are made of cotton or viscose wrapped in plastic. Plastic is still used to make Kelpon’s cover. However, the team at Vyld is working to replace the plastic covers with biodegradable seaweed-based alternatives.

Let’s have a look at the next innovative achievement – a cool water-powered, electronics-free bandage (WPED). Being inexpensive, water-powered bandages use electrical fields to promote quicker-than-usual recovery rates for chronic wounds, such as the sores that occur in some diabetes patients. The electrical stimulation, activated simply by adding water, speeds the healing of chronic skin ulcers. When a mild electric current travels through the damaged skin tissue, it accelerates tissue closure and reduces skin infections by killing bacteria. Reports show that the WPED is capable of healing harmful wounds 30% quicker than conventional treatments.

Recently, Mura Technology developed a new plastic recycling process, HydroPRS, to convert waste plastics into virgin-grade recycled hydrocarbons. This is how HydroPRS works. The first step involves shredding plastic waste and removing contaminants like metals and glass. The shredded plastic is then pressurized and heated and sent to the HydroPRS reactor, where it’s mixed with ‘supercritical’ steam. The Mura recycling plant – located in Teesside, North East England – began operating in 2024, with the aim of producing 20,000 tons of hydrocarbons from recycled plastic waste annually.

A new model, developed in 2022 by the San Francisco-based company Aquaria Technologies produces clean, affordable drinking water. Unlike most traditional dehumidifiers that also extract moisture from the air, Aquaria Technologies’ water system is integrated with filtration and sterilization equipment to make clean water safe for drinking.