Author: Ben Debski

Laundry robot to be launched in 2017

Posted on by Ben Debski

Panasonic has announced a $60m investment into the production of an automated laundry robot currently being developed by Japanese start-up Seven Dreamers.

The first version of the ‘Laundroid’ is capable of sorting and folding clothes; leveraging artificial intelligence and image recognition technology to differentiate between different types of clothing and identify which member of the family each item belongs to. The machine does take its time however, currently taking 10 minutes to fold a single shirt.

The average person will spend 9,000 hours folding clothes during their lifetime

While clearly still at a formative stage, the robot will certainly be an exciting prospect for those who hate the toil and monotony of housework. According to the Japanese firm, the average person will spend 9,000 hours – or 375 days ­– folding clothes during their lifetime. Despite mainly being aimed at households, the robot is likely to have a wider appeal, with the retail and hospitality industries sure to benefit from mechanising their laundry services.

The robot is expected to reach shelves in March 2017, with the initial launch set to take place in Japan. While the price of the robot is yet to be confirmed, the complexity of the technology suggests that early models will not come cheap. This being said, even washing machines and dishwashers were once far beyond the stretches of an ordinary household budget, so the potential of the ‘Laundroid’ should not be dismissed.

Looking forward, Panasonic are looking to be involved in the development of an ‘all in one’ device capable of washing and drying clothes before subsequently sorting and folding them. According to the BBC, Panasonic are only funding 10 percent of the project, but are providing the expertise for the ‘all in one’ device – which is scheduled for release in 2019.

IEA predicts oil demand will not peak by 2040

Posted on by Ben Debski

On November 16, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released a forecast predicting no halt in the growth of global oil demand by 2040 – even assuming that nations abide by the Paris climate agreement.

Since the Paris Agreement was signed in April, various industry commentators have suggested that the demand for oil could peak within the next 15 years – with OPEC releasing a forecast as recently as October suggesting that demand will peak in 2029.

According to IEA executive director, Fatih Birol: “demand will increase at a slower rate than in the past but it will still increase.”

The continued increase in global oil demand is often attributed to the impracticality of its alternatives

The continued increase in global oil demand is often attributed to the impracticality of its alternatives – especially when attributed to road freight, aviation and petrochemicals. Although the forecast suggests that the industry will shift away from oil to some degree in the next 25 years, it predicts a decrease in the shares of coal and oil relative to natural gas – as well as an increase in the use of renewable energies.

Furthermore, it predicts that oil demand from passenger cars will decrease despite a doubling in the number of vehicles; this is due to improvements in efficiency, biofuels and the growing use of electric cars. These developments, however, are not enough to prevent a continued growth in oil demand.

The IEA forecast overall oil consumption at 103.5mb/d – compared with 92.5mb/d in 2015. This prediction takes into account cost predictions from across the energy sector, as well as a number of changes to government policy.

While these figures are deeply concerning, they very much paint a ‘best-case scenario’. The IEA’s figures are based on the assumption that all nations will fully comply with the targets set out by the Paris Agreement – but whether this is a realistic assumption to make is yet to be seen. For instance, although the US ratified the agreement, its political position is set to change, with President-elect, Donald Trump, pledging to repeal the agreement upon taking office.

With all signatories needing to make a concerted effort in order to ensure that the targets are met, perhaps making the assumption that they will be is a little too optimistic.

Amazon

Posted on by Ben Debski

Amazon’s ceaseless push for a regulatory framework has put it at the forefront of drone-assisted deliveries. The method is perfectly suited to the company’s business, which has not been lost on CEO Jeff Bezos.

Uber

Posted on by Ben Debski

Though 2016 hasn’t been entirely plain-sailing for Uber, there’s no denying the company is still the leader in the global ride-sharing market. Wisely settling for a merger in China has only strengthened the brand.