Proposal:
An app that combines GIS topo data and Google Street view and assesses the visibility and whether a delivery truck should backed into a driveway or if it can be driven into nose-first.
Reason:
More and more merchandise is being delivered and there is much turnover in delivery drivers. Some of them are under tremendous time-pressure. Using data to determine visibility takes most of the human judgement out of the equation and result in less risk to delivery drivers, motorists and (especially) motorcyclists.
Downside:
Requires maintenance (fresh street views) as shrubs grow but that would justify a subscription.
Proposal:
An app that looks at daily pictures of your feet and flags if there are signs of significant health issues developing.
Reason:
Many health issues effect the extremities and the feet get hit hardest, diminished blood flow, for instance. Cracks in skin and the septic nature of the skin's surface means that many infections start in the feet. It is difficult for some seniors to inspect their feet due to flexibility and focus issues.
Downsides:
A good inspection requires a tactile check.
Inconsistent angle and lighting create challenges and so does the difficulty of taking images of the bottom of the feet and between the toes. A good "fixture", perhaps with mirrors and lights would go a long way to minimizing those issues.
Proposal:
Identify "weeds" as an array of spray-heads moves over a lawn or crop. Activate the head that sprays the most effective herbicide for that particular weed. Example, if the optics saw Palmer Amaranth (which has developed glyphosate resistance), spray 2,4-D. If treating a lawn, spot spray weeds and leave areas covered with grass unsprayed.
Reason:
Minimize herbicides released to the environment. Reduce the cost of the herbicides used. Slow down the spread of resistance to glyphosate.
Downside: Optics need to be cleaned to be effective.
The problem is Google's 'schedule' for revisiting areas... No idea how long that is, but I know my house view is 5 years old.
ReplyDeleteThe first proposal reminds me of UPSs special GPS that eliminates Left turns whenever possible - they are both slower and more dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what their timetable is, but none of the last 3 houses I've lived in have had street view available. There probably aren't enough people here to be worth it.
Jonathan
They've got battery powered robot weed machines that use camera's and laser's, because lasers are organic dontchanknow?
ReplyDeleteI remember the awe I felt when my friends dad invented a spraying attachment that "saw" whatever stuck up above the crop and sprayed it. Roundup was kinda new then, and I had a job one summer ('77) standing on a cultivator and using a sprayer to apply it to johnson grass, white weed and devils claw in the cotton field. Automation was pretty exciting back then.
ReplyDeleteAt the golf course where I work, they use a weed killer that will kill specific kinds of weeds without killing the grass.
ReplyDeleteLook on YouTube. There are already herbicide applicators that do what you propose.
ReplyDelete