Agricultural

Bioethanol from Olive Stones

Have you every wondered what happens to all of the stones removed from the olives that end up on our shelves and in delis? The answer could now be that they are turned into bioethanol and used as an alternative to petrol or diesel. Read More

MIT researchers harness tree power to fight wildfires

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While specialist fire-fighting crews, squadrons of trucks and water-bombing helicopters all play an important role, access to reliable and timely information on fire behavior is among the most critical of all the tools used to combat wild fires and prevent the loss of life, livestock and property damage. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers are now working on a system that uses energy from the trees themselves to power a network of temperature and humidity sensors that act as remote weather stations to aid in fire management. Read More

Aquarius: intelligent automated sprinkler design

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Looking more like an alien spacecraft than a sprinkler, Aquarius is an irrigation control system designed by Aydin Oztoprak and Ozgur Ruhi Ulvan. Solar powered and remote managed, Aquarius automatically adjusts its water flow depending on the soil, crop and weather conditions, making it one very intelligent piece of eco-friendly water design. Read More