Tech Ticker: Your Daily Download on Innovation

In today’s briefing we feature a little bit of everything, from agricultural innovation to urban air mobility — and everything in between.

In the context of this tech newsletter, the “in between” includes CPU cooling and wildfire management. One of those enhances the PC gaming experience among other things, while the other will help to save lives through early detection.

A common thread throughout my newsletter is the value that innovation continues to bring to the daily lives of consumers, teaching us all how to achieve things that were once thought unthinkable, by building on things that were once thought unthinkable themselves.

Today is not just about increasing productivity and profit, but it is also about improving the overall quality of our lives, along with the levels of satisfaction that invariably come with the territory.

Korean Vertical Farming Innovation Expected to Yield 20% Net Profit Margin

Farmers Lab Ltd. reinvented the wheel, when it introduced the global farming community to the BK Conveyor Culture (BKCC) system, which has been designed to increase efficiency and simplify daily farming operations.

Vertical farming system design already represented a step up in productivity, but the BKCC system is unique in that it will allow farmers to rotate trays around a central axis, distinguishing it from earlier vertical farming and hydroponic systems.

Among the defining features of this tech farming innovation are the horizontal conveyor structure with rotational movement, integration of multiple hydroponic techniques, space and labor efficiency, water and resource efficiency, scalability and commercial viability, and adaptability to diverse environments.

The new conveyor structure with rotational movement allows uniform exposure to light, water, and nutrients at different growth stages.

This integration of multiple hydroponic techniques will help the system support a much wider range of crops.

The BKCC system does not need as many operators as previous systems, which will reduce labor costs dramatically too.

The BKCC system has also been designed to support organic cultivation, and the use of solar energy, which makes farming more water and resource efficient than anything else that would have come before.

This new system has been fully installed and approved for completion at an R&D center in Singapore, while manufacturers expect the technology to be exported internationally in the foreseeable future, even though commercial operation is still very much a work in progress.

Internal projections estimate a 20% net profit margin from microgreen and baby leaves cultivation under BKCC’s optimized workflow. Its modular, worker-friendly design makes it ideal for all labs ranging from small to full-scale commercial farms.

BKCC was also recognized as a Finalist in the “Best New Vertical Farming Facility” category at the Vertical Farming World Awards 2024, held in Frankfurt. This recognition highlights the system’s innovation, simplicity, and potential as a scalable alternative in the global vertical farming industry.

To strengthen its smart farming capabilities, Farmers Lab Ltd. is partnering with Blue Lab, a technology leader in precision agriculture, to implement AI-based automation for climate and nutrient control. This integration will allow real-time adjustment of environmental factors and further reduce manual intervention.

“BKCC was built on years of extensive field experience and practical trials,” said Seungwan Lee, founder of Farmers Lab Ltd. “Our goal is to provide a system that is affordable, efficient, and easy to operate, particularly for new-generation farmers and emerging agri-markets.”

BKCC is suitable for a wide range of crops, including microgreens, leafy greens, virus-free seedlings, and specialty plants. Pilot units have been installed in Korea, Singapore and Africa, with discussions underway in Australia, Vietnam, and the Middle East.

Joby Takes Giant Leap in Urban Air Mobility

Electric air taxis edged one step closer to becoming the norm this month, after Joby Aviation, a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, announced it has successfully flown two of its aircraft simultaneously for the first time.

This news is critical to the development, certification, and eventual commercialization of Joby’s air taxi service. While, on the face of it this might seem like a pretty insignificant event, the flight test will undoubtedly have broad implications for urban air mobility. (UAM).

The development matters because it demonstrates the maturity of Joby’s flight testing program, accelerates certification testing, proves the company’s operational scalability, enhances investor and partner confidence in the product, advances air mobility, mitigates testing risks, and supports critical market expansion.

In no uncertain terms, this feels like a game-defining development!

The two-aircraft flight, completed in Marina, CA, earlier this month is a further demonstration of the maturity of Joby’s test program, and comes just two weeks after the Company announced it had reached another testing landmark, successfully completing flights with a full transition from vertical to cruise flight, and back again, with a pilot onboard.

Commenting on the milestone, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, said: “This achievement not only demonstrates Joby’s leadership in the sector, it’s another indication of the power of American innovation.

“Our air taxi is designed, manufactured and assembled here in the US, and we are a proudly American company, employing engineers and other experts across 40 different US states.

“With six aircraft in our test fleet, flying multiple aircraft at a time will play an important role in accelerating our certification testing and supporting our plans to carry our first passengers next year.”

Joby has partnered with Delta Air Lines and Uber to bring its service to the US and expects Los Angeles and New York City to be launch markets. Service is planned to start shortly after Joby receives type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Outside the US, Joby recently announced a partnership with Virgin Atlantic to bring its service to the UK and has partnered with ANA Holdings Inc., Japan’s largest airline, to bring its service to Japan.

As seismic as this development is, it is critical to note that there are still numerous potential hurdles along the way, and Joby will be well aware of them.

Among other things, Joby is actually operating in a pretty competitive environment, with other eVTOL companies making similar strides. Meanwhile any plans to scale operations will require a substantial cash injection.

Then there is also the small matter of the regulatory hurdles, but it is worth noting that the latest developments are an important step in the right direction.

Vertical Aerospace Offers Fresh Opportunities for VTOL Consumers With Hybrid VX4 Program

Vertical Aerospace has taken a massive step towards providing a service with expanded travel options over longer distances, with a faster and more efficient delivery of goods, after introducing the aviation community to a 1,000-mile hybrid-electric VTOL program designed to serve defense, logistics, and wider commercial markets this month.

Recent developments also mean they will be able to provide enhanced emergency and medical services, sustainable and quieter air travel, potential for affordable regional travel, and job creation opportunities.

All of these elements will help increase consumer confidence in safety and innovation.

While the new Hybrid VX4 program clearly offers up fresh opportunities for consumers, these will also be punctuated by a series of challenges. Chief among them are cost accessibility, infrastructure needs, environmental trade-offs, and regulatory delays.

Vertical’s hybrid-electric strategy builds on its all-electric VX4 and Flightpath 2030 strategy, enabling new potential applications in defense, logistics and commercial sectors including air ambulance services, which require longer range and higher payload than current eVTOL platforms can deliver.

Vertical’s second-generation hybrid-propulsion system, which has been in development for 18 months at the Vertical Energy Center, will be retrofitted into one of the company’s VX4 full scale prototypes and is expected to commence flight testing in Q2 2026.

Key targeted capabilities of Vertical’s hybrid-electric variant:

• Range: Up to 1,000 miles, a 10-fold increase from its all-electric aircraft.
• Payload: Configurable to carry up to 1,100 kilograms in the VX4’s class-leading airframe capacity.
• Stealth advantages: Low noise and heat signatures make the hybrid variant well-suited for sensitive missions.
• Crewed and uncrewed capabilities: Hybrid-electric technology capable of being deployed autonomously, remotely, or with a pilot. Uncrewed capabilities can be seamlessly integrated into the existing Flight Control System being developed by Honeywell.
• Mission resilience: Built off the VX4’s industry-leading redundancy and damage tolerance, boosting confidence for mission-critical operations.

“The demand for long-range, high-payload, quiet aircraft is growing rapidly — especially across defense and critical logistics.” said Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. “Our hybrid-electric VTOL strategy builds on our existing electric platform, world-class battery technology and large, versatile airframe, allowing us to offer uniquely scalable solutions that unlock a new frontier in air mobility and revenue stream for Vertical.”

Best-in-class hybrid-electric potential enabled by proprietary battery technology and airframe

Vertical’s proprietary battery platform, developed at its purpose-built Vertical Energy Center, is a critical component of its hybrid-electric capability.

Vertical’s battery will help power the superior hybrid range and payload capabilities, enabling best-in-class performance for mission-critical use cases. Vertical’s hybrid team has developed advanced control systems supporting safe operation and redundancy, meeting strict European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) safety standards for eVTOL flight. Bench testing has already validated its hybrid-electric architecture, including the successful integration of control algorithms between the power unit and battery.

The VX4’s large and flexible airframe enables the integration of hybrid-electric propulsion technology and superior payload capacity without requiring major redesign. This design freedom supports both operational scalability and mission versatility — advantages that smaller platforms may struggle to accommodate.

Uniquely positioned to meet the growing defence needs across Europe

As the only remaining credible European eVTOL company, Vertical’s hybrid-electric capabilities position it as a key player amid growing defense budgets and increasing focus on sovereign industrial capacity. As European governments increasingly look to develop new technologies and platforms to strengthen their defense capabilities, Vertical is actively engaged in discussions with government agencies, as well as other prospective customers, around defense applications and other potential use cases for its hybrid-electric aircraft.

Building on all electric VX4 and Flightpath 2030

The hybrid-electric variant will be in addition to Vertical’s all-electric VX4, which remains on target for its Flightpath 2030 goal of Type Certification in the UK and Europe in 2028, followed by validation by global regulatory authorities.

Cooler Master Hyper 612 APEX Promises Enhanced Performance for High Demand Tasks

PC Enthusiasts, gamers, content creators, and overclockers will be excited by the launch of the Cooler Master Hyper 612 APEX Compact, High Performance CPU Cooler this month.

Designed for modern builds, the cooler has been engineered for users who demand cutting-edge thermal performance in a streamlined footprint.

The new cooler will facilitate enhanced performance for high demand tasks, compact design for space constraint builds, user-friendly installation, and a much quieter user experience.

The new product is marketed as being durable, with the prospect of long-term reliability.

The cooler also looks good, supports modern and legacy systems, and it is probably the most affordable high performance tool like this you will find anywhere on the market today.

Featuring in-house developed superconductive composite heat pipes and the high-powered Mobius 120P fan, the Hyper 612 APEX delivers exceptional cooling efficiency while being 30% smaller than its predecessor, ensuring enhanced compatibility with large memory modules and tighter system builds.

Ideal for gamers, content creators, and overclockers, the Hyper 612 APEX is meticulously designed to balance elite performance, user-friendly installation, and sleek aesthetics.

“The Hyper 612 APEX is designed to meet the needs of users who want efficient cooling without the bulk,” said Jimmy Sha, Cooler Master CEO. “With our advanced heat pipe technology and compact design, this cooler delivers high-performance results while staying user-friendly for a wide range of builds.”

Key Features of the Hyper 612 APEX:

• Superconductive composite heat pipes: Six advanced heat pipes handle heavy thermal loads, ideal for overclocking.
• Compact design: 30% smaller than previous models, providing easier installation and compatibility with large memory modules.
• Quick installation: Removable magnetic top cover and easy-to-remove fan streamline the setup process.
• Durable nickel-plated copper base: Resists corrosion and enhances long-term reliability.
• Powerful Mobius 120P fan: Designed for high-pressure airflow while keeping noise levels to a minimum.

The Hyper 612 APEX embodies Cooler Master’s commitment to empowering PC enthusiasts to create without compromise. Whether building a high-powered gaming rig or a professional content creation station, users can rely on Cooler Master’s relentless innovation and quality engineering.

Obsidian to Help Revolutionize Wildfire Modeling and Analytics

The Obsidian Solutions Group, in partnership with the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) has embarked on a campaign to enhance wildfire management with science-based decision models, by bridging research and practical application.

They will achieve some of this by leveraging NASA technology, but the key component to the entire program is Obsidian’s strategic contribution.

It is a perfect example of how the private sector can work together with elements of the public sector, to address some of society’s most pressing challenges, through information sharing on key innovation.

This collaboration, which includes the establishment of the Applied Sciences Center for Resilience Studies (ASC), will also set an important precedent for any future innovation, in this and any other sphere that could benefit from a similar public-private partnership.

The ASC creates a nexus between researchers and practitioners, enabling and advancing collaboration among government agencies, industries, and academia to enhance community wildfire resilience. ASC’s inaugural research endeavor, which is funded by NASA’s Earth Applied Sciences Wildland Fires program area, will focus on wildfire decision-making and data mapping.

Known as the Wildfire Decision and Data Mapping Project, this effort will study the intersection of wildfire management, human decisions, and planned interventions to advance wildfire science and technology, improve emergency management techniques and procedures, and support data-informed decision making for fire-related emergency services, future technologies, and resourcing.

Dr. Katelynn Kapalo — ASC’s assistant director — and Brian Collins — the research project’s co-investigator — will lead this effort for the WFCA.

According to Kapalo and Collins, the goal of this foundational study is to create a science-based decision model, enabling NASA and the wildfire community to align and prioritize investments in sensors and systems, data and data analytics, operational planning, resourcing, and mitigation.

Capitalizing on its proven ability to provide solutions to its customers’ most challenging problems, Obsidian Solutions Group will leverage its core competencies in data management, intelligence, threat modeling, and doctrine and training assessments to support WFCA’s groundbreaking initiative. Overseeing this effort for Obsidian are Chris Teague and Ken Kassner, who have managed, led, and supported various exercise design, training, and decision-making programs and doctrine analysis for Obsidian’s clients.

Together, they initiated the company’s support to this pioneering work with NASA and the Western Fire Chiefs Association. Obsidian has also partnered with Matt Maher and Rob Orlando of Processus Group, who will utilize their company’s data modeling techniques and cognitive problem-solving methodologies to assess cause and effect relationships across the complex wildfire fighting domain.

Jim Wiley, president and co-founder of Obsidian Solutions Group, expressed great enthusiasm for this project. “Our team is not only excited for but also honored to support and participate in such a worthwhile endeavor for the U.S. firefighting community who daily protect us and the environment from fires and other natural and manmade emergencies.”

Pat O’Neil — Obsidian’s vice president of operations — further commented about the incredible value of this research initiative. “Similar to the mission-critical work many of our experts regularly provide to our nation’s warfighters in operational design, planning, and decision making, this collaborative effort between the WFCA, Obsidian, and Processus directly applies to firefighters on the ground at the point of relevance and the myriad organizations involved in wildland fire management and resourcing. We’re exceptionally proud to be a part of this project.”