Using today’s technology to preserve the planet’s resources

Do you remember I shared the fantastic initiative by Sony and WWF to gather creative ideas of the public in their Open Planet Ideas Initiative?

The expert panel from Sony and WWF’s Open Planet ideas have examined 406 concepts and identified eight with the most potential for the shortlist. Each of the shortlisted ideas utilises technology to help us make the most of our planet’s resources and now it’s up to you to influence the voting. You have until Sunday evening to vote.

You can ‘applaud’ your favourites from the list and help develop them further through discussion and evaluation.

At the end of evaluation, the expert panel will re-examine these top concepts and how they have been further developed to choose the one for realisation. That means the winner will actually get to work with Sony on developing and manufacturing a prototype…

The eight ideas are

Carpooling using P2P and GPS

The idea is that peer to peer (P2P) technology will allow you to be constantly updated about where people in your neighbourhood are travelling to and from. Combined with GPS technology, updates will contain the information from their in-vehicle SatNav, allowing the neighbourhood to plan its journeys in the most efficient way, to avoid travelling alone.

In-train entertainment

This idea suggests an open source concept to guide and entertain you on train trips based upon your personal preference, geographical position and season. The plan is too educate and entertain while making the trip more positive and valuable.

Watersource

WaterSource is a dynamic map of drinking water which allows people in water-challenged areas to check water conditions at different locations via SMS, and would create a community system for improving and monitoring their water supplies.

Identifying and Recording Wildlife

This concept enables individuals with a mobile phone or CCTV camera to take a photographic or audio records of the species they find and instantly identify them. Once the species is identified, its presence at the given geographical location would be recorded, providing valuable information to be used in conservation.

Real-Time Wireless Micro Weather Stations

This concept involves a network of remote, wireless weather stations for real-time monitoring of microclimate. These micro-stations will be powered by solar panels and connected via wireless P2P connection and/or a satellite link to a central computer with data collection and analysis software.

GreenpatH

This idea focuses on the reduction of CO2 by changing individual daily behaviour. Using Peer to Peer and GPS, GreenpatH is an integrated ‘Green maps’ system. This is a smart-phone application by which you can access to the all information you need to live in a greener way, everywhere you are.

Detecting forest fires

This concept involves a seed-size low cost device inserted inside trees connected via satellite to a central station responsible for monitoring them. The devices will consist of a cavity with a temperature-sensitive connector which triggers warnings back to the central control saying where the fire is, which trees are involved and how quickly it is spreading.

Greenbook

GreenBook is an online magazine for the green-minded community: a magazine where the reader is the Hero! News is distributed to users depending on the area, time and capabilities of the user and different levels as skills develop keep each member progressing and motivated to live a greener life.

These are all fantastic ideas for utilising technology to help make the world a greener place and it’s time to vote –  which is your favourite?