Have you spotted cyborg vultures catching illegal fly tippers; heard of a cool way tech is bringing clean water to the billions without it; or discovered a robot that teaches kids to code? At Atlas of the Future we love projects that find new, original or creative solutions to a problem. But to help us truly democratise the future, we need you.
We’re on the hunt for innovative, long-term projects that have made it past the stage of outline idea, drawing board concept or lab research. But most of all – are for lasting social good.
Since the Atlas launched in November, we’ve received over 100 submissions and want to thank each and every one of you for helping us raise the profiles of the people working to build a better future.
From Catalonia to Singapore, here are the most popular 13 projects submitted by you so far. Keep them coming…
13. Ecoship
World’s greenest cruise ship
Submitted by Josep Maria Sarri: With a hull inspired by humpback whale, and ten unmistakable solar panel-covered masts, when it sets sail in 2020 Peace Boat’s Ecoship will be the world’s most sustainable cruise ship – and a flagship for green innovation in passenger shipping.
12. Vision Zero
The pedestrian protectors
Submitted by Laura Humphries: Road safety strategies save lives, but crowdsourcing and data can reduce traffic deaths. Vision Zero and masked superhero Peatónito have a mission – zero deaths on the roads – so the safe streets crusaders are putting pedestrians before cars.
11. Electric Highway
Drive like the wind
Submitted by Paul Sargeant, Ecotricity: Dale Vince received an OBE from the Queen for services to the environment in 2004. In 2011, he created Electric Highway, the first national network of fast chargers in Britain. Free, compatible with all electric vehicles on the market, and powered by the wind and the sun, it is now the most comprehensive charging network in Europe.
10. Root the robot
Getting to the ‘Root’ of coding
Submitted by Matthew Duffield: Coding is an abstract process. Step (well… glide) forward Root, a miniature robot that can empower the next generation of coders. Demand for computer programmers is ongoing, so teaching children about code from an early age is being encouraged from France to Africa.
9. Bento Lab
DIY DNA
Submitted by Marcus Webb, Editor, Delayed Gratification: With this laptop-sized DNA laboratory, Bento Bio hope to do for biotechnology what laptops have done for computing. Experiments can be carried out anywhere with an electricity outlet, so you can determine whether your lasagna contains horse meat in the kitchen or test freshly found samples from the field.
How to report climate change
Submitted by Climate News Network: Understanding climate change is a perplexing business. Communicating it is a considerable challenge, especially for those who might not have access to the latest scientific material. Journalists in the developing world often come from countries most affected by global warming. Climate News Network helps everyone write about the important stories.
Radio from the perpetual sunrise
Submitted by Seb Emina: Global Breakfast Radio aggregates local radio stations from across the world, constantly streaming broadcasts from wherever the sun is rising right now. It reminds us of the everydayness of other places and celebrates cultural differences.
The customised city
Submitted by Marcus Webb, Editor, Delayed Gratification: It bothered designer and engineer Ross Atkin that while handheld devices give us highly customised digital experiences, the same cannot be said for the public spaces we share. Responsive Street Furniture uses digital technology to change the streets to the needs of their pedestrians.
Fungal futures
Submitted by Maurizio Montalti, Officina Corpuscoli: One of the main challenges of the current century is to transform our consumption-oriented economic system into an eco-friendly and self-sustaining society. The Growing Lab explores the implementation of mycelium, because fungi are highly interesting for the development of architecture, design and industry.
4. Sencity
Music events for the deaf
Submitted by Ronald Ligtenberg, CEO, Skyway Foundation: Music is so much more than sounds. It is emotion translated into noise. Sencity is a training programme run in which young deaf and hard-of-hearing people organise sense-stimulating music events from Chile to South Africa.
Sweet spots for silver linings
Submitted by John Elkington, Volans: Communism collapsed because it failed its people. Capitalism fails people and planet. What if doing the right thing for the world resulted in huge new market opportunities for business? With Breakthrough Capitalism people, planet and profit align.
2. LIVIN Farms
Making a meal of mealworms
Submitted by Dorothy Ng, Forum for the Future: Harvesting edible insects in desktop hives, LIVIN Farms has developed a plug-in kitchen appliance for raising mealworms on your desktop as a sustainable and healthy alternative source of protein.
1. Watly
World’s biggest solar powered computer
Submitted by Graham Rittener, Founder, Zinc: Today billions of people do not have access to clean water, electricity and the Internet. Watly is a single machine that delivers these three fundamentals to the world. That’s a hat trick of the three pillars of modern civilisation.
Do you know of a project that should be featured on the Atlas? You can pay it forward by submitting projects here. Or simply tell us about your own project by clicking this magic button on the home page.
