AI-powered, blood-donation room monitoring project wins the 2023 Enactus Brazil and Bentley Systems iTwin4Good challenge
'All In' are the winners of the 2023 iTwin4Good Challenge, a competition where students combine their software development skills and passion for social action to solve problems in their communities using digital twin technology. The team from the Federal Institute of Espírito Santo Vitória won the award for its AI blood donation room monitoring project which harnesses the power of smart cameras and artificial intelligence to monitor blood donation room occupancy, assess product demands, and manage stock levels.
Currently in use in a blood donation centre, the app integrates with an external API to provide real-time data on blood type demands, enabling the prioritisation of specific donors based on the immediate need for their blood type.
The iTwin4Good Challenge series, jointly developed by Enactus and Bentley Systems, encourages students to address UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as affordable and clean energy using the iTwin Platform.
The iTwin World Cup hosted by Enactus and Bentley Systems in April at London’s ExCel during the Enactus National Expo will see All In compete against the winner of the Enactus UK iTwin4Good Challenge hosted in March 2024.
DNV concludes the first phase of its floating offshore wind substation standard Energy expert and assurance provider
DNV (Det Norske Veritas) is set to establish offshore substation standards for the floating wind sector. An industry collaboration with 38 participating companies (including transmission operators, developers, and engineering, procurement, construction and installation contractors), it will tackle the distinctive challenges associated with floating offshore substations.
Ultra-deep water geo-data supports safe energy operations in Namibia
Galp, a Portuguese energy corporation has awarded Fugro a contract to conduct an environmental and geophysical survey offshore Namibia. Known for its remote location, challenging conditions and ultra-deep water, this site is key to future energy operations in the region.
Geophysical vessel, the Fugro Venturer collected sediment samples for environmental and chemical analysis before an UAV captured seabed video footage. In situ full ocean depth water profiles were captured as well as water samples to measure the current biodiversity. The geo-data collected will support the identification of potentially sensitive habitats, advance knowledge of remote seamounts, and contribute to informed project planning and resource management. It will also give insights into the underwater landscape, ensuring the safe movement and operation of offshore assets within the designated area.
AI maps icebergs 10,000 times faster than humans
Groundbreaking research from the University of Leeds has unveiled a neural network that can swiftly and accurately chart the expanse of large Antarctic icebergs in satellite images, accomplishing the task in a mere 0.01 seconds.
Lava spills from new fissures in Iceland
Volcanic activity on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland in mid-January saw several eruptions occur.
It saw new fissures release lava over two days near the town of Grindavík. A man-made barrier diverted some of the flow from one fissure away from the town, however, one closer to Grindavík destroyed homes. It was the fifth eruption on the peninsula since 2021.
The map shows the location and extent of the recent activity. Data was acquired by the TIRS-2 (Thermal Infrared Sensor 2) on the Landsat 9 satellite, and overlaid on a digital elevation model of the area.
In brief:
- Siemens Gamesa and Vestas have signed a partnership agreement that increase standardisation of the storage and transportation of equipment within the wind industry.
- Balfour Beatty has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hoban Group – a leading construction company based in South Korea, on power transmission and distribution projects.
- Ignitis Renewables, an international green energy company, has awarded Fugro a contract to conduct a geophysical survey at Lithuania's first offshore wind farm site. It aims to enhance seabed condition understanding to help inform future wind turbines location, construction and design in the Baltic Sea.
- An agreement to start a study for the construction of an undersea export cable between Egypt and Europe has been made between the Egyptian government, represented by the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), and Belgian civil engineering company, Jan De Nul. The project is scheduled for 2027.
- Specialist contractor, P.P. O’Connor Group, has demolished four cooling towers at the former Fiddlers Ferry Power Station, Cuerdley, Warrington. The towers, each weighed approximately 10,000 tonnes each and stood at 110m high, were ‘blown down’ with more than 200kg of explosives placed within 12,000 holes drilled throughout the structures. The power station closed in March 2020 after nearly 50 years of operation with the site earmarked for housing and industrial use.
- Van Oord has been awarded three new contracts to reinforce the Romanian coast, with a combined value of approximately € 200m.
- A contract from Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) to build the new metro in Alexandria, Egypt has been awarded to consortium Colas Rail and Orascom Construction. The contract amounts to approximately € 1.3bn. The new metro system will link Alexandria, Egypt’s second-largest city, to Aboukir town, to the north-east spanning a total of 22km.