Technology
Infographic: The Future of Food
Published
3 years agoon

The Future of Food: How Tech Is Changing Our Food Systems
The urban population is exploding around the globe, and yesterday’s food systems will soon be sub-optimal for many of the megacities swelling with tens of millions of people.
Further, issues like wasted food, poor working conditions, polluted ecosystems, mistreated animals, and greenhouse gases are just some of the concerns that people have about our current supply chains.
Today’s infographic from Futurism shows how food systems are evolving – and that the future of food depends on technologies that enable us to get more food out of fewer resources.
The Next Gen of Food Systems
Here are four technologies that may have a profound effect on how we eat in the future:
1. Automated Vertical Farms
It’s already clear that vertical farming is incredibly effective. By stacking farms on top of another and using automation, vertical farms can produce 100x more effectively per acre than conventional agricultural techniques.
They grow crops at twice the speed as usual, while using 40% less power, having 80% less food waste, and using 99% less water than outdoor fields. However, the problem for vertical farms is still cost – and it is not clear when they will be viable on a commercial basis.
2. Aquaponics
Another technology that has promise for the future of food is a unique combination of fish farming (aquaculture) with hydroponics.
In short, fish convert their food into nutrients that plants can absorb, while the plants clean the water for the fish. Compared to conventional farming, this technology uses about half of the water, while increasing the yield of the crops grown. As a bonus, it also can raise a significant amount of fish.
3. In Vitro Meats
Meat is costly and extremely resource intensive to produce. As just one example, to produce one pound of beef, it takes 1,847 gallons of water.
In vitro meats are one way to solve this. These self-replicating muscle tissue cultures are grown and fed nutrients in a broth, and bypass the need for having living animals altogether. Interestingly enough, market demand seems to be there: one recent study found that 70.6% of consumers are interested in trying lab grown beef.
4. Artificial Animal Products
One other route to get artificial meat is to use machine learning to grasp the complex chemistry and textures behind these products, and to find ways to replicate them. This has already been done for mayonnaise – and it’s in the works for eggs, milk, and cheese as well.
Tasting the Future of Food
As these new technologies scale and hit markets, the future of food could change drastically. Many products will flop, but others will take a firm hold in our supply chains and become culturally acceptable and commercially viable. Certainly, food will be grown locally in massive skyscrapers, and there will be decent alternatives to be found for both meat or animal products in the market.
With the global population rising by more than a million people each week, finding and testing new solutions around food will be essential to make the most out of limited resources.
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Technology
The World’s Top Car Manufacturers by Market Capitalization
Published
3 days agoon
January 21, 2021
The World’s Top Car Manufacturers by Market Cap
View the high-resolution of the infographic by clicking here.
Ever since Apple and other Big Tech companies hit a market capitalization of $1 trillion, many sectors are revving to follow suit—including the automotive industry.
But among those car brands racing to reach this total valuation, some are closer to the finish line than others. This visualization uses data from Yahoo Finance to rank the world’s top car manufacturers by market capitalization.
What could this spell for the future of the automotive industry?
A special hat-tip to Brandon Knoblauch for compiling the original, regularly-updated spreadsheet.
The World’s Top Car Manufacturers
It’s clear one company is pulling far ahead of the pack. In the competition to clinch this coveted title, Tesla is the undoubted favorite so far.
The electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy company first became the world’s most valuable car manufacturer in June 2020, and shows no signs of slowing its trajectory.
Rank | Company | Market Cap (US$B) | Country |
---|---|---|---|
#1 | Tesla | $795.8 | 🇺🇸 U.S. |
#2 | Toyota | $207.5 | 🇯🇵 Japan |
#3 | Volkswagen | $96.7 | 🇩🇪 Germany |
#4 | BYD | $92.7 | 🇨🇳 China |
#5 | NIO | $89.5 | 🇨🇳 China |
#6 | Daimler | $72.8 | 🇩🇪 Germany |
#7 | General Motors | $71.3 | 🇺🇸 U.S. |
#8 | BMW | $54.2 | 🇩🇪 Germany |
#9 | Stellantis | $54.2 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
#10 | Ferrari | $52.5 | 🇮🇹 Italy |
#11 | Honda | $46.9 | 🇯🇵 Japan |
#12 | Hyundai | $46.8 | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
#13 | SAIC | $45.2 | 🇨🇳 China |
#14 | Geely | $39.5 | 🇨🇳 China |
#15 | Ford | $39.4 | 🇺🇸 U.S. |
#16 | Xpeng | $33.9 | 🇨🇳 China |
#17 | Maruti Suzuki | $33.1 | 🇮🇳 India |
#18 | Li Auto | $29.5 | 🇨🇳 China |
#19 | Suzuki | $23.7 | 🇯🇵 Japan |
#20 | Nissan | $20.1 | 🇯🇵 Japan |
#21 | Subaru | $15.2 | 🇯🇵 Japan |
#22 | Changan | $14.6 | 🇨🇳 China |
#23 | Mahindra | $13.9 | 🇮🇳 India |
#24 | Renault | $12.0 | 🇫🇷 France |
All data as of January 15, 2021 (9:30AM PST)
Tesla’s competitive advantage comes as a result of its dedicated emphasis on research and development (R&D). In fact, many of its rivals have admitted that Tesla’s electronics far surpass their own—a teardown revealed that its batteries and AI chips are roughly six years ahead of other industry giants such as Toyota and Volkswagen.
The Green Revolution is Underway
The sheer growth of Tesla may spell the inevitability of a green revolution in the industry. Already, many major brands have followed in the company’s tracks, announcing their own ambitious plans to add more EVs to their vehicle line-ups.
Here’s how a selection of car manufacturers are embracing the electric future:
Toyota: Ranked #2
The second-most valuable car manufacturer in the world, Toyota is steadily ramping up its EV output. In 2020, it produced 10,000 EVs and plans to increase this to 30,000 in 2021.
Through this gradual increase, the company hopes to hit an expected target of 500,000 EVs by 2025. Toyota also aims to debut 10 new models internationally to achieve this goal.
Volkswagen: Ranked #3
By 2025, Volkswagen plans to invest $86 billion into digital and EV technologies. Considering the car manufacturer generates the most gross revenue per second of all automakers, it’s no wonder Volkswagen is looking to the future in order to keep such numbers up.
The company is also well-positioned to ride the wave of a potential consumer shift towards EVs in Europe. In response to the region’s strict emissions targets, Volkswagen upped its planned sales proportions for European hybrid and EV sales from 40% to 60% by 2030.
BYD and Nio: Ranked #4-5
China jumped on the electric bandwagon early. Eager to make its mark as a global leader in the emerging technology of lithium ion batteries (an essential component of any EV), the Chinese government handed out billions of dollars in subsidies—fueling the growths of domestic car manufacturers BYD and Nio alike.
BYD gained the interest and attention of its billionaire backer Warren Buffett, while Nio is China’s response to Tesla and an attempt to capture the EV market locally.
General Motors: Ranked #7
Also with a 2025 target year in mind, General Motors is investing $27 billion into electric and fully autonomous vehicles. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, too—the company also hopes to launch 30 new fully electric vehicles by the same year.
One particular factor is giving GM confidence: its new EV battery creations. They will be able to extend the range of its new EVs to 400 miles (644km) on a single charge, at a rate that rivals Tesla’s Model S.
Stellantis: Ranked #9
In a long-anticipated move, Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot S.A. finalized their merger into Stellantis N.V. on January 16, 2021.
With the combined forces and funds of a $52 billion deal, the new Dutch-based car manufacturer hopes to rival bigger brands and race even more quickly towards the electric shift.
Honda: Ranked #11
Speaking of fast-paced races, Honda has decided to bow out of future Formula One (F1) World Championships. As these competitions were usually a way for the company to show off its engineering prowess, the move was a surprising one.
However, there’s a noble reason behind this decision. Honda is choosing instead to focus on its commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050. To do so, it’ll be shifting its financial resources away from F1 and towards R&D into fuel cell vehicle (FCV) and battery EV (BEV) technologies.
Ford: Ranked #15
Ford knows exactly what its fans want. In that regard, its electrification plans begin with its most popular commercial cars, such as the Mustang Mach-E SUV. This is Ford’s major strategy for attracting new EV buyers, part of a larger $11.5 billion investment agenda into EVs through 2022.
While the car’s specs compare to Tesla’s Model Y, its engineers also drew from the iPhone and Netflix to incorporate an infotainment system and driver profiles to create a truly tech-first specimen.
Speeding into the Horizon
As more and more companies enter the racetrack, EV innovation across the entire industry may power the move to lower overall costs, extend the total range of vehicles, and put any other concerns by potential buyers to rest.
While Tesla is currently in the best position to become the first car manufacturer to reach the $1 trillion milestone, how long will it be for the others to catch up?
Technology
Mapped: Drone Privacy Laws Around the World
By 2025, the global commercial drone market could reach $42.8 billion. With such diverse uses, how do countries navigate drone privacy laws?
Published
2 weeks agoon
January 8, 2021
Mapped: Drone Privacy Laws Around the World
View the high-resolution of the infographic by clicking here.
From Olympic opening ceremonies to public safety, drone applications have come a long way.
In fact, their modern applications are set to almost double the total value of the commercial drone market from $22.5 billion to $42.8 billion between 2020-2025, at a 13.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
Naturally, such diverse and complex uses can go quickly awry if not monitored and regulated correctly by governments—yet in some cases, it’s because of governments that drones’ uses border on sinister.
This in-depth map from Surfshark explores the murky guidelines surrounding drone privacy laws around the world, and some case studies of how they’re used in every region.
How Are Drone Privacy Laws Classified?
According to the map researchers, drone and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) regulations typically fall into one of the following buckets:
- Outright ban
- Effective ban
- Visual line of sight required
Pilots need to be able to see the drones at all times, and must usually obtain a license or permit - Experimental visual line of sight
Pilots can let the drone fly outside their field of vision e.g. during a race - Restrictions apply
Drones need to be registered, and/or additional observers are required - Unrestricted
When drones are flown around private property and airports, and under 500 feet (150 meters) - No drone-related legislation
Categories are assigned based on legislation as of October 2020.
Clearly, there is some overlap among these categories. They are highly dependent on judgment calls made by specific legal authorities, and change based on what a drone is being used for.
Explore the drone privacy laws in your specific country here:
Country/Territory | Continent | Drone Legal Status (Oct. 2020) |
---|---|---|
Afghanistan | Asia | Unrestricted |
Albania | Europe | No drone-related legislation |
Algeria | Africa | Outright ban |
Andorra | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Angola | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Antigua and Barbuda | North America | Experimental visual line of sight |
Argentina | South America | Unrestricted |
Armenia | Europe | No drone-related legislation |
Aruba | North America | Visual line of sight required |
Australia | Oceania | Experimental visual line of sight |
Austria | Europe | Unrestricted |
Azerbaijan | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Bahamas, The | North America | Unrestricted |
Bahrain | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Bangladesh | Asia | Unrestricted |
Barbados | North America | Outright ban |
Belarus | Europe | No drone-related legislation |
Belgium | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Belize | North America | Effective ban |
Benin | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Bermuda | North America | Visual line of sight required |
Bhutan | Asia | Effective ban |
Bolivia | South America | No drone-related legislation |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe | No drone-related legislation |
Botswana | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Brazil | South America | Visual line of sight required |
Brunei Darussalam | Asia | Outright ban |
Bulgaria | Europe | Effective ban |
Burkina Faso | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Burundi | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Cabo Verde | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Cambodia | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Cameroon | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Canada | North America | Experimental visual line of sight |
Cayman Islands | North America | Experimental visual line of sight |
Central African Republic | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Chad | Africa | Unrestricted |
Chile | South America | Visual line of sight required |
China | Asia | Experimental visual line of sight |
Colombia | South America | Visual line of sight required |
Comoros | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Congo, Dem. Rep. | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Congo, Rep. | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Costa Rica | North America | Visual line of sight required |
Cote d'Ivoire | Africa | Outright ban |
Croatia | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Cuba | North America | Outright ban |
Curacao | North America | Visual line of sight required |
Cyprus | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Czech Republic | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Denmark | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Djibouti | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Dominica | North America | No drone-related legislation |
Dominican Republic | North America | Visual line of sight required |
Ecuador | South America | Visual line of sight required |
Egypt, Arab Rep. | Africa | Effective ban |
El Salvador | North America | No drone-related legislation |
Equatorial Guinea | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Eritrea | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Estonia | Europe | Unrestricted |
Ethiopia | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Faroe Islands | Europe | Unrestricted |
Fiji | Oceania | Visual line of sight required |
Finland | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
France | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Gabon | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Gambia, The | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Georgia | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Germany | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Ghana | Africa | Experimental visual line of sight |
Gibraltar | Europe | Effective ban |
Greece | Europe | Unrestricted |
Greenland | North America | Visual line of sight required |
Grenada | North America | No drone-related legislation |
Guam | Oceania | Unrestricted |
Guatemala | North America | No drone-related legislation |
Guinea | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Guinea-Bissau | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Guyana | South America | Experimental visual line of sight |
Haiti | North America | No drone-related legislation |
Honduras | North America | No drone-related legislation |
Hong Kong SAR, China | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Hungary | Europe | Unrestricted |
Iceland | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
India | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Indonesia | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Iran, Islamic Rep. | Asia | Outright ban |
Iraq | Asia | Outright ban |
Ireland | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Israel | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Italy | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Jamaica | North America | Visual line of sight required |
Japan | Asia | Experimental visual line of sight |
Jordan | Asia | Unrestricted |
Kazakhstan | Europe | No drone-related legislation |
Kenya | Africa | Effective ban |
Kiribati | Oceania | No drone-related legislation |
Korea, Dem. People’s Rep. | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Korea, Rep. | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Kosovo | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Kuwait | Asia | Outright ban |
Kyrgyz Republic | Asia | Outright ban |
Lao PDR | Asia | Unrestricted |
Latvia | Europe | Unrestricted |
Lebanon | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Lesotho | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Liberia | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Libya | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Liechtenstein | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Lithuania | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Luxembourg | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Macao SAR, China | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Madagascar | Africa | Outright ban |
Malawi | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Malaysia | Asia | Effective ban |
Maldives | Asia | Effective ban |
Mali | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Malta | Europe | Unrestricted |
Marshall Islands | Oceania | No drone-related legislation |
Mauritania | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Mauritius | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Mexico | North America | Visual line of sight required |
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | Oceania | No drone-related legislation |
Moldova | Europe | No drone-related legislation |
Monaco | Europe | Unrestricted |
Mongolia | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Montenegro | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Morocco | Africa | Outright ban |
Mozambique | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Myanmar | Asia | Effective ban |
Namibia | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Nauru | Oceania | No drone-related legislation |
Nepal | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Netherlands | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
New Caledonia | Oceania | No drone-related legislation |
New Zealand | Oceania | Experimental visual line of sight |
Nicaragua | North America | Outright ban |
Niger | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Nigeria | Africa | Effective ban |
North Macedonia | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Norway | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Oman | Asia | Effective ban |
Pakistan | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Palau | Oceania | No drone-related legislation |
Panama | North America | Unrestricted |
Papua New Guinea | Oceania | Visual line of sight required |
Paraguay | South America | No drone-related legislation |
Peru | South America | Visual line of sight required |
Philippines | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Poland | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Portugal | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Puerto Rico | North America | Experimental visual line of sight |
Qatar | Asia | Unrestricted |
Romania | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Russian Federation | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Rwanda | Africa | Experimental visual line of sight |
Samoa | Oceania | No drone-related legislation |
San Marino | Europe | No drone-related legislation |
Sao Tome and Principe | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Saudi Arabia | Asia | Experimental visual line of sight |
Senegal | Africa | Outright ban |
Serbia | Europe | Unrestricted |
Seychelles | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Sierra Leone | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Singapore | Asia | Experimental visual line of sight |
Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | North America | Experimental visual line of sight |
Slovak Republic | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
Slovenia | Europe | Outright ban |
Solomon Islands | Oceania | Visual line of sight required |
Somalia | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
South Africa | Africa | Experimental visual line of sight |
South Sudan | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Spain | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
Sri Lanka | Asia | Experimental visual line of sight |
St. Kitts and Nevis | North America | No drone-related legislation |
St. Lucia | North America | Unrestricted |
St. Martin (French part) | North America | Experimental visual line of sight |
St. Vincent and the Grenadines | North America | No drone-related legislation |
Sudan | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Suriname | South America | No drone-related legislation |
Swaziland | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Sweden | Europe | Unrestricted |
Switzerland | Europe | Unrestricted |
Syrian Arab Republic | Asia | Outright ban |
Taiwan | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Tajikistan | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Tanzania | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Thailand | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
Timor-Leste | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Togo | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Tonga | Oceania | No drone-related legislation |
Trinidad and Tobago | North America | Experimental visual line of sight |
Tunisia | Africa | No drone-related legislation |
Turkey | Europe | Unrestricted |
Turkmenistan | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Turks and Caicos Islands | North America | Unrestricted |
Tuvalu | Oceania | No drone-related legislation |
Uganda | Africa | Experimental visual line of sight |
Ukraine | Europe | Visual line of sight required |
United Arab Emirates | Asia | Visual line of sight required |
United Kingdom | Europe | Experimental visual line of sight |
United States | North America | Experimental visual line of sight |
Uruguay | South America | Visual line of sight required |
Uzbekistan | Asia | Outright ban |
Vanuatu | Oceania | Visual line of sight required |
Venezuela, RB | South America | Unrestricted |
Vietnam | Asia | Unrestricted |
Yemen, Rep. | Asia | No drone-related legislation |
Zambia | Africa | Visual line of sight required |
Zimbabwe | Africa | Experimental visual line of sight |
So How Are Drones Used Worldwide?
The myriad of drone uses are literally and metaphorically up in the air—while they originated in military needs, drone uses now range from hobbies such as aerial photography to supporting disaster relief.
The following regional maps show privacy laws in closer detail, while also highlighting interesting case studies on how drones are used.
North America
Click here for the high-resolution version of this graphic.
According to the latest drone numbers, 70.5% of registered U.S. drones are recreational, but these proportions may soon decline in favor of commercial uses. As of December 2020, civilian drones are allowed to fly over populated areas, a step towards fulfilling their potential in package delivery.
Meanwhile, countries like Mexico are beginning to rely on drones to combat crime, with good results. In the city of Ensenada, a single drone’s surveillance patrol resulted in a 10% drop in overall crime rates in 2018. Drones are increasingly being used to monitor illicit activity such as drug trafficking routes.
South America
Click here for the high-resolution version of this graphic.
Interestingly, the environmental applications of drones come into play in the Amazon rainforest. An indigenous tribe in Brazil is using drones to track levels of deforestation and forest fires—and presenting that data evidence to authorities to urge them to act.
Across the continent, drones are also in place to deliver everything from hospital supplies to life jackets in Chile and El Salvador.
Europe
Click here for the high-resolution version of this graphic.
The first unmanned, radio-controlled aircraft test flight occurred in the United Kingdom in 1917. The Kettering Aerial Target (or “The Bug”) carried 180 pounds of explosives and became the basis for modern missiles.
While Europe has some of the most liberal drone privacy laws today, that doesn’t mean they’re lenient. Even among countries that allow experimental visual lines of sight (such as Finland and Portugal), special permissions are required.
Middle East and Central Asia
Click here for the high-resolution version of this graphic.
The military applications of drones persist in this region. Iran was one of the first to use armed drones and continues to do so, while simultaneously banning their public use.
Neighboring Turkey also relies on kamikaze drones, augmented by AI and facial recognition, to strengthen border security.
Rest of Asia and Oceania
Click here for the high-resolution version of this graphic.
China-based DJI is the world’s largest drone manufacturer, dominating 70% of the global market. Across Asia, drones have been in use for mass surveillance, particularly in China. In recent times, drones also track compliance with strict COVID-19 guidelines in Malaysia and Singapore.
Meanwhile, in Japan, Nokia is testing out a drone network to provide a more rapid response to future natural disasters. The relief capabilities include disseminating more real-time updates and monitoring evacuation progress.
Africa
Click here for the high-resolution version of this graphic.
While many parts of Africa haven’t developed any drone-related laws yet, promising innovation is rearing its head. Medical drones are already saving lives in Rwanda, delivering supplies in as little as 15 minutes.
In the same vein, the pioneer African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA) opened in Malawi. The academy promotes drone usage for humanitarian and disaster preparedness, and aims to equip individuals with the relevant skills.
Towards Greater Heights?
As the uses of drones evolve over time, so will their legal status and the privacy concerns surrounding them. However, the adoption of any technology is always accompanied by a certain level of skepticism.
With drones, it remains to be seen whether they’ll mostly occupy the role of a friend or a foe for years to come—and that power lies only in the hands of those who remotely control them.
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