Snow Escapes: Shinkansen Speed for Japan Biz Trips
Posted: January 29, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: GALA Yuzawa, japan, Karuizawa Prince, LookOut, nature, Robotics Cats, Shinkansen, ski resort, travel, wildfire detection Leave a comment
A good friend pinged me: “Japan biz trip next month—Tokyo meetings, tight schedule. Quick nature break? Wildfire risks too.”
February is a good time to visit Tokyo. I traveled to Japan last February and attended the World Economic Forum Japan – Climate and Nature Leadership in the Intelligent Age 2025 event in Tokyo, met AXIS Communications, Gravio, and Shibuya Startup Support. I got some snow resets, ramen, shopping, and recharges, too.
I suggested GALA Yuzawa (Niigata) and Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort (Nagano) to my friend for a one-day ski trip. Shinkansen-direct, <90 mins from Tokyo. Both deliver powder, onsens, and ease for pros craving nature amid short breaks.
Shinkansen Ease: 1-Hour Powder Access
GALA Yuzawa Snow Resort: Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, 75-90 mins direct to the resort station. Freepass bundles rail + lifts + rentals. Boots-on instantly. Nearby landmarks: Komako-no-Yu onsen soaks, Ponshukan sake tastings (100+ varieties), Yuzawa Kogen ropeway, Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel of Light (30 mins).
Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort: Hokuriku line, 60-75 mins to JR Karuizawa Station (500m walk/1-10 min shuttle). Slopes are visible from the JR exit. Half-day slots between calls. No transfers, no hassle. Nearby attractions: Shiraito Falls, Old Karuizawa Ginza, Hoshino onsen, outlet shopping.
Live Cams: Smart Snow & Weather Checks
GALA Yuzawa and Karuizawa Prince provide live cams—North/Central at GALA, ski center/East lift at Karuizawa—to check snow depth, visibility, and weather. They help travelers plan gear pre-Shinkansen and maximize short breaks.
Fire Season? LookOut Has It Covered
Japan’s fire season runs from January to May. Recent outbreaks in Yamanashi and Gunma. After chatting with my friend and checking resort sites, I applied Robotics Cats’ LookOut Wildfire Detection SaaS HTTP Get to both live cams. Pulls images every minute, AI-scans for early smoke, and alerts via mobile push notifications. Unlikely near ski areas, but proactive—like our Uruguay landfill catch. Safer snow trips. AI wildfire detection at our fingertips.
I hope my dear friend has a joyful and productive Japan business trip.
Push Notification Services: Powering Real-Time Alerts
Posted: December 29, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: alert, developer, notification, push notification, real-time, SaaS, technology Leave a commentPush notification services enable servers, scripts, and apps to deliver instant alerts to phones and desktops via simple HTTP APIs, transforming monitoring and automation into proactive workflows.
Core Features
Core capabilities include HTTP POST/PUT endpoints for messages with titles, priorities, custom sounds, emojis, action buttons, and image attachments (e.g., JPEG/PNG up to 25MB). Pub/sub topics or user/app keys ensure targeted delivery, while clients leverage platform push (Firebase/APNs) or WebSockets for reliability. Extras like receipts, retries, and HTML formatting enhance urgency and interactivity across Android, iOS, web, and desktop.
Typical Developer Use Cases
Developers use them for CI/CD completions, cron failures, Prometheus/Zabbix monitoring, IoT thresholds, and home lab events like backups. In climate-tech, they alert on wildfire detection from AI-powered cameras or solar panel anomalies, enabling rapid response without constant app checks.
Hosting and Architecture
Push notification services act as lightweight brokers: publish messages to topics/endpoints, store briefly, then fan out via push protocols. Self-hosted variants (Go/Rust binaries, Docker) run on VPS/NAS for control, while SaaS handles scaling. Pub/sub (topic-based) suits broadcasts; direct targeting fits users—balancing simplicity, retention, and access policies.
Key Players and Comparison
| Service | Type | Image Support | Cost | Security/Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ntfy.sh | Open-source, self-host/public SaaS | URL/upload | Free | Self-host HTTPS/auth |
| Gotify | Open-source, self-host | Limited | Free | Token users/apps |
| Pushbullet | Proprietary SaaS, freemium | Sync-focused | Freemium | Encrypted central service |
| Pushover | Proprietary SaaS, paid | Upload ≤25MB | $5/user + $5/app | Receipts; hosted |
| Novu | Open-source infra | Multi-channel | Free tiers | Workflows; self/SaaS |
ntfy/Gotify prioritizes free self-hosting for privacy; Pushbullet excels in device sync; Pushover in reliability; Novu in multi-channel scale. Self-hosted options avoid data silos but add ops; SaaS trades control for polish.
Pushover Advantages in Real-Time Disaster Alerts with Visuals
Pushover shines for real-time disaster alerts like wildfire detection, delivering camera-captured images inline (≤25MB JPEG/PNG/GIF) for instant situational awareness—smoke plumes or fire fronts triage urgency without app opens.
Priorities escalate sounds/vibrations (e.g., high for confirmed fires), receipts confirm delivery even offline, and retries ensure reach in remote areas—critical for SaaS like LookOut Wildfire Detection SaaS serving American/European/Asian utilities.
Multipart API uploads from your backend trigger in seconds; no self-hosting means minimal operational overhead for startups. Users report flawless visuals in iOS/Android apps, outperforming ntfy’s platform-dependent display or Gotify’s gaps. For climate resilience, where seconds matter, Pushover’s battle-tested delivery minimizes false negatives and user fatigue.
I find ntfy.sh is easy to use and great for homelabs, while Pushover is for production alerts. LookOutConnect.py supports Pushover notification.
Meet LookoutConnect.py: Bridging AI and Wildfire Detection
Posted: December 24, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, AI Wildfire Detection, camera, cloud, FTP, LookOut Connect, LookOut Wildfire Detection SaaS, python, snapshot, technology, wildfire, wildfire detection Leave a commentIn wildfire mitigation, the window between ignition and detection determines the outcome of the disaster. LookoutConnect.py is a robust, lightweight middleware designed to turn standard IP cameras into intelligent wildfire sentinels. By acting as a resilient bridge between local hardware and the LookOut Wildfire Detection SaaS, it ensures that critical visual data reaches the cloud for analysis, even in the harshest environments.
What Does LookoutConnect.py Do?
LookoutConnect.py is engineered for mission-critical reliability, featuring a suite of advanced tools that go far beyond simple file transfers:
- Network Resilience: Wildfire cameras are often stationed at remote sites using cellular or radio links. LookoutConnect.py utilizes an Exponential Backoff algorithm for uploads. If a transmission fails due to signal jitter, the script waits and retries with increasing intervals, ensuring the image eventually reaches the AI without crashing the local network connection.
- Smart Bandwidth Management: While the script defaults to high-fidelity original images, it includes a smart 1080p Resizing Logic. By using the
--resizeflag, users can downscale images using Lanczos resampling before transmission, drastically reducing data costs on metered links without sacrificing the clarity needed for smoke detection. - System Integrity: To ensure 24/7 uptime, the script includes a file system-level Process Lock to prevent multiple instances from overlapping. Additionally, a Watchdog Timer monitors every execution; if a network request hangs, the watchdog kills the process after 55 seconds (default value) to prevent “zombie” tasks from piling up.
- Pushover Emergency Alerts: We have integrated Pushover API support. When the LookOut wildfire detection informs a detection, the script immediately dispatches a high-priority emergency alert to the user’s mobile device. These alerts use “Priority 2” settings, which bypass silent modes and repeat until acknowledged.
- Manual Override: For testing or forensic re-analysis, the new Manual File mode allows users to specify a single file for upload (e.g.,
--file test.jpg). This bypasses the automatic directory polling, making it an essential tool for system verification.
Outputs & Forensic Logs
LookoutConnect provides a transparent audit trail for every event:
detectionResults.txt: This is the system’s heartbeat. It logs the timestamp, filename, and the raw AI detection metadata (coordinates and scores). To save disk space, the log automatically rotates once it reaches 5MB.- Image Archiving (API Mode): In API mode, if a detection is confirmed, the script automatically saves a copy of the evidence image into the archive folder, providing a permanent visual record for fire investigators.
- State Tracking (
.ptrfile): To prevent duplicate processing in FTP mode, the script maintains a “pointer” file. This tracks the unique signature of the last processed image, ensuring that even after a reboot, the script never resends old data.
How to Use
Deployment: LookoutConnect.py is designed for the “Edge.” Because the code is highly optimized and lightweight, it does not require a server. It can run on any PC directly connected to the camera network, making it the perfect candidate for Raspberry Pi or Mini PC deployments at the network boundary.
1. Choose Your Mode
- API Mode: The script “pulls” a snapshot from the camera using a direct HTTP request. Ideal for cameras with robust web APIs.
- FTP Mode: The script “watches” a folder. This is perfect for cameras configured to automatically push images to a local directory or NVR.
2. Configure the .env File
Create a .env file in the script directory to store your credentials securely:
CAMERA_IP/USER/PASS: Credentials for API snapshot requests.SOURCE_PATH: The directory to monitor for FTP images.- ARCHIVE_DIR: Where images are archived once wildfires are detected in API mode.
LOOKOUT_API_KEY: Your unique AI platform key. The part of your LookOut camera endpoint URL after apiKey=. It is a 32-character string.PUSHOVER_APP_TOKEN&USER_KEY: For emergency mobile alerts.
3. Execute
Run the script manually or via a one-minute Cron job:
- Standard run:
python3 LookoutConnect.py ftp - Bandwidth-saving:
python3 LookoutConnect.py api --resize - Manual test:
python3 LookoutConnect.py ftp --file fire_test.jpg
You can run the script periodically via cron jobs and redirect the outputs to files.
- * * * * * cd /home/your/directory/ && /usr/bin/python3 LookoutConnect.py api >> log.txt 2>&1
- * * * * * cd /home/your/directory/ && /usr/bin/python3 LookoutConnect.py ftp >> log.txt 2>&1
By combining surveillance cameras with edge computing and cloud AI, LookoutConnect.py offers a professional-grade solution for early wildfire detection, ensuring that when smoke appears, the right people are notified immediately.
The Heart of Europe
Posted: October 22, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: brussels, Heart of Europe, life, travel Leave a comment
“I’m waiting for you near the hotel entrance. I’m wearing a red hat,” I messaged my Uber driver.
“Sorry I’m late,” said Jay, my Uber driver.
“No, you’re on time. The traffic is crazy, right? I’m Andre. This is my first time visiting Belgium. It’s a beautiful country,” I replied.
“Yes, me too. I just arrived in Belgium one week ago.” Jay’s smile was warm and energetic.
“Really? Where are you from?”
“I’m from Palestine.”
“Oh, Palestine.”
“Yes, Palestine. Gaza, you know?”
“I know. I’m sorry about that.”
After a nice breakfast, a hot coffee, and a few quick emails with my colleagues and mentors, I set out for some sightseeing in Brussels. It was Saturday. Don’t worry, be happy.
I visited St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, a historic and iconic site. I prayed, then sat quietly, simply listening to the silence. We are lucky. I am grateful for a productive trip to Belgium.
I told Felipe that our trip turned out to be a great success, even though none of it was planned two months ago—things just fell into place.
“It sounds strange, but I think God brought us here for a reason,” I said.
Jay and I talked during the thirty-minute ride. He told me he felt “lucky.” It took him only six months to get approval to immigrate to Belgium. He was reunited with his parents and is now waiting for his wife, who is still in Gaza, to join him.
“I was studying information technology in college,” he shared.
“Oh really? You’re a computer engineer. Me too! Do you know Python?”
“I did PHP and Java. Python wasn’t popular in 2012. And people weren’t talking about AI back then.”
Yes. The world is not the same as it was.
“We speak French here. It’s challenging for me,” Jay admitted.
“You can do it. Humanity is very adaptable,” I encouraged.
We arrived at the airport, said goodbye, and wished each other safe journeys home.
“Jay, I wish you a safe and beautiful life in Belgium.”
Tech to Tame Wildfires: My Reflections from the Annual Meeting of New Champions 2025
Posted: July 15, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AMNC25, climate, climate-change, environment, innovation, LookOut, roboticscats, startup, sustainability, technology, wildfires, world economic forum, World Economic Forum UpLink, xprize Leave a commentAt the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025 (AMNC) in Tianjin, as part of the UpLink delegation, I had the honor of sharing my journey and vision on the “Tech to Tame Wildfires” panel discussion. Speaking to an audience of entrepreneurs, innovators, youth leaders, and media, I reflected on the challenges and opportunities in making wildfire detection technology accessible, the power of partnership, and the growing momentum from the private sector in climate resilience.
Making Life-Changing Technology Accessible
My experience at Cisco was transformative. I saw firsthand how low-latency, high-resolution video conferencing, once reserved for large enterprises, became available as software-as-a-service to everyone. This taught me that life-changing technology should not be a privilege—it must be accessible to all. That belief inspired me to found Robotics Cats.
When my friend Jojo’s community in Hong Kong was threatened by a wildfire, I realized that existing solutions were expensive, slow to deploy, and too complex for most frontline communities. We knew we could do better. That’s why we built LookOut, the world’s first AI wildfire detection SaaS. Our platform transforms any existing surveillance camera into a 24/7 wildfire sentinel. There’s no need for new hardware, deployment is instant, and alerts are delivered directly to customers and stakeholders via email or API. Our technology is now protecting millions of hectares across 11 countries, helping communities respond faster and save lives. In Uruguay, for example, our system detected a wildfire near a landfill at 1:42 a.m., enabling firefighters to contain the fire before it spread. In Brazil and Australia, we help renewable energy power plants detect early wildfire outbreaks and protect critical infrastructure.
Partnership Is in Our DNA
At Robotics Cats, we believe in building bridges, not walls. Our success in the XPRIZE Wildfire Challenge with the Fire Foresight team is a testament to the power of cross-organizational collaboration. By working with technology vendors, universities, NGOs, startups, and global innovation communities such as UpLink and FIRE-RES, we accelerate development and deliver greater value to those facing wildfire threats. This partner-focused approach enables us to quickly adapt our solutions to diverse environments, scaling our impact and ensuring no community is left behind.
Private Sector Support for Climate Resilience
It’s inspiring to see more private sector leaders stepping up to support climate resilience. Prudence Foundation‘s commitment to the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards 2025 is just one example of how insurers and other private entities are funding, mentoring, and scaling disaster-tech solutions. This kind of cross-sector collaboration is crucial. When technology, insurance, government, and civil society work together, we can make the world safer and more resilient for all.
Reflecting on these themes, I shared with the audience during the Tech to Tame Wildfires panel discussion:
“I think there are two options in front of us: We can choose to lay back, isolate ourselves from risks and from each other, wait and see what happens, and suffer together as a species. Or we can step forward, move out of our comfort zones, work together as a team, take calculated risks, try new approaches, make things happen, and share the success and benefits as a civilization.”
In Tianjin, I called on everyone to join this movement. Taming wildfires requires not just cutting-edge technology, but also a shared commitment to partnership and collective action. Together, we can build a safer, better world.
Last but not least, congratulations to the Fire Foresight team for advancing to the semi-final round of the XPRIZE Wildfire competition!
TVB Sunday Report 星期日檔案 「惹」火山林
Posted: May 18, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Hong Kong, Kai Kung Leng, Sunday Report, TVB, wildfire, wildfire detection, wildfires, 星期日檔案 Leave a commentThe Cats, Dogs, and Birds
Big Tree Animal Sanctuary and Adoption Centre and the The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society are customers of Robotics Cats. They share several similarities:
- Both are non-profit organizations dedicated to animal welfare.
- Both are located near Kai Kung Leng, one of the areas in Hong Kong most at risk for wildfires.
- Both received my cold calls. I told them our AI technology could help. At first, they wondered if it was a scam (understandable – there are many scams in Hong Kong involving buzzwords like VR, NFT, AI…). They later admitted as much to me. No worries, I don’t mind – I’m a startup founder.
- Both are featured in the TVB Sunday Report – 無綫新聞 TVB News ｜ 星期日檔案 ｜ 「惹」火山林 – the episode aired on 27 April 2025
You Can’t Afford TelePresence, We’ll Get You WebEx
The wildfire at Kai Kung Leng in October 2020 burned for two days. On the evening of Sunday, 25 October 2020, the fire came within meters of Big Tree Animal Center. Firefighters advised the four-person Big Tree team to evacuate all 180 animals within 15 minutes. They couldn’t do it. They needed help.
“From where does my help come?”
They called for help on social media. In response, two hundred Hong Kong citizens came to assist with relocating the frightened cats and dogs. Nearly every newspaper in Hong Kong reported the incident on their front pages.
I contacted Big Tree two weeks later and visited them in mid-December. After several discussions and my visit, I realized they needed an early-stage wildfire detection system to protect themselves. As a resource-limited non-profit, they couldn’t afford the expensive, hardware-centric wildfire detection systems available in 2020. They couldn’t even afford a computer. What they needed was a low-cost, easy-to-use AI wildfire detection Software-as-a-Service that could work with standard surveillance cameras. That product didn’t exist in 2020.
So RoboticsCats decided to build one.
With the support from Axis Communications and Office of the Communications Authority, we developed and deployed LookOut, the world’s first AI wildfire detection Software-as-a-Service, at Big Tree in March 2021.
Kai Kung Leng
Kai Kung Leng (Chinese: 雞公嶺, meaning “Rooster Ridge”) is a mountain range in Lam Tsuen Country Park, New Territories, Hong Kong. It features several peaks, with the highest, Lo Tin Teng, reaching 585 metres (1,919 ft) above sea level.
Kai Kung Leng is one of Hong Kong’s less-frequented hikes. Unlike the popular coastal trails, this route showcases a serene rural landscape dotted with quaint village homes and clusters of skyscrapers near MTR stations. From Kai Kung Leng, one can see districts such as Yuen Long, Nam Sang Wai, and Sheung Shui.
The Sunday Report highlighted Kai Kung Leng.
TVB Sunday Report
Sunday Report (Chinese: 星期日檔案) is a 22-minute Cantonese-language current affairs program produced by TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited) in Hong Kong since 1987. It features in-depth coverage of news topics that may not make daily headlines but are of significant public interest.
The latest Sunday Report episode, broadcast on 24 April 2025, focused on wildfires. It covered the recent major wildfires at Kai Kung Leng, including those in October 2020 and January 2025. The program interviewed many stakeholders, including Big Tree Animal Center, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, and RoboticsCats. I represented RoboticsCats and shared with the Sunday Report team the “whats” and “hows” of our AI wildfire detection technology.
Some consider Sunday Report the Hong Kong equivalent of CBS’s 60 Minutes Plus. Both programs focus on in-depth reporting and investigative journalism, exploring social issues and human stories. They tackle specific topics with comprehensive reports covering social, cultural, and political issues, and emphasize high production quality-visuals, editing, and content presentation. Their goal is to inspire viewers to think critically and deepen their understanding of current events.
In the Sunday Report episode on 27 April 2025, there are many magnificent scenes showing the natural environment in Hong Kong, including the fishpond managed by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. It is the first bird habitat in Hong Kong (and in the world?) using AI Wildlife and Wildfire Detection System to manage and protect the biodiversity. The UpLink – World Economic Forum selected this new digital solution as one of the winners in its Biodiversity Challenge 2024.
Do you want to see more?
“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:2 ESV
World Economic Forum 2025 Japan – Climate and Nature Leadership in the Intelligent Age
Posted: February 27, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, climate, innovation, nature positive, startup, UpLink, WEF, world economic forum Leave a comment
Looking at the number of international travelers to Japan by country/region in December 2024, South Korea had the highest number of foreign visitors, followed by China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Many Hongkongers enjoy visiting Japan for its natural scenery, heritage, pop culture, fashion, and cuisine. I’m one of them. However, my trip to Japan last week was different. Being aware of my implicit biases and assumptions, I paused to reflect and saw things from a new perspective.
Is Japan uncertainty-sensitive, pro-volatility, or somewhere in between?
Kudanminami: World Economic Forum 2025 Japan – Climate and Nature Leadership in the Intelligent Age
I joined the UpLink – World Economic Forum delegation team to participate in a two-day conference hosted at Kudan-Kaikan Terrace in Kudanminami, Chiyoda City, Tokyo. The event focused on exploring circular economy solutions, fostering a nature-positive economy, and improving business resilience. Topics included the role of foreign direct investment in decarbonizing the region, advanced manufacturing, energy transition, and innovation in achieving a sustainable future.
An interactive and collaborative event. As shared in her key insights of the conference by Sadaf Hosseini , the participants resonated that 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥.
“How do we move people from passive observers to active contributors to a better future? “
The conference was eye-opening for me. With limited business experience in the Japanese market, I absorbed a wealth of information over the two days. While I didn’t grasp everything, I had the opportunity to meet and engage with inspiring people from various sectors. I gained valuable insights into Japanese market dynamics, challenges, and opportunities. It is fascinating to learn how Japan applies technologies to combat the challenge of an aging society.
The meeting venue was next to Nippon Budokan, Kita-no-maru Park, and the Imperial Palace — a beautiful area for mindful walking.
Ebisu: Gravio
During my visit to Japan, I also met with my technology partners Gravio (an Asteria Corporation company) and Axis Communications . They shared their recent Smart Cities projects involving hospitals and elderly care service centers. With its rapidly aging population, Japan is driving the adoption of IoT, AI, and IA (Intelligence Augmentation) to automate workflows, improve services, and grow the economy. These projects offer valuable lessons for me to develop climate and societal resilience solutions.
Gravio office is in Ebisu. It takes about 9 minutes to walk from the Ebisu Station to the Shibuya Bridge.
Shibuya: Shibuya Startup Support
Innovation platforms are invaluable for startups to engage with stakeholders. UpLink connects nature-positive startups with governments, enterprises, academia, NGOs, venture capitalists, and peers to accelerate pilots, partnerships, and investment discussions. Shibuya Startup Support (SSS) helps startup founders apply for working visas, provides coworking spaces, and connects them to local business opportunities. I visited the coworking space, located at Shibuya Bridge, operated by SSS last Thursday. Saeko Seno and Minori Fujisawa shared with me that the program is led by the Shibuya City Office to support overseas startups in establishing their businesses in Japan. I explained to them the Robotics Cats‘ climate resilience solutions. They introduced some nature-positive startups and health-tech, AI, and automation initiatives in Shibuya and Shibetsu, Hokkaido.
I wonder if this courtesy visit might spark an unexpected business journey.
It is another 18-minute walk from the Shibuya Bridge to the Shibuya Crossing.
Japan: 2020 vs 2025
Five years ago was my last trip to Japan. Since then, I’ve founded my startup Robotics Cats, witnessed a global pandemic, and experienced countless losses and gains along the way. During this visit, I revisited some of the places where I spent most of my time in 2020. I found myself caring about how they were doing.
お元気ですか？
Japan, great to see you again.
RoboticsCats on Now TV program Carbon Neutral
Posted: February 16, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, AI Bird Detection, AI Wildfire Detection, biodiversity, Now TV, World Economic Forum UpLink Leave a commentI am grateful that the Now TV program Carbon Neutral (碳中和) interviewed RoboticsCats about the AI wildfire and wildlife detection pilot project deployed at a bird habitat managed by the The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society .
Carbon Neutral focuses on nature-positive and green tech development in Hong Kong. The program is broadcast on the Now TV financial channel every Thursday at 7 pm. It is also available on the Now TV website at finance.now.com
Now TV video-interviewed us at the AXIS Experience Center in Kowloon Bay on Feb 10th and at the fishpond near Mai Po and San Tin on Feb 11th. The Now TV crew asked many great questions. We showed how we apply AI, AIoT, and Ambient Intelligence to reduce wildfire risk, manage habitats, and protect wildlife and biodiversity.
We explained to Now TV how we share and advance our innovations with the global nature-tech and biodiversity-positive communities via the UpLink – World Economic Forum platform.
We spent a joyful Tuesday in nature, with nature, for nature.
I’d like to thank the teams for their collaboration and support over the last two weeks!
Robotics Cats
The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS)
Local fishermen communities at Mai Po
Axis Communications Hong Kong
Now TV
SpaceX Starship 5th test flight
Posted: November 4, 2024 Filed under: startup, travel, wildfire detection | Tags: Fire Foresight, rocket ranch, SpaceX, starship, Texas Leave a commentI joined my Fire Foresight Team to fly to Brownsville, take part in the party at Rocket Ranch, and watch the SpaceX Starship 5th Test Flight.
I learned 10 things.
1. Great things happen even without planning
The Fire Foresight Team visited the U.S. for two weeks in October. We spent the first week in California. We planned to visit Yosemite on the weekend before the XPRIZE Wildfire Team Summit.
On a beautiful Friday afternoon, on the way from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite National Park, my Fire Foresight teammates Andrew Davies and Rob Vernon discussed the possible Starship launch. I was sitting in the back seat, and I could feel their excitement.
“What do you think about traveling to Texas to witness a defining moment in human space travel history?” Andrew asked.
“Oh yes! Which Texas?” I replied.
And then we canceled our planned healthy Yosemite hiking trip and flew to Texas to see the breathtaking SpaceX Starship 5th test flight.
2. It is not easy to buy American Airlines US domestic flights using non-US credit cards
We found there was one flight from Reno City to Dallas on Friday night and one from Dallas to Brownsville on Saturday morning. Great! Theoretically, we could arrive at SpaceX Starbase before the test flight on Sunday early morning!
On the way we drove back to Reno, we stopped at a small town with good cellular networks. We spent an hour trying to buy the flight tickets. We failed because we could not pay with our non-US-issued credit cards on American Airlines’ US website. In the end, we made some phone calls and figured out a solution. Woo!
3. My Tassie teammates are space guys and action guys
Thanks to Andrew and Rob for arranging the air tickets and the Texas trip! Actions are better than words!
4. The world is big
It took us about 9 hours to fly from Reno to Dallas and from Dallas to Brownsville, with a 3-hour stopover at DFW. I had some time to check the GPS locations:
- Reno: Latitude: 39.53° N, Longitude: -119.81° W
- Brownsville: Latitude: 25.93° N, Longitude: -97.49° W
- Hong Kong: Latitude: 22.29° N, Longitude: 114.16° E
5. Halloween is coming!
6. Why did SpaceX build its rocket launch base in Brownsville?
The location near Boca Chica Beach provides a launch site that is close to the equator, which is advantageous for space launches. This proximity allows rockets to take advantage of the Earth’s rotation, enhancing efficiency and reducing fuel costs. Additionally, launching over water minimizes risks to populated areas in case of launch failures.
7. There were approximately 10,000 spectators gathered near the SpaceX Starbase to witness this historic event in person
There were too many visitors for us to rent a car!
8. Bring your own tent to join the Rocket Launch Party
We joined another 200 people to camp at the Rocket Ranch Outpost Viewing Complex on Saturday evening, October 12th. We talked while paying attention to the latest news about the potential Sunday morning Starship test flight. People shared tacos, coffee, beers, music, stories, laughter, sunset, and sunrise. Cool!
9. It is possible that SpaceX test flights can be canceled at the last minute
This is primarily related to safety concerns and technical issues. If there is any indication that conditions could compromise the safety of the crew or spacecraft, mission control will prioritize caution. Launch conditions are highly sensitive to weather factors, including wind speeds, lightning, and cloud cover. If conditions do not meet safety thresholds, they will opt to delay or scrub the launch. Problems with critical systems, such as sensors or computers that manage the launch sequence, can trigger a scrub.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the SpaceX Starship 5th test flight on October 11, 2024. The Starship 5th test flight was launched at 07:24 AM on October 13, 2024. We were fortunate to witness it.
10. Significance of the SpaceX Starship 5th test flight
For the first time, SpaceX successfully captured its Super Heavy booster using a pair of large robotic arms known as “chopsticks.” This unprecedented maneuver involved the booster returning to the launch pad after detaching from the Starship spacecraft. Approximately seven minutes after liftoff, the booster was caught mid-air by these mechanical arms, showcasing a remarkable engineering feat that had been in development for years.
The successful recovery of the Super Heavy booster is a crucial step toward SpaceX’s goal of creating a fully reusable launch system. Elon Musk has emphasized that achieving rapid reusability is key to reducing the costs of space travel and making interplanetary missions feasible. The ability to catch and reuse the booster could potentially allow for launches within hours of recovery, drastically increasing launch frequency and efficiency.
Hotel Fort Canning: a city hotel in the nature, for the nature
Posted: September 7, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: biodiversity, hotel, nature tech, singapore, startup accelerator Leave a commentI participated in the Biodiversity Accelerator+ kickoff program in Singapore and spent seven days at Hotel Fort Canning last August. It is a heritage building. The rooms, meeting venues, and all other facilities are excellent. The surrounding Fort Canning Park is refreshing and beautiful. But the best part is the people.
“Hello, are you Andre?” asked Dana. “Yes, Dana. Do you remember me?” I replied. “Yes. You’re with the group working here this week. Most of your colleagues checked out and left yesterday,” said Dana.
“Yes, you know… I’m the leftover. Just kidding. I stayed one more day to visit my friends last night. I’ll be flying back home this evening. What did you think of my group? Were we noisy?”
“You are all very friendly. The people are from many countries. The tall guy is from Australia. The ladies are from the U.S. The big guy with the tattoo and the iPad is from the U.S. too,” Dana said.
“Wow, you’re very observant! The big guy loves his iPad and is from Philadelphia. There’s also a God from Japan! Just kidding. Thanks, Dana, for your support this week. You and your team have been accommodating, friendly, and wonderful to work with.”
“Thank you. It was our pleasure. Your group is very nice too,” said Dana.
“Thanks. Really? We are the crazy ones! :D”
Thank you to the team at Hotel Fort Canning. See you next time.
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