CONTRIBUTORS
Matthew Moberg
Portfolio Manager
Franklin Equity Group
United States
Although we don’t plan for a specific theme in any given quarter, sometimes a unifying concept emerges. This quarter, our list of innovations features examples where technology and biology inform and challenge each other to drive innovation forward. In one case, a machine learns to “listen” for power outages. In another, a quirk in the anatomy of the tongue is exploited to make food taste better through electrical signals. This list provides further evidence that multiple, concurrent technological advances across disciplines are building on each other, spurring a golden age of innovation.
New sensors “listen” to the grid to find power outages
A company has developed a sensor which is mounted on an electrical pole just below a powerline to listen to its sounds and vibrations. The sensor then uses artificial intelligence and signal processing software to “hear” the sounds and identify disturbances in the grid.
Why it matters: Utility companies currently spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year manually traversing lines to find outages. This method is time-intensive and carries a high risk of electrocution. Because an actual electrical grid is more like a guitar than a circuit board, linemen today “listen” to the grid to stay safe and locate issues. That technique inspired this new technology, which relies on a form of “hearing” to find and diagnose problems quickly and effectively.
Spoon uses electricity to mimic the taste of salt in food
Researchers out of Japan have invented a way for people to enjoy salt in food and its associated flavor enhancement without detracting from their health. Their solution is a spoon that can send a weak electrical current to the tongue, tricking the brain into thinking the food is saltier than it is.1 The current spoon design has four different intensity levels to let users decide how much salty flavor they want.
Why it matters: Currently, half a billion people worldwide have heart disease, and 1.3 billion people have hypertension. A high-salt diet can increase blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and risk of early death. Because food tends to taste better when it is saltier, this innovation could have a material impact on global health without taking away flavor, one of many people’s joys in life.
Exhibit 1: AI Sound Sensor
A new sensor uses artificial intelligence to “hear” sounds that identify disturbances in the power grid, helping utility companies efficiently locate outages.
For illustrative purposes only.
Alternative to needles is invented
A team of medical scientists have now found a way to deliver vaccines, insulin and other medicines to patients without a needle. The device makes use of laser-induced cavitation, a process where a laser heats up a liquid until it forms a bubble and then bursts, creating a very small but powerful stream, known as a microfluidic jet.2 This jet replaces a conventional injection with a needle.
Why it matters: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between two-thirds of children and one-quarter of adults have a strong fear of needles, which delays hundreds of millions of injections each year. Further, 32 billion single-use needles and syringes are used each year. This reusable device would eliminate unnecessary waste and deliver people the vaccines and other medicines they need.
Knit sleeve simulates touch
A team from Stanford recently designed a knit sleeve that uses pressure to simulate touch and is also lightweight, wearable, and comfortable.3 The sleeve uses a battery-powered system of small, inflatable pouches that can fill rapidly with air. A knit sleeve provides flexibility, which is key to user comfort and function. The textile can be soft in some areas, like at the elbow, but stiff in other areas, where the pressure pouches need to act against the skin.
Why it matters: This invention signals potential for a new category of haptic devices. Prior similar devices used vibration instead of pressure and usually required users to wear stiff exoskeletons or other bulky structures. A survey of 32 users found that the pressure-based system felt more realistic. In the future, this technology will have applications in virtual reality, rehabilitation and silent communication.
AI that can design new genetic codes
The Arc Institute, a non-profit collaboration with NVIDIA and leading universities, recently released an artificial intelligence model called Evo 2 trained on the DNA of over 100,000 species, including humans, plants, bacteria and fungi. The model has a deep understanding of the biological code, which means it can identify patterns in gene sequences across the tree of life that would take years for researchers to uncover on their own. Trained on over 9.3 trillion nucleotides, or 128,000 whole genomes, this is the largest model built for biology to date.4
Why it matters: Evo 2 can identify, at a much faster rate, disease-causing mutations in humans. For instance, when the model worked to predict the chance of breast cancer from the associated gene, BRCA1, it achieved over 90% accuracy. The model is even capable of creating new life forms by designing genomes.
Endnotes
- The Electric Salt Spoon was developed through a collaboration between the MIYASHITA Laboratory at Meiji University and Kirin Holdings Company.
- Source: Needle-free delivery of fluids from compact laser-based jet injector. Royal Society of Chemistry.
- Source: New knit haptic sleeve simulates realistic touch. Stanford Engineering. December 18, 2024.
- Source: AI can now model and design the genetic code of all domains of life with Evo 2. The Arc Institute. February 19, 2025.
INVESTMENT POTENTIAL AND RISKS
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WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal.
Equity securities are subject to price fluctuation and possible loss of principal.
Investments in fast-growing industries like the technology and health care sectors (which have historically been volatile) could result in increased price fluctuation, especially over the short term, due to the rapid pace of product change and development and changes in government regulation of companies emphasizing scientific or technological advancement or regulatory approval for new drugs and medical instruments.
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