Mouser Electronics Inc., a leading global distributor of electronic components, along with celebrity engineer Grant Imahara, today released the third video in the Shaping Smarter Cities series, part of Mouser’s award-winning Empowering Innovation Together program.
In the latest video, Imahara travels to Tokyo to meet with top executives and engineers from Mirai and discuss new developments in vertical farming. Imahara learns about how these technological innovations are helping to feed a growing population plagued by extreme space restrictions and resource limitations. The Shaping Smarter Cities series is supported by Mouser’s valued suppliers Analog Devices,Intel, Microchip Technology and Molex.
“In the hands of true innovators, technology has the power to give us exciting new products, but it can also protect our environment and change the way we fulfill our most basic human needs, like food,” said Glenn Smith, President and CEO of Mouser Electronics. “Our Shaping Smarter Cities series focuses on technology’s potential for solving life-changing problems on a global scale.”
“The potential of this technology is mind blowing — providing food for millions while using a fraction of the resources needed for traditional farming,” said Imahara. “Not only will innovative technology create a more connected human race; it will normalize access to our most basic needs.”
Tokyo has nearly 13.7 million people packed into 845 square miles, making it the most populous metropolitan area in the world. The sheer number of people in one city creates logistical and infrastructure problems, notably sustainably feeding the entire population. To investigate new solutions to these problems, Imahara visits Mirai’s facilities, learning how indoor vertical farming uses 40 percent less power than traditional farming and leads to 80 percent less food waste and 99 percent less water consumption than outdoor fields.
Imahara speaks with Nagateru Nozawa, COO of Mirai, to gain insight into the additional benefits their technology can provide, such as shorter transportation distances from farm to market and the minimized use of pesticides. Because the vertical farm is located inside a metropolitan area, fuel and delivery expenses are significantly reduced, further helping the environment while also lowering food costs.
The Empowering Innovation Together program has been one of the most visible and recognized programs in the electronic component industry, featuring projects ranging from bringing superhero technology to life to 3D printing a semi-autonomous car with drone technology. The focus of this year’s program is about solving tough problems that impact humanity as a whole. Visit: http://www.mouser.com/empowering-innovation for more information.
