2001 Space Odyssey in your 2011 home Which Robot do you want as your companion?

In the last issue of Eye on Innovation you read about the PackBots sent to help Japan after the tsunami, the launch in the U.S. of Heartland Robotics' factory assistant robot, and Roomba, the Japanese robot who vacuums your floors. These are all examples of a trend to use robots for a variety of tasks.

Robots already have a confirmed place in industry, where they are more reliable and cheaper than manual workers in operating complex and dangerous machinery, for example in manufacturing cars. They have a place in medicine, with much surgery now performed using robots and distance manipulation of robotic instruments. Now they are set to play a more human role in helping elderly people remain safe and healthy in their own homes. No longer is this Star Wars of the 1970s or the imagination of Isaac Asimov's novels — this is now reality.

With 77 million baby boomers set to retire in the next 30 years in the United States, 22.5% of Japan's population older than 65 and about 200 million elderly in China, attracting and retaining workers to care for our elderly citizens is already resulting in labor shortages, and this has been predicted to become more problematic as the as the population ages.

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Nuclear energy consumption: Does it affect GDP?

The April issue of Eye on Innovation delved into the topic of nuclear energy, especially predictions for its global future after Japan's nuclear disaster. Researching Dialog's scientific and technical literature further, however, we identify an interesting factor important to consider when contemplating nuclear as a viable energy source.

Does nuclear energy consumption have effects on a country's GDP? Well, that depends. In fact, an increase or decrease in nuclear energy consumption can raise or lower the GDP depending on the country. Extended studies of both developed and developing nations suggest some trends.

• In Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, increases in nuclear energy consumption caused increases in economic growth implying that conservation measures taken that reduce nuclear energy consumption may negatively affect economic growth.
• In France, Japan, the Netherlands and Switzerland increases in nuclear energy consumption caused decreases in economic growth, suggesting that energy conservation measures taken that reduce nuclear energy consumption may help to lower the adverse effects of nuclear energy consumption on economic growth.

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The spark can come from anywhere. Our e-newsletter, Eye on Innovation, illustrates innovation in action, covering new research and market trends.

In this issue:

Centers of Excellence: Creating an Innovation Pipeline

How does a company like Apple, the #1 innovative company in the world, innovate and create game-changing innovations such as the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and more? What is Apple's secret recipe for innovation success? Apple leverages its diverse system of employees, customers, suppliers, partners and global networks, proven innovation process, and a winning culture to seize new opportunities in the marketplace and grow its business.

How are organizations such as Apple reaching new heights? Many corporations are turning to "centers of excellence," increasingly common phenomena in companies who are trying to improve performance and achieve results at higher and higher levels.

This issue of Eye on Innovation focuses on Innovation Centers of Excellence, describes the concept and how they work and identifies companies employing them with some of their many achievements. To find answers, we'll explore Dialog's business and news sources, as well as scientific and technical databases. Read on...

Photo Source: U.S. National Archives and Record Administration, Records of the Office of Government Reports, 1932–1947