Session Recap: "Sustainable Inspiration" from Planet NI

[JoelleP]

75% of the world’s population is in emerging countries—so arming underprivileged engineers is more important than ever.  Yet, the tools they need to quickly solve problems related to pollution, energy, or farming are out of financial reach.  At the Planet NI session during NIWeek 2012, innovators from seven countries presented how they are tackling their region’s problems with the help of National Instruments. 

Persistent positivity and the need to inspire the inspired were speaker Robert Swan’s keys to success. Swan, a charismatic globetrotting adventurer-turned-environmentalist, urged attendees to question if the work they were doing was “relevant.”

“Two words that have stuck with me throughout my life are ‘sustainable inspiration,’” Swan said. In a world where technologies morph the way we think and work, we must be forward-thinking about our goals and invest heavily in our future. (After experiencing firsthand the effects of global warming when transversing Antarctica, Swan dedicated himself to reducing global warming.)

Before Swan, several speakers talked about projects they had created in their communities. Some inspiring projects included:

• Carlos Ovieda of Mexico spoke about Smart Farms, a project which integrates horticulture and agriculture for sustainable food harvesting.
• Dr. Suhail Aktah of Islamabad developed a rugged system for water harvesting, which uses gravity and solar power to gather and filter water.
• Texas Instruments’ Benjamin Saprong, who helped to develop systems that guarded appliances against power fluctuations in Africa.

  “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it,” Swan said. It’s inspiring to see what people are doing to help the planet now—and in the future—with the help of National Instruments.