A Journey Towards a Sustainable Future: Seeed’s Sustainability Report for 2023
Join us on a journey towards sustainability as we explore the impactful initiatives and innovations that define Seeed Studio’s commitment to driving positive change in 2023 and beyond.
In today’s rapidly evolving world, the Internet of Things (IoT) stands as a beacon of innovation, offering transformative solutions to address various real-world challenges. As sustainability takes center stage in the collective consciousness, IoT technology emerges as a powerful ally, contributing to a more environmentally responsible and socially equitable future. In 2023, Seeed Studio remained steadfast in its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovation in the IoT industry.
With the mission to “Empower Everyone to Achieve Their Digital Transformation Goals” (which shares similar values with SDGs’ Motto of “Leave No One Behind”), Seeed Studio recognized the importance of integrating sustainability into our corporate culture, business practices, and product offerings. This sustainability report highlights our achievements in sustainability initiatives, and showcase how our products contribute to sustainable development across various industries throughout the year.
Empowering Sustainability Through Global Community Partnerships
We are delighted to partner with global community groups to support initiatives that promote sustainability and social responsibility. Our commitment to supporting the SDG is evident in our comprehensive program of events and activities designed to promote sustainability and drive positive change.
At the beginning of 2023, we were happy to officially launch the “Project Repository of IoT Into the Wild Contest for Sustainable Planet”, which is a corporate report that congregated and summarized last year’s winner projects and other noteworthy projects from the IoT2Wild Contest. On March 15th, Seeed Studio was awarded “WSIS Prize 2023 Champion” prize certificate at the UN ITU, in Geneva, Switzerland. It’s a UN-level of recognition for the success of IoT2Wild Contest 2022 and the usage of ICTs for environment, which was awarded at ITU’s 14th World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2023.
In April, we were excited to participate in the Summer of Green Tech Design Challenge, which is being organized by the element14 community in collaboration with Farnell Electronics. The aim of this challenge is to inspire Eco-Warriors to develop innovative projects that will help safeguard our planet for future generations. On May 10th, the SDG Open Innovation Camp 2023 for the Greater Bay Area was successfully held in the Macau SAR. The camp was jointly organized by Chaihuo Makerspace, Macau Environmental Protection General Association, and United Nations University Institute in Macau, Macau Youth Technology Exchange Association, EQUALS Global Partnership and Seeed Studio, aiming to promote the implementation of sustainable development through the involvement, design, and co-creation of innovative projects by the cross-industry talents.
From July 16th to 28th, we participated as a partner at the world’s largest and most strategic digital fabrication event, Fab23 Bhutan, hosted by The Fab Foundation, Fab City Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck SuperFablab and Druk Holding & Investments (DHI). Later in August, we have sponsored the AI for Good TinyML Challenges 2023, which is organized by the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the tinyML Foundation. The tinyML Challenge seeks to develop a Next-Gen tinyML Smart Weather Station that is cost-effective, low-power, reliable, accurate, easy to install and maintain, and explore Scalable and High-Performance tinyML solutions for crop disease detection and wildlife monitoring. We were excited to have this opportunity to provide hardware support for participants to complete their projects.
October, we announced the launch of the Sustainability at Seeed Studio website, to inspire, inform, and engage everyone in the pursuit of sustainable development. On November 14-15th, we participated as a sponsor at the Hackster Impact Summit 2023 to explore the transformative power of technology in creating resilient and sustainable urban environments.
By partnering with like-minded organizations, we amplify our impact and reach new audiences. These partnerships enable us to leverage our resources and expertise to support initiatives that promote sustainability and social responsibility on a global scale.
Unleashing the Potential of IoT Innovations for Sustainability
IoT technology holds immense promise for driving sustainability across diverse sectors. As the IoT hardware partner, Seeed’s Smart Sensing, Edge AI and Low-power Network solutions play a crucial role in empowering the sustainable development in three key areas: Environment Sensing, Activity Management, and Digitalized Equipments. By harnessing the power of IoT innovations, we can nurture nature, optimize operations, and enhance efficiency while minimizing environmental impact.
Environment Sensing: Safeguarding Our Planet
At the forefront of sustainability efforts lies the critical need to monitor and safeguard our environment. IoT technology plays a pivotal role in enabling real-time monitoring of air and water quality, biodiversity, and ecosystem health. Through a network of sensors deployed in natural habitats, urban areas, and industrial sites, Seeed’s smart sensing and low-power network solutions gather valuable data on environmental parameters, empowering stakeholders to make informed decisions. Here are some examples of how Seeed’s environmental sensing solutions have been deployed:
- In collaboration with the One Planet Education Network (OPEN), Seeed SenseCAP sensors were deployed on Jamaica farms to obtain data for validation. This initiative enables farmers, forestry professionals, and other experts to make informed decisions to improve soil fertility, air quality, sequester carbon, and conserve water resources.
- Spearheaded by Tanzania Open Innovation Organization (TOIO), local university students and citizens in Tanga co-created “BSF Farming – Creating Protein Content” project – a resource-efficient and low-cost protein production method by monitoring and optimizing BSFs’ living environment, which has been done by deploying Seeed’s SenseCAP LoRaWAN sensors and Outdoor Gateway.
- To address the challenges of urban heat waves, WiData and Abinsula deployed 500+ SenseCAP sensors including SenseCAP S1000 weather sensor along with SenseCAP S2100 LoRaWAN DTU as well as other SenseCAP LoRaWAN sensors for the Cagliari Smart City Project.
- In collaboration with DunavNET and Axceta, Seeed Studio SenseCAP LoRaWAN devices were deployed in Sollio Agriculture’s poultry barns for the poultryNET project. This IoT/AI-based solution revolutionize the poultry farming industry by addressing the challenges of inefficient practices, animal health, and consumer demands for transparency.
- Seeed contributed to the revitalization of Nantou Ancient Town by developing and implementing the Micro-city Advanced Perception and Decision-making Assistance System, which elevates city operations and residents’ well-being.
Learn more about our Environment Sensing Solutions.
Activity Management: Optimizing Operations for Resilient Ecosystem
IoT technology plays a pivotal role in optimizing operational activities across industries, streamlining processes, minimizing waste, and maximizing efficiency. Seeed’s edge AI solutions further enhance these capabilities, contributing to a more resilient ecosystem. Here are some examples of how our edge AI solutions have been deployed:
- Our partner Isarsoft delivered the video analytics solution powered by the reComputer J4012 with NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX module to keep the constant operation and efficiency improving in airport.
- At the University of Waterloo, an autonomous shuttle bus powered by the same product has been deployed to concur with the complex road environment challenge and also provide a safer campus for a constant stream of pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles.
- Prassel, an Italian software solutions provider for security and safety, has deployed a successful intruder detection system with reComputer J2021, powered by NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX, across 20 warehouses and logistics facilities of a large automotive dealer, which improves real-time event management, reduces false alarms, speeds up emergency responses, and provides valuable business insights.
- By using reComputer J2021, Bauta delivered powerful edge video analysis solutions to provide business organizations and local departments an intelligent insight for target group preferences and accurate advertising suggestions.
- Computer vision deployed on the powerful NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano is used for optimize zoo management and enhance animal welfare.
- The power of NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX also helps to address the challenges posed by traffic congestion to create safer and more efficient urban environments.
Learn more about our Edge AI solutions.
Digitalized Equipments: Powering a Sustainable Future
The digitalization of equipment through IoT integration presents unparalleled opportunities to boost efficiency and minimize environmental impact. Seeed’s AIoT solutions are at the forefront of this transformation, converting traditional equipment into intelligent assets that optimize resource utilization and reduce environmental footprint. This approach not only leads to significant cost savings but also enhances operational efficiency, aligning with sustainability goals. Here are some examples of how Seeed’s solutions are making a difference:
- Our EdgeBox-RPI-200, powered by the Raspberry Pi CM4 core, has been deployed in smart classrooms in China to address the challenge of managing lighting and temperature in an energy-efficient manner.
- A partner dedicated to providing energy management solutions incorporates Seeed’s Raspberry Pi-powered HMI reTerminal and reTerminal DM in their energy management solution, ensuring the smooth operation of the entire clean energy power system by promptly reporting events such as power outages and calling for real-time reactions.
- A solution provider designing and developing deep learning technologies-based inspection systems for manufacturers deploys reTerminal DM as the HMI for their Al vision system, improving the efficiency of defect detection and assembly verification.
- Lixo offers an advanced waste management solution powered by NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX. This innovative solution enhances identification accuracy through precise categorization and analyzes sorting performance based on time tracing and geographical reporting. Doing so, significantly improves operational efficiency, waste polarity, and contributes to the growth of the circular economy.
- CuboRex launched the innovative tracked Robot for farm use, which is powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX edge device to deal with the complex and difficult field working environment to reduce the labor of farmers based on the actual experience of working in the field.
- GOPIZZA introduces an innovative pizza production system that decreases labor expenses and ensures consistent high-quality food. By utilizing the powerful NVIDIA Jetson Nano developer kit, the whole system simplifies operational management, reducing the number of required employees from four to at least one depending on store size.
Learn more about these impactful solutions.
The projects mentioned contribute to the following Sustainable Development Goals:
As Seeed Studio reflects on its journey towards sustainability in 2023, we are driven by a deep sense of purpose and commitment to driving positive change. Our efforts to integrate sustainability into our corporate culture, business practices, and product offerings underscore our dedication to advancing the UN SDGs and creating a more environmentally responsible and socially equitable future.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to advancing sustainability and driving positive change, collaborating with partners, and leveraging technology to address pressing global challenges. By fostering innovation, driving positive change, and empowering communities, we will work towards achieving our sustainability goals and contributing to a more sustainable and equitable world.
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