Local Teen Designs Innovative Radon Level Tracking Device
(Johnston, IA) — An Iowa teen is designing an innovative way to monitor radon levels. Ishaan Suyal, a 15-year-old sophomore at Johnston High School, has designed an addition to radon monitoring systems that allows you to check the radon level in your home or businesses and access the information from your phone. He calls the invention “ClearSkies.” Suyal currently has one prototype but he plans on producing as many as he can to get the product out to other people. The teen has set up a GoFundMe account titled “Help ClearSkies Protect Iowa From Radon” to fund the production of future devices.
Iowa State Develops AI Tool To Help Farmers Identify And Remove Pests
(Ames, IA) — Iowa State researchers are developing an artificial intelligence tool to help farmers identify pests on their land. It’s an app called “Pest ID” and it allows users to upload photos of weeds or insects to identify them and learn how to remove them. The app has been in development for about ten years, with researchers training the technology using images of weeds and insects, along with data collected by experts at Iowa State University. Researchers are working to expand the app to identify diseases affecting plant life. The current version of Pest ID is available now.
Iowa State University Police Department Adds First Working K-9
(Ames, IA) — The Iowa State University Police Department is welcoming a four-legged member. The newest addition is a K-9 named Zak. He’s a two-year-old Belgian shepherd who was on duty for the first time on March 22nd. In a press release, police chief Michael Newton said, “Zak is the perfect dog for our agency and our institution because we want to be approachable and we want our K-9 to be approachable too.” The first major event for Zak will be the Luke Combs concert on April 11th at Jack Trice Stadium.
