Innovation Uncovered

Roughly 46 million gamers have a type of disability, presenting specific challenges for video game developers. Playground Games, a United Kingdom-based company, whose team designed the popular Forza Horizon 5 driving game, understood the assignment. The game offers robust accessibility features, like customizable subtitles and speed adjustments, creating a fair play environment. For the final episode of Season 2 of the “Innovation Uncovered” podcast, Kristen Meinzer sits down with Mike Brown, creative director for Forza Horizon 5 at Playground Games, a company setting new standards for craftsmanship and accessibility. Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Lux Machina, a company in Los Angeles specializing in film production, display technology and in-camera VFX, uses LEDs to create immersive movie sets designed to make people feel a part of the story. By producing shots interactively, Lux is speeding up production while reducing costs and its carbon footprint. This week Kristen Meinzer sits down with Phil Galler, co-CEO of Lux Machina, which builds believable realities for movies, virtual concerts and e-sports.

Xenobots are very tiny robots composed of organic cellular material. According to researchers, the programmable living things are made of frog stem cells. They can swim in fluid, join forces to act collectively and move small objects, which in the future could make them useful for monitoring radioactivity, diseases and pollutants. This week Kristen Meinzer sits down with Josh Bongard, Veinott Professor of Computer Science, University of Vermont, and Michael Levin, distinguished professor, Vannevar Bush Chair at Tufts University, two of the brilliant minds demonstrating advances in robotics. Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Endless West creates award-winning whiskeys and spirits using a process that breaks down the alcoholic beverages to the molecular level. A fine whiskey typically requires 10 years to age, but this tech startup recreates spirits in less than a day. This week Kristen Meinzer talks to Alec Lee, CEO of San Francisco-based Endless West, to learn how it’s using a fraction of the resources to make environmentally friendly liquor in a lab. Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Interplay Learning is breathing new life into the workforce by bringing skilled trades, like HVAC, plumbing and electrical, into the digital world. The company is closing the skills gap by helping more than 75,000 people build key technical skills. This week Kristen Meinzer sits down with Doug Donovan, CEO of Austin, Texas-based Interplay Learning, to discuss how his team is modernizing the labor market. Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Take Two Foods is changing the game for milk lovers everywhere by creating milk made out of barley. The company is encouraging less waste and a healthier planet by upcycling spent grain into a nutrient-rich plant-based protein. This week, Kristen Meinzer talks to Jerek Theo Lovey, co-founder and C.E.O. of Portland, Ore.-based Take Two Foods, about the company’s plans to create circular solutions with a positive impact on the food system. Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Aquagenuity tracks water quality in real time using a business intelligence tool that allows consumers to search their ZIP code to learn exactly what’s in their local water supply. By digitizing water quality data using predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and data science, people can make more informed decisions for the long-term health of their communities. This week, Kristen Meinzer talks to Doll Avant, founder and C.E.O. at Atlanta-based Aquagenuity, to discuss what her company is doing to help solve the water crisis. Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Gold Rush Vinyl is revolutionizing vinyl record production by producing albums nearly three times faster than the industry standard. Its success lies in producing and hand-inspecting vinyl in house, allowing the company to deliver high-quality records quicker and more efficiently. This week, Kristen Meinzer talks to Caren Kelleher, founder of Austin, Texas, Gold Rush Vinyl. We’ll learn how the pressing plant implements lean production techniques to minimize waste and accelerate the process. Invesco Distributors, Inc.

Starkey is reinventing hearing aids with artificial intelligence that tracks brain and body health and translates languages in real time. The innovation was deemed impossible a decade ago. Now the high-tech company is transforming how people communicate around the world. This week, Kristen Meinzer sits down with Achin Bhowmik, the chief technology officer and executive vice president of engineering at Minneapolis-based Starkey, to discuss how his team is utilizing science to develop life-changing inventions. Invesco Distributors, Inc.

At 5 a.m. across college football fields nationwide, receivers are catching balls with uncanny athleticism. Instead of starting QBs initiating the action, however, it’s the Seeker, the world’s first robotic quarterback that passes, punts and kicks. Using software, sensors and motors to track movement, it can hit every route imaginable. By increasing efficiency, reducing risk of injury and enhancing practice time, this innovation is reshaping sports technology. This week, Kristen Meinzer talks with Igor Karlicic and Bhargav Maganti, the founders of Monarc Sports, to discuss their path to developing the Seeker and what the future holds. Invesco Distributors, Inc.