Although it may be hard to believe that there is already an “established” method of doing something such as 3D-printing biological tissue, there does indeed seem to be one. It involves using microscale scaffolds, but a newly-developed technique overcomes some of the shortcomings of this approach by using hydrogel instead. Ordinarily, the “bioprinting” of bodily tissue (including organs) involves seeding […]
3D Printing Biological Tissues
Easier Kayak Loading
It can be difficult, lifting a kayak up onto a vehicle’s roof rack by yourself, and then reaching up and over the boat to strap it to that rack. These challenges prompted Indiana-based inventor Ira Mercurio to create the easier-loading EZ Rec Rack. The device consists of two main parts – there’s a base that gets hard-mounted to a vehicle’s […]
Plastic Hunting Robot
Plastic can be a very useful medium, but our throw away culture has also made it a huge pollution problem – especially when it ends up in the sea. While efforts like the Ocean Cleanup attempt to deal with plastic waste near or on the surface, researchers in Italy are developing a robot to clear the seabed of plastic, while […]
Fire Pit For Campers
There’s nothing like settling into camp to enjoy a fire built with bits and pieces scattered around the site, but no matter how tidy you are they will always leave some sort of mark on the environment. Looking to offer eco-minded adventurers a way to keep their flames contained and their consciences clear, Wolf and Grizzly has developed a portable […]
Harvesting Energy From The River That Spans It
Fundamental Architects in the The Netherlands offers a rather unusual take on the high-rise with its Tower of the Sun concept. The eye-catching design is defined by a large circular hole at its center and would feature significant sustainable technology, drawing energy from the river it bridges. If built – and, to be clear, there are no immediate plans to […]
Amphi Turn Swimmers Into Bionic Mermaids
We’ve seen mermaid-type monofins before, and we’ve also seen so-called underwater scooters. A group of US/UK entrepreneurs has gone and combined the two, in the form of a monofin that gives swimmers an electric boost with each kick. Known as the Amphi, the prototype device was initially developed by Dr. Marek Swoboda, a Polish biomedical engineer now living in the […]
Theft Proof Backpack
In 2014, UK designer Sarah Giblin launched a new secure backpack on Kickstarter called the RiutBag, which deterred would-be contents thieves by placing all storage access points against the wearer’s back. Now Riut is back with another secure backpack that can increase its available storage in seconds. The RiutBag X35 starts off as a 21-inch (55 cm) high, 10-liter capacity […]
Earbud Sensor Helps In Family Planning
Identifying one’s fertility window is critical for many women trying to get pregnant – or for those wanting to avoid pregnancy – but it can be a complex, inconvenient and often inaccurate process. Inspired by personal experience, Vanessa Xi, founder of Silicon Valley-based Yono Labs, has developed a hearing-aid-like wearable which takes the data collection and analysis off your hands, […]
Jyroball’s Monowheel
Weighing just 20 lb (9 kg) and folding into a 10-inch-diameter (25-cm) ball for transport, the Jyroball is a super-compact self-balancing urban monowheel that its creators say is one of the easiest yet to learn to ride. And at US$395 on Indiegogo, it’s less than half the price of most competitors. In function, it’s much the same as other monowheels, […]
Music Helps Build Brains Of Premature Baby
The vast majority of neural growth for a baby occurs during the last trimester of a pregnancy. When this process is disrupted, due to premature birth, neural networks can be impaired and the baby can ultimately develop neurodevelopmental disorders such as learning difficulties. An exciting new study has demonstrated how specially composed music can aid brain growth in premature babies, […]