Irresponsible disposal of waste like plastic has led to very serious problems in our oceans, and the creatures that live there. Efforts are underway to clean up our mess, and find new uses for waste before it gets into the environment. London-based startup Phoenx is focusing on the eco-conscious traveler by creating sustainable, modular luggage made from old plastic bottles, […]
Sustainable Suitcase?
Grocery Carrying Gita Robot
After showing off an early developmental version back in 2017, Piaggio Fast Forward has wheeled out a consumer-ready courier robot built to carry everyday items for folks on foot. Gita can be loaded up with 40 lb (18 kg) of cargo and will trail its owner as they go about their lives, though such a luxury won’t come cheap. When […]
Ultra Thin Lens Paves Way For Smartphones
Although manufacturers are constantly trying to make smartphones thinner and lighter, they’re limited by the phones’ curved glass camera lenses. Now, however, researchers have developed a flat lens that’s one one-thousandth the thickness and one one-hundredth the weight of a conventional model. Ordinarily, digital camera lenses work as a single cohesive unit, with the entire lens bending incoming light to […]
Bluebell Baby Monitoring Device
Design agency Tangerine worked with British start-up Bluebell to develop a smart monitor, which uses a device attached to the baby’s clothing to send alerts to parents through a wearable wristband and app. Bluebell approached the London-based studio to help it create and market a system that makes it more straightforward for parents to improve their baby’s routines and sleeping […]
Self-Sanitising Door Handle
University of Hong Kong graduates Sum Ming Wong and Kin Pong Li have designed a door handle that uses light to constantly sterilise itself. Motivated by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in the 2000s, Sum and Kin described their “self-sanitising door handle” as a more effective alternative to current chemical-based cleaning processes. Comprised of a glass tube with […]
Could Sea Sponge Help Fight Against TB?
Tuberculosis is a difficult disease to treat, particularly as new strains of TB-causing bacteria become resistant to previously-effective antibiotics. Now, however, it appears that help may be coming from an unexpected source – a sea sponge. Led by Dr. Diana Quan, scientists from the Centenary Institute at Australia’s University of Sydney started by collecting approximately 1,500 sponge samples off the […]
Flying Batteries Help Charge Drones In Mid Air
Quadcopters have quite a few strengths as aircraft, but battery life is not one of them. The very best models can operate for around 30 minutes at a time, and in the past we’ve looked at technologies that could stretch these flight times by wirelessly powering them during flight or incorporating extra battery cells into the airframe. The latest interesting […]
Swedish Trike Turns Into Cart
It’s certainly not uncommon for people to ride their bike to the market, then use a shopping cart to gather their groceries, and then transfer those groceries back to their bike for the trip home. The Tricksy is designed to simplify matters, by serving as both a trike and a cart. Created by Swedish designer Göran Durgé, the Tricksy is […]
How To Avoid Making Mistakes When You Design A Business Card
Your business card is not always your first impression with a prospective customer, but it is the most lasting connection you have. It may also be the way you get introduced to others, whether a satisfied client hands your business card to a friend or you include the business card with flyers you spread across the neighborhood. Yet you can […]
Rocking Your Bed
Everyone knows that rocking a baby’s cradle helps the infant to fall asleep. That motion has the same effect on adults, but our beds generally aren’t capable of rocking. The Belgian-designed Adiva One system, however, is designed to change that. At the heart of the setup are four block-shaped “legs” that replace the legs currently on the bed. These are […]