Biomarker- Sensing Contact

While we have already heard about contact lenses that monitor medical conditions, such lenses are often made from non-traditional materials. A new one, however, is composed of the same hydrogel as regular store-bought contacts, potentially making it much more user-friendly. Diagnostic contact lenses work by analyzing the wearer’s tears, measuring levels of biomarker molecules associated with conditions such as diabetes. […]

Stacked Tennis Court Skyscraper

Italian firm Carlo Ratti Associati serves a slice of bonkers blue sky architecture with its “Playscraper.” Also referred to as the Tennis Tower, the sporty skyscraper would stack eight tennis courts on top of each other to reach a height of 90 m (roughly 300 ft). The project was designed in association with Italo Rota and commissioned by the RCS […]

Wearable Inflatable See-Arch

If you should become separated from your solo sailboat, kayak or other watercraft out on the open sea, staying afloat isn’t the only challenge – you also have to be seen by your rescuers. That’s where the wearable, inflatable SeeArch is made to come in. Created by Canadian entrepreneur Neil Darroch, the SeeArch is intended to be worn along with […]

“River Flowing” Museum 

Following an international architecture competition, 3XN, B+H and Zhubo Design have been commissioned to co-design the Natural History Museum in Shenzhen, China. The building’s unusual form is likened to a river flowing over the delta by the architects and its green roof will slope downward into a ramp to allow visitors to stroll on top. Due to be located next […]

Wheel Driver Ratcheting Tool

Ratcheting tools certainly make it easier to tighten and loosen stiff bolts and whatnot, but they’re not always that easy to stuff in a pocket or clip to a belt. That’s why the compact Wheel Driver “luxury palm ratchet” was created. Manufactured by Spanish tool company Micaton Ergonomics, the Wheel Driver does indeed look like a miniature car wheel. It […]

Variable Gloss 3D Printer

While “traditional” objects may exhibit varying degrees of glossiness in different areas, 3D-printed items are typically uniformly shiny all over. That could be about to change, however, thanks to a new printer designed at MIT. When it comes to controlling the glossiness of 3D-printed objects, conventional printers are limited by the nozzles in their print head. Although the openings in […]

Autonomous Drones Track Warehouse Inventory 

In recent years, both MIT and Fraunhofer have announced the development of systems that use flying drones to keep track of inventory in warehouses. The Ware system offers a unique take on that same concept, and is already in use at multiple locations. Developed by a San Francisco-based startup of the same name, Ware incorporates autonomous Skydio 2 quadcopters that […]

Liquid-Filled Window Absorbs Solar Heat By Day & Releases At Night

While double-glazed windows do help save energy, Singaporean scientists have tweaked the concept to make it even more effective. Instead of leaving an air gap between the two panes of glass, the researchers have inserted a heat-absorbing, light-blocking liquid. Developed at Nanyang Technological University, the experimental new “smart window” consists of two panes of ordinary glass, the space between which […]

Chromecast With Google TV

Google has released a new Chromecast that is also really its first proper Android TV media streaming device – though at the same time Android TV has been rebranded as Google TV. Despite these potentially confusing developments, the new Chromecast with Google TV is a really well made piece of hardware that is really simple to use. At a glance: […]