The projector will make night biking safer by illuminating potholes and textures in the road ahead. The projector will improve bike safety during night riding by projecting an array of square grids onto the ground just in front of the bike. The grid design will deform on the rough surface of the road, making it easier for the rider to pick out obstacles ahead, such as sudden potholes and bumps. In contrast, a traditional bike lamp will often cast shadows on the concave and convex...

The dolphin's method of hunting with bubble nets could inspire a new type of radar able to detect explosive devices among less harmful 'clutter.' The new technology will use two sonar pulses sent in quick succession. The pulses will be phase inverted, and when they hit a solid target the reflected sound will be scattered in a linear pattern. Bubbles scatter the sound in a different way, which allows the new technology (and dolphins) to differentiate between underwater targets and...

To track the movements of sharks I suggest using solar-powered tags able to beam location information to satellites. The sensor-laden tags will be used to track certain endangered shark species in order to understand their migration patterns. Previous tags relied on battery power to remain operative and the batteries would often die before all the information could be transmitted. Because most sharks do not stay long near the surface of the water (where the sunlight would...

Designed for device-lugging people who live in urban environments, this bag will protect fragile electronic devices by inflating to form a cushion of air that can be released on command. The bag will be made of polyurethane-coated, carbon-fiber fabric panels welded together for extra durability and waterproofing. The bag's inflatable sections will be made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films, which can be inflated with a pump in just a minute and deflated in ten seconds. The...

A new method of monitoring for sleep disorders via a standard smartphone could help reduce trips to sleeping labs--and make it more likely the disorder will be detected sooner. The potential method will include using an iPhone to record the sound of breathing while sleeping. When equipped with a pair of microphone-equipped earbuds placed on a bedside table, the smartphone will be able to monitor the users' breathing to within a half-breath per minute of what can be recorded by...

The Cloud Machine is a personal weather modification device, able to create small clouds on demand. Designed to create clouds to reflect solar radiation, the cloud machine could help pave the way to new ideas of combating global warming. The device consists of a weather balloon that is launched into the air carrying the cloud-making tools. Once the machine reaches the desired altitude, it releases cloud condensation nuclei, heat and water vapor, causing the moisture in the air to...

A new biofuel will not only be less expensive than gasoline but will also be carbon negative. The chemically identical to gasoline biofuel will be based on miscanthus, a hardy grass native to African and Asia, but can also be made from other woody biomass, including agricultural waste. Miscanthus can be air-dried in the field, which will lower manufacturing costs and energy use, and the refining process will use very little heat or pressure.

Being touted as 100 times stronger than duct tape, fiber tape will feature a special resin that will harden like steel. Fiber tape will be immersed in water before use, then wrapped around the broken item and allowed to set. It will begin to harden in ten minutes. It can be sanded or painted once dry and will be completely waterproof, as well as nearly impossible to remove from skin or clothing once it sets.

The idea is to use carbon nanotubes to create battery-free 'smart curtains' able to automatically respond to changes in light. The curtains will be developed by laying carbon nanotubes on the surface of a plastic polycarbonate membrane. When the nanotubes absorb light, they will quickly convert it to heat that will then be transferred to the surface of the membrane. This heat will cause the plastic to expand while the nanotube layer will remain unchanged, in turn causing the...

The idea is to develop a device that will make use of the warm water from showers or baths by capturing the heat from the draining water and using it to help heat up the incoming cold water. Although there are several versions of hot water heat recyclers on the market, this device will differ in that it will not need long length of vertical pipe for installation. Instead, the it will be installed horizontally next to the drain, which will also allow it to capture the heat more...