The Subwing will be towed behind a boat, allowing divers to experience the sensation of flying underwater. Two hydrodynamic wings of the Subwing will be joined in the center and will be able to pivot independently. Riders will hang on to the device as it will be pulled through the water by the boat, and can control turns, dives, and spins by twisting the wings.

The movement to leave smartphones safely in a pocket continues with the new device, which turns any surface into a touch screen and lets you answer your phone by swiping your shirt. The device will be worn on the fingertip and will feature two small cameras. One camera will be able to detect the texture of the nearest surface while the other will sense motion, enabling the device to both sense swipe movement and alter the input according to the material. This extra bit of...

Firefighters can become easily disoriented in smoke-filled rooms, but a new vibrating helmet will be able to help them navigate nearby obstacles. The idea is to create a helmet by adding an array of ultrasound sensors and vibrational pads to a standard firefighting helmet. As ultrasound pulses are sent out from the helmet, the onboard sensors will analyze the echoes to determine the location and proximity of objects. The information will then be relayed to the firefighter as a...

A flexible, clear glass able to store renewable energy at high temperatures could help increase interest in alternative energy options and electric cars. Most modern capacitors are designed to operate at lower temperatures, which requires the addition of a bulky, heavy cooling system. In contrast, the new glass will be able to function at temperatures up to, and beyond, 180 degrees Celsius. The glass will be one-tenth the thickness of display glass currently on the market,...

By isolating the chitin in shrimps' exoskeleton it is possible to create an alternative to plastic that can break down in two weeks to provide nutrients for plants. The approach will include mimicking the molecular structure of the chitin as closely as possible and then adding silk derivatives and wood flour. These additions will help to ensure the material will not crack or shrink while it is being used for injection molding. The new material can be altered for use in water or dyed...

Designed for swimmers, the device will attach to a set of goggles to let athletes check their heartbeat without breaking stride. The device will attach to one side of the goggles, where an optical sensor will measure the heart rate from the temporal artery. As an onboard microprocessor will track the heart rate in real time, color-coded LEDs will illuminate to let the user know if they are currently on their chosen heart rate (Fat Burning, Fitness or Maximum Performance). The...

Protect your mobile devices with the USB condom, designed to prevent your phone from having its data stolen at public charging ports. Because the power receptacle on a smartphone is also its data transfer port, plugging in at public places carries some risk of juice-jacking, or having the data stolen. The USB condom will sit between the phone and the power source and control which of the four pins will connect to the charging port. By routing only the power pins and blocking the...

The new bike lock will help discourage bike theft by disengaging the bike's steering system, making it a bit harder for thieves to 'snip, grab and ride.' The system will be integrated into the bike's stem, where it will be locked or locked by a key. The system will be securely fastened for riding, but a simple turn of a key will disconnect the handlebar stem from the fork--making it impossible for anyone to steer the bike. In addition to deterring thieves, the handlebar...

The idea is to create a solar backpack which will store energy for later use. The backpack will be able to store 30 minutes of power with an hour of sun exposure, and the onboard battery will be plugged into a standard outlet and recharged The backpack will also have two ports, one supplying 16v or 19v while the other will run 5v to 12v, suitable for smaller devices.

A retinal implant that translates camera images into pulses the brain can understand could offer new treatments for vision loss. The system features a set of tiny cameras mounted to a pair of glasses. The camera's digital information is sent along a wire to a micro-fabricated thin film implanted in the back of the patient's eye, where the electrical signals stimulate the retinal nerves. The system is sealed well enough to prevent water vapor from entering the device, which...