Buzz
In today's world, innovation is everywhere. From our gadgets to our vehicles, and even our televisions, everything is constantly evolving. But there are some items we use daily that seem too simple to be improved—how, for example, can you reinvent something like a floor mat or a trash can? Well, as you'll discover, these improvements have already taken place:
10. Wi-Fi Routers
Chinese researchers have created a wireless Wi-Fi system that transmits using light instead of traditional radio waves. Devices, such as computers, receive data through the flickering of light (which could even come from regular room lights—just with LED bulbs), a method that is far faster than the human eye can detect.
Traditional wireless routers establish internet connections through radio waves, but these lights flickering on and off resemble Morse code, enabling signals to be transmitted in binary. Currently, the system operates at a speed similar to a home DSL connection. Several office buildings in Minnesota have already adopted this technology.
9. Touch Screens
Microsoft is working on touch screens that don’t require an actual screen, known as the OmniTouch. It projects an image from a compact, shoulder-mounted sensor and works on any surface. Simply “click” the projected image to use the screen.
Drawing, virtual keyboards, phone pads, and various applications have already been successfully tested. For example, when opening a window to check your email, the system allows you to adjust the window size and place it where you wish on the surface. You can also open multiple items simultaneously, like having a phone pad on your hand and an email window projected on the wall.
8. Floor Mats
For just over six thousand dollars, you can purchase a floor mat that cleans your shoes as you step on it. When you walk over it, small vacuum valves open, sucking dirt from the soles of your shoes. The dirt is collected in a container for easy disposal later. The mats come in various shapes and sizes; while they might be too expensive for personal use, they are ideal for industrial settings that require clean rooms or laboratories.
7. Soft Drink Cans
West Coast Chill is an energy drink launched in 2013 (according to their website) that doesn’t require refrigeration. How is that possible? The can features a button on the bottom that cools it by thirty degrees when pressed.
So, how does it function? The can contains a CO2 chamber at its center. When you press the button, the CO2 is released from the bottom. The heat needed to expand the gas is drawn from the energy drink itself, causing it to cool rapidly.
6. Trash Can That Catches Garbage
How many times have you aimed for the trash can and just missed, forcing you to walk across the room to pick it up? With this clever invention, that will no longer happen. It uses Xbox Kinect technology to map the entire room, detects flying trash, and moves itself to catch it.
Here’s a video showcasing it in action. This incredible invention hails from (where else?) Japan. Once set up, it operates entirely autonomously. All you need to do is toss something in its general direction, and the trash can will move itself into place.
5. Glasses That Turn Life into a FPS
These glasses have been created to provide a real-life video game Heads-Up Display. A camera tracks what you’re looking at and projects it onto LCD screens inside the glasses. Remember how the Terminator saw the world? It’s essentially like that: each lens has its own camera, and the two images combine to give you a view just like your eyes.
These glasses can be used for a wide range of applications, from video games and education to city guides that display relevant information about the places you’re viewing. While virtual reality may still be on the horizon, there’s no reason why you can’t record and tweet that video of your sister’s fall the moment it happens.
4. Fibers in Clothing That Generate Electricity from Movement
The human body produces energy all day long. From movement to organ function and regulating body temperature, energy is constantly being created. But what if we could harness this energy for everyday tasks?
ZnO fibers create electricity when they are stressed. These tiny fibers can be integrated into clothing, generating electricity whenever you move, breathe, or even from your heartbeat. In the not-too-distant future, you might even be able to charge your iPod using the energy your heart produces, just by plugging it into your shirt.
3. Laser Keyboards
Keyboards are often filthy, with dirt and debris getting trapped between the keys—but this new design eliminates that issue. Technically, it doesn’t even have any keys. You simply connect this small projector to your computer like you would a normal keyboard (it also works with Bluetooth devices), and it projects a laser keyboard onto any flat surface. It can detect when you tap the keys and even plays the typical tapping sounds, making it feel like a traditional keyboard.
2. Flyswatters
This one isn’t quite ready for handheld use yet, but it’s certainly fascinating. Funded by Bill Gates and inspired by Reagan’s “Star Wars” initiative, researchers have developed lasers that eliminate mosquitoes. The device was created as part of a project to combat malaria in tropical regions. It’s able to “hear” the sound of mosquito wings and instantly fry them. These lasers are compact enough to be mounted on poles around villages, creating an invisible “fence” that mosquitoes can’t cross.
If you’re just looking to watch the video of the bugs being zapped, you’ve come to the right place.
1. Speed Bumps
How much can you really innovate a speed bump? It’s simply a raised section of road designed to slow down traffic, but even if you’re obeying the speed limit, a speed bump can still cause damage to your vehicle—especially when it’s positioned low to the ground.
A new speed bump design, developed by Jae-yun Kim and Jong-Su Lee, unfolds when you drive over it at a low speed. However, if you approach it too quickly, the bump stays elevated and shakes your car, giving you a firm reminder to slow down.
