Inventions of Inventions of 20072007

Looking at Trends Looking at Trends

iPhoneiPhone

It’s pretty!It’s pretty! It’s touchy-feely!It’s touchy-feely! It will make other It will make other

phones better!phones better! It’s a platform!It’s a platform! It’s a ghost of It’s a ghost of

phones to come!phones to come!

Autonomous AutomobileAutonomous Automobile The trouble with most The trouble with most

green concept cars is green concept cars is that they require that they require regular "refueling" with regular "refueling" with hard-to-get hydrogen or hard-to-get hydrogen or ethanol. The Venturi ethanol. The Venturi Eclectic runs solely on Eclectic runs solely on wind and solar power. wind and solar power. Solar cells blanket the Solar cells blanket the rooftop, and a wind rooftop, and a wind turbine provides extra turbine provides extra juice. When that's not juice. When that's not enough, a backup enough, a backup electric outlet can electric outlet can recharge the three-seat recharge the three-seat Eclectic in five hours.Eclectic in five hours.

Available: 2008

http://www.venturi.fr/

City CarCity CarAiming for the sweet spot Aiming for the sweet spot

between the comfort of a between the comfort of a private vehicle and the private vehicle and the efficiency of public efficiency of public transportation, the City Car transportation, the City Car from MIT's Media Lab is a from MIT's Media Lab is a stackable electric car that stackable electric car that can be checked out like a can be checked out like a luggage cart at the airport, luggage cart at the airport, then returned to any then returned to any station around the city. station around the city. Electric motors in each Electric motors in each wheel eliminate the need wheel eliminate the need for a mechanical drivetrain, for a mechanical drivetrain, and these 5-ft.-long (1.5 m) and these 5-ft.-long (1.5 m) two-seaters zip along at 55 two-seaters zip along at 55 m.p.h. (about 90 km/h).m.p.h. (about 90 km/h).

AVAILABLE: 2011cities.media.mit.edu

Return to SteamReturn to Steam

The future of automotive The future of automotive technology may lie in the technology may lie in the past. Bruce Crower, 77, an past. Bruce Crower, 77, an auto-racing designer with auto-racing designer with a thriving business in San a thriving business in San Diego, has invented a Diego, has invented a hybrid steam engine in hybrid steam engine in which water is sprayed which water is sprayed into a traditional gasoline-into a traditional gasoline-powered cylinder, turning powered cylinder, turning waste heat into usable waste heat into usable energy. How much energy. How much energy? Enough to travel energy? Enough to travel 40% farther on a gallon of 40% farther on a gallon of gasgas..

AVAILABLE: Prototypecrower.com

SAABSAAB Drawing on its aviation Drawing on its aviation

roots — Saab was founded roots — Saab was founded by aircraft engineers — the by aircraft engineers — the two-seater Saab Aero X is two-seater Saab Aero X is a concept car that might a concept car that might make the future a little make the future a little cleaner. Styled like a jet, cleaner. Styled like a jet, with a cockpit canopy with a cockpit canopy instead of doors, and instead of doors, and fueled by a bioethanol V-6 fueled by a bioethanol V-6 engine, the car suggests a engine, the car suggests a future without future without conventional dials, instead conventional dials, instead displaying information in 3-displaying information in 3-D graphics on its clear D graphics on its clear acrylic dashboard screen.acrylic dashboard screen.AVAILABLE: Sometime down the

roadsaabusa.com/aerox

Tailpipe DreamTailpipe Dream Electric cars are so 2006. Electric cars are so 2006.

French R&D firm MDI French R&D firm MDI signed a deal this year with signed a deal this year with India's largest automaker, India's largest automaker, Tata Motors, to start Tata Motors, to start manufacturing manufacturing compressed-air-technology compressed-air-technology vehicles. These ultra-eco-vehicles. These ultra-eco-friendly cars run on air, and friendly cars run on air, and the only thing they emit is the only thing they emit is colder, cleaner air. Another colder, cleaner air. Another convenient feature: a built-convenient feature: a built-in air compressor can be in air compressor can be plugged in to refill the plugged in to refill the tanks within minutes.tanks within minutes. AVAILABLE: 2009

theaircar.com

Spandex Space SuitSpandex Space Suit With manned space With manned space

exploration in the doldrums, exploration in the doldrums, maybe what NASA needs is maybe what NASA needs is a new outfit for its a new outfit for its astronauts. Enter Dava astronauts. Enter Dava Newman, a professor of Newman, a professor of aeronautics at MIT, who is aeronautics at MIT, who is developing the Bio-Suit. It's developing the Bio-Suit. It's a formfitting space suit a formfitting space suit made of elastic polymers made of elastic polymers that improve mobility. that improve mobility. Because it applies pressure Because it applies pressure directly to the skin instead directly to the skin instead of pressurizing the air of pressurizing the air inside the suit, the way inside the suit, the way today's bulky suits do, it's today's bulky suits do, it's also much lighter. also much lighter.

AVAILABLE: 2016mvl.mit.edu/EVA/biosuit/index.html

A Robot You Can Relate A Robot You Can Relate ToTo

Even a garden-variety Even a garden-variety robot can memorize robot can memorize specific tasks. What specific tasks. What sets Domo apart is its sets Domo apart is its ability to recognize ability to recognize people and to sense people and to sense and respond to its and respond to its surroundings. Created surroundings. Created by MIT's Aaron Edsinger by MIT's Aaron Edsinger and Jeff Weber, the bot and Jeff Weber, the bot can grasp your hands can grasp your hands when you touch its when you touch its spring-loaded ones and spring-loaded ones and can place a cup on a can place a cup on a counter. Its fine-tuned, counter. Its fine-tuned, eerily human eyes can eerily human eyes can see who's watching too.see who's watching too.

AVAILABLE: Prototypepeople.csail.mit.edu/edsinger/domo.htm

Don’t Flinch!Don’t Flinch! How many dimensions How many dimensions

does it take to tell a 1,000-does it take to tell a 1,000-year-old monster epic? year-old monster epic? Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf will slice through three, will slice through three, thanks to innovations in thanks to innovations in digital 3-D. The analog 3-D digital 3-D. The analog 3-D of old couldn't perfectly of old couldn't perfectly sync two images, sync two images, disorienting moviegoers. disorienting moviegoers. Digital's precision has done Digital's precision has done away with the herky-away with the herky-jerkiness and heightened jerkiness and heightened the feeling of being right the feeling of being right there at the tip of there at the tip of Beowulf's blade.Beowulf's blade. AVAILABLE: In theaters Nov. 16

beowulfmovie.com

Blinded by the Light!Blinded by the Light! The hunt for better non-The hunt for better non-

lethal weaponry gained lethal weaponry gained new urgency when several new urgency when several people died in recent years people died in recent years after being shocked by a after being shocked by a Taser. The LED Taser. The LED Incapacitator, funded by Incapacitator, funded by the Department of the Department of Homeland Security, is a Homeland Security, is a novel alternative. When novel alternative. When officers shine the flashlight-officers shine the flashlight-like device in a person's like device in a person's eyes, high-intensity LEDs, eyes, high-intensity LEDs, pulsating at varying rates, pulsating at varying rates, will make the suspect will make the suspect temporarily blind and temporarily blind and dizzy. dizzy.

AVAILABLE: 2008intopsys.com

ATM for BooksATM for Books The Espresso Book MachineThe Espresso Book Machine

—meaning "fast," not coffee—meaning "fast," not coffee—can churn out a 300-page —can churn out a 300-page paperback on demand, paperback on demand, complete with color cover, complete with color cover, in just 3 min. The $50,000 in just 3 min. The $50,000 machine could transform machine could transform libraries into libraries into minibookstores, making minibookstores, making hard-to-find titles as hard-to-find titles as accessible as cappuccinos. accessible as cappuccinos. At $3 a book they might be At $3 a book they might be cheaper too.cheaper too.

Available Nowondemandbooks.com

Good Morning, Good Morning, Sunshine!Sunshine!

Most people hate their Most people hate their alarm clock. That's why alarm clock. That's why Eoin McNally and Ian Eoin McNally and Ian Walton created the glo Walton created the glo Pillow. Embedded with a Pillow. Embedded with a grid of LEDs, it uses nothing grid of LEDs, it uses nothing but light to wake you up. but light to wake you up. About 40 min. before About 40 min. before reveille, the programmable reveille, the programmable foam pillow starts glowing, foam pillow starts glowing, gradually becoming gradually becoming brighter, to simulate a brighter, to simulate a natural sunrise. This helps natural sunrise. This helps set your circadian rhythm set your circadian rhythm and ease you into the day.and ease you into the day.

Available Prototypeembryo.ie/glo/index.html