Demine Robotics wanted a safer and faster way to clear the 60 to 100 million landmines left in the world. In response, they built an unmanned excavation robot prototype that makes demining safer and faster. Currently, methods to clear up landmines in war-stricken countries is a major feat, since many are hidden in farmlands, school…
Electric Skateboards Integrate Bendy Batteries for Better Turns
Evolve’s electric skateboards have impressed many with their unique designs and ability to take chances. Now, the GTR Series of skateboards will contain many features Evolve’s other models have, but with one twist: a bendy battery. The new GTR line integrates the same powertrain technology, with twin 1,500-W motors that are hooked up to the…
To the Beat of Your Own Cardboard Drum
Cardboard is fun for making playhouses and Batmobiles, but they’re quite self-destructive and don’t last too long. Now, Signal Snowboards is redesigning cardboard to create a working drum kit in collaboration with Ernest Packaging and Masters of Maples founder Sahir Hanif. Signal started the project over two years ago and has finally brought the cardboard…
Electronic Tongue Designed to Test Spicy Foods for Us
Those who have a high tolerance for spicy foods may be able to win their local chili-eating contest, but eating spicy foods wears out our taste buds. This can be a hurdle for people who make and sell spicy foods to individuals who want a little kick to their meal. Now, Washington State University has…
Adventure Shovel Contains 18 Tools in One
Shovels have one job: to dig. For such a simplistic product, EST Gear sure is making it into a much more elaborate piece of gear. Now, the EST Shovel features 18 tools-in-one with what appears to be a shovel on the outside but consists of a saw, axe, knife, spear, bottle opener, fire starter, wire-cutter,…
Goodbye Foam Coolers, Hello Biodegradable Coolers
A single-use cooler, such as the Styrofoam box cooler, may seem like an easy-to-use, disposable item, but in fact, it’s terrible for our environment. This non-biodegradable cooler is an outdoor accessory many utilize while fishing or camping, but it is so environmentally unfriendly that some government bodies have banned its sale, according to New Atlas.…
Flap-Free Aircraft Demonstrates Breakthrough in Aircraft Design with Blown Air
An aircraft is making aviation history. Now, the first aircraft has been maneuvered using supersonically blown air, removing the need for complex movable flight control surfaces. In a series of flight tests in Wales, BAE Systems’ MAGMA unmanned aerial vehicle demonstrated two innovative flow control technologies that could change the future of aircraft design. MAGMA…
Shrinky Dinks Inspire Stronger Grippers
Shrinky Dinks may be a thing of our childhood past, but now, scientists are using them as the basis for their research. Shrinky Dinks—sheets of polystyrene plastic that kids can draw on and cook to make jewelry, toys, and more—are being used to make durable grippers that could be the foundation of future materials or…
‘Walk on Water’ with This Segway-Like Electric Craft
Japanese company Yanmar has posed a new idea that involves a Segway-like device riding on water. Called the Wheeebo, the floating disc is due to be released next year at a price that’s still unknown. In order to control the device, individuals riding the Wheeebo simply shift their body weight in the direction they want…
Squid Skin Inspires Trendy Material for Blanket, Clothes, and Buildings
Squid skin is inspiring engineers in the design of an adaptive space blanket. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a space blanket that provides users with the ability to control their temperature. “Ultra-lightweight space blankets have been around for decades—you see marathon runners wrapping themselves in them to prevent the loss of body…
Aircraft Powered by Variable-Buoyancy Propulsion Takes Flight
With a team effort, the first ever large-scale aircraft powered by variable buoyancy propulsion was developed and flown. Dubbed the Phoenix, it is designed to repeatedly transition from being lighter than air to being heavier than air so thrust is generated to propel the craft. The team includes a partnership of universities and companies, and…
Using Wood to Protect Wood from Catching Fire
Although many of our homes and buildings are constructed from wood, wood is not immune to catching on fire, but that may be changing with a spray-applied retardant coating. The spray- or brush-applied coating is made from nanocellulose, which is suited for improving fire properties of wood-based materials. Ultimately, this reduces the access of oxygen…
Colossal Concrete Slabs are Easily Rocked and Rolled
Moving elements twice our size is no easy feat. But now, the future of construction may be easier with “Walking Assembly.” The video below shows two men moving two massive concrete structures, without any trucks, gear, or lifts. Despite some innate doubt, these structures are indeed concrete masonry units and were made in collaboration with…
SUV of the Sky Completes First Flight Out of Ground Effect
Now in the skies over Eggemoen Technology Park in Norway is Equator Aircraft’s P2 Xcursion prototype aircraft. The hybrid, electric, and automated craft is said to contribute to the sustainable future of the air. Previously, the airplane flew in June 2018 at low-altitudes, but on March 30, the craft went on its first full flight…
Redesigning the Fire Extinguisher to Suck Fire in Space
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Toyohashi University of Technology has developed an unusual fire extinguisher that sucks flames and burning materials into a vacuum chamber. Once safely captured inside the chamber, the flames and materials are suffocated or extinguished. Dubbed Vacuum Extinguish Method (VEM), the reverse concept extinguisher is geared toward special environments that…
Prime Minister Announces Architecture Competition to Replace Notre-Dame Spire
Many watched the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral light up in flames on Monday, but there has been no hesitation in rectifying this tragedy. Now, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced plans to launch an international architecture competition to replace the spire, according to New Atlas. Although the Notre-Dame de Paris is approximately 850 years…
Bringing a See-Through, BMW-Inspired Bike to Fruition
Alan Stulberg and his team from the Revival Cycles shop have created a custom bike for a prototype two-cylinder boxer engine. The bike is a one-of-a-kind with 134 nine-millimeter titanium rods that create an intricate lattice structure. Dubbed the Birdcage, the bike is inspired by BMW motorcycles from the 1930s and racecars from the early…
Unbreakable Guitar Can’t be Smashed
As much as guitarists love their instruments, fans are often scrambling to collect shattered guitar pieces at concerts because a musician smashed their guitar in the moment of a song. In an attempt to save the numerous guitars out there, Henrik Loikkanen, machining process developer at Sandvik Coromant, has created an “unbreakable, all-metal guitar,” according…
Designing a Chair with an Artificial Intelligence Partner
Kartell, a company who transforms design and integrates redesign into new products, is presenting an artificial intelligence (AI) chair in collaboration with designer Philippe Starck and Autodesk, a producer of 3D engineering and entertainment software. This creative thinking has brought to fruition the AI chair, a chair that has been co-designed with a computer. “Kartell,…
Concrete Pillars Use Stick-On Wraps to Extend Structure’s Lifespan
Concrete pillars may be able to take comfort from stick-on wraps in order to prevent further cracking and extend a structure’s lifespan. Developed by the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU), and JTC, these ready-to-stick wraps help repair concrete structures. The new technology could be fundamental for urban cities to rehabilitate their older structures, such as…
Air-Breathing Rocket Engine Passes First Phase of Testing with Flying Colors
SABRE, an air-breathing rocket engine, as successfully passed the first phase of its high-temperature testing, making it one step closer to being in the air. Precooler technology will enable a variety of high-speed flight and advanced propulsion systems. Created by Reaction Engines, the precooler heat exchanger passed with flying colors as the first phase consisted…
Dismantling Nuclear Bomb Video Evokes Conversation About a Safer World
Although dismantling a nuclear bomb isn’t on many of our resumes, it’s on Smriti Keshari’s list of skills as she hopes to evoke conversation about making our world safer. In the video below, two hands disassemble a model of a Minuteman III missile. The video was created by the Outrider Foundation, an educational nonprofit, that…
Company has BIG Ideas for Floating, Underwater City
The architecture for buildings has reached new heights by incorporating new technological elements that are both aesthetic yet bizarre. The Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG), who has already designed floating architecture, is planning on expanding their design plans. BIG has teamed up with Oceanix and MIT’s Center for Ocean Engineering and has revealed a plan for…
Underwater Glue Addresses Sticky Situation
Sticking things together underwater is no easy feat; water is often a glue’s worst enemy. Now, scientists from Wageningen University and Research have created an injectable adhesive that can bond to surfaces underwater. Often, water weakens the mechanical properties of an adhesive and prohibits any good, solid contact with the surface. This has been a…
Transparent Wood Offers Eco-Friendly Alternative to Building Material
A new type of transparent wood that transmits light, and absorbs and releases heat could provide modern architecture with a new way to save on energy costs. The material can withstand heavy loads and is biodegradable, pertinent to being used in eco-friendly homes. The researchers are presenting their results at the American Chemical Society (ACS)…