The counter will attach to IV bags to instantly measure the amount of liquid being dispensed per hour, replacing the more expensive fluid dosing pumps that some remote hospitals are unable to obtain. In poor areas and disaster locations, medical personnel must often count each IV drop manually in order to estimate the dosage being delivered. To reduce this demand on staff, the device will clip easily to the IV tube and count the drops by measuring the changes in light between a LED...

The idea is to create a device that will tackle the fragility of the hard drives and the fee and anonymity of the cloud, allowing users to back up their files to the hard drives of chosen, trusted people. When files are saved to the device, they will also be automatically sent over the internet to the hard drive of selected people. Saved files will be pulled directly from the device or accessed online from anywhere in the world, and the data transferred will always be encrypted...

Instead of the conventional roof-mounted solar panels, the new design concept will feature a flexible, solar cell-embedded façade able to move with the sun and shift positions for maximum energy efficiency. The façade of the house will made up of a network of textile strips embedded with photovoltaic cells. With its two axis solar tracking system, the façade will be able to move to follow the sun and gather the maximum amount of energy. The flexible façade will also be altered to...

A new contact lens-and-glasses system will let you zoom in on something to 2.8 times magnification. The lenses will do the zooming, while the glasses will let you switch between normal and magnified vision. The lens will be made of concentric regions. The middle region will let light through normally, for standard vision. Meanwhile, the edges of the lens will be specially designed to reflect light and magnify it. The final lens will be 1.17 millimeters at its thickest...

Forget fingerprints and iris scans--a new form of biometric identification will use body odor to identify the individual. Every person's individual body odor is unique, and can be used to identify an individual with an accuracy rate of more than 85 percent. The odor-identification method may provide a more subtle alternative to the current biometric techniques like fingerprints and iris scans--techniques that are often associated with criminal records and could cause people to be...

The smart nicotine patch will inject a specific dose of nicotine on demand, helping to prevent cravings and making it easier to stop smoking. Instead of delivering a steady stream of nicotine like conventional nicotine patches, the smart patch will deliver doses that are synchronized with the user's cravings. The system will also be equipped with Bluetooth, which will allow it to send real-time data to smartphones regarding nicotine consumption while also providing a way to control...

The idea is to develop a soluble capsule capable of removing radioactive substances from liquid, rendering it safe to drink. The capsule will be created using metal oxide nanoparticles, which will react with radioactive substances. This will turn the capsule into a kind of "reverse tea bag", drawing the heavy metals out of the solution. Once the process is complete, the capsule will be removed and discarded and the liquid consumed safely.

The new device makes cycling safer, and perhaps more stylish, by putting the rearview mirror on the rider's wrist. The device features a small convex mirror attached to a small, metal, snap bracelet. To use, the cyclist simply lifts their wrist to check the street behind. The wrist mirror is safer to use because it eliminates the impulse to turn the wheel to check behind while also providing a wider field of view.

A hearing aid that transmits sound to the inner ear by sending vibrations through the skull could restore some hearing in people suffering from problems in the middle ear. Most hearing aids are designed for people with problems of the inner ear, and previous bone conduction-based hearing aids require the implant to be anchored in the skull bone using a titanium screw that protrudes from the skin. In comparison, the new bone conduction implant, which measures just under six...

A pedal-powered generator with a removable battery will be designed to power smartphones or other USB devices. The generator will be lightweight, low-profile and easy to install on most standard bicycle frames. Its magnetic rotors will harness the kinetic energy of the moving bike, sending the charge either directly to a USB device or storing it in the detachable battery pack. The 500mA charge rate generated by the generator will be the same as the USB 2.0 output from a computer,...