Why not use sunlight and ethanol to create hydrogen at ambient temperature and pressure? This could make production less expensive while delivering higher yields. The process will involve mixing a powdered form of a photocatalyst and ethanol in a container and then agitating the substances while they are exposed to ultraviolet light. A semiconductor inside the container will generate electrons, which will be captured by gold nanoparticles in the catalyst and react with the alcohol...

Why not develop a smartphone app which will work with metal detectors to help the hunt for unexploded land mines? The app will be able to detect and draw the outline of the buried land mine. The app will work with existing metal detectors, and provide a more exact visual of the shape and size of the mine. This will allow the minesweepers to differentiate mines from cans, wires, and other debris.

The idea is to develop a head worn device that will interpret facial movements and translate them into speech. The system will consist of small magnets inside the mouth and on the tongue which will create a magnetic field. Sensors attached to the headset will be able to detect changes in the field and translate the motion into words. The device could also be improved by developing magnets that can be implanted in the tongue, as well as reducing the headset to the size of a...

I've just found out that there is a material, made out of graphite, as thin as a sheet of paper and 10 times stronger than a sheet of steel. The graphene paper is created by milling and purifying raw graphite in a chemical bath, which changes its structure and allows it to be pressed into sheets. The thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties of the sheets allow them to have a wide range of applications in many industries, such as automotive and aviation, with the added...

A new technology is able to use ordinary light to create holographic images, opening to door to 3D displays without the need for special screens or glasses. The new technology will use the diffraction of free electrons on thin metal films. When the electrons are excited by incoming protons, they begin to emit colored light at a specific wavelength. These excited electrons will emit a different color of light depending upon the angle of the incoming proton, and bouncing this light...

The idea is to create a glucose sensor for diabetes sufferers which will use tear fluid instead of blood. This may soon eliminate the need for finger pricks. The device will be able to take a sample of tear fluid by a painless dab at the corner of the eye. The device's sensor will measure the amount of glucose in the tear sample which is supposed to be very similar to the amount of glucose in blood. Image: A - screen-printed electrical leads, B - an insulating layer, C - a...

It will be really great to have a robot which will be able not only detect motion through walls but also detect the breathing of a stationary person? Its primary goal will be to provide improved situational awareness to soldiers while keeping them out of danger. The robot could also be used in the civilian sector, allowing police and firefighters to locate people within buildings. The robot will travel on caterpillar tracks while the mounted RF scanner will transmit wideband...

I suppose that microscopic worms could do a better job of detecting explosives than X-ray machines, metal detectors or bomb sniffing dogs. The tiny nematodes, known as Caenorhabditis elegans, have little scent organs on the sides of their mouths. Why not extract the receptors from the amphids and incorporate them into a device (so called bomb sniffing machine).

Why not create an electronic lamp which dynamically matches the color of whatever it stands on? It would be some kind of chameleon lamp :). The lamp would light the surface underneath it with two hidden white LEDs and then use an optical sensor to determine the correct color. It would match this color by adjusting the shade of numerous multi-color LEDs imbedded in its frame.

Online shopping is based on trust. A buyer should believe that a real picture of a commodity is displayed in the Internet, all disadvantages are enumerated and the price isn't overstated. This idea with people to help you to make sure that everything is OK with the stuff you are going to purchase is really awesome. Just imagine: you are going to buy a car / boat / real estate but you are lazy to go to the other end of the country and examine the possible purchase; then you find a...