Designed to address aging population and dwindling labor force, the ankle-worn assist device will help to keep the elderly more active. The device will be made up of a pair of sensor-equipped, robotic boots and a waist-worn battery pack. Sensors in the sole of the boot will detect when the heel makes contact with the ground, triggering the robotics to add a boost to help maintain forward momentum throughout the leg. Designed to be easily adjustable and minimally restrictive, the...

A new airbag system for skiers will protect the wearer from falls on hard snow at high speeds. The airbag system will feature an array of accelerometers and sensors will detect when the skier is falling and trigger the inflation mechanism. A CO2 canister inflated the bags within 100 milliseconds, protecting the skier's chest, neck and back. The system could also be made customizable, allowing the user to choose additional airbags, such as ones for the waist or hips.

The foldable helmet will be able to expand in order to accommodate different head sizes. The helmet will feature a lateral middle section bracketed by two side sections. The side sections can be pulled out and locked in place to create the best fit while still meeting the ski helmet safety standards. As an added bonus, the expandable design will provide good ventilation and allow the helmet to pack down more compactly for transport.

The idea is to develop a hybrid dandelion that could one day have us driving around on dandelion tires. The roots of the dandelion contain latex, the source for natural rubber, but most dandelions are far too small to be used in commercial production. To create a version with a fatter root and higher yield, I suggest crossing the Russian dandelion with the common dandelion. No genetic modification will be used, instead DNA profiling technologies will be applied by analyzing...

The device will alert ice-anglers via smartphone when a fish has taken the bait. The device will be a wireless transmitter that will attach to the ice fishing tip-up, a spring-loaded metal arm that pop up a flag when a fish is on the line. Although the flag will signal a bite, ice fishers must constantly check the holes to see if a flag is up, and too much delay could allow the fish to escape. The device will eliminate the need for visual checks by sending a smartphone alert when a...

The idea is to have a material able to regulate heat above a certain temperature, which could reduce the costs of heating and cooling buildings. The non-deformed storage phase change material will able to absorb heat above a pre-determined temperature and release it when the temperature drops below a certain point. The material will be applied as a microscopic film to the surfaces of buildings, and can be formed into an array of shapes and sizes. The material could reduce...

The BallCam will give footfall fans a new angle on the game by capturing smooth video from a football as it spins through the air. The camera will be inserted into a hole cut in the side of the ball. The system will be unique as the algorithm will process the video from a ball spinning at up to 600 rpm. The algorithm will be designed to monitor for and discard video frames that show only the sky. When the remaining frames are stitched together, the result will be a relatively...

I suggest using magnets to guide self-driving cars on the road, which I believe will overcome some of the limitations of GPS and cameras. GPS and cameras can have difficulty performing in some conditions, such as fog or tunnels. In contrast, the magnet system will not require visibility or a line of sight to operate. The magnetic track adds other benefits as well, such as allowing the lanes to be narrowed and preventing accidental plowing of snow-covering objects.

The idea is to develop a way to detect diseases by analyzing a person's specific 'breathprint.' While the potential usefulness of analyzing breath for medical diagnosis has been known (remember the cancer-sniffing dogs?), it is rarely done in professional medicine because the results can be too general. To help fine-tune the process, I suggest using a mass spectrometer to detect the individual chemicals and elements in the exhaled breath. This will allow to gather specific details...

The Rain house will be made of a special bio-concrete that will allow it to filter rain water. The concrete will be both PH neutral and bio-compatible with water, which will enable it produce sun-distilled water naturally. Rain water is believed to be the purest source of freshwater, and bio-concrete technology could democratize fresh water supplies by providing access to affordable clean water for small and big scale users, from families to big companies, leaving the...