New wound care material will be made of human skin, which will provide an ideal scaffold for the patient's own, healing cells. The material will be made of donor skin that will be decellularized (removed of all skin cells and traces of DNA). This process will allow the basic structure of the extracellular matrix to remain, resulting in a scaffold the patient's own cells can attach to for faster healing. The material will not need to be refrigerated or rehydrated and will be...

The idea is to create a sensor which will be permanently placed in an individual's eye to help monitor and manage glaucoma. People at risk of developing glaucoma are often required to have their eye pressure checked many times throughout the year. However, eye pressure can vary throughout the day, and even checks throughout the year may not indicate the disease when it is in its early stages. To help make monitoring eye pressure easier, and more constant, a low-power sensor...

The idea is to develop a motion-tracking heating system that will synchronize a building's climate control as individuals walk by. The WiFi-based system will be mounted on the ceiling, where its panels of infrared bulbs will work with an array of mirrors and motors to project heat directly onto the individuals--instead of needing to heat the entire building.

The vest will combine the technology of driverless cars with the natural skills of bats and pit vipers to help the visually impaired navigate. The system will feature a vest equipped with sensors and emitters that will be arranged to provide 360 degrees of detection. The system will include a LiDAR laser, which is used in driverless cars; ultrasound, used by bats for echo-location; and infrared, used by pit vipers for thermal location, which combine to deliver extremely effective...

The idea is to take smartphone technology on the road with a new smart bike concept, which will even feature a rear view camera. The technology will be centered around a smartphone that will attach to the handlebars with a magnetic mount. The phone will control the bike's components, which will include a WiFi/Bluetooth module and four laser projectors that will delineate a bike lane, and also display the real-time video stream from the camera mounted on the rear of bike.

A new laser-based method of treating cavities could replace fillings by encouraging the tooth's dentin to grow back naturally. The method could be developed around the idea that specific wavelengths of light can trigger the body's healing properties. Beaming a dose of specifically-tuned laser light at a hole drilled in a tooth will set off a chain reaction that stimulate the stem cells to turn into dentin. This 'low-level light therapy' could also be used to trigger stem...

An implanted device that will electrically stimulate the spinal cord could allow people paralyzed by spinal injuries to learn to walk again. The device will be made up of thin, flexible microelectrodes that will be implanted in the spinal cord to stimulate its nerve pathways with electrical impulses. This stimulation will trigger the nerve roots to "provoke motion sequences of movements and support the motor function," potentially allowing the patient to learn to walk again. ...

The idea is to have a lighting system that will mimic the sun's movement and the temperature of sunlight to provide some sun-drenched relief to office workers and apartment dwellers. The surface of the system will be enhanced by nano-technology to replicate the same light-scattering process as the atmosphere (which creates our blue sky). When LED lights are placed behind these panels, the result will be a realistic 'skylight' that can add natural light to hard-to-reach interior...

The portable wind turbine puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand, packing a 15W generator into its small, lightweight frame. The turbine folds into an impressively portable 12-inch cylinder for transport or storage, and can be easily set up once on location. Its three, 11-inch aluminum legs can be extended and arranged to create a tripod base or laid flat to form a pedestal, allowing the turbine to harness the wind and charge its 15,000 mAh battery. Smartphones and...

A newly developed method of ensuring paint layers have been properly applied could help prevent rust as well as diagnose the early signs of skin cancer. The system will emit a beam of terahertz-frequency radiation into the paint, where it will penetrate the paint layers without causing damage. As the beam moves through the layers, it will be reflected back at different intensities of light, which will reveal the thickness of the paint layers and allow the technician to determine if...