The digital signpost will be designed to give visitors information about specific events or locations, and will base its data off Twitter feeds and other social networks. The sign will feature three, arrow-shaped, LED-equipped screens that will pivot around the post. Users will be able to select the information they need, such as "Food" or "Transit" from an interface at eye-level, and the signs will move to point in the direction of the desired location. Since the data is digital, the...

A new LED street lamp design will help curb light pollution. Most street lamps use lamps that spill light in unnecessary directions, such as upwards into the sky. In contrast, the new LED street lamp design will feature LED lights mounted within a small housing and covered by a lens and diffusing layer. The lens will keep the light from scattering, the housing will reflect any spilled light back to the ground, and the diffuser will help to reduce glare. Because fewer lamps...

The new wrap-around sunglasses will be separated into two parts, making them more compact and easier to carry in a pants pocket. The frames of the sports sunglasses will be made from a flexible thermoplastic and include impact- and scratch resistant lenses made with polarized cores and 100 percent UV protection. They will stand out from conventional glasses with their rail system that will allow the lenses to be separated so one lens can fit inside the other. The earpieces will also...

The idea is to develop self-healing wires able to reconnect at the molecular level even after being completely severed. The self-healing wires will be made from a commercially-available self-healing polymer. Tiny microfluidic channels will be bored in the polymer using solid wire, and then the channels will be filled with a liquid-metal alloy of indium and gallium, resulting in a liquid-metal wire in an elastic sheath. If the wires are cut, the liquid metal will oxidize to form...

The shocking alarm clock concept will help zap you into wakefulness by delivering a small shock when you turn off the alarm. The clock will include an integrated music player controlled by a touchscreen interface--allowing users to wake up in the more traditional manner. However, those who need an extra boost can activate the optional electrical shock mode, which will deliver a pulse of a few millivolts when the user touches the clock to turn off the alarm. That small harmless jolt...

A new biological concrete able to support plant life could lead to a new generation of vertical gardens while eliminating the need for soil or complex hydroponic systems. The multilayer concrete replaces the traditional Portland cement with magnesium phosphate cement, which is slightly acidic. The acidity level creates a good environment for plants such as fungi, lichens and mosses. The concrete also consists of three layers: a waterproofing layer on top of the structural layer; the...

A new plastic able to flex while also resisting scratches could replace the glass currently used on smartphones. The plastic is made up of two separate layers--one that gives strength and another that resists fingerprints. The display has a pencil hardness of 9H and is not scratched even when scraped with 7 pounds of pressure from steel wool. In addition, the flexibility helps prevent the material from shattering if dropped and allows for a bendable display.

The air umbrella will keep the user dry without any canvas or fabric at all. The umbrella will feature a single plastic stick and no moving parts. Air will be sucked through the bottom of the stick's handle and will be expelled forcibly through the top to create a canopy of rain-deflecting air. The size of the air canopy can be modified by the user, and the handle of the air umbrella can also be lengthened or shortened as needed.

The umbrella features an adjustable grip, letting the user get a handle on strong winds and rain. It allows the user to hold the umbrella higher on the shaft, which is sometimes necessary when fighting strong winds. The adjustable grip is positioned above a standard, fixed grip, and can be moved and secured anywhere on the shaft with a lever/lock mechanism. The umbrella is up to 70 percent easier to control in high winds than standard umbrellas, and the higher grip option also causes...

The new display card will feature an LCD display and touch-sensitive buttons, which will help make online banking and buying a bit smoother. The display card will allow the user to create a One-Time Password (OTP) for added authentication. Because many banks require a separate method of identification for online or high-risk transfers, the new card will help streamline the online banking process by eliminating the need for a separate authentication token. It is believed that the...