A new material that harnesses the vibrations from a surface, such as inside a moving vehicle, could allow drivers to charge their phones simply by placing them inside the car. The material is made of a piezoelectric polymer called ployvinylidene fluoride (PVFD). By depositing nanoparticles of zinc oxide onto a thin film of the polymer and the etching them off, it is possible to create pores in the polymer that gave it a sponge-like consistency. It is this spongy consistency that...

A stimulation glove designed for the elderly and stroke victims will help to improve their motor skills and tactile perception. A diminishing sense of touch is common among stoke patients and the aging. To help treat the problem, I suggest developing a glove that will passively stimulate certain nerve cells to improve the communication between neurons.

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...

An implantable device able to provide a real time reading of the amount of medication in a person's bloodstream could allow doctors to fine-tune medication doses for each individual patient. The microfluidic device will feature a central chamber lined with gold electrodes with DNA strands extending from them. These strands, called aptamers, will be set to recognize specific drug molecules as the blood moves through the chamber. As the molecules of the target drug flow through the...

The idea is to use carbon nanotubes to create battery-free 'smart curtains' able to automatically respond to changes in light. The curtains will be developed by laying carbon nanotubes on the surface of a plastic polycarbonate membrane. When the nanotubes absorb light, they will quickly convert it to heat that will then be transferred to the surface of the membrane. This heat will cause the plastic to expand while the nanotube layer will remain unchanged, in turn causing the...

A new early-detection test for malaria will not require a blood sample, and instead will detect the presence of the disease by listening for it. The method will be based on the presence of hemoozion, a nanoparticle produced inside the red blood cell by the malaria parasite. Subjecting the homozoin to a short wave laser pulse will cause it to create a short-lived, vapor nanobubble that will emit a signature sound when it pops. This sound can be picked up by a sensitive acoustic...

The air purifier bike concept will let riders clean the air as they ride by filtering out pollutants and creating oxygen. The concept bike will be equipped with an air filter between the handle bars that will screen pollutants and dust and an oxygen-producing "photosynthesis system" that will include a water tank, electric motor and a battery. As the bike is being ridden, air will be forced through the filter and cleaned, allowing fresh air to flow onto the cyclist. The...

The new lasers technology will involve taking advantage of perovskites, a material made from calcium titanium oxide. Perovskites have the ability to form near-perfect , complex crystalline structures from ready-made solutions and at low temperatures.

The idea is to develop a way to use piezoelectric materials to harness the energy in loud sounds, potentially leading to quieter engines and new way to harness wind power. First approach is to use a piezoelectric material to build a very thin, sensitive membrane of aluminum able to transform sound vibrations into enough electricity to power a small sensor. They it will be possible to attach the membrane to a liner that will quiet the sound of the engine by canceling out certain...

The idea is to develop a system that will use the weight of traffic and pedestrians to generate electricity. The system will consist of an array of sturdy ramp-steps (made of a tire-like polymer) that will be set into the street. The ramps will protrude about two inches above the surface, and will be pushed down momentarily when a car drives over them, which will cause them to exert pressure on a set of bellows below the ramp. The bellows will then expel their air through a hose,...