A new paint able to show areas of strain could help alert engineers to areas of compression and stress. The "strain paint" is made up of nanotubes that, when damaged, will glow under near-IR light. The paint can map stress in any direction across a large area, allowing an inspector on the ground to create a strain map of an aircraft wing simply by using a handheld IR spectrometer. The coating could also be used on spacecraft, allowing astronauts and automated systems to check...

A new method of manufacturing blue jeans is making them greener while saving energy and materials. The advanced denim process will reduce the amount of water necessary to make a pair of jeans by up to 92 percent while also generating 87 percent less cotton waste, and producing less greenhouse gasses and waste-water. The process will use a single dyeing vat and replace conventional indigo dyes with eco-advanced liquid sulfur dyes that will require only one sugar-based reducing...

The Robo-Fish is designed for constant monitoring of marine pollution, detecting sources of contamination and relaying the information back to shore for real-time updates. The 1.5 meter device is based upon the hydro-dynamic shape and motions of an actual fish, which allows it to maneuver quickly and easily, even in weedy areas. It can detect contaminants with an array of micro-sensors, and, since it is constantly monitoring the area, send an alert immediately if it detects...

New software will help disaster victims find the safest areas of shelter after an earthquake. The software will use existing home broadband routers to determine which structures are still standing in a particular area. That information will then converted to data that can be displayed on Google Maps, providing a real time mapping of disaster areas.

The new device will detect when you're feeling overworked and modify the work load to remove some of the stress. The device will consist of a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) sensor worn strapped to the forehead and able to analyze brain patterns to determine when a person is multitasking. The system could eventually be used to warn people when they appear distracted or aid workers who typically handle several tasks at once.

The new application will help ease (or feed) the fears of people worried about their exposure to radiation through cell-phone use. The application will use the mobile phone's own internal mechanisms and a patent-pending technology to determine the amount of radiation output and user exposure. The system will analyze the data and send alerts when levels are high, and will offer suggestions as to how to reduce radiation exposure.

A self-cleaning glass is said to be both glare-free and anti-fogging, which could lead to better optical devices and more efficient solar panels. The glass is made of thin layers of deposited material selectively removed to form a surface of tiny cones. This cone pattern prevents glare while also repelling water, bouncing the droplets and reflections off the angled walls.

A paper strip test will be able to detect E. coli in water and indicate whether the water is safe for swimming. The strips will be coated with chemicals that change color in the presence of E. coli. They will be printed using conventional inkjet printer technology. Results will be returned within 30 minutes, with different colors representing the different concentrations and types of bacteria in the sample. It could be possible to create strips capable of indicating water...

The new "smog eating" panels will be designed to be attached to the exterior walls of a building, where they will absorb pollutants from the air. The panels will be coated with titanium dioxide, which will break down pollutants into harmless matter when exposed to direct sunlight. The matter will then be washed away at the next rainfall. 10,000 square feet of panels are supposed to clean the same amount of air as about 80 trees.

The new bottle is supposed to encourage environmental awareness by allowing the user to keep track of how many plastic bottles they have saved from the landfill. The bottle features a stainless steel canister with an integrated, rubberized dial that lets the user mark off each plastic bottle saved at each refill. It also includes an iPhone app that can translate the saved plastic bottles into oil savings or allow the user to track progress collectively with friends.