The idea is to create a system that will let users find open parking spots, and spots about to be open, with their smartphones - and doesn't require hardware to be installed in existing infrastructure. The app will work based on crowd sourced data collected by mobile devices. By monitoring the location and movements of the user, the software will be able to determine when a person has parked and gotten out of their car, as well as when they are approaching their car and drive away. This...

Charge your gadgets on the road or in the woods with a modular backpack that will carry enough charge to power a USB device for up to two weeks. Each module of the backpack will feature a 10,000 mAh battery that will power any USB equipped electronic device. The modules will come in three different sizes - the 10-liter Mini Messenger, the 24-liter Commuter, and the 34-liter Carry-On. The smaller two modules will charge up to two devices, while the larger Carry-On will be able to...

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...

Protect your mobile devices with the USB condom, designed to prevent your phone from having its data stolen at public charging ports. Because the power receptacle on a smartphone is also its data transfer port, plugging in at public places carries some risk of juice-jacking, or having the data stolen. The USB condom will sit between the phone and the power source and control which of the four pins will connect to the charging port. By routing only the power pins and blocking the...

A new smart sock for infants will track the baby's sleeping position and other vitals, allowing nervous parents to get a bit more sleep at night. The sock will be equipped with an array of sensors able to monitor the baby's heart rate, temperature, oxygen levels and sleep position. The data will be sent via Bluetooth to the parent's smartphone, allowing them to keep tabs on their baby without needing to go into the room every few minutes (which is common for new parents). In...

The Night View Assist will identify humans as well as an impressive array of road-wandering animals. Although in-car night-vision systems were developed 13 years ago, they have been limited to identifying only pedestrians. This is because the wide range of animal sizes and shapes makes it much harder to develop a system able to pick them out. To address this problem, the Night View Assist will be developed with a thermal infrared camera that will scan for warm-blooded animals outside of...

The small, clip-on translation device will use one-line translation services to translate in real-time without needing to access a smartphone directly. The device will translate up to 25 languages in real-time. It will be equipped with a microphone, speaker and two buttons to designate the first and second language, and will pair with the user's smartphone via Bluetooth, which will allow it to access pre-existing online translation services. The user will set their native language...

The grassy computer keyboard is designed to make office work a bit less tedious by allowing your fingers an occasional run through the 'grass.' The keyboard features a green grass like material the covers the keyboards surface and gently stimulates the wrists and palms during typing. By using a static electricity hair transplant technique, the fibers of the grass remain upright continuously, and the invigorating texture and pleasing visual design could lead to increased work...

Air travel may soon be a bit less traumatic with the development of laser based system able to detect clear-air turbulence. Not only can clear-air turbulence occur when no clouds are visible, studies indicate that the phenomenon may become even more common due to climate change. To help decrease the dangers of a plane entering an area of clear-air turbulence, I suggest using a laser-based measuring device to detect it. The device will emit short-wave ultraviolet radiation in the...

A new, simpler method of creating smart textiles will involve coating the fibers with silver rather than needing to weave the fibers with conductive materials. The process will be carried out by coating the individual fibers with a 20 nanometer-thick layer of silver. The extremely conductive coating will bond to a wide range of materials while allowing the fibers to remain stretchable and flexible. In contrast, the woven-style smart textile are often less flexible. The silver...