A wireless system for monitoring bridge integrity will transmit minute-by-minute updates and will cost as much as one-hundredth the amount of wired network. The sensors will be made up of four flexible layers and will be less that 5 millimeters thick. The different layers will measure parameters, store energy, transmit the data, and harvest energy from ambient light and radio waves. The sensors will be strong and self-adhesive and will require no wires or batteries since they will...

The idea is to develop a self-healing concrete, which could cut building costs by reducing the amount of steel needed to add structural support. Under strain, concrete will develop cracks that will eventually spread and weaken the structure. Why not mix the spores of limestone-producing bacteria and some nutrients into the concrete material. The spores will remain dormant until they are activated by rainwater, at which time they will eat the nutrients and produce limestone, filling...

The Rain house will be made of a special bio-concrete that will allow it to filter rain water. The concrete will be both PH neutral and bio-compatible with water, which will enable it produce sun-distilled water naturally. Rain water is believed to be the purest source of freshwater, and bio-concrete technology could democratize fresh water supplies by providing access to affordable clean water for small and big scale users, from families to big companies, leaving the...