Design
The toilet you only clean once a year
An "intelligent" toilet that opens when you approach it and self-cleans with every flush is on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It also cleans the user with an aerated wand, which delivers warm water and warm air "from a seated position", a spokeswoman said. Despite a $9,800 Read More...
Let's hide wind turbines under bridges
The spaces under our highway infrastructure are the perfect place to gather extra wind power. As wind power quickly spreads—thanks to the fact that it's now cheaper than coal in some places—it usually ends up in sprawling wind farms. But some designers are hoping that it will start to Read More...
The nature lover’s guide to cyber security
Biomimicry is catching on in the cyber security field as engineers take inspiration from nature to develop improved technologies for protecting data and thwarting cyber crime. Imitation is readily acknowledged as the sincerest form of flattery—except among innovation purists. No one wants to Read More...
Airbus and Qatar Airways debut a carbon fiber plane that curbs jet lag
From labyrinthine security checkpoints to cramped seats and scant overhead storage space, air travel ranks among the most grueling experiences out there (unless you're one of the rarefied few who spring for first class). With its A350 XWB jet, Airbus integrates the latest design and engineering Read More...
Revolutionary rear-access 'shell' design could make motorcycles far safer
Motorcycle helmets have been around for almost a century, yet their design never deviated from the pull on-pull off type with a chinstrap to secure in place. Australian Vozz Helmets introduces a revolutionary design that renders straps obsolete – and has a few more tricks up its sleeve as Read More...
Reengineered brick can keep buildings cool
This clay brick from a pair of Colombian architects shows that material innovation doesn't always have to be high-tech. When Colombian architects Miguel Niño and Johanna Navarro set out to re-engineer the brick, they did so through the lens of sustainability. They wanted to create a mass Read More...
Plastic-bottle homes are popping up to shelter the homeless
Water bottles are a major pollutant of our world, but communities around the world are finding ways to put discarded bottles to good use. Throughout Africa and Latin America, communities are repurposing these bottles to provide shelter for the homeless. People collect discarded bottles, fill them Read More...
Tetris House takes modular homes to a different level
Have you ever wanted to change the layout of your house? Well, a new concept from Universe Architecture will let you do so simply and with relative ease. Tetris House is a modular system of blocks that can slot together in a number of different arrangements. Residents can also attach accessories to Read More...
This life-changing, low-cost artificial knee is on the market after years of design
The ReMotion Knee lets people in the developing world share some of our advanced prosthetic technology, but at a price you can afford if you make $4 a day. After he lost his leg in a traffic accident, Sonu Kumar, a 20-year-old electrician in Jaipur, India, was one of the first people to test an Read More...
Adidas uses plastic ocean waste to create a 3D-printed shoe
Back in June, Adidas revealed a shoe made almost entirely from recycled ocean waste. That product marked the beginning of a partnership between the sportswear firm and Parley, an organization trying to combat ocean pollution worldwide. Now, Adidas is taking this one step further: its new design Read More...