Tag: Mobility

An electric one-seater offers people with limited mobility freedom of movement at the airport. But what if steering is impossible? Enter a Canadian startup which has developed smart earbuds for people with a range of disabilities. Integrated gyroscopic and muscle and brainwave sensors capture the smallest head movements made by the wearer. Like a language, these micro-gestures - a...

New schools are being built from old plastic; new chipboard from the waste from cocoa crops. Now, two graduates from Denver University want to do something about the 80 million used tyres residing nearby. They have reversed the thermoplastic process by which rubber is made into synthetic plastic. During the so-called devulcanization process, toxins and sulphur components are broken...

Maintaining a low room temperature can reduce MS symptoms. During chemotherapy, meanwhile, a cool head can - literally - help prevent hair loss. The blood vessels under the scalp constrict in the cold, meaning they are reached by fewer chemicals. Minimising damage to the roots. Hair loss is one of the most feared side-effects associated with chemo, and existing...

Seawater provides for nomads and makes lamps shine bright. Miniature wind turbines in the ocean are equally productive. A Swedish company is using waves of 50 cm and higher to generate electricity. For environmental reasons, floating elements are attached to old jetties or breakwaters, and then connected with hydraulic pistons. The biodegradable liquid in the pistons is compressed by...

Gyro Gearloose was famous for his inventions. Take the amazing bread-buttering machine. How owls might have inspired him is anyone’s guess. Cue the latest design from an Alabama-based company that could have the potential to revolutionize the aviation industry. Its prototype has two engines mounted to the rear rather than under the wings. Its three pairs of wings are...

It’s an ingredient that’s already been used to make vodka. Not potatoes – but the gas responsible for global warming. A Swiss-based start-up is using clean energy to extract CO2 from the air already. The aviation industry accounts for 3% of all CO2 emissions worldwide. Since battery-operated airplanes won’t take to the skies on the fly, the industry is...

Spiders or mice can make us jump instinctively. Butterflies, meanwhile, use a special technique to escape their enemies. First they bend their wings upwards to gather air. Next their wings collide to push the air out backwards, enabling rapid acceleration. The downward stroke keeps the insects in the air. Through the use of high-speed cameras in wind tunnels researchers...

Vegetables rich in vitamins, fresh air and puzzles... all help to keep our minds active. And when we get out on the bike, we want our brains to be protected against spaghetti junctions and speeding trucks. With its ingenious new helmet concept a German design firm has its sights set on improving safety for cyclists everywhere. Intelligent, energy self-sufficient...