10 Innovations 2010

10 in '10: Innovations

By Ilya Leybovich

 

Inventors kept busy last year, creating a wealth of new devices to entice consumers, advance the boundaries of science or help those in need. Here we look at 10 of the top engineering and science innovations from the past year.
While lingering recessionary effects continue to affect research and development funding and many businesses have scaled back on their innovation initiatives, major advances were made in the fields of science and engineering last year. From sophisticated electronics to remarkable structural engineering projects and materials breakthroughs, 2010 proved that limited budgets cannot stop the march of scientific progress...



The Probability Chip
Computers have traditionally processed data using a code of ones and zeroes, but computing technology firm Lyric Semiconductor has developed the first microchip that also relies on values between one and zero. This means it can process information using probabilities, weighing numerous possible answers to a query in order to determine the best one. The powerful new chip has the potential to dramatically speed up online searches, improve spam filtering and enhance human genome sequencing. The revolutionary new product is expected to enter the consumer electronics market in about two years. (Source: Inc.com)
The 3-D Bio-Printer
There's already been a great deal of excitement about 3-D printing technology, but what about a printing system that can produce biological material? Biotech firm Organovo and instrument manufacturer Invetech have invented a device that uses two printheads: one sprays a gel that forms a sort of scaffolding for an organ; and another fills it in with living cells, essentially printing out tissue on demand. The printing tip can position cells with micron-scale accuracy, without waiting for a donor and without risk of rejection because the cells used are from the patients themselves. (Source: TIME)
Fuel-Efficiency Gets Affordable
Standard internal combustion engines experience "pumping losses" caused by the throttle plate that regulates airflow into the cylinders, resulting in a roughly 10 percent loss of potential power. Although electronically controlled intake valves can reduce these losses, they have typically been too complex and expensive for mass applications. Now, Italian automaker Fiat says its new Multiair engine can deliver the same power efficiency, cutting down on fuel consumption and emissions, in a simple and affordable design. The technology is so cost-efficient it will soon be incorporated into millions of cars from Fiat and its partner Chrysler Motor Co., beginning in 2011. (Source: Popular Science)
The Portable Ventilator
In the U.S., approximately 95 percent of ventilators, which keep critically ill patients breathing, are currently in use, meaning that in case of a large-scale emergency there might not be enough life support systems to go around. A state-of-the-art ventilator can cost a hospital up to $40,000, making it impractical for every clinic to keep one in stock. Fortunately, a team of researchers from Stanford University developed the OneBreath, a low-cost ventilator that runs on a 12-volt battery and is smaller than a toolbox so it can be transported quickly between locations. The device can be finely adjusted to meet individual needs and will be reviewed by the FDA in the fall. (Source: Popular Science)
A Flexible Super Putty
Imagine a new material that could be used to easily repair or modify aging gadgets instead of having to throw them away. This is the essence of Sugru, a flexible, curable, sticky form of silicone designed to let people "hack things better." Lead by inventor Jane ni Dhulchaointigh, it took the development team five years to achieve the required features for Sugru: it is moldable by hand, waterproof, curable at room temperature, rigid but flexible after curing and able to adhere to nearly any surface. Sugru represents a new class of silicone, known as Formerol, which can be used for anything from fixing a cracked computer casing to waterproofing a basket. (Source: MIT Technology Review)
The Water Blade
Roadside bombs pose a serious threat to active servicemen and -women, even those wearing a protective suit. Steve Todd, an engineer at Sandia National Laboratories and a retired Navy SEAL, wanted to provide a faster and safer way to disable improvised explosive devices. He came up with the "fluid blade displacement tool," a blade made out of water that can cut through a bomb instantly and precisely. Dubbed the Stingray, the clear plastic device uses a small explosive charge to propel water through a concave opening where it ejects outward in a thin blade, though the process requires significantly less explosive than is traditionally needed to neutralize a bomb. The Stingray is sand- and grit-resistant, small, light and, because most soldiers carry water with them, easily deployable. (Source: MIT Technology Review)
An Invulnerable Airport
A 1999 earthquake in Turkey killed approximately 17,000 people, many of them in seismically unsound buildings. Last year, global design firm Arup completed construction on a new international airport in Istanbul designed to withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake, making it the largest earthquake-ready structure in the world. The airport's resistance level derives from 300 rubber-and-steel seismic isolators, which are essentially springs 12 to 60 inches long that enable horizontal movement in the area between the building and the ground. The unprecedented number of isolators allows the structure to shift without cracking during all but the most severe of earthquakes. (Source: Popular Science)
The Over-the-Ear Camera
Wearing a camera over your ear could become the standard for the future of personal recording. Really. Invented by a parent who was frustrated with fumbling with video cameras while trying to record children's birthday parties, the Looxcie is a sleek, wearable camera that records everything the user sees for up to five hours, hands-free. It gets even more high-tech: with the press of a button, a short clip of what you just filmed can be uploaded to Facebook, YouTube or a preset e-mail address. (Source: TIME)
The Nuclear Bomb Detector
Our planet is bombarded every day by an enormous number of cosmic particles known as muons. These particles are more often deflected by heavier atoms in denser elements, such as plutonium and uranium, rather than lighter atoms. Researchers at security technology company Decision Sciences have harnessed this knowledge to develop the first commercial nuclear-material detector. The device analyzes particle deflection patterns to determine whether a container has a nuke inside it. It can scan an entire truck in less than a minute, and is faster and more reliable than X-ray scanners while also being able to see through steel and lead. (Source: Popular Science)

Image credit: Decision Sciences International
Sterilizing Electron Blast
Before a bottle can be filled with sugary liquid, it must be sterilized on the inside through the application of chemicals or heat. Industrial tech firm Advanced Electron Beams hopes its new compact beam emitter will make the process considerably easier and less damaging to the environment. The emitter fires a stream of electrons that break the chemical bonds of any bacteria on the inside of a bottle. Although other beam emitters have been used for sterilization before, this new model is considerably smaller than other versions, meaning it can be incorporated into assembly lines. (Source: Inc.com)

Related
3-D Printing Brings Prototyping to the Home
10 Exciting Inventions and Breakthroughs of 2009

Additional
2010: The Year in Innovation
Inc.com, 2010
Best of What's New 2010
Popular Science, Nov. 16, 2010
The 50 Best Inventions of 2010
TIME, November 2010
2010 Invention Awards
Popular Science, December 2010
2010's Most Innovative Tech Product is Not a Damn Jetpack
by John Pavlus
MIT Technology Review, Nov. 16, 2010