Ten Practical Innovative Products

1. Self-repairing Materials

Many human injuries often heal successfully without outside help. Now it is possible that the same thing could happen on the surface of metal and concrete. Once the electroplated layer that protects metal from corrosion is scratched, rust protection disappears. Fixing debilitating cracks in concrete is also a costly and complicated process. Now scientists have managed to transfer the self-healing power of the skin to those materials.

Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation

Website:http://www.ipa.fraunhofer.de

2. Compact Monocycle

Traffic flow is deteriorating and parking lots are in short supply in big cities. A newly developed monocyle might solve the problem. This is a mobility device you can tuck under your arm or park in the vicinity of the city while you hop onto public transport to continue your journey. Weighing less than 10 kg it looks just like another bag, but at the touch of a button, the seat and two footrests fold out and you are ready to launch.

Developed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan)

Website: www.honda.com

3. Compostable T-shirt

T-shirts manufactured with organic biodegradable materials can decompose in six months after being buried underground, enabling an eco-friendly biological cycle.

Developed by EPEA GmbH and Trigema GmbH & Co.KG

Website: www.epea.com; www.trigema.de

4. The “Talking Mirror”

Probably nobody likes looking in the mirror first thing in the morning. Now you can watch television in the mirror while you are shaving. To enjoy state-of-the-art multi-tasking, all you need do is install this innovative LCD monitor – invisible to the naked eye – into your bathroom cabinet. Its built-in speakers are also completely concealed. Besides TV programs, you can also watch DVDs, making teeth-brushing an experience you will be happy to linger over.

Supplied by American website Hiddentelevision

Website: www.hiddentelevision.com

5. Removable Superglue

The natural adhesive strength of a gecko’s foot is unique; with tiny hairs called setae on their toes and soles, gecko feet can support a weight of 140 kg. American scientists mimicked this natural wonder and have created a superglue with an adhesive power even stronger: 100 newtons per square centimeter, which is ten times that of the gecko’s sole. Amazingly, if you change your mind, the adhesive can simply be peeled off surfaces and reused at any time with no loss of adhesion.

Developed by Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering of University of Dayton

Website: www.udayton.edu

6. New Energy-saving Bulb

It is the world’s first LED bulb in a traditional light bulb format, and it uses just 8 watts of power to produce 40 watts of light, representing an impressive energy saving of 80 percent. In addition, its life span is 25 times that of a traditional incandescent bulb, and it is less fragile to boot. This new generation of bulbs contains no mercury and emits no UV light or infrared rays.

Developed by OSRAM China Lighting Ltd.

Website: www.osram.com.cn

7. UV Water Sterilization

Drinking water quality remains one of the biggest problems in poor countries where boiling water is usually not a choice because fuel is scarce. Now a gadget that emits purifying UV light offers a convenient alternative. Its rays of 250 to 280 nm (one nano meter is one billionth of a meter) can instantly kill pathogens plaguing water.

Developed by Institute of Solid State Physics of Technical University of Berlin

Website: www.ifkp.tu-berlin.de

8. Easy-to-wash Dishware

A thin layer made from silicon applied to glasses and dishware means that all you have to do is hold them briefly under the tap and they will come as clean and shiny as if they have just been polished. That’s nanotechnology too.

Developed by Nanopool GmbH

Website: www.nanopool.biz

9. Water-proof fabric

Thanks to nanotechnology, truly water-proof fabric now exists, said to be able to come out dry even after being soaked in water for one month.

Developed by the Institute of Physical Chemistry of University of Zurich, Switzerland

Website: www.pci.uzh.ch; www.stefanseeger.org

10. 3D Theater at Home

The 3D movie experience can now be enjoyed in your sitting room. Newly developed software can convert photos, films or an Internet trip into an amazing 3D experience.

Developed by Acer Computer (Shanghai) Ltd.

Website: www.acer.com