Innovation

A pencil-sized micro gas turbine designed to charge batteries for Jaguar Land Rover hybrid vehicles

The system is called the Ultra Lightweight Range Extender (ULRE), and is being developed by Jaguar and a consortium. The axial-flow gas turbine engine couples to a high-speed generator for use with the Jaguar Land Rover.Read More

Stainless case with protective hinged lid and internal silicone bumpers ensure a tight fit for 3G or 3Gs phones

Designed by Ryan Glasgow of Portland, Oregon, these fancy iPhone cases are constructed from sturdy 304 stainless steel and cost $95.Read More

Something that Henry Ford could not imagine: A Model T powered by a Boeing T50/Model 502 gas turbine from a Bell helicopter.Read More

Super listening device hears, identifies, and locates any sound by measuring 3D movement of air particles

A Dutch firm has developed a tiny device that listens for screams, gunshots, mortars and even warplanes. It doesn't listen in the conventional sense, but instead measures the 3D movement of individual air particles in order to determine the x, y and z coordinates of whatever made the noise in question.Read More

With the vertical prison concept, height becomes the wall, keeping prisoners above the surface, yet still accessible via specially designed pods which act as transportation across the prison’s grounds.Read More

The RoboPlow sports a 50" blade, six wheel drive, and a bad attitude when it comes to all things snow

This is the idea that every geek has had, but the guys at Idea Laboratories were just fed up enough to actually see it through. Watching the video will make you wonder why somebody hasn't come up with this solution before.Read More

Popular Science photographer John Carnett builds a four-wheeler with a screaming Garrett turbine jet engine

Built around a Polaris RZR all-terrain vehicle, John Carnett's homemade machine tops out at just over 60 mph powered by its 87-pound Garrett GTP 30-67 tubine jet engine. The project took Carnett 10 months to build at a cost of more than $15,000.Read More

Millau Viaduct, Millau, France

Bridges might not get the respect the world’s tallest skyscrapers get but these horizontal architectural wonders push the engineering envelope just as hard. From “Galloping Gertie” to the Golden Gate, these bridges prove the journey is often more interesting than the destination.Read More

Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant

During World War II the Army Corps of Engineers needed to hide the Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant to protect it from a Japanese air attack. They covered it with camouflage netting to create an optical illusion resembling a rural subdivision from the air.

Lockheed Plant After Camouflage Netting
Read More

IBM replaces signals that communicate via copper wires with pulses of light - creating the world's fastest transfer

IBM scientists unveiled a significant step towards replacing electrical signals that communicate via copper wires between computer chips with tiny silicon circuits that communicate using pulses of light. As reported in the recent issue of the scientific journal Nature, this is an important advancement in changing the way computer chips talk to each other.Read More