Safety
Ford MyKey lets parents set the maximum speed of their kid’s car
Ford Motor Company has announced a new safety feature to be added to its vehicles that will help parents encourage young drivers to be more responsible on the road. MyKey aims to promote safe driving, particularly amongst teens, by encouraging seat belt use, limiting speed and reducing distractions. Read More
Toyota to introduce rear-window curtain airbag
Toyota has developed a world first rear-window curtain shield airbag designed to protect the heads of back seat passengers in the event of a rear-end collision. The new system is slated for inclusion in the iQ ultra-compact four-seater due on the market next year. Read More
World’s first pure merino baby swaddle
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The Cocooi baby swaddle is made from super-fine, unbleached merino fabric which has the ability to regulate a newborn baby’s body temperature, therefore reducing the risk of overheating. The merino fibers used in the Cocooi are extremely fine (just one-tenth the thickness of human hair) and their natural crimp produces millions of pockets in the fabric in which air is captured and circulated. Read More
Create the Future Design Contest: re-thinking the wheel
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The NASA Tech Briefs Create the Future Design Contest began in 2002 as a platform for encouraging innovation in product design among engineers, entrepreneurs, and students around the globe. The 2008 competition is open until October 17, but already this year's entries have produced some very thought provoking product ideas and we'll be exploring some of the standouts in detail over coming weeks. The first cab off the rank is an attempt, in fact two attempts, to do what else but reinvent the wheel. German student Caspar Schmitz has designed a castor with an additional axis that could see your shopping trolleys glide over bumps instead of grinding to an abrupt halt. Also in Caspar's portfolio is the transformable wheel chair, an application of "the transformable wheel", a concept which allows a wheel made of flexible plastic to take on an ellipsoid shape when circumstances require a lower center-of-gravity. Read More
Storm Safe hurricane shelter
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Recent horrific weather conditions in Northern and Central America have seen many people displaced, injured and even killed - most recently by Hurricane Ike. While early evacuation is always the best option, it can't hurt to have a plan B along the lines of the Storm Safe, a floating, hexagon-shaped hurricane shelter made from heavy aluminum plate that's designed to protect you in the event of a large storm. Read More
Cy-Fi Bluetooth wireless sports speaker
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There's nothing like strapping on the earphones and cranking up your favorite tunes to help you through a serious bout of exercise, but in many outdoor scenarios, especially cycling, this can become a major safety risk by preventing you from hearing traffic noise and other potential hazards that might not be visible. This is the thinking that inspired Los Angeles entrepreneur Jeff Lotman to invent the Cy-Fi Bluetooth wireless sports speaker, a palm-sized unit that attaches to a bike or backpack and wirelessly transmits music and phone calls from Bluetooth enabled devices. Read More
Pipila UV portable sterilizer: clean baby’s pacifier safely
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The Pipila is a colorful, portable pacifier sterilizer that is said to kill 99.9% of germs on a baby’s pacifier. The unit uses a patented UV/O3 (ozone) sterilizing lamp combination to break down the cell walls of most germs and then destroy the cells’ nuclei, leaving you with a clean dummy in about 6 minutes. The unit will not change the shape of the pacifier teat, won’t leave it smelling like a chemical laboratory and better still, won’t leave a nasty taste in your baby’s mouth. Read More
Hushamok: a stylish, snug and safe baby bed
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The Hushamok hammock gives new parents the best of both worlds. It is not just an unusual and stylish piece of furniture for the nursery; it is also designed to enable your baby to sleep safely and soundly on their back during those vital early years of life. Read More
iRobot Negotiator civil response robot
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Best known to Gizmag readers for its range of home helper bots, iRobot is now expanding its line-up to include the growing need for public safety robots. The new iRobot Negotiator is a low-cost, tactical robot designed to meet the basic reconnaissance needs of public safety professionals, such as police and fire departments, counter-terrorism forces and domestic security experts. Read More
Nissan's All-Around Collision Free prototype
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Nissan has unveiled an "All-Around Collision Free" system that rolls two new safety technologies in with those already developed under its Safety Shield program. The new additions are a Side Collision Prevention (SCP), which assists the driver when changing lanes, and Back-up Collision Prevention (BCP), which automatically sounds a warning and applies the brakes if a collision is imminent during a reversing maneuver. Read More
Grobag's Egg digital room thermometer
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The Grobag egg is a digital room thermometer with a difference. The egg-shaped unit changes color if the room temperature changes from the recommended guidelines of between 61-67°F (16-20°C) and it also has a clear digital readout which gives the exact temperature of baby’s room. If the room is at the right temperature, the egg will glow yellow but as soon as the conditions change the egg changes color. Read More
Hirsch Electronics' versatile building security solution
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Increasingly, building managers and government organizations are finding they have to adopt more sophisticated security systems to protect their employees, customers and buildings from security threats. Recognizing the need for flexibility on this arena, Hirsch Electronics has manufactured the Verification Station- a high-security, multi-purpose biometric system which allows a building administrator to select and change at will the means of entry to a building if the security situation is heightened. Employees may be required to use smart cards or fingerprints or they may have to use a number of authentication processes, perhaps their finger and smart card or their finger, smart card and identification code. Read More
Reptile friendly tunnel improves road safety for the cold blooded
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A new tunnel designed by multi-disciplinary consultancy firm Scott Wilson will allow reptiles to pass under the road at a UK airport to ensure their safety. The tunnel was created with the reptiles’ biology in mind, providing a warm and inviting space to enter using LED lighting and heating coils. Read More
Halo Pet Safety System for cars
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Designed in response to a tragic story of two much-loved dogs that died in a car due to heat stroke, the Halo Pet Safety System from Sisters of Invention uses sensor technology and an alarm to keep animals safe. Read More
ProActive smart safety helmet
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A young industrial designer has created a new type of safety helmet for the construction industry that is a little smarter than most. The “ProActive” helmet features a flexible inner layer that remains soft and comfortable during normal use, but immediately becomes hard and shock-absorbent when subjected to impact. Read More
Audi offers SmartBeam headlight system
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June 3, 2008 Audi will offer the Gentex SmartBeam system as an option on the A4, A5 and Q7 models, to be released this spring. The SmartBeam High-Beam Headlamp Assist system, or “Fernlichtassistent”, uses a miniature camera to automate a vehicle’s high beams at night. Read More
Laddersmart: enhanced safety for the upwardly mobile
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In the UK alone an average of 14 deaths and 1200 major injuries* are suffered by workers each year in accidents involving ladders and stepladders. The Laddersmart safety device is designed to help combat this ongoing problem in relation to rooftop access, locking the top of the ladder firmly into place and protecting the gutter at the same time. Read More
Tummy Shield seat belt keeps mother and baby safe
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According to a recent study by the University of Michigan, if all pregnant women wore a car seatbelt, approximately 200 fetuses could be saved each year and an estimated 370 fetuses die as a result of car crashes each year in the United States. However, stretching a seat belt across a growing abdomen is not the easiest job, nor is the belt comfortable across your tummy. A team of Australian engineers has come up with a novel seat belt especially for pregnant women. Unlike traditional seat belts which fit across the abdomen, the Tummy Shield is designed to be worn around the thighs, therefore protecting the abdomen from trauma resulting from a car collision. Read More
Demron lightweight, lead-free radiation-proof suit
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May 9, 2008 Radiation Shield Technologies has been granted a new patent for Demron, the protective garment that shields users from alpha and beta radiation, gamma rays, x-rays, and other nuclear emissions. The flexible, cool, and lightweight suit provides all the protection of a lead apron with a new level of comfort, and without any dermal or inhalation risks.
Slim-line designer smoke alarm
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May 6, 2008 Smoke alarms are an absolutely essential household item, and although we've seen some clever innovations in recent years including units that talk, models that clip onto light fittings and even plans for smell based alarms to aid those with hearing impairments, most designs remain a bit of an eyesore when it comes to complementing modern decor. The Silhouette™ by Kidde is looking to change this impression by virtue of its sleek, low-profile form that aims to better blend in with its surroundings. Read More
Three decades of enhanced vehicle safety: ABS turns 30
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April 29, 2008 It's now three decades - and an untold number of near-misses - since Bosch introduced the first-production line electronic antilock braking system (ABS), a safety feature that's almost taken for granted in modern automobiles. Read More
Volkswagen demonstrates fully-automatic reverse parking system
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Minor collisions as a result of parking mishaps are a common, costly and extremely frustrating occurrence and for several years auto manufacturers including BMW have indicated that solutions that take human error out of the equation are on the way. The latest news in the area comes from Volkswagen, which has demonstrated its “Park Assist Vision” system at this year’s Hanover Fair. The fully-automatic, remotely-operated self-parking system lets you get out of the car and watch as it backs itself into even the skinniest of perpendicular spaces, using cameras located in the left and right exterior mirrors to gauge the dimensions of the parking area available and communicate this information to the computerized steering and drive systems. Read More
Hurphy Durphy: added safety for kids in cars
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April 17, 2008 The Hurphy Durphy Seat Belt Buckle Guard is a simple safety device that helps to keep capsules or infant seats anchored securely in the car by preventing accidental release of a seat belt. Read More
Volvo adds new massage seats to S80 and XC90 Executive models
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April 14, 2008 Seats which include massaging and ventilation functions are among the new luxury trimmings Volvo has added to their S80 and XC90 Executive models. The new massage function consists of five inflatable pockets which have been built into the front seats and are pumped up and drained sequentially to create a wave-like motion that is adjustable at two levels. As well as massaging the lower back they also double up as a new lumbar support, while built-in ventilation is designed to keep the occupant’s body and clothing fresh. Read More
Seat Shield Reduces addresses potential health risk for motorcyclists
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April 11, 2008 Are motorcyclists increasing the risk of prostate and colon cancer by exposing themselves to low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF) radiation? The answer is yes according to Canadian inventor and author Randall Dale Chipkar, who has created a specially shielded motorcycle seat to minimize this potential danger. Read More
Innovative 12 outlet powerstrip with surge protection
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April 8, 2008 Powerstrips have a design that seems to have been set in stone since the outset, but this offering from Tributaries not only looks like a powerstrip with attitude, it also comes with a host of features. Designed to easily accommodate wall-wart type power supplies, the T12 features 12 AC outlets, 8 of which can be rotated 90°. The remaining four fixed outlets have safety shutters and, for ease of use, the T12 has a resettable circuit breaker built in to the Power push-button. A red “PROTECTED” LED illuminates when the internal surge protection is functioning correctly while a 2nd blue “GROUNDED” LED illuminates when the outlet, into which the T12 is connected, is properly grounded. Read More
Thudguard safety hat for toddlers
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In the UK, over 500,000 children's head injuries are recorded each year and part of this is due to bumps and falls as toddlers learn to walk. Thudguard is a lightweight safety hat for kids to keep them safe while the find their feet and reduce the severity of the everyday bumps and bruises. Read More
Splinternet debuts Dirty Bomb detector network
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April 2, 2008 Splinternet Holdings is introducing a new "dirty bomb" detection system that manages a network of solid state GammaTect radiation sensors which send real-time notifications to command centers as soon as the presence of threat-level gamma rays is detected.
Lane departure data collection system for commercial vehicles
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March 31, 2008 Traffic management technology maker Iteris has released the first commercially available lane departure warning (LDW) data collection system for the heavy truck market. Safety Direct analyzes real-time data captured by Iteris’ LDW system and relays the information directly to fleet operators through integration with the truck’s existing fleet communications system. Read More
Pepper-spray may deter bears better than guns
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March 27, 2008 New analysis from Brigham Young University suggests that those traveling in bear territory may be better off leaving the guns at home and packing pepper-spray instead. The bears, we expect, agree. Read More
CIRT provides more punch for urban search and rescue
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Designed for urban search and rescue operations, Raytheon's Controlled Impact Rescue Tool (CIRT) uses concentrated shockwaves to penetrate concrete and rubble far more quickly than drilling, sawing or chipping. In a recent demonstration it penetrated a concrete barrier in 13 minutes, while competing methods achieved a similar result only after 29 minutes.
ArmoRight: buoyancy vest meets lightweight body armor
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March 25, 2008 Designed and engineered by a retired Navy SEAL, ArmoRight™ is a lightweight body armor system for use in marine environments that combines protection from from handgun, rifle and shrapnel threats with neutral or positive buoyancy capabilities. Read More
Baby Light & Clip: stress-free nail trimming
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March 10, 2008, New parents have enough to worry about without trying to cut their newborn’s tiny fingernails with traditional clippers or scissors. It’s hard enough managing to get hold of their little fingers, let alone stressing about accidents and as baby’s fingernails grow quickly, you’ll have to trim them about once a week. Read More
Nestt: a car seat designed for the 21st century
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March 6, 2008 Innovative industrial design company think/thing has designed a car seat which is not only functional but also ticks all the boxes in terms of beauty and design. The colorful egg-shaped Nestt is a safe and easy-to-use car seat for your baby or toddler. Made from a closed cell polymer material that's easy to clean, breathable and soft due to the incorporated air-pockets, the unique shock absorbent design provides side impact protection and features a cast-metal base which snaps into the car’s latch system and allows you to swivel the seat with one hand and rotate it towards the car door. If you’ve ever tried to put a squirming child into a car seat you will immediately see the benefits of being able to swivel them towards you to secure or release them.
Mazda Advanced Safety Vehicle 4 to begin public road trials
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February 23, 2008 Mazda has announced it will put new vehicle-to-vehicle safety technology to the test in the Hiroshima area from March 11 as part of the fourth phase of its Advanced Safety Vehicle project. Read More
