Amphibious Velox robot uses undulating fins to swim and crawl
US company Pliant Energy Systems has turned one of its green energy technologies into a propulsion system for a swimming robot capable of exploring land and sea. More
"Metallic wood" is as strong as titanium but five times lighter
University of Pennsylvania engineers have altered a sheet of nickel to produce a material they call "metallic wood", which is extremely strong and light. More
Motiv ring will be able to make payments and verify identity with a heartbeat
US tech company Motiv has revealed its smart ring will soon use its wearer's unique heartbeat to verify their identity and make payments. More
Bose develops noise-cancelling technology for cars
Bose has developed a version of its QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones for cars, which promises to minimise unwanted sound inside the vehicle. More
Boeing's self-piloted passenger drone completes first test flight
Boeing has tested a prototype of its electric autonomous passenger drone — a vehicle that a year ago was just a concept design. More
Postmates' delivery robot Serve is designed to be "lovable at first sight"
New Deal Design has collaborated with Postmates, to give the "on-demand anything" delivery company an autonomous rover capable of charming the pedestrians it shares the pavement with. More
Holoride creates carsickness-battling VR experience for self-driving-car passengers
German start-up Holoride has designed a virtual-reality experience for the backseats of taxis, for passengers in autonomous vehicles or for kids on long car trips. More
NuraLoop adaptive earbuds deliver audio tailored to the wearer's hearing
Australian audio company Nura has launched what it says are the world's first adaptive earphones, which alter their output to suit the user's hearing. More
195-gigapixel photo of Shanghai allows viewers to zoom in on street-level detail
Faces and licence plates are among the details that can be clearly seen in an ultra-high-resolution bird's-eye photograph of Shanghai, created by Chinese company Bigpixel Technology. More
Hoobox launches first wheelchair controlled by facial expressions
Brazilian start-up Hoobox Robotics has collaborated with Intel to produce an adapter kit that allows almost any electric wheelchair to be controlled by the user's facial expressions. More
Map, Universal Design Studio and IBM collaborate on world's first commercial quantum computer
Map Project Office and Universal Design Studio have worked with IBM to create the Q System One, the world's first quantum computer intended for business use. More
Continental's autonomous robot dogs could help deliver parcels
German automotive company Continental wants to use a system of autonomous vans packed with dog-like four-legged robots to deliver packages. More
LG unveils world's first rollable television
LG Electronics has revealed a rollable TV, which can be rolled away to be stored out of sight at the click of a button to "liberate users from the limitations of the wall". More
Five designers awarded $500,000 each to develop mobility devices for lower-limb paralysis
The designers of an electric wheelchair share scheme and two exoskeletons are among the five finalists of the Mobility Unlimited Challenge who will be given $500,000 each to develop their prototypes. More
Columbia University researchers create 3D-printed "wood" with realistic internal grain
Engineers at Columbia University have 3D-printed a block of "digital wood", using a voxel technique that enables the creation of objects with rich internal textures. More
Carlo Ratti develops Livingboard prefab housing system for rural India
Architect Carlo Ratti has worked with Indian non-profit WeRise to develop a system of low-cost housing with a prefabricated core that homeowners can build any structure they like on top of. More
Uber reveals redesigned Jump electric share bikes
Uber-owned bike rental company Jump has unveiled the design for its latest electric bicycles, which have a phone dock for easy navigation and a retractable lock to discourage vandalism. More
Swift Creatives' cooking concept makes sous vide meals as easy as microwaving
Design studio Swift Creatives has come up with a smart cooking system called Sous Swift, that uses a sous-vide water bath to prepare restaurant-quality food with minimal effort. More
Elon Musk gives first look at Boring Company tunnel
Elon Musk has driven a Tesla through his Boring Company's test tunnel in Los Angeles County, in the first public demonstration of what he hopes will form a congestion-beating new subterranean transport solution. More
Bose launches Frames sunglasses that are also headphones
American audio brand Bose's latest product is a pair of sunglasses that let the wearer listen to music, make calls and access augmented-reality experiences. More