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
Energy-storing concrete bricks could be key to proliferation of renewables
Renewable energy could reliably power the grid at peak times using an eco-friendly and cost-effective storage solution designed by Swiss start-up Energy Vault. More
Lyft patents notification system for self-driving cars to communicate with pedestrians
Autonomous vehicles could flash messages signalling their next move to nearby humans, using a system patented by US transportation company Lyft. More
Student-designed Air Chair allows disabled passengers to use one chair for whole journey
Two students from the United Arab Emirates have proposed a new type of wheelchair for air travel that saves disabled passengers from having to shift from one seat to another. More
First geoengineering experiment to dim the sun on track for 2019
Harvard scientists will attempt to replicate the climate-cooling effect of volcanic eruptions with a world-first solar geoengineering experiment set for early 2019. More
Algae curtain by EcoLogicStudio could make buildings more eco-friendly
London-based architecture office EcoLogicStudio harnesses photosynthesis in algae to remove air pollution with this living curtain, designed to rest over building facades. More
MIT "cyborg botany" researcher builds plant-robot hybrid called Elowan
Natural and digital systems could be blended together to create new kinds of electronic devices, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researcher Harpreet Sareen, who has built a robot controlled by a plant. More
Madeline Gannon's "quirky" robots move together like a pack of animals
Robots are programmed with traits such as impatience and confidence in an installation by designer Madeline Gannon, whose work explores the potential for humans and machines to live harmoniously. More
Zoov's electric share bicycles lock together like shopping trolleys
New French company Zoov has worked with Parisian design office Eliumstudio to develop a system of electric share bikes that lock on to each other for parking, creating minimal intrusion on streets and footpaths. More
MIT engineers complete world's first flight of plane with no moving parts
Engineers at the Massachusetts University of Technology have built an ion-powered plane that flies without propellers or turbines, and requires no fossil fuel. More