This year has seen the appearance of many awesome new inventions which help

make life easier, more comfortable and in some cases more enjoyable.
We decided to pick out 18 of the most interesting. Hopefully, well live to seem
them all take on a major role in our lives!

The Transparent Truck

samsung
Every year, thousands of people get hurt or die in traffic accidents, in part
because their visibility gets blocked by a lumbering vehicle. This is especially
true in Argentina, known for its winding, narrow roads. There, however, Samsung
and ad agency Leo Burnett have partnered on a creative solution: a system that
relays video footage from the front of a truck to four screens on its back, giving
drivers a clear view of whats ahead.

The Hoverboard Scooter

ytimg
Part Segway, part skateboard, the self-balancing scooter generally known
as a hoverboard, even though it doesnt actually hover is easily the years most
viral product. Once someone hops on, the device uses a pair of electric
gyroscopes (one under each pad) to balance automatically, allowing users
to speed forward, backward and around by slightly shifting their body weight.
That enables all kinds of fun stunts, ranging from hallway races to motorized
dance routines.

Microsoft HoloLens

microsoft
Virtual-reality headsets, like the Oculus Rift, create escapes. Put one on, and
youre suddenly swimming with dolphins or fighting in the Battle of Waterloo.
Microsofts HoloLens, by contrast, augments reality overlaying holograms and
data onto existing surroundings, so youre not confined to the virtual world,
as designer Alex Kipman puts it. Imagine gamers defending their homes from
robot invaders, engineers manipulating 3-D models or surgeons following
directions on the human body. Early tests indicate all are possible. Already the
HoloLens is being used by NASA to mimic Mars terrain in labs and by medical
students to dissect virtual bodies.

The Pan that teaches you to cook

pantelligent

How hot should the pan be? When do I stir? It it done yet? If youve ever cooked
an unfamiliar dish, chances are youve asked yourself one or more of these
questions and Pantelligent aims to answer them all. Once you select a recipe
from its smartphone app, the pan uses Bluetooth and a special heat sensor
to offer real-time instructions on your screen, so youll know exactly when to flip
a steak, for example, if you want it medium rare.
The Book that filters water

pagedrinkingpaper

An estimated 663 million people globally do not have access to clean drinking
water, in part because filtration is complicated and expensive. The Drinkable
Book is neither: thanks to a special treatmentdeveloped with a team
of scientists over several yearsits pages double as water filters, killing
over 99% of harmful bacteria during trials in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa.

Power Pasta
eatbanza

When people think of pasta, they almost always think, I ate way too much and
now I feel like crap," says Brian Rudolph. Not so with his brand, which is made
from chickpeas instead of wheat. That simple switch in a recipe perfected over
10 months of trial and error has yielded a healthy twist on the al dente dinner.
Banza, shorthand for garbanzo pasta, has double the protein and four times the
fibre of traditional pasta, and far fewer carbs; its also gluten-free. Now Rudolph
and his brother Scott plan to reinvent products like pizza and cereal.

The Ocean Vacuum

theoceancleanup
Theres a glut of plastic trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean thats bigger
than Texasand growing. But the default removal process of chasing it with nets
is both costly and time-consuming. Instead, the Ocean Cleanup Project proposes
a 62-mile-long (100 km) floating boom at an estimated cost of $15 million
that would use natural currents to trap trash. (Its net drops roughly 10 ft., or 3 m,
below the surface, shallow enough for fish to swim around.) If next years trials
succeed, a full clean-up operation would aim to start in 2020; internal estimates
suggest it could reduce the trash by 42% over 10 years.

The Ball that teaches kids to code

ytimg
At a time when demand for computer scientists is sky-rocketing, most people get
little or no exposure to coding during their formative years. Made by Many, a New
York City-based digital-consulting firm, is trying to change that. Its Hackaball toy
syncs with a mobile app, allowing users to program how and when it lights up
and then to see how those programs affect their lives in the real world. Enabling
social scenarios rather than a more isolated, screen-based introduction to -
coding is the whole point of Hackaball.
The personal pollution detector

tzoa
In order to avoid potentially harmful pollutants and allergens, it helps to know
about the air youre breathing. Thats where Tzoa comes in. The stationary device
uses sensors to evaluate the atmosphere in any given area, measuring factors
like temperature, particulate matter (dust, pollen, mould, car exhaust) and UV -
exposure, and uploads that data to the cloud, so that institutions can conduct
air-quality research.

The app that can lock your front door

candyhouse

This is a great invention for all those who either forget to lock their door when
they go out or worry that they forgot to lock it. This app not only lets you know
at any time whether your house is secure, but also records who enters and leaves
and when they do so.

The chip which stops you slouching

uprightpose
Every time you begin to stoop or slouch, this chip will begin to vibrate. Theres
no pain involved, and its seriously good for your health!

Smart Ears

kickstarter
Through two truly wireless, in-ear buds and a smartphone app, the Here active
listening device allows you to instantly control real world audio so you can hear
what you want to hear no matter the situation and be fully immersed in your
audio environment. Here does not stream or play recorded music. Instead, the
Digital Signal Processor (DSP) inside Here acts as a studio in your ears
by providing you with a volume knob, equalizer and effects to transform real world
audio. Use this remote control for your ears to have an optimal listening
experience every time.

The device which stops you snoring

kickstarter
Nora is the first smart and non-invasive snoring solution thats designed
specifically to stop snoring before it wakes your sleeping partner. With Nora,
there is nothing to wear to bedno masks, dentures, or nose strips. Instead, Nora
silently and gently moves your head using a lightweight, padded insert that sits
under the pillow. This slight movement stimulates the relaxed throat muscles.
As a result, the airway assumes its natural position and you can breathe normally
once again.
Sproutling Baby Monitor

sproutling

A wearable band for your baby, a smart charger and a mobile app work together
to not only monitor more effectively but learn and predict your babys sleep habits
and optimal sleep conditions.
The Electronic Orchestra for your guitar

acpad
Simply attach the ACPAD panel to your guitar, and youll be able to play hundreds
of instruments, samples, effects and loops.

The plant pot which grows along with your plant

ayaskan
These origami flower pots made by Ayaskan studios are transformed over time
as your plant grows.
The toy that talks back

cognitoys

Rather than repeating catchphrases, as talking toys have done for generations,
this dinosaur taps IBMs Watson technology to engage with kids aged five to nine
in a meaningful way. In addition to answering plain-language queries (like How
far away is the moon?), the wi-fi-enabled figurine talks back and learns from
kids responseshelping them hone their math skills, for example, by asking
increasingly harder questions. The trick is to make educational development
seem like a cool, fun experience.