Important Innovations Collection

Turning Air Friction into Electrical Energy For Electric Planes Source:  Eather One by Michael Borikowski Green, Clean Flying A new electric aircraft concept, named The Eather One, is powered by pure air.  Specifically, stratospheric air friction to create electric energy to fly the plane.  The air friction can be seen in action behind a high flying jet that leaves a plume of white smoke across the sky in its wake.  The plume holds for quite some time because there is very little air circulation in the stratosphere.  When a high speed aircraft cuts through the higher atmosphere, it generates tremendous air friction and vibrations.  Tapping into that tremendous source of energy is the concept behind Eather One that future aircraft may capitalize on. Electric Flying with Nanogenerators on the Wings The concept plane is equipped with triboelectric nanogenerators on its wings and across the top of the aircraft. The  nanogenerators capture t...

Heart Pacemaker Powered by Ligh t Stock Photo: Sunrise Over Mountain  Solar Energy Heart Beats This is a tiny, solar cell that keeps the heart beating.  In fact, it seems to teach the heart how to beat.  It's an innovation that may lead to heart pacemakers powered by light. It's breaking new innovation invented by scientists at the University of Chicago.  It's totally new and quite exciting. Specs They've created a flexible mesh from silicon that wraps around the heart. They threaded nanowires across it to connect with cardiac cells.  When activated by light, it creates a tiny electrochemical effect that stimulates the heart muscles in a unique way.  A small optical beam scans the heart area with a laser.  Each flash activates the cells, causing the heart to beat at the rate of the light. Breakthrough Medical Innovation This  research has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  The researc...