If you've ever had anything you didn't want to ruin (or didn't want to have to clean), this will come as good news. Early next year, German company Nanopool GmbH will release an ultrathin liquid-glass coating that repels stains from clothing, dirt from cars, even bacteria from countertops.
Nanopool's scientists found a way to control the formation of very thin layers of glass — from just a hundred nanometers thick. Applied via spray or wipe, its Quantum LiquiGlas acts like an invisible shield on just about any surface, repelling liquid and stains as a raincoat does rain, while remaining flexible and breathable. And because it stops bacteria just as well as red wine, it's big news for hospitals: Some have already tested the coating on sterile surfaces like bandages, where they've found it to reduce bacteria growth by 25 to 50 percent. Liquid glass has also been used to treat walls and monuments (graffiti can be washed clean in a matter of seconds) and as a defense against UV rays. Not bad for something that goes on in minutes and costs about as much as a bottle of Pine-Sol.
Society has invented machines that can do almost everything, vehicles that can go faster and farther than ever imagined. But there's always been an issue: We need to fuel them. That's not the case with the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR), developed by Robotic Technology Inc. in conjunction with DARPA, the Pentagon's R&D lab. The EATR powers itself.
EATR is the first grazing robot. Using a hybrid external-combustion engine designed by Cyclone Power Technologies Inc., EATR converts collected biomass — sticks, leaves, and other vegetation — into mechanical energy through what is basically a modified steam engine. The combustion of the biomass heats deionized water, which creates energy by moving pistons or a turbine as it expands. Just fifteen pounds of dry vegetation could potentially power a craft for ten to forty miles of travel or a hundred hours of standby. A 100-horsepower model of the engine has already been developed, and Robotic Technology could have a fully functioning in-vehicle prototype by 2012.
The potential military uses are numerous, including long-range reconnaissance, surveillance, and troop support in the form of portable energy. And on the home front? Just imagine a lawn mower that runs on its own clippings.
The more we rely on our phones — for calls, e-mail, Fruit Ninja — the more frustrating it can be when their batteries die. But what if your phone never ran out of power? RCA will introduce technology next year that will allow your phone to charge itself from the same source it already uses to surf the Web: Wi-Fi. Similar to the way a solar calculator draws power from light sources, the RCA AirPower will convert the energy radiated in a wireless signal into a usable charge. Although early prototypes are about the size of a deck of cards and must be plugged into the device to be charged, eventually RCA plans on building the technology directly into cell-phone batteries, giving you one more reason to steal your neighbor's Internet.