10 Most Brilliant Inventions of 2007

10 Most Brilliant Inventions of 2007 - R&D Magazine

Posted October 8th, 2007 by Myra Per-Lee

R&D Magazine has sponsored the "Oscars of Inventions" for 45 years. These research and design awards are coveted by government as well as private industry inventors. The 100 winners selected by R&D Magazine for 2007 are stunning innovations - resourceful, effective, inspiring. A significant portion of the 2007 awards are homeland security/military innovations; others are environmental, health, and there's even innovations for kids, like a must-have-Holiday-toy robot! Here are my picks for the top 10 inventions from R & D Magazine's list of the best of 2007:

1. Air Conditioner That Controls Superbugs

The Kunne air conditioning system is the first of its kind to control heat and humidity at the same time, thereby helping to prevent "sick buildings," those that make us sick just by visiting or working in them. This system does not have a filter or anything else that may hold germs and is self-cleaning. By Palm Beach R&D . Hopefully, this system will be implemented by hospitals, so those with weak immunities can avoid the dreaded superbug as well.

2. No More Blood Tests!

Electro Needle Biomedical Sensor Array

Some of the 2007 awards have gone to inventions that seem just short of miraculous and the Electro Needle Biomedical Sensor Array comes close. This is a small patch device with electro-chemically treated probes. When the patch is applied to the skin, it has the ability to ascertain chemical readings present in a patient's blood without having to withdraw any blood. Thus, readings such as "carbohydrates, electrolytes, lipids, enzymes, toxins, proteins, viruses, and bacteria can be detected in a patient's blood or interstitial cellular fluid." No more searching for "good" veins? You mean no more vials and vials and vials taken? One great step for medicine; 15 great steps for the sick folks in the emergency room. Developed by the Sandia National Laboratories.

3. Troops Can Detect Surrounding Chemicals

Hapsite Viper Chemical Identification System

Chemical detection ability is extremely important t our troops, and this HAPSITE Viper Chemical Identification System uses infrared technology to improve the identification of toxic substances and chemical warfare agents (CWA's) in the environment in a matter of a few minutes. The Hapsite System that can be used inside a vehicle as well as in open space, is one thousand times more sensitive than NATO requirements for such a system, affording greater safety to troops and civilians in the area. Inficon won an R&D environmental award for the system, just one of several detection devices made by the company.

4. Homeland Chemical Detection

Millimeter-Wave Spectrometer for Remote Chemical Detection

Another environmental innovation in CWA technology, the Passive Millimeter-Wave Spectrometer for Remote Chemical Detection was developed by four scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois This somewhat larger device can detect harmful nuclear waste from several miles away. Focusing, let's say, on a plume of smoke from a processing plant, the spectrometer can detect the levels of environmentally dangerous particles in the smoke. For use in the U.S., this system is seen to be a boost to Homeland Security efforts and one that may have several other applications in the future.

5. A Future With Cleaner Water

Functionalized Nanoporous Thin Film

Musically, you may be partial to heavy metal, but few of us care for it in our drinking water. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has developed a Functionalized Nanoporous Thin Film (FNTF) that behaves like fly paper in attracting the metals in a sample of water. When the FNTF is removed from water, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) can then be used to identify the metals on the film. The combination of these technologies makes identifying almost every heavy metal identifiable, even when present in minute quantities.

6. Let Pilots See Where They're Going!

Integrated Primary Flight Display

It's a bit disconcerting to think that your airline pilot can't see where he's going. Now, it turns out that not being able to see what's ahead when taking off and landing may indeed be the cause of some airline accidents (ahem).

The Integrated Primary Flight Display, developed by Honeywell International, is anticipated to greatly improve a pilot's ability to avert other planes, as well as obstacles on the ground. Cool. "Honeywell's Enhanced Ground, Proximity Warning System database-a tool that uses a worldwide terrain and obstacle database along with GPS navigation or other input-which draws a computer-generated picture of the landscape outside the cockpit and alerts pilots if they are approaching an obstacle too closely. And in an effort to ensure the accuracy of the terrain data, Honeywell continuously updates the data using feedback from users who have flown more than 750 million flight hours on more than 35,000 commercial aircraft."

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Comments

But what about..

Submitted on October 8th, 2007 by Anonymous (not verified)

While these all sound like fine examples, I think personal communications devices took an remarkable turn towards the future with Apple's iPhone. Its not the phone, its the UI that is so remarkable.

Brilliant

Submitted on October 9th, 2007 by Gopinath (not verified)

I like the pure water concept.

<a href="http://mgopinath.blogspot.com">Tech Thoughts</a>

thank god! no lphone!

Submitted on October 9th, 2007 by Anonymous (not verified)

thank god! no lphone!

WTF ipod

Submitted on October 9th, 2007 by Willie (not verified)

you guys are fuckin idiots these are legit inventions to improve the quality and safety of lives......ipod who cares about a damn ipod

i agree ...

Submitted on October 9th, 2007 by Anonymous (not verified)

i'd just like to post a comment to say that i agree with "WTF..." ... if you thing that the iPod/iPhone/iWTF is one of the most remarkable and important inventions you need an iBrain or maybe an iLife ... sad ...very sad ... (btw ... no I am not some anti-gadet-kind-of-person ... I LUVVV gadgets !!!)

Consider the microsoft surface

Submitted on October 9th, 2007 by phenom (not verified)

the technology for that was introduced this year and it drastically improves on the way touch technology is seen. microsoft has created technology that can make any surface, an interactive touch gui by using millions of tiny cameras underneath a surface that respond, and track finger movement along a surface. This technology can pretty much make any surface a touch computer without any risk of touch related damage.

The inventions I chose to list...

Submitted on October 9th, 2007 by Myra Per-Lee

I usually don't intervene in the comments section, unless a reader addresses a message to me. But I've been watching the comments here and those submitted to Digg and I see that several readers are defending other technologies that R&D Magazine did not choose, such as the IPhone or a computer technology.

I cannot disagree that those technologies are very important. But I do think that the substantive difference is that the 100 R&D Magazine winners, and particularly 9 of the 10 innovations I chose, are potentially life-saving technologies. They can profoundly impact a world greater than the microcosm of those comfortably able to spend their lives using high tech consumer communication technology. There is a larger universe.

Anyway, thanks to all of you for sharing your opinions. They are fun, and sometimes funny, to read.

Myra

I'm totally loving the

Submitted on October 9th, 2007 by Jessie (not verified)

I'm totally loving the Safe Clothing!

Oh, and nice job with the robot, Lego! But, c'mon... Alpha Rex?!? That is SO Johnny 5. Someone needs to add "Short Circuit" to their Netflix queue, I'm thinkin'.

Great list, thank you! Off to check out the other 90.

Razor Gator should have been in this list.

Submitted on October 10th, 2007 by jaybeezy (not verified)

The world's first disposable razor CLEANER. http://www.razor-gator.com. It's really popular on YTMND.

wow!

Submitted on October 15th, 2007 by Anonymous (not verified)

Human inventiveness and ingenuity is truly amazing. Now if someone could invent a non-invasive way to heal dental pulp infections they would become billionaires overnight!

Fantastic Stuff!

Submitted on October 17th, 2007 by Neece (not verified)

What a great list! Such important inventions. I am going to have to check out the whole top 100. I like that you chose important inventions that will make a difference in the world.

These are great inventions.

Submitted on October 23rd, 2007 by Sam (not verified)

These are great inventions. It just shows how far humans have come. However i saw the most ridicolous invention ever on a blog called Steaming Piles (http://steamingpiles.blogspot.com/) You have got to see this! It is the most bizarre thing ever!

Cool!!

Submitted on December 29th, 2007 by sweet princess (not verified)

The innovations in this year are way too cool!!!

idiot ipods

Submitted on January 14th, 2008 by chuppi (not verified)

i brought a ipod frm urcompany after 2 days it is not even workin wat kind of things u re sellin . tht ipod was waste of money and ipod was so expensive.i lost more then us$15,026 bt i dont get the money back even :( i knw u wont display this in ur website comments part

This is so cool

Submitted on January 14th, 2008 by amber (not verified)

Although I wish you would not put cussing on here this is cool. I had to do a project and was looking for a invention and found just wut i was looking for!

New Invention

Submitted on January 22nd, 2008 by jesse mcqueen (not verified)

There a new invention call the internal energy generating power source, The Mcqueen Machine. You can get more information at http://www.mcqueenmachine.com

THANK YOU
Jesse Mcqueen

Custom Towel Shirts

Submitted on February 23rd, 2008 by Jerry Gatlin (not verified)

Hi, I Jerry Gatlin am a Innovator of Bath and Beach Towel's which are "Half Bath Beach Towel, Half Shirt. I think this is what makes our "World" go around is "Great New Inventions". this is why I Love the "Inventive Process" so "Much". May our "God" Bless all our up Comming New Inventor's. 2-23-08.

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