Invention proposal · screened

Id

I001

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Passive thermal

Name

Multi-effect wick still

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

each condensing surface feeds the next evaporator, so the same joule of sunlight evaporates three times

Why Not Yet

multi-effect stacks work in industry but need pumps and pressure vessels; a gravity-fed wick stack at $20/m² was never engineered

First Build

a three-layer stack on a roof in one location with a daily weigh-scale

Kills It

yield below 2× the single-effect baseline over a two-week trial

Desc

A solar still that reuses its latent heat across three wick layers instead of one.

Score

5.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I002

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Phase change

Name

Waste-heat desiccant still

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the desiccant absorbs vapour at night and releases it to a condenser when the collector heats

Why Not Yet

desiccant wheels are HVAC components priced for buildings, not for a $30 household unit

First Build

a silica-gel cassette in a single-basin still with a manual damper

Kills It

no net gain over the baseline still across three humidity levels

Desc

A solar still whose condenser is regenerated by the same heat that drives evaporation, using a desiccant loop with no electricity.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I003

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Capillary

Name

Salt-gated wicking evaporator

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the salt front moves with the evaporation rate, changing the wick's permeability

Why Not Yet

the effect is treated as fouling to be prevented rather than a control mechanism

First Build

a wick column with a salt gradient instrumented with a camera and a mass balance

Kills It

no measurable flow regulation over a humidity sweep

Desc

An evaporative cooler whose wick self-regulates by salting out when the air is too humid.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I004

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Triboelectric

Name

Flow-powered UV tap

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

water-driven contact electrification charges a capacitor that pulses the LED

Why Not Yet

TENG power density is low and UV-C LEDs need watts; the integration only closes at low flow with a duty-cycled LED

First Build

a bench loop with a TENG, a supercapacitor and one LED, measuring disinfection dose

Kills It

achievable dose below 5 mJ/cm² at 2 L/min

Desc

A triboelectric generator inside a tap aerator that powers a UV-C LED sized to the flow.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I005

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Piezoelectric

Name

Ultrasonic membrane antifoulant

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

surface acoustic streaming disrupts the concentration polarisation layer

Why Not Yet

transducer bonding to polymer housings is a manufacturing problem, not a physics one

First Build

one module with a bonded ring, flux measured over 72 h against a control

Kills It

flux decline unchanged versus control

Desc

A piezoceramic ring bonded to a hollow-fibre membrane module that keeps the surface vibrating below the cavitation threshold.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I006

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Optical

Name

Turbidity-locked UV dose

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

dose is the product of intensity and residence time; turbidity sets the attenuation, so the lamp follows

Why Not Yet

reactors are sized for the worst case because cheap turbidity sensors drifted

First Build

a bench loop with a variable-turbidity feed and a biodosimetry check

Kills It

dose error exceeding 30% across the turbidity range

Desc

A UV reactor whose lamp current is set by a turbidity reading so the delivered dose stays constant as water quality changes.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I007

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Electrochemical

Name

Self-desalting CDI cell

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the electrode's stored charge is the salt's driving force, so a polarity flip releases it

Why Not Yet

the control electronics cost more than the cell in every commercial design

First Build

a single cell with a comparator-based flip circuit and a conductivity probe

Kills It

energy per litre above 1 kWh/m³ in brackish feed

Desc

A capacitive deionisation cell that reverses polarity on a conductivity trigger, dumping its salt to waste without a rinse pump.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I008

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic-seeded microplastic floc

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the seed binds to polymer surfaces and gives the floc a moment

Why Not Yet

the seed chemistry was developed for ore processing and never reformulated for ambient-temperature, near-neutral water

First Build

a jar test with a bench magnet and turbidity before and after

Kills It

capture below 60% of the microplastic mass

Desc

A cartridge that doses a magnetic seed into wash water and captures the floc on a magnet, releasing it on field removal.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I009

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Acoustic

Name

Acoustic rain-barrel clarifier

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

acoustic radiation force drives particle clustering at pressure nodes

Why Not Yet

acoustic coagulation works at high intensity, and the low-power regime for a barrel was never characterised

First Build

a barrel with two transducers and a settling column sampled over 6 h

Kills It

settling time unchanged versus a still control

Desc

A piezo disc that coagulates fine turbidity acoustically so a barrel settles in hours rather than days.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened · development D02 · supplied model E2

Id

I010

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Compliant

Name

Pressure-compensating drip emitter by geometry

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the compliant wall deflects with pressure and the gap closes

Why Not Yet

compensated emitters exist but are multi-part and cost several times an uncompensated one; a single-moulded compliant design was never tooled

First Build

a 3D-printed silicone emitter on a bench manifold with a flow meter

Kills It

flow variation above 15% across the pressure range

Desc

A one-piece silicone emitter whose flow is set by a slot that narrows as pressure rises, holding flow constant from 0.5 to 3 bar.

Score

6.5

Development D02

Supplied engineering study E2

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I011

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Microfluidic

Name

Paper arsenic strip with a timed read

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the reaction consumes a reagent as the front advances, so distance maps to concentration without a reader

Why Not Yet

paper sensors are read by intensity because cameras were assumed; a distance readout needs no optics

First Build

strips run against standard arsenic solutions, photographed and measured with a ruler

Kills It

distance-concentration correlation below r² = 0.9

Desc

A lateral-flow strip whose colour front's position, not just its intensity, encodes concentration.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I012

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Bio-based

Name

Mycelium heavy-metal filter

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

fungal cell walls carry phosphate and carboxyl groups that chelate metals

Why Not Yet

mycelium composites were developed for packaging, where water resistance is the goal; the opposite property is wanted here

First Build

a column with mycelium-bound straw and a breakthrough curve

Kills It

capacity below 10 mg/g at drinking-water concentrations

Desc

A mycelium-bound agricultural waste cartridge that biosorbs lead and cadmium and can be ashed for recovery.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I013

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Catalytic

Name

Solar-arsenite oxidiser cartridge

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

photocatalytic oxidation changes the speciation, and As(V) adsorbs far better

Why Not Yet

photocatalysis is researched for destruction of organics, not for speciation changes ahead of adsorption

First Build

a mesh in a flow cell under a solar simulator with speciation analysis

Kills It

no measurable conversion after 30 min of illumination

Desc

A titania-coated mesh that oxidises arsenite to arsenite(V) in sunlight so a downstream adsorbent can capture it.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · development D01 · supplied model E1

Id

I014

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Radiative

Name

Radiative dew harvester

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a surface with high 8–13 µm emissivity and low solar absorptance radiates to the sky and reaches 5–10 K below ambient

Why Not Yet

the materials existed for a decade but no one optimised the *condensation* side — droplet shedding, fouling and the yield-per-night economics

First Build

a 1 m² panel on a roof with a load cell and a weather station

Kills It

less than 0.1 L/m²/night in a 70% RH climate

Desc

A selective emitter that cools below the dew point and condenses water without power.

Score

2.0

Development D01

Supplied engineering study E1

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I015

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Thermoelectric

Name

Peltier membrane still

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the same Peltier junction provides both temperature differences

Why Not Yet

Peltier efficiency is poor, but the device only needs a temperature difference across a membrane, not a large one

First Build

an off-the-shelf Peltier, a PTFE membrane and a flux measurement

Kills It

less than 1 L/m²/h per watt

Desc

A thermoelectric stack that drives a membrane distillation cell, using the cold side to condense and the hot side to evaporate.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I016

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Shape memory

Name

Freeze-protection valve

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the martensitic transformation's shape change is set by a composition-tuned transition temperature

Why Not Yet

SMA valves exist in aerospace at high cost; a plumbing-grade part was never cost-engineered

First Build

a valve body in a freezer cycling between 2 °C and −5 °C, with a flow check

Kills It

actuation failing after 100 cycles

Desc

A nickel-titanium element that opens a drain when a pipe approaches freezing and closes on warming, with no power or sensor.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I017

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Soft robotics

Name

Soft pipe crawler

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

alternating inflatable segments inch along the pipe, harvesting the pressure differential

Why Not Yet

pipe robots are rigid and need a tether; soft peristaltic designs were made only in millimetre-scale lab demonstrations

First Build

a 20 mm crawler in a 25 mm transparent pipe loop

Kills It

propulsion slower than 0.1 m/s or unable to pass a bend

Desc

A silicone peristaltic robot that inspects small-bore water mains, driven by the flow itself.

Score

0.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I018

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Harvesting

Name

Pipe-flow energy harvester

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a bimorph cantilever tuned to the pipe's dominant vibration band

Why Not Yet

leak sensors are sold with batteries and radio budgets designed for five years, which made harvesting unnecessary rather than unavailable

First Build

a clamp-on harvester and a load resistor measuring average power over a week

Kills It

less than 50 µW average

Desc

A vibration harvester clamped to a service pipe that powers a leak sensor from the water's own turbulence.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I019

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Inference

Name

Acoustic leak classifier on a phone

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the leak's spectral signature depends on the pipe's material and pressure, both recoverable from a short recording

Why Not Yet

acoustic leak detection is expert-heuristic; the training data exist only inside utilities

First Build

a labelled set from one utility and a simple classifier with a held-out street

Kills It

material classification below 70% accuracy on the held-out street

Desc

A model that identifies the pipe material and leak size from a tap recording made by a utility worker's phone.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I020

Domain

Water and sanitation

Domain No

1

Tag

Water × Structural

Name

Greywater heat-recovery shower panel

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

counterflow between the drain film and the supply coil

Why Not Yet

the units are sold as plumbing accessories at a price that only pays back in cold climates; a moulded tray version was never mass-produced

First Build

a tray insert with thermocouples and a measured recovery fraction

Kills It

recovery below 25% at 8 L/min

Desc

A drain-pipe heat exchanger moulded into a shower tray that preheats incoming cold water.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I021

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Passive thermal

Name

Zeer-pot cold store

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

evaporative cooling in dry air holds 8–12 K below ambient

Why Not Yet

the design is ancient and dismissed as low-tech; the modern version needs a humidity-responsive wick and a produce-specific loading pattern

First Build

two pots with a data logger and a weighed produce load over a week

Kills It

less than 6 K depression or produce loss above the ambient control

Desc

A double-pot evaporative cooler sized for 50 kg of produce, with a sand layer that is re-wetted once a day.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I022

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Phase change

Name

Eutectic cold-chain brick

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a eutectic at 5 °C stores latent heat in the right band and does not freeze the payload

Why Not Yet

phase-change materials are sold for buildings at €5/kg; the food-cold-chain price point is below €1/kg

First Build

a brick in an insulated box with a thermocouple chain and an ambient profile

Kills It

hold time under 72 h or supercooling that misses the band

Desc

A salt-hydrate brick tuned to hold 2–8 °C for 96 h, replacing water ice in vaccine carriers.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I023

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Capillary

Name

Capillary hydroponic mat

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the matric potential of the mat sets the delivery rate

Why Not Yet

hydroponics is engineered around pumps and timers; passive systems exist only as houseplant products

First Build

a tray of lettuce on a mat against a timer-irrigated control

Kills It

yield below 80% of the control over one cycle

Desc

A felt mat that delivers water to roots by wicking and stops when the mat is saturated, with no pump or timer.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I024

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Triboelectric

Name

Electrostatic pest screen

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the insect's charge and the field produce a capture force on contact

Why Not Yet

electrostatic crop protection was tried in the 1970s with unreliable high-voltage supplies; modern DC-DC converters make it cheap

First Build

a charged mesh on one row with sticky-trap counts on both

Kills It

capture rate no better than an uncharged mesh

Desc

A charged mesh around a crop row that captures small flying insects without insecticide.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I025

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Piezoelectric

Name

Ultrasonic sprout suppressor

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

mechanical stress at the bud disrupts cell division

Why Not Yet

the regulatory withdrawal of chemical suppressants is recent, and the ultrasonic dose-response in bulk storage was never established

First Build

two boxes, one with transducers, weighed and scored at 8 and 16 weeks

Kills It

sprout mass unchanged versus control

Desc

A low-power ultrasonic transducer in a potato store that inhibits sprouting without chlorpropham.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I026

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Optical

Name

Handheld ripeness index

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

chlorophyll absorption against a reference band tracks the ripening front

Why Not Yet

NIR spectrometers are used in packing houses; the cheap two-band version needs a per-fruit calibration that was never published

First Build

200 fruit measured with the probe and with a destructive reference

Kills It

prediction error above the between-fruit spread

Desc

A two-wavelength reflectance probe that reports a ripeness index for a specific fruit without a spectrometer.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I027

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Electrochemical

Name

Battery-free spoilage tag

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the amine shifts the potential of a pH-sensitive redox couple in a printed cell

Why Not Yet

time-temperature indicators exist, but chemical spoilage indicators need a food-specific threshold and were never calibrated per species

First Build

tags on fish fillets at 4 °C with parallel microbial counts

Kills It

colour change not aligned with the microbial threshold

Desc

A printed electrode that changes colour when amine vapour from spoiling fish accumulates.

Score

0.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I028

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic weed-seed separator

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the seeds differ in surface texture, so the dust adheres differently

Why Not Yet

seed cleaning is mechanical and cheap; magnetic separation was developed for ore and never scaled down to a farm unit

First Build

a bench drum with coated weed seed in a wheat sample

Kills It

removal below 70% with grain loss above 2%

Desc

A seed-cleaning drum that coats weed seeds with magnetic dust and lifts them out of a grain stream.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I029

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Acoustic

Name

Acoustic ripeness sorter

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the resonant frequency of the fruit scales with its stiffness

Why Not Yet

acoustic firmness sensors are lab instruments; the signal processing needed for a cheap unit became available only with small microcontrollers

First Build

100 fruit tapped and measured with a penetrometer

Kills It

correlation below r² = 0.7

Desc

A tap-and-listen device that sorts fruit by firmness from the sound of a light impact.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I030

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Compliant

Name

Compliant fruit gripper

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the finger's geometry sets the contact pressure below the bruising threshold regardless of size

Why Not Yet

soft grippers are demonstrated with pneumatic control; a passive, geometry-only design was never commercialised for harvest

First Build

a gripper on a bench arm picking 100 fruit of three sizes, bruise-scored

Kills It

bruise rate above 5%

Desc

A single-moulded soft gripper with fingers that conform to any fruit without a sensor or controller.

Score

5.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I031

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Microfluidic

Name

On-farm milk antibiotic strip

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a printed enzyme-inhibition reaction with a distance readout

Why Not Yet

lab tests are used because the regulatory thresholds vary by jurisdiction and a single strip cannot serve all

First Build

strips tested against spiked milk at the EU and US thresholds

Kills It

false-negative rate above 5% at the threshold

Desc

A paper strip that detects beta-lactam residues in milk in five minutes at the tank.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I032

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Bio-based

Name

Mycelium evaporative cooler pad

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the mycelium's open cell structure gives a high wetted surface area

Why Not Yet

mycelium composites are made in flat sheets for packaging; a thick, wetted, airflow-oriented pad was not developed

First Build

a pad in a bench evaporative rig with a pressure-drop and saturation-efficiency measurement

Kills It

saturation efficiency below 70% or structural collapse when wet

Desc

A growable cooler pad that replaces cardboard honeycomb in evaporative coolers and is compostable.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I033

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Catalytic

Name

Ethylene scrubber sachet

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a manganese-oxide catalyst oxidises ethylene to CO₂ and water at ambient temperature

Why Not Yet

the catalyst exists; the sachet's humidity tolerance and food-contact approval were not developed

First Build

sachets in sealed boxes with ethylene dosing and a colourimetric measurement

Kills It

less than 50% ethylene removal over 24 h

Desc

A sachet that oxidises ethylene at room temperature inside a produce box, extending shelf life.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I034

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Radiative

Name

Night-sky pre-cooler for harvest

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the panel radiates to the sky and cools a water loop that pre-chills the produce

Why Not Yet

radiative cooling is demonstrated on roofs, not integrated into harvest logistics

First Build

a panel and a water loop with produce core temperature measured

Kills It

less than 3 K pre-cooling in a clear-sky climate

Desc

A radiative panel that pre-cools picked produce before cold-store entry, cutting the pull-down load.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I035

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Thermoelectric

Name

Peltier grain drier

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the same junction provides the sensible heat and the condensation

Why Not Yet

grain drying is done with large fossil-heat driers; a small electric unit suits off-grid farms that were never a market

First Build

a 20 kg batch with moisture measured daily

Kills It

drying rate below 0.5%/day per kWh

Desc

A thermoelectric dehumidifier that dries a small grain batch using the cold side to condense and the hot side to warm the air.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I036

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Shape memory

Name

Self-venting grain silo cap

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the spring's transition is tuned to the dew point margin

Why Not Yet

silo vents are passive grilles sized for worst case; an actuated vent was never cost-engineered

First Build

a cap on a sealed drum in a cycling chamber

Kills It

no reduction in condensate versus a fixed vent

Desc

A cap that opens at a set temperature and humidity using an SMA spring, preventing condensation drip.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I037

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Soft robotics

Name

Soft weeding end-effector

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the fingers conform to the stem and pull along its axis

Why Not Yet

weeding robots use rigid tools and vision; the soft end-effector needs a different control philosophy

First Build

a bench rig over a tray of crop and weed

Kills It

crop damage above 5%

Desc

A soft gripper that pulls weeds by the stem while leaving crop roots undisturbed.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I038

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Harvesting

Name

Vibration-powered soil moisture node

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a cantilever harvester charges a capacitor that wakes a radio

Why Not Yet

soil nodes use batteries because the duty cycle is low; a vibration-only node was never fielded

First Build

a node on a tractor-mounted probe logging transmissions per pass

Kills It

fewer than one successful transmission per pass

Desc

A sensor node that harvests energy from tractor vibration and reports soil moisture once per pass.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I039

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Inference

Name

Camera-based feed intake meter

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a depth map of the feed surface before and after

Why Not Yet

feed intake is measured with load cells on the bunk, which are expensive and fragile

First Build

a depth camera and a load cell on one bunk for two weeks

Kills It

intake error above 10% per day

Desc

A cheap camera over a feed bunk that estimates intake per pen from the change in feed height.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I040

Domain

Food and agriculture

Domain No

2

Tag

Food × Structural

Name

Pallet-integrated cooling duct

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the deck's internal geometry distributes air to the box gaps

Why Not Yet

cold-store airflow is designed around the room, not the pallet; the pallet is treated as a commodity

First Build

two stacks in a cold room with temperature mapping

Kills It

no reduction in pull-down time or temperature spread

Desc

A pallet whose deck channels cold air through the stack rather than around it, cutting cool-store energy.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I041

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Passive thermal

Name

Fever-strip triage card

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a melting-point ink in a capillary

Why Not Yet

single-use thermochromic labels exist for shipping, not for clinical triage with a validated threshold

First Build

200 cards against digital thermometers in one clinic

Kills It

sensitivity below 90% at the threshold

Desc

A card that changes colour irreversibly above 38 °C and holds the record, for use where thermometers are shared.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I042

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Phase change

Name

Cold-chain vial monitor

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a water-based indicator that expands on freezing

Why Not Yet

freeze indicators exist for shipping cartons, not bonded to individual vials at low cost

First Build

labels on vials in a freeze-thaw cycle with a logged profile

Kills It

failure to trigger at −1 °C

Desc

A phase-change label that irreversibly marks a vial that has been frozen.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I043

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Capillary

Name

Capillary blood-collection card

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a defined channel with a geometric stop fills a known volume

Why Not Yet

dried blood spots are made by pipette; a metered capillary card was never validated for clinical chemistry

First Build

cards against venepuncture on 50 paired samples

Kills It

analyte bias beyond clinical acceptability for more than one analyte

Desc

A card that meters a fixed volume by capillary stop and dries it for shipping, removing the centrifuge.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I044

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Triboelectric

Name

Self-powered respiration band

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a TENG's output tracks the band's strain

Why Not Yet

respiration bands are resistive or accelerometric and need power; the TENG's signal is small but the respiration frequency is slow, which suits it

First Build

a band on ten subjects against a spirometer

Kills It

rate error above 2 breaths/min

Desc

A chest band that generates its own signal from breathing motion, with no battery.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I045

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo cough monitor

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the cough's mechanical signature is distinctive in the frame's vibration

Why Not Yet

cough monitors use microphones, which raise privacy objections

First Build

a film on a bed with audio and video as reference

Kills It

cough count error above 20%

Desc

A piezo film on a bed frame that counts and characterises coughs overnight.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · development D03

Id

I046

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Optical

Name

Anemia nail-fold scanner

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the absorption of the nail bed at two wavelengths tracks haemoglobin

Why Not Yet

pulse oximetry measures saturation, not concentration, and the calibration for concentration needs a per-population correction that was never assembled

First Build

300 paired readings against a blood count

Kills It

bias above 1.5 g/dL

Desc

A phone attachment that estimates haemoglobin from the nail bed's colour under controlled illumination.

Score

3.0

Development D03

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I047

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Electrochemical

Name

Sweat chloride patch

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

an ion-selective electrode printed on a flexible substrate

Why Not Yet

the sweat test requires pilocarpine iontophoresis and a lab; a fully integrated patch was never validated

First Build

patches against the standard test in one clinic

Kills It

disagreement beyond the diagnostic threshold

Desc

A patch that measures chloride in sweat for cystic fibrosis screening without a laboratory.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I048

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic lateral-flow reader

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the magnetic label's signal is independent of lighting and of the strip's pigment

Why Not Yet

magnetic labels exist in labs; the reader was never cost-engineered against a phone camera

First Build

a reader on strips of known concentration against a benchtop reader

Kills It

limit of detection not improved by 10×

Desc

A reader that quantifies a lateral-flow strip by measuring the magnetic moment of a labelled line, rather than its optical density.

Score

5.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I049

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Acoustic

Name

Acoustic sputum quality check

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the cough's spectrum differs with the sample's depth and quality

Why Not Yet

sample quality is judged by eye in the lab, after transport

First Build

recorded coughs from patients with paired sample quality scored by a microbiologist

Kills It

classification below 70%

Desc

A device that accepts or rejects a sputum sample by the sound of the cough that produced it.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I050

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Compliant

Name

Self-limiting tourniquet

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a buckling element limits the tension

Why Not Yet

tourniquets are either manual and over-tightenable or pneumatic and expensive

First Build

a band on a pressure rig with a limb analogue

Kills It

occluding pressure not reached, or pressure exceeding 300 mmHg

Desc

A compliant band whose pressure saturates at a safe value regardless of how hard it is tightened.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I051

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Microfluidic

Name

Metered fingerstick panel

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

capillary splitting with geometric metering

Why Not Yet

point-of-care panels use cartridges that need a reader; a passive splitter was never validated for whole blood

First Build

cards on 50 paired venous samples

Kills It

channel-to-channel volume variation above 10%

Desc

A card that splits one drop into four channels for four analytes with no pipetting.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I052

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Bio-based

Name

Bacterial cellulose wound contact layer

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the cellulose's nanofibre mesh is wet, conformable and transparent when thin

Why Not Yet

bacterial cellulose is made for food and audio diaphragms; a clinical-grade contact layer was never manufactured at scale

First Build

dressed wounds on a porcine model against a standard dressing

Kills It

no improvement in healing time or in inspection frequency

Desc

A grown dressing that conforms and is translucent enough to inspect the wound without removal.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I053

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Catalytic

Name

Room-temperature sterilant sachet

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

an acid-catalysed release of peracetic acid vapour

Why Not Yet

sterilants are liquids in bulk; a single-use sachet with a validated cycle was never developed

First Build

sachets in a sealed box with biological indicators

Kills It

no log-6 reduction of the indicator

Desc

A sachet that releases a sterilant vapour when wetted, for instruments in low-resource settings.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened · development D04 · supplied model E3

Id

I054

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Radiative

Name

Passive vaccine cooler

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the emitter dumps heat to the sky while the phase-change material buffers the day

Why Not Yet

the materials are demonstrated in papers; a box designed for the vaccine cold chain was never built or field-tested

First Build

a box in a hot climate with a logged internal temperature over a week

Kills It

excursion above 8 °C within 24 h

Desc

A radiative-cooling box that holds 2–8 °C without power, using a selective emitter and a phase-change buffer.

Score

4.0

Development D04

Supplied engineering study E3

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I055

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Thermoelectric

Name

Peltier sample transporter

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the junction's cold side cools the sample block while the hot side vents

Why Not Yet

sample transport uses ice packs, which fail on long routes; a Peltier box was never cost-engineered

First Build

a box in a vehicle over an 8 h route with a logger

Kills It

temperature excursion above 8 °C for more than 1 h

Desc

A portable box that holds a sample at 4 °C on a Peltier stage powered by a vehicle socket.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I056

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Shape memory

Name

Auto-retracting safety needle

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the martensitic transition at 37 °C releases a stored spring

Why Not Yet

safety needles use passive springs and a manual click; the SMA version removes the user step

First Build

100 actuations in a water bath at body temperature

Kills It

actuation failure above 1%

Desc

A needle that retracts on removal using an SMA spring triggered by body heat.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I057

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Soft robotics

Name

Soft rehabilitation glove

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the actuators' geometry sequences the fingers without individual control

Why Not Yet

rehabilitation gloves use multi-channel pneumatics with a compressor; a single-source sequenced design was never validated

First Build

one glove with a pressure source and a grip-force and range measurement

Kills It

range of motion improvement below 10°

Desc

A glove with soft actuators that assist hand opening using a single low-pressure source.

Score

5.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I058

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Harvesting

Name

Body-heat powered hearing aid

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a 2 K gradient across a thin TEG with a low-power amplifier

Why Not Yet

hearing aids use zinc-air batteries that last a week, which made harvesting unnecessary

First Build

a TEG on a warm plate driving a representative load

Kills It

less than 50 µW average

Desc

A thermoelectric element behind the ear that runs a low-power aid from the skin-to-air gradient.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I059

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Inference

Name

Cough-to-X-ray triage

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the cough's acoustic features correlate with lower-respiratory involvement

Why Not Yet

triage is clinician-judgement and the datasets were never assembled with imaging outcomes

First Build

a retrospective set with cough audio and radiograph reports

Kills It

sensitivity below 80% at a fixed specificity of 60%

Desc

A model that decides whether a cough recording warrants a chest X-ray, for triage where imaging is scarce.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I060

Domain

Health diagnostics

Domain No

3

Tag

Health × Structural

Name

Cold-chain box with integral phase-change walls

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the wall's latent heat buffers and its low conductivity insulates

Why Not Yet

boxes use separate ice packs because the walls are structural; a phase-change structural composite was never moulded

First Build

a box with a logged payload over 72 h

Kills It

hold time below 48 h

Desc

An insulated box whose walls are the phase-change material, eliminating the separate packs.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I061

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Passive thermal

Name

Passive neonatal warmer

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a salt hydrate tuned to 37 °C

Why Not Yet

neonatal warmers are electric and cost thousands; a passive mattress was never clinically trialled

First Build

a mattress in a simulated neonatal setting with a thermal manikin

Kills It

core temperature falling below 36.5 °C

Desc

A phase-change mattress that absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night for kangaroo-care support.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I062

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Phase change

Name

Cold-therapy sleeve with a set point

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a eutectic tuned to the therapeutic band

Why Not Yet

cold therapy uses ice or electric wraps; a set-point material was never packaged for limbs

First Build

a sleeve on a limb analogue with a thermal log

Kills It

hold time below 2 h

Desc

A sleeve whose phase-change material holds 10 °C for hours without ice.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I063

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Capillary

Name

Capillary drainage dressing

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a graded channel array with a strong capillary stop at the absorbent

Why Not Yet

dressings rely on absorbents and pressure; a capillary-engineered layer was never manufactured

First Build

a dressing on a wound simulator with a measured fluid-handling rate

Kills It

no improvement in fluid handling over a standard foam

Desc

A dressing whose channels move exudate away from the wound by capillary action alone.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I064

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Triboelectric

Name

Self-powered pressure-injury sensor

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the mat's output changes when the body moves

Why Not Yet

pressure mapping is done with powered mats in research settings; a battery-free disposable mat was never made

First Build

a mat under a volunteer with a camera reference

Kills It

repositioning detection below 80%

Desc

A TENG mat under a patient that logs repositioning from the pressure changes, with no battery.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I065

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo swallow monitor

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the swallow's vibration signature is distinctive in a piezo film

Why Not Yet

dysphagia is assessed by videofluoroscopy; a screening patch was never validated

First Build

patch recordings with fluoroscopy as reference

Kills It

agreement below 80%

Desc

A throat patch that detects swallow frequency and duration for dysphagia screening.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I066

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Optical

Name

Jaundice eye scanner

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the sclera's yellowness is compared with an in-frame reference patch under controlled light

Why Not Yet

transcutaneous bilirubin meters are the standard and cost thousands; the eye method is dismissed as subjective

First Build

200 neonates against serum bilirubin

Kills It

correlation below r² = 0.7

Desc

A phone attachment that grades scleral icterus against a colour reference, replacing a bilirubin meter in screening.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I067

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Electrochemical

Name

Wound Infection early warning

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

infected wounds alkalinise, and an iridium-oxide electrode tracks pH

Why Not Yet

wound infection is diagnosed clinically; the sensor was never integrated into a dressing

First Build

dressings on a wound model with bacterial challenge

Kills It

no pH difference before visible infection

Desc

A dressing with an electrode that flags a pH rise before clinical signs.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I068

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic capsule retention test

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the bead's position is inferred from the field at the sensor

Why Not Yet

capsule endoscopy uses cameras; a passive magnetic marker was never developed for transit testing

First Build

a bead in a phantom and then in volunteers with X-ray reference

Kills It

position error above 5 cm

Desc

A swallowed magnetic bead whose transit is tracked by a handheld sensor, replacing a radiological study.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I069

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Acoustic

Name

Acoustic fracture-healing monitor

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

callus stiffening raises the limb's resonant frequencies

Why Not Yet

healing is assessed radiographically; the acoustic method was studied in the 1990s and abandoned for lack of a cheap analyser

First Build

patients with paired radiographs over 12 weeks

Kills It

no correlation with the radiographic score

Desc

A device that taps a limb and listens for the change in resonance as a fracture heals.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I070

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Compliant

Name

Compliant airway stent

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a compliant lattice that buckles locally at a set pressure

Why Not Yet

stents are rigid metal or silicone; a tuned compliant lattice needs additive manufacturing at clinical scale

First Build

a stent in an airway phantom with a pressure–diameter curve

Kills It

migration or collapse in the phantom

Desc

A stent whose geometry self-adjusts to the airway's pressure so it does not erode.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I071

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Microfluidic

Name

Organ-on-chip with gravity-driven flow

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a height difference drives a controlled flow for 24 h

Why Not Yet

organ chips use syringe pumps, which dominate the cost and the footprint

First Build

a chip with a gravity column and a viability and flow-rate check

Kills It

flow rate varying by more than 30% over 24 h

Desc

A chip that perfuses a cell culture by gravity siphon, with no pump.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I072

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Bio-based

Name

Alginate embolic bead with a trigger

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the alginate's crosslinks are pH-labile

Why Not Yet

embolic beads are permanent; a reversible one needs a trigger that is safe in vivo

First Build

beads in a flow phantom with a pH switch

Kills It

dissolution not achieved within 30 min of the trigger

Desc

A bead that dissolves on a pH change, so an embolisation can be reversed.

Score

0.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I073

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Catalytic

Name

Catalytic NO donor patch

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a nitrite salt on a catalytic surface releases NO on contact with moisture

Why Not Yet

NO donors are unstable in storage; a dry patch was never stabilised

First Build

a patch on a moist surface with a chemiluminescence NO analyser

Kills It

release rate outside the therapeutic window

Desc

A patch that releases nitric oxide at a controlled rate from a sweat-activated catalyst, for wound healing.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I074

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Radiative

Name

Radiative cooling cast

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a selective emitter in the liner moves heat through the plaster's infrared window

Why Not Yet

casts are chosen for mechanical properties; thermal comfort was never a design goal

First Build

a cast on a limb analogue with an internal thermocouple

Kills It

no temperature reduction

Desc

A cast liner that radiates heat away so a limb under plaster does not overheat.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I075

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Thermoelectric

Name

Peltier transport incubator

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the stage heats and cools with polarity reversal, and a phase-change mass buffers

Why Not Yet

transport incubators are expensive and use compressors; a Peltier version was never cost-engineered

First Build

a box in a vehicle with a thermal manikin

Kills It

temperature outside 36–37 °C for more than 30 min

Desc

A small incubator for a newborn that runs on a vehicle battery with a Peltier stage.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I076

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Shape memory

Name

SMA bone staple

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the martensitic transition provides a controlled recovery force

Why Not Yet

SMA staples exist in foot surgery; the general fracture application was never trialled

First Build

a staple in a bone analogue with a force measurement

Kills It

compression outside the therapeutic range

Desc

A staple that closes as it warms to body temperature, compressing a fracture.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I077

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Soft robotics

Name

Soft robotic retractor

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

an inflatable bladder with a segmented surface

Why Not Yet

retractors are rigid and hand-held; a soft one needs a pressure source and a sterilisable bladder

First Build

a retractor in a cadaver model with a pressure map

Kills It

tissue pressure above the ischaemic threshold

Desc

A retractor that holds tissue with distributed pressure rather than point loads.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I078

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Harvesting

Name

Motion-powered infusion pump

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

an eccentric-mass harvester charges a capacitor that drives a stepper

Why Not Yet

pumps use batteries and are designed for hospital power

First Build

a harvester on a walking volunteer driving a representative load

Kills It

less than 1 mW average

Desc

A pump that runs on the patient's own movement, for ambulatory infusion where power is unreliable.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I079

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Inference

Name

Wound-photo healing trajectory

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the change in wound area and colour in the first week predicts the trajectory

Why Not Yet

healing is judged at each visit, not predicted; the longitudinal image datasets were never assembled

First Build

a retrospective set of weekly images with outcomes

Kills It

prediction no better than the clinician's

Desc

A model that predicts healing at week 4 from a photo at week 1, to flag wounds that need escalation.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I080

Domain

Medical devices and care

Domain No

4

Tag

Medical × Structural

Name

Crash-tested ambulance stretcher with integrated weighing

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

strain gauges in the frame's main beams, calibrated for the patient's position

Why Not Yet

weighing is done by a separate scale; integrating it into a crash-rated frame was never engineered

First Build

a frame with gauges and a crash-sled test

Kills It

weight error above 2 kg after impact

Desc

A stretcher whose load cells are in the frame and survive impact.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I081

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Passive thermal

Name

Thermal battery from waste heat

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

sensible heat in a low-cost refractory

Why Not Yet

thermal stores are built for power plants; a modular block for a factory's intermittent waste heat was never productised

First Build

a 100 kWh block on a foundry's flue with a charge-discharge cycle

Kills It

round-trip recovery below 60%

Desc

A graphite block store that captures industrial waste heat at 400 °C and returns it as process heat.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I082

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Phase change

Name

Salt-hydrate cold store

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the hydrate's latent heat at a temperature useful for commercial cooling

Why Not Yet

phase-change materials for cold storage are sold in small sachets; a bulk store needs a corrosion-compatible container

First Build

a 50 kWh store on a cold room with a load-shift measurement

Kills It

phase separation after 100 cycles

Desc

A store that freezes at −5 °C and shifts refrigeration load to off-peak hours.

Score

0.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I083

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Capillary

Name

Capillary-fed zinc electrode

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the wick delivers a controlled ion flux to the electrode face

Why Not Yet

zinc-air cells flood or dry out; a capillary feed is used in fuel cells but never in a primary zinc-air product

First Build

a single cell with a wick and a discharge curve against a gelled control

Kills It

capacity below the gelled control

Desc

A zinc-air battery whose anode is fed by capillary wicking, avoiding dendrites and leaking electrolyte.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I084

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Triboelectric

Name

Static pre-charge for supercapacitors

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the TENG's high voltage and low current suit the capacitor's charging profile

Why Not Yet

TENGs are demonstrated for sensors, not as pre-charge for storage; the impedance match was never designed

First Build

a TENG and a supercapacitor with a charge-efficiency measurement

Kills It

less than 20% of the TENG's energy reaching the capacitor

Desc

A triboelectric layer that pre-charges a supercapacitor stack so the converter sees a higher voltage.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I085

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo preload sensor for cell stacks

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the washer's charge is proportional to the stack's clamping force

Why Not Yet

stack pressure is set at assembly and never monitored; a piezo washer is a standard part looking for this application

First Build

a washer in a 10-cell stack with a force reference

Kills It

charge drift making the measurement unusable after a week

Desc

A piezo washer in a battery stack that measures compression and flags loss of preload.

Score

0.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I086

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Optical

Name

Fibre-optic state-of-charge probe

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the index shifts with salt concentration, read as a wavelength shift

Why Not Yet

cell diagnostics are electrical; an optical probe needs a feedthrough that survives the chemistry

First Build

a probe in a transparent test cell against a titrated reference

Kills It

no correlation with the measured concentration

Desc

A fibre in a cell that reads the electrolyte's refractive index and so its concentration.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I087

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Electrochemical

Name

Desalination battery with a salinity-driven recharge

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the electrode's redox potential depends on the salinity it has absorbed

Why Not Yet

desalination batteries are lab cells; the energy-recovery mode was never engineered into a stack

First Build

a 10-cell stack on brackish water with an energy balance

Kills It

net energy above 1 kWh/m³

Desc

A cell that charges while desalinating and recovers part of the energy on discharge.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I088

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic flywheel bearing

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a Halbach array gives stable levitation with eddy-current damping

Why Not Yet

flywheels use active magnetic bearings with control electronics; a passive design was never taken past prototypes

First Build

a 1 kWh rotor on passive bearings with a spin-down test

Kills It

spin-down time below 24 h

Desc

A passive magnetic bearing for a small flywheel that removes the vacuum pump and the active control.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I089

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Acoustic

Name

Acoustic agitation for flow batteries

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

acoustic streaming thins the diffusion layer

Why Not Yet

flow batteries are designed around flow rate; acoustic enhancement was never applied to them

First Build

a cell with and without a transducer at fixed flow

Kills It

less than 20% improvement in limiting current

Desc

A transducer that disrupts the boundary layer at a flow-battery electrode, raising the limiting current.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened · development D05

Id

I090

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Compliant

Name

Compliant cell compression frame

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a buckling beam with a low stiffness in the swelling direction

Why Not Yet

stacks use rigid end plates and springs; a compliant frame with the right stiffness curve was never designed

First Build

a frame with a load cell over 200 cycles

Kills It

pressure variation above 30%

Desc

A frame that maintains constant stack pressure as the cells swell over life.

Score

3.5

Development D05

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I091

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Microfluidic

Name

Microfluidic redox-flow cell for screening

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a microfluidic channel with electrodes and a reference

Why Not Yet

flow-battery screening is done in beakers at millilitre scale; a chip would cut the cost of exploring couples

First Build

a chip tested against a known couple

Kills It

results not reproducing the beaker values

Desc

A chip that screens redox couples for flow batteries using microlitre volumes.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I092

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Bio-based

Name

Lignin-derived hard carbon anode

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the lignin's disordered carbon hosts sodium

Why Not Yet

hard carbon is made from biomass but the lignin route's economics were never tested inside an existing pulp mill

First Build

a batch of lignin carbon in a coin cell

Kills It

capacity below 250 mAh/g

Desc

An anode made from agricultural lignin for sodium-ion cells, with a processing route suited to a paper mill.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I093

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Catalytic

Name

Catalytic hydrogen getter for cells

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a low-temperature catalyst recombines H₂ with O₂ on the cell's headspace

Why Not Yet

getters are used in vacuum devices, not in cells; the safety case was never made

First Build

a getter in a sealed cell with a pressure sensor over a month

Kills It

no measurable pressure reduction

Desc

A getter that recombines leaked hydrogen inside a cell, preventing pressure build-up.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I094

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Radiative

Name

Radiative cooler for battery packs

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a selective emitter on the pack's top face

Why Not Yet

packs are cooled by coolant loops; a passive radiative path was never added to a real pack

First Build

two packs, one coated, in a hot car park with cell temperatures logged

Kills It

no reduction in peak cell temperature

Desc

A pack surface that radiates heat to the sky, reducing the chiller load in hot climates.

Score

5.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I095

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Thermoelectric

Name

Peltier cell balancer

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the Seebeck-driven current runs a small Peltier that shifts heat down the gradient

Why Not Yet

balancing is electrical, not thermal; thermal balancing was never implemented

First Build

a pack with a thermoelectric element between two cells and a temperature map

Kills It

no reduction in cell-to-cell spread

Desc

A thermoelectric element that moves heat from hot cells to cold ones inside a pack, equalising temperature.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I096

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Shape memory

Name

SMA disconnect for thermal runaway

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the SMA's transition at 90 °C releases a contact

Why Not Yet

protection is electronic, using a thermistor and a FET, which needs power and can fail

First Build

an element in a heated fixture with a current-interruption test

Kills It

failure to interrupt at the set temperature

Desc

A shape-memory element that breaks the circuit when a cell exceeds a threshold temperature.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I097

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Soft robotics

Name

Soft pouch cell constraint

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the bladder's hydrostatic pressure is uniform by construction

Why Not Yet

pouch cells are clamped with plates and foam; a hydrostatic constraint was never tried

First Build

a bladder on a pouch cell with pressure and thickness over cycles

Kills It

thickness growth not suppressed

Desc

An inflatable bladder that applies uniform pressure to a pouch cell without a rigid frame.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I098

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Harvesting

Name

Regenerative suspension harvester

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

a linear generator in the damper

Why Not Yet

regenerative dampers are demonstrated in research vehicles and dropped for cost; the case for a retrofit unit was never made

First Build

a damper on a test rig with a power measurement

Kills It

less than 50 W average on a standard drive cycle

Desc

A shock absorber that recovers energy from suspension motion and feeds the vehicle's auxiliary bus.

Score

6.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I099

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Inference

Name

Impedance-based state-of-health from a phone

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

the cell's impedance spectrum is measured through the charging port with a simple circuit

Why Not Yet

impedance is measured by laboratory analysers; a phone-based method was never validated

First Build

30 cells measured by both routes

Kills It

capacity error above 10%

Desc

A method that estimates a cell's capacity from a 10-second impedance chirp played by a phone's audio output.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I100

Domain

Energy storage

Domain No

5

Tag

Storage × Structural

Name

Load-bearing supercapacitor panel

File

01-domains-1-5.md

How

carbon-fibre electrodes in a structural laminate with a solid electrolyte

Why Not Yet

structural batteries are researched for vehicles; a building panel was never designed for the load case

First Build

a panel with a flexural test and a capacitance measurement

Kills It

structural stiffness below the design value or capacitance below 1 F/cm²

Desc

A structural panel that also stores charge, for building or vehicle integration.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I101

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Passive thermal

Name

Solar chimney for ventilation and power

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

buoyancy from a glazed absorber

Why Not Yet

solar chimneys were built at megawatt scale and failed on cost; the building-scale version is a different product

First Build

a 3 m chimney on a test roof with an airflow and power measurement

Kills It

less than 20 W useful output

Desc

A small chimney on a low-rise building that drives both ventilation and a turbine.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I102

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Phase change

Name

Thermosiphon with a phase-change working fluid

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the density difference between liquid and vapour drives the loop

Why Not Yet

thermosiphons are used in solar water heaters with water; a low-temperature refrigerant loop needs a different plumbing standard

First Build

a loop on a roof with a flow and temperature measurement

Kills It

no circulation on a cloudy day

Desc

A solar collector that circulates by boiling and condensing a refrigerant at low temperature, with no pump.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I103

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Capillary

Name

Capillary-fed microbial fuel cell

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the wick maintains the anode's water content while oxygen reaches the cathode

Why Not Yet

MFCs are lab devices with pumps; a capillary-fed field unit was never deployed at scale

First Build

a cell in soil with a load resistor and a months-long log

Kills It

power below 10 µW after one month

Desc

A soil microbial fuel cell that wicks water to the anode and runs for years without maintenance.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I104

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Triboelectric

Name

Wave-driven TENG

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the buoy's relative motion drives dielectric layers into contact

Why Not Yet

wave energy converters are large and expensive; a small TENG buoy for sensor power was never built

First Build

a buoy in a wave tank with a power measurement

Kills It

less than 1 W average in realistic seas

Desc

A triboelectric generator in a floating buoy that converts wave motion to charge.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I105

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo road-energy tile with a realistic claim

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a piezo stack loaded by a cam

Why Not Yet

the field is full of overclaims; an honest engineering unit with a measured lifetime was never sold

First Build

a tile in a car park with a counter and a load

Kills It

energy per axle below 0.1 J

Desc

A tile that harvests vehicle weight, specified honestly at watts not kilowatts.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I106

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Optical

Name

Spectrum-splitting PV window

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a dichroic layer with a luminescent concentrator at the pane's edge

Why Not Yet

luminescent concentrators failed on self-absorption; the dichroic plus edge-cell combination was never productised for glazing

First Build

a 30 cm pane with an edge cell and an efficiency measurement

Kills It

less than 1% overall conversion at usable transparency

Desc

A window coating that sends visible light through and infrared to a edge-mounted cell.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I107

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Electrochemical

Name

Reverse electrodialysis at a river mouth

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the chemical potential difference drives ions through selective membranes

Why Not Yet

membranes dominate the cost; a design using low-cost, lower-selectivity membranes with a compensating stack geometry was never built

First Build

a 10-cell stack on an estuary water sample

Kills It

less than 0.1 W/m² of membrane

Desc

A stack that generates power from the freshwater–seawater salinity gradient with a low-cost membrane.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I108

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Magnetic

Name

Vibration harvester for power lines

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a magnet moving through a coil, tuned to the line's vortex-shedding frequency

Why Not Yet

line sensors use current transformers, which require a minimum load; a vibration harvester works at any load

First Build

a harvester on a spanned conductor with a load measurement

Kills It

less than 100 µW in light wind

Desc

A magnetic harvester that draws power from the line's own aeolian vibration to run a sensor.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I109

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Acoustic

Name

Thermoacoustic generator for waste heat

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the thermoacoustic effect in a stack between a hot and cold exchanger

Why Not Yet

thermoacoustics is a laboratory curiosity with low efficiency; a product for small industrial waste heat was never attempted

First Build

a resonator on a hot-air source with an acoustic power measurement

Kills It

less than 1% of the heat converted

Desc

A resonator that converts a 200 °C waste-heat stream into sound and then into electricity with a linear alternator.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I110

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Compliant

Name

Compliant wave surge converter

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the membrane's deformation drives a one-way valve

Why Not Yet

wave energy uses rigid point absorbers; a compliant membrane pump was never field-tested

First Build

a membrane in a wave flume with a pressure measurement

Kills It

no net pumping

Desc

A flexible membrane on the seabed that pumps water as waves pass, with no rigid moving parts.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I111

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Microfluidic

Name

Microfluidic osmotic power chip

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

ionic current through the charged pores

Why Not Yet

osmotic power is studied at membrane scale; a chip for rapid screening was never commercialised

First Build

a chip with a known pore array and a current measurement

Kills It

power density below the membrane benchmark

Desc

A chip that generates power from a salinity gradient across a single nanopore array, as a screening tool for membranes.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I112

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Bio-based

Name

Algal biofilm power panel

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

photosynthetic electron transfer to an anode

Why Not Yet

biophotovoltaics are lab-scale; a panel designed for a roof was never built

First Build

a panel with an algal biofilm and a load

Kills It

power below 10 mW/m²

Desc

A panel that grows algae on an electrode and harvests their electrons.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I113

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Catalytic

Name

Ambient formic-acid fuel cell

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the catalyst oxidises formic acid at low overpotential

Why Not Yet

catalysts were precious-metal; the non-precious versions emerged recently and were never put in a cell

First Build

a single cell with a polarisation curve

Kills It

power density below 10 mW/cm²

Desc

A cell that runs on formic acid at room temperature with a non-precious catalyst.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · development D06

Id

I114

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Radiative

Name

Night-sky thermoelectric generator

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the sky-facing surface runs below ambient

Why Not Yet

the temperature difference is small (2–5 K) and the TEG output is milliwatts; the application to sensor power was never engineered

First Build

a TEG between a radiative panel and a heatsink with a load

Kills It

less than 10 mW/m²

Desc

A radiative cooler on one side of a TEG and ambient air on the other, generating power at night.

Score

3.5

Development D06

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I115

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Thermoelectric

Name

Wearable thermoelectric with a heat-spreader

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the spreader lowers the cold-side thermal resistance, which is the limiting term

Why Not Yet

wearable TEGs are limited by the air side; the spreader design was never optimised as a unit

First Build

a TEG on a warm plate with and without the spreader

Kills It

less than 30 µW/cm² at 10 K ambient difference

Desc

A TEG on the skin whose cold side is a thin anisotropic spreader that dumps heat to air.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I116

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Shape memory

Name

SMA heat-engine for low-grade heat

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the martensitic transition does work against a bias

Why Not Yet

SMA engines were built in the 1970s and dropped for materials fatigue; better alloys are now available

First Build

a belt loop between two water baths with a torque measurement

Kills It

belt failure within 10⁴ cycles

Desc

A Nitinol belt that turns a wheel as it cycles between hot and cold streams.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I117

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Soft robotics

Name

Dielectric elastomer wave generator

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

capacitance change at constant charge raises voltage

Why Not Yet

dielectric elastomer generators are lab demonstrations; a marine version was never durability-tested

First Build

an elastomer in a wave tank with an energy measurement

Kills It

electrical breakdown within 10⁴ cycles

Desc

A soft elastomer that charges as it stretches with each wave.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I118

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Harvesting

Name

Rain-impact harvester

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

piezo film under a roofing membrane

Why Not Yet

rain is intermittent and low-energy; a device designed for a specific sensor budget was never built

First Build

a panel on a roof with a rain gauge and a power log

Kills It

less than 1 mJ per mm of rain

Desc

A roof panel that converts raindrop impact into charge for a weather station.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I119

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Inference

Name

Shadow-based solar forecasting

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the shadow's motion across a calibrated ground plane gives the cloud's speed and opacity

Why Not Yet

forecasting uses sky cameras pointed up; a downward camera on the array's own roof was never used

First Build

a camera and an array's inverter data for a month

Kills It

forecast skill no better than persistence

Desc

A camera looking at the ground that predicts a rooftop array's output from cloud shadows minutes ahead.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I120

Domain

Energy generation

Domain No

6

Tag

Generation × Structural

Name

Solar-thermal façade panel with integral storage

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a PCM core behind an absorber, with the façade's mass providing the structure

Why Not Yet

façades are structural and solar panels are add-ons; an integrated unit was never certified

First Build

a panel on a test façade with a heat-recovery measurement

Kills It

less than 1 kWh/m² recovered per sunny day

Desc

A façade panel that collects heat and stores it in its own phase-change core.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I121

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Passive thermal

Name

Thermal-mass ceiling with a night purge

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the mass's diurnal cycle plus a bimetal damper

Why Not Yet

night purging needs controls; a passive damper removes them but was never designed for the application

First Build

a test room with a ceiling slab and a temperature log over a week

Kills It

less than 2 K peak reduction

Desc

A ceiling that stores cool night air and releases it during the day, with a damper that needs no power.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I122

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Phase change

Name

PCM wallboard with a melting range matched to the climate

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the board buffers the daily swing

Why Not Yet

PCM boards are sold with one melting point because manufacturing is centralised; a climate-tuned product was never offered

First Build

two test rooms, one with tuned board, one with standard

Kills It

no reduction in overheating hours

Desc

A gypsum board with a PCM tuned to the local summer range rather than a generic 23 °C.

Score

5.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · development D07

Id

I123

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Capillary

Name

Capillary evaporative roof

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the wick keeps the surface wet and the evaporation removes heat

Why Not Yet

evaporative roofs were researched in the 1990s and dropped for water use; a wick that runs on greywater was never tried

First Build

a roof section fed by greywater with a heat-flux measurement

Kills It

less than 20 W/m² of cooling

Desc

A roof layer that wicks water and evaporates it, cooling the building with no fan.

Score

3.5

Development D07

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I124

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Triboelectric

Name

Occupancy sensor with no power

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the tile's TENG output on loading

Why Not Yet

occupancy sensors use PIR and batteries; a self-powered tile was never productised

First Build

a tile in a corridor with a counter and a radio log

Kills It

missed detections above 5%

Desc

A floor tile that generates a pulse when stepped on, waking a radio.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I125

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo dust-fan bearing monitor

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the wear changes the high-frequency spectrum

Why Not Yet

fans are replaced on schedule, not on condition; a cheap sensor was never justified

First Build

a fan with an accelerometer reference and a piezo patch

Kills It

detection no better than a schedule

Desc

A piezo element in a fan mount that detects bearing wear from the vibration signature.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I126

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Optical

Name

Daylight-redirecting blind

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

total internal reflection in the slat's profile

Why Not Yet

prismatic panels exist as fixed glazing; an adjustable blind with the same optics was never manufactured

First Build

a window mock-up with illuminance measurements at depth

Kills It

no increase in daylight at 4 m depth

Desc

A blind whose slats have a prismatic profile that sends daylight deep into a room without glare.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I127

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Electrochemical

Name

Electrochemical dehumidifier

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

an electrochemical cell transports water as ions through a membrane

Why Not Yet

dehumidification uses refrigeration or desiccants; the electrochemical route was demonstrated only in small cells

First Build

a cell in a humidity chamber with a moisture-removal rate

Kills It

less than 0.5 kg/day per m²

Desc

A cell that removes humidity by pumping water across a membrane electrochemically, with no compressor.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I128

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic bearing for a ceiling fan

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a Halbach array levitates the rotor

Why Not Yet

ceiling fans use ball bearings that cost pennies; a magnetic bearing is over-engineered for the application but could suit very large fans

First Build

a large fan on a magnetic bearing with a noise measurement

Kills It

no reduction in noise or no cost path

Desc

A passive magnetic bearing that removes the fan's mechanical wear and noise.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I129

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Acoustic

Name

Acoustic leak detector for pressurised ducts

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the jet noise's spectrum scales with the pressure and the hole size

Why Not Yet

duct leakage is measured by pressurisation tests, not located

First Build

a duct rig with known leaks and a detection test

Kills It

localisation no better than the survey

Desc

A handheld that locates duct leaks by the acoustic signature of the jet.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I130

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Compliant

Name

Compliant window seal

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a buckling beam that maintains contact across a range of gaps

Why Not Yet

seals are elastomer gaskets that age; a compliant metallic seal was never cost-engineered for windows

First Build

a seal in a cycling rig with an airtightness measurement

Kills It

leakage above the standard after 10⁴ cycles

Desc

A seal whose geometry accommodates frame movement over decades without a gasket.

Score

5.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I131

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Microfluidic

Name

Microfluidic radon detector

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a microfluidic trap with a scintillator

Why Not Yet

radon is measured with charcoal canisters or electrets over days; a chip would give a fast reading

First Build

a chip in a radon chamber against a reference

Kills It

sensitivity below the action level

Desc

A chip that concentrates radon from air into a small volume for counting.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I132

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Bio-based

Name

Hemp-lime wall with a tuned hygrothermal profile

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the bio-aggregate's moisture buffering value

Why Not Yet

hemp-lime is used for its carbon story, not its hygrothermal performance; a climate-tuned mix was never specified

First Build

a wall panel in a twin-climate chamber

Kills It

no reduction in humidity swings

Desc

A wall mix designed to buffer humidity and moderate temperature, with the mix specified for a climate.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I133

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Catalytic

Name

Indoor formaldehyde scrubber

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a manganese catalyst oxidises formaldehyde to CO₂ at ambient temperature and humidity

Why Not Yet

air cleaners are filters or plasma; a passive wall coating was never validated for indoor concentrations

First Build

a chamber test with a formaldehyde source and a reference

Kills It

less than 30% reduction in 24 h

Desc

A passive coating that oxidises formaldehyde at room temperature on a wall surface.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I134

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Radiative

Name

Radiative cooling roof with a humidity guard

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a humidity-responsive polymer layer changes the infrared emissivity

Why Not Yet

radiative roofs are static; a switchable layer that prevents dew and fouling was never made

First Build

a roof panel with a dew sensor and a net cooling measurement

Kills It

no net cooling benefit over a static coating

Desc

A roof coating that cools radiatively but switches to a lower emissivity when condensation would form.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I135

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Thermoelectric

Name

Thermoelectric condensate-free window

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the warm side of the junction heats the frame's inner edge

Why Not Yet

condensation is managed by ventilation or by triple glazing; a targeted frame heater was never optimised

First Build

a frame on a cold chamber with a condensation observation

Kills It

no reduction in condensation at the same energy cost

Desc

A window frame with a Peltier element that keeps the inner pane above the dew point, preventing condensation.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I136

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Shape memory

Name

SMA fire damper

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the SMA element's transition drives the closure

Why Not Yet

fire dampers use fusible links or motors; an SMA element gives a resettable, testable action

First Build

a damper in a heated duct with a closure test

Kills It

failure to close at the rated temperature

Desc

A damper that closes on a temperature rise with no actuator, spring or power.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I137

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Soft robotics

Name

Soft robotic shading

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

inflating the cushions changes their opacity and geometry

Why Not Yet

shading is mechanical; a pneumatic shading system needs a low-pressure source but no moving parts

First Build

a cushion panel with a solar transmission measurement

Kills It

less than 50% modulation in transmission

Desc

A pneumatic cushion array that opens and closes shading without mechanical linkages.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I138

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Harvesting

Name

Door-swing harvester for access control

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the closer's arm drives a small generator

Why Not Yet

access control uses batteries; the closer already does work every cycle

First Build

a closer with a generator and a lock's power budget

Kills It

less than 5 mJ per swing

Desc

A harvester in a door closer that powers a lock's radio.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I139

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Inference

Name

Thermal-comfort estimate from a smart meter

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the heating and cooling load's signature encodes the setpoint and the occupancy

Why Not Yet

comfort is measured with sensors; the meter data are already there and unused

First Build

a house with meters and reference sensors for a month

Kills It

temperature error above 2 K

Desc

A method that infers room temperature and occupancy from a household's electricity pattern, with no sensors.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I140

Domain

Buildings and HVAC

Domain No

7

Tag

Buildings × Structural

Name

Floor slab with integrated chilled beams

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the slab's mass and the water's flow give a radiant terminal with no ceiling unit

Why Not Yet

chilled beams are separate products; an integrated slab was never standardised

First Build

a slab section in a test room with a cooling-output measurement

Kills It

less than 40 W/m² of cooling

Desc

A slab whose voids carry cooling water, using the structure as the terminal unit.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I141

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Passive thermal

Name

Phase-change concrete for bridge decks

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

microencapsulated PCM releases latent heat at the freezing point

Why Not Yet

PCM concrete is researched for buildings, not for freeze-thaw protection of infrastructure

First Build

two deck slabs, one with PCM, cycled in a freeze-thaw chamber

Kills It

no reduction in scaling

Desc

A deck mix that buffers freeze-thaw cycles, reducing salt damage.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I142

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Phase change

Name

Self-healing capsule concrete

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the capsule's shell fails at a set crack width

Why Not Yet

self-healing concrete is demonstrated in labs; the capsule's survival through mixing was the blocker, and better shell chemistries now exist

First Build

a beam with capsules, cracked and re-tested

Kills It

no strength recovery after healing

Desc

Concrete with capsules that release a sealant when a crack reaches them.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I143

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Capillary

Name

Capillary-active waterproofing

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a hydrophobic gradient with a hydrophilic interior

Why Not Yet

renders are single-function; a graded pore structure needs a manufacturing method that was never scaled

First Build

a panel in a driving-rain rig with a vapour-permeance measurement

Kills It

water ingress above the standard

Desc

A render whose pore structure is graded so water cannot enter but vapour can leave.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I144

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Triboelectric

Name

Static-dissipative flooring for cleanrooms

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the network's conductivity is tuned to dissipate without sparking

Why Not Yet

dissipative floors exist; the tuning of the percolation to a target relaxation time was never specified

First Build

a tile with a charge-decay measurement

Kills It

decay time outside the standard band

Desc

A floor whose surface charge is drained by a percolating carbon network at a controlled rate.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I145

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo weigh-in-motion pad

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the charge is proportional to the axle load

Why Not Yet

weigh-in-motion uses bending plates and load cells; a piezo pad is cheaper but its temperature drift was never solved

First Build

a pad on a test track against a static weighbridge

Kills It

axle-load error above 10%

Desc

A thin pad under a road that weighs axles from the piezo signal.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I146

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Optical

Name

Fibre-optic crack sensor in a road

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the fibre's Brillouin shift gives distributed strain

Why Not Yet

distributed sensing is used in bridges; a road pavement's installation method was never developed

First Build

a fibre in a pavement section with a load test

Kills It

no detectable strain before visible cracking

Desc

A fibre embedded in the pavement that reports the strain of a crack opening.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I147

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Electrochemical

Name

Cathodic protection by a printed anode

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a sacrificial or impressed-current layer in the repair mortar

Why Not Yet

cathodic protection is a system with wiring; a printed anode is a material that was never certified

First Build

a repaired slab with a corrosion-potential survey over a year

Kills It

no change in corrosion potential

Desc

A printable anode coating that protects a steel repair patch without a power supply.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I148

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic rebar locator with a phone

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the rebar's remanent and induced field

Why Not Yet

cover meters are dedicated instruments; the phone's magnetometer was never calibrated for this

First Build

a slab with known rebar and a phone scan

Kills It

depth error above 10 mm

Desc

A phone magnetometer that locates rebar from its field, with a calibration for cover depth.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I149

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Acoustic

Name

Acoustic pile-integrity check

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the pile's resonant response changes with a defect

Why Not Yet

integrity testing uses sonic echo with expert interpretation; a library-based classifier was never built

First Build

piles with known defects in a test site

Kills It

detection below 70%

Desc

A method that detects a pile defect from the sound of a hammer strike, using a library of signatures.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I150

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Compliant

Name

Compliant seismic isolator from steel

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a lattice column with a tailored buckling curve

Why Not Yet

isolators are laminated rubber or friction pendulums, both multi-material; a steel-only compliant design was never tested

First Build

a column on a shake table with a base-isolated mass

Kills It

less than 50% reduction in acceleration

Desc

A single-material isolator that buckles in a controlled way to absorb seismic energy.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I151

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Microfluidic

Name

Microfluidic chloride ingress sensor

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a microfluidic sampler with an ion-selective electrode

Why Not Yet

chloride is measured by coring and titration; an embedded sensor was never made durable enough

First Build

a sensor in a chloride-exposed slab over six months

Kills It

no correlation with the core samples

Desc

A sensor embedded in concrete that measures chloride concentration in the pore water.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I152

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Bio-based

Name

Bacterial self-healing mortar

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the spores germinate on water ingress and precipitate calcium carbonate

Why Not Yet

the technology is demonstrated but the spores' shelf life in dry mortar was the blocker; encapsulated spores now last

First Build

a mortar prism cracked and healed under a wet-dry cycle

Kills It

no permeability recovery

Desc

Mortar with bacterial spores that precipitate calcite in cracks.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I153

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Catalytic

Name

Photocatalytic NOx pavement

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

titania photocatalysis with a nitrate wash-off path

Why Not Yet

trial sections exist and were judged on cost; the wash-off of nitrate was never resolved

First Build

a trial slab with an inlet and outlet NOx measurement

Kills It

less than 20% reduction

Desc

A pavement coating that oxidises nitrogen oxides at the surface in sunlight.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I154

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Radiative

Name

Radiative-cooling pavement

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a high-emissivity aggregate with a low solar absorptance

Why Not Yet

cool pavements are specified by solar reflectance; the infrared emissivity was never the design variable

First Build

two pavement sections with surface-temperature logging

Kills It

no reduction in peak surface temperature

Desc

A pavement that radiates heat at night and reduces the urban heat island.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I155

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Thermoelectric

Name

Thermoelectric de-icing strip

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a heat pump that moves ground heat to the surface

Why Not Yet

de-icing uses salt or embedded electric heaters; a heat-pump strip draws far less power

First Build

a slab with a strip and a freezing-chamber test

Kills It

surface temperature not held above 0 °C

Desc

A strip in a pavement that uses the ground's warmth to keep the surface above freezing.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I156

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Shape memory

Name

SMA post-tensioning

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the transformation supplies a near-constant force

Why Not Yet

post-tensioning uses steel tendons and grout; an SMA tendon was never used in a real structure

First Build

a beam with an SMA tendon and a load measurement

Kills It

force loss above 10% over a year

Desc

A tendon that maintains tension as concrete shrinks, using the SMA's recovery.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I157

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Soft robotics

Name

Soft robotic formwork

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the inflated membrane's geometry sets the concrete's surface

Why Not Yet

formwork is timber or steel; a reusable inflatable was never engineered for the pressures involved

First Build

a column cast in an inflatable form with a dimensional check

Kills It

dimensional tolerance worse than ±10 mm

Desc

An inflatable formwork that shapes concrete and is removed by deflation.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I158

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Harvesting

Name

Pavement thermoelectric harvester

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the vertical temperature gradient in summer

Why Not Yet

road studs use solar cells; the pavement's own gradient was never exploited

First Build

a stud with a TEG and a power log

Kills It

less than 1 mW average

Desc

A TEG between the pavement's hot surface and its cooler base that powers a road stud.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · development D08

Id

I159

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Inference

Name

Concrete strength from mixing-water data

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the water-cement ratio and the aggregate's moisture dominate the strength

Why Not Yet

strength is verified by crushing cubes; the batch data are recorded and discarded

First Build

a plant's records against its cube results

Kills It

prediction error above 4 MPa

Desc

A model that predicts 28-day strength from the batching records, so fewer cubes are crushed.

Score

1.0

Development D08

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I160

Domain

Construction and materials

Domain No

8

Tag

Construction × Structural

Name

Timber-concrete composite with a demountable shear connection

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a friction connection with a controlled preload

Why Not Yet

composite floors use glued or welded shear studs; a demountable connection was never standardised

First Build

a composite beam tested, demounted and re-tested

Kills It

more than 20% stiffness loss after demounting

Desc

A connection that can be undone, so the components are reusable.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I161

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Passive thermal

Name

Thermal-error compensation by design

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

two materials with different expansion are arranged so the tool point stays fixed

Why Not Yet

compensation is done in software; a passive geometric solution was never designed into a low-cost machine

First Build

a frame on a test stand with a displacement measurement over a warm-up

Kills It

drift above 20 µm

Desc

A machine frame whose geometry compensates its own thermal growth, with no sensor or control.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I162

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Phase change

Name

PCM-cooled welding fixture

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a phase-change mass clamps the part and holds its temperature

Why Not Yet

fixtures are steel and rely on chill blocks; a PCM fixture was never used in production

First Build

a fixture welding a thin panel with a distortion measurement

Kills It

no reduction in distortion

Desc

A fixture that absorbs weld heat so a thin part does not distort.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I163

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Capillary

Name

Capillary lubrication for a linear guide

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a wick feeds the rail at a rate set by the motion

Why Not Yet

guides are greased for life or fed by a pump; a capillary feed was never productised

First Build

a guide on a test rig with a friction measurement over 10⁶ cycles

Kills It

friction rise above 20%

Desc

A guide that draws oil by capillary action from a reservoir, with no pump.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I164

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Triboelectric

Name

Powder-flow electrification sensor

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the streaming current scales with mass flow and with moisture

Why Not Yet

powder flow is measured by weighing; the charge is treated as a nuisance

First Build

a rig with a load cell and a charge measurement

Kills It

no correlation with mass flow

Desc

A sensor that measures the charge on a powder stream to infer the flow rate and the humidity.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I165

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo tool-wear sensor

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the wear changes the high-frequency force signature

Why Not Yet

tool wear is managed by schedule or by spindle load; a piezo insert was never standardised

First Build

a holder on a lathe with a tool-life test

Kills It

detection no better than the schedule

Desc

A piezo element in a tool holder that detects wear from the cutting-force spectrum.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I166

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Optical

Name

In-process surface-finish from speckle

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the speckle's contrast and correlation time depend on the roughness and the feed

Why Not Yet

roughness is measured after the part is off the machine

First Build

a sensor on a lathe with a stylus reference

Kills It

correlation below r² = 0.8

Desc

A laser speckle sensor that reads surface roughness during machining.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I167

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Electrochemical

Name

Electrochemical deburring of printed parts

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the burr's high current density dissolves preferentially

Why Not Yet

AM post-processing is mechanical or thermal; electrochemical finishing was never adapted to lattice channels

First Build

a printed channel before and after with a flow measurement

Kills It

no improvement in flow or in surface finish

Desc

A post-process that removes burrs from additively manufactured channels electrochemically.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I168

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic clamping for thin sheets

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

an array of small magnets with a compliant backing

Why Not Yet

magnetic chucks are for ferrous thick stock; a compliant array for thin aluminium needs a different principle

First Build

a clamp with a sheet and a flatness measurement

Kills It

no improvement in flatness

Desc

A clamp that holds thin sheet by distributed magnetic force, avoiding the distortion of mechanical clamps.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I169

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Acoustic

Name

Acoustic emission for additive manufacturing

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a pore collapse emits a characteristic transient

Why Not Yet

AM monitoring uses cameras and thermography, which see only the surface

First Build

a build with deliberately varied porosity and a trained classifier

Kills It

detection below 70% at fixed false-positive rate

Desc

A sensor that detects porosity during a metal print from the acoustic emission of the melt pool.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · development D09

Id

I170

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Compliant

Name

Compliant alignment fixture

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a lattice of compliant elements averages the part's positional error

Why Not Yet

fixtures are rigid and adjusted; elastic averaging is known in precision engineering but never productised for general fixturing

First Build

a fixture with a part and a repeatability measurement

Kills It

repeatability worse than a manual fixture

Desc

A fixture that self-centres a part by elastic averaging, without adjustment screws.

Score

1.0

Development D09

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I171

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Microfluidic

Name

Microfluidic coolant for diamond turning

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the nozzle's geometry and the capillary feed place the fluid at the tool edge

Why Not Yet

coolant is flooded; a microfluidic delivery was never integrated into a tool holder

First Build

a holder with a nozzle and a tool-life comparison

Kills It

no improvement in tool life or surface finish

Desc

A microfluidic nozzle that delivers coolant exactly to the cutting zone.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I172

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Bio-based

Name

Mycelium tooling for composites

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the mycelium's growth forms a stiff, lightweight mould

Why Not Yet

composite tooling is metal or epoxy, kept for thousands of parts; a single-use grown tool suits one-off large parts that were never a market

First Build

a mould grown and a panel laid up on it

Kills It

dimensional accuracy outside ±2 mm

Desc

Tooling grown from mycelium that is used once and composted, for large composite layups.

Score

0.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I173

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Catalytic

Name

Catalytic exhaust for 3D printers

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a low-temperature oxidation catalyst on a heated substrate

Why Not Yet

printers use carbon filters that saturate; a catalytic element was never fitted because the enclosure's airflow was too low

First Build

a printer enclosure with a VOC sensor and a catalyst

Kills It

less than 50% VOC reduction

Desc

A small catalytic element that destroys the VOCs from a printer's enclosure.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I174

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Radiative

Name

Radiative-cooled machine enclosure

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a selective emitter on the enclosure's top surface

Why Not Yet

enclosures are ventilated or chilled; a passive radiative path was never designed in

First Build

an enclosure with and without the coating and an internal temperature log

Kills It

no reduction in internal temperature

Desc

An enclosure that radiates heat so the machine needs no chiller.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I175

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Thermoelectric

Name

Thermoelectric spot cooler for a weld

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the junction removes heat at a set rate

Why Not Yet

cooling rate is controlled by preheat and by the process; a local Peltier was never used

First Build

a weld with a thermoelectric block and a hardness survey

Kills It

no change in the heat-affected zone

Desc

A Peltier block that cools a weld's heat-affected zone to control cooling rate and microstructure.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I176

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Shape memory

Name

SMA collet for repeatable clamping

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the SMA's plateau stress gives a fixed clamping force

Why Not Yet

collets are mechanical and torque-dependent; an SMA collet removes the operator variance

First Build

a collet with a force sensor over 1000 cycles

Kills It

force variation above 5%

Desc

A collet that clamps with a constant, calibrated force set by its transformation.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I177

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Soft robotics

Name

Soft robotic bin picker for fragile parts

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the fingers' compliance and the bin's geometry guide the grasp

Why Not Yet

bin picking uses vision and rigid grippers; a vision-free soft gripper was never deployed at production speed

First Build

a picker on a bin of mixed parts with a success rate

Kills It

pick success below 90%

Desc

A gripper whose fingers conform to any part in a bin without a vision system.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I178

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Harvesting

Name

Vibration-powered machine tag

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a tuned cantilever with a piezo element

Why Not Yet

condition monitoring uses wired sensors or batteries; a harvester is unnecessary on mains-powered machines but essential on remote ones

First Build

a tag on a pump with a data log

Kills It

less than 100 µW

Desc

A tag on a rotating machine that harvests its own vibration to report temperature.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I179

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Inference

Name

Machine-tool wear from spindle current

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the current's harmonic content changes with the cutting force

Why Not Yet

the drive already measures current, but the data are used only for protection

First Build

a machine with a dynamometer reference over a tool's life

Kills It

wear prediction error above 20%

Desc

A model that estimates tool wear from the spindle's current signature, with no additional sensor.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I180

Domain

Manufacturing and metrology

Domain No

9

Tag

Manufacturing × Structural

Name

Modular reconfigurable fixture plate

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a kinematic coupling with a standard grid

Why Not Yet

fixtures are bespoke; a reconfigurable plate exists in research but was never standardised across machine tools

First Build

a plate set up for two parts with a changeover time measurement

Kills It

changeover slower than 30 min

Desc

A plate whose hole pattern and clamps are reconfigured by hand in minutes for a new part.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I181

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Passive thermal

Name

Thermally actuated gripper

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a bimetallic or SMA element

Why Not Yet

grippers are electric or pneumatic; a thermally driven one suits extreme environments that are niche

First Build

a gripper in an oven and in a freezer with a grip test

Kills It

no grip force at the extremes

Desc

A gripper that closes on a temperature difference, for hot or cold environments where motors fail.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I182

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Phase change

Name

PCM-actuated soft robot

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a wax or hydrate expanding in a compliant chamber

Why Not Yet

soft robots use pneumatics with a compressor; a PCM actuator is slow but needs no infrastructure

First Build

an actuator with a displacement and force measurement

Kills It

less than 10 mm stroke or cycle time above 1 min

Desc

A soft actuator driven by the expansion of a phase-change material, with no compressor.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I183

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Capillary

Name

Capillary self-refilling gripper

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a wick maintains the working fluid

Why Not Yet

hydraulic grippers need maintenance; a self-refilling design suits robots in inaccessible places

First Build

a gripper with a reservoir and a long-duration cycle test

Kills It

pressure loss within 10⁴ cycles

Desc

A gripper that refills its own hydraulic fluid from a reservoir by capillary action.

Score

0.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I184

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Triboelectric

Name

Touch sensor with no wiring

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

each cell's pulse is coded by its capacitance

Why Not Yet

robot skins are wired matrices; a self-powered cell removes the wiring harness

First Build

a 4×4 skin with a contact localisation test

Kills It

localisation error above one cell

Desc

A robot skin that reports contact by a TENG pulse, with no power or data wire to each cell.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I185

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo slip detection

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the onset of slip has a characteristic high-frequency signature

Why Not Yet

slip is detected by force derivatives; a piezo film is cheaper and faster

First Build

a gripper lifting objects with a slipping test

Kills It

detection slower than the slip event

Desc

A gripper that detects slip from the vibration of the object in the fingers.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I186

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Optical

Name

Single-photodiode gripper

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the reflected intensity and the occlusion time give the size

Why Not Yet

grippers use cameras or arrays; a single pair is enough for a binary grasp decision

First Build

a gripper on a set of objects with a classification test

Kills It

size error above 30%

Desc

A gripper that estimates object size and reflectivity from one LED-photodiode pair.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · development D10

Id

I187

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Electrochemical

Name

Electro-adhesive gripper for rough surfaces

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

an interdigitated electrode induces charges across the surface

Why Not Yet

electro-adhesion is used for smooth panels; a version for rough surfaces needs a compliant electrode

First Build

a gripper on concrete and on fabric with a pull-off test

Kills It

holding force below the object's weight

Desc

A gripper that uses electro-adhesion to hold rough or dirty surfaces that suction cannot.

Score

1.5

Development D10

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I188

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic wheel for ferrous surfaces

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a Halbach array that can be switched off for detachment

Why Not Yet

climbing robots use permanent magnets that are hard to detach or electromagnets that are heavy

First Build

a wheel on a steel wall with a payload test

Kills It

detachment requiring more force than the robot's actuator

Desc

A wheel that climbs steel structures with a controlled magnetic normal force.

Score

0.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I189

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Acoustic

Name

Ultrasonic proximity for dusty environments

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

coded ultrasound with matched filtering

Why Not Yet

sonar is used in water; an air sonar for industrial dust was never productised

First Build

a sensor in a dust chamber with a ranging test

Kills It

range error above 10% at 2 m

Desc

A sonar that works where cameras fail because of dust.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I190

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Compliant

Name

Compliant arm with gravity compensation by geometry

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the linkage's geometry makes the gravitational torque independent of configuration

Why Not Yet

arms compensate in software; a geometry-only solution suits very low-power robots

First Build

an arm with a torque measurement across its workspace

Kills It

holding torque above 10% of the payload's

Desc

A robot arm whose links are shaped so gravity is balanced without motors.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I191

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Microfluidic

Name

Microfluidic joint with hydraulic actuation

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a closed hydraulic circuit with a small pump

Why Not Yet

robots use pneumatics or electric motors; hydraulics is heavy but incompressible, which suits precise force control

First Build

a joint with a position and stiffness measurement

Kills It

leakage within 10⁵ cycles

Desc

A joint actuated by a microfluidic pump with no compressible air.

Score

0.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I192

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Bio-based

Name

Biodegradable robot chassis

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a mycelium or fibre composite with adequate stiffness

Why Not Yet

robots are built to last; agricultural robots that are left in the field need to disappear

First Build

a chassis with a stiffness test and a burial degradation test

Kills It

stiffness below the payload requirement

Desc

A chassis grown or moulded from agricultural waste, for single-use field robots.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I193

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Catalytic

Name

Self-cleaning robot lens

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a photocatalytic coating activated by ambient light

Why Not Yet

robots use wipers or air jets; a passive coating was never tested in field conditions

First Build

a lens on an outdoor robot over a month with image contrast

Kills It

no improvement in contrast

Desc

A lens coating that decomposes organic fouling in sunlight so a field robot's camera stays clear.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I194

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Radiative

Name

Radiative-cooled robot enclosure

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a selective emitter plus a low-solar-absorptance coating

Why Not Yet

outdoor robots use fans and vents that admit dust

First Build

an enclosure in the sun with an internal temperature log

Kills It

internal temperature above ambient by more than 10 K

Desc

An enclosure that stays near ambient in direct sun without a fan.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I195

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Thermoelectric

Name

Thermoelectric spot cooler for robot electronics

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the junction moves heat to the enclosure wall

Why Not Yet

robots use heatsinks and fans; a sealed robot cannot vent

First Build

an enclosure with a hot processor and a temperature measurement

Kills It

no reduction in processor temperature

Desc

A Peltier that cools a processor hotspot in a sealed enclosure.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I196

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Shape memory

Name

SMA latch for a robot joint

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the SMA's transition releases a spring

Why Not Yet

brakes are electromagnetic and hold with power; an SMA latch holds with none

First Build

a latch with a holding-force and release-time test

Kills It

release time above 1 s

Desc

A latch that locks a joint with no power, released by a current pulse.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I197

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Soft robotics

Name

Soft robot that grows

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

pressure everts the tube from the tip

Why Not Yet

growing robots are research prototypes; a version for inspection of collapsed structures was never fielded

First Build

a grower in a rubble analogue with a reach test

Kills It

buckling before 3 m of reach

Desc

A robot that extends a soft body by everting a tube, reaching into spaces a rigid arm cannot.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I198

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Harvesting

Name

Harvesting robot joint with energy recovery

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a regenerative drive returns energy on negative work

Why Not Yet

robot joints are not regenerative because the duty cycle was assumed dominated by positive work

First Build

an arm with a regenerative drive and an energy measurement over a pick-and-place cycle

Kills It

less than 10% energy recovery

Desc

A joint that recovers energy on lowering, extending a battery-powered robot's shift.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I199

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Inference

Name

Grasp success prediction from a single image

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

the object's silhouette and the gripper's approach geometry

Why Not Yet

grasp planning uses depth and simulation; a single-image predictor suits low-cost robots

First Build

a dataset of attempts with outcomes and a held-out object set

Kills It

prediction below 80% on unseen objects

Desc

A model that predicts whether a grasp will succeed before it is attempted, with no depth sensor.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I200

Domain

Robotics and automation

Domain No

10

Tag

Robotics × Structural

Name

Robot with a structural battery

File

02-domains-6-10.md

How

a carbon-fibre composite supercapacitor or structural cell

Why Not Yet

structural batteries are demonstrated in labs; a robot chassis is a natural first product because mass matters and the load is modest

First Build

a chassis with a capacity and stiffness measurement

Kills It

stiffness below the structural requirement

Desc

A chassis that is also the battery, extending runtime by removing the separate pack.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I201

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Passive thermal

Name

Passive refrigerated trailer panel

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a selective emitter on the roof's outer skin

Why Not Yet

trailers are insulated boxes; a radiative top layer was never added because the roof is a structural skin

First Build

two trailers, one coated, with cargo-temperature logs

Kills It

no reduction in compressor duty

Desc

A trailer roof that radiates heat at night so the unit's compressor runs less.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I202

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Phase change

Name

Eutectic holdover for last-mile vans

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a eutectic at −18 °C recharged overnight

Why Not Yet

vans use engine-driven refrigeration; holdover plates exist for older trucks but were never redesigned for electric vans

First Build

a van with plates and a cargo log over a round

Kills It

cargo above −15 °C before the round ends

Desc

A phase-change slab that keeps a van's cargo cold across a delivery round with the engine off.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I203

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Capillary

Name

Capillary fuel filter with a water sump

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a hydrophobic membrane passes fuel but not water

Why Not Yet

filters trap water in a bowl that a mechanic drains; an automatic drain was never fitted to small engines

First Build

a filter on a test rig with a water injection

Kills It

water passing downstream

Desc

A filter that separates water by a capillary stop and drains it automatically.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I204

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Triboelectric

Name

Tyre-pressure sensor with no battery

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a TENG in the tyre's inner liner

Why Not Yet

TPMS sensors use coin cells lasting 7 years, which made harvesting unnecessary; the battery's disposal is the emerging problem

First Build

a sensor in a test wheel with a pressure log

Kills It

less than 1 mW average at highway speed

Desc

A sensor that harvests the tyre's own deformation to report pressure.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I205

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Piezoelectric

Name

Axle-load sensor in a spring seat

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the charge is proportional to the spring force

Why Not Yet

axle load is measured at weighbridges; an on-board sensor was never fitted because of drift

First Build

a vehicle with a washer and a weighbridge comparison

Kills It

load error above 5%

Desc

A piezo washer under a suspension spring that measures axle load.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I206

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Optical

Name

Brake-pad wear by colour

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a multi-layer coating exposes a differently coloured layer as it wears

Why Not Yet

pads have a squeal tab or a sensor on premium cars; a colour marker costs almost nothing

First Build

pads on a dynamometer with a periodic inspection

Kills It

no visible change before the wear limit

Desc

A pad with a wear-marker layer that changes colour as it thins, readable through the wheel.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I207

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Electrochemical

Name

Electrochemical NOx trap for cold start

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a selective adsorbent with an electrochemical regeneration

Why Not Yet

cold-start NOx is the dominant fraction for short trips; the trap was researched but never packaged for retrofit

First Build

a trap on a bench engine with a cold-start cycle

Kills It

less than 40% cold-start NOx reduction

Desc

A trap that adsorbs NOx at low temperature and releases it when the catalyst is warm.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I208

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic coupler for a trailer's brake line

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a magnetic ring with an O-ring seal

Why Not Yet

couplings are threaded or claw-type and fail by cross-threading; a magnetic self-aligning coupler was never tried

First Build

a coupler on a test rig with a leak and a pull-off test

Kills It

leakage above the standard

Desc

A coupler that aligns and holds an air line without a threaded fitting.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I209

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Acoustic

Name

Rail-wheel flat detector

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a flat produces a periodic impact at the wheel's rotation rate

Why Not Yet

flats are found by visual inspection or by vibration sensors on the train

First Build

a microphone at a test track with an instrumented wheelset

Kills It

detection below 80%

Desc

A trackside microphone that detects a wheel flat from its impact rhythm.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I210

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Compliant

Name

Compliant bump stop with a progressive rate

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a lattice whose cells lock in sequence

Why Not Yet

bump stops are rubber cylinders with a fixed curve; a lattice gives a designed curve

First Build

a stop on a suspension rig with a force–deflection curve

Kills It

curve no better than a standard stop

Desc

A single-material bump stop whose stiffness rises steeply at the end of travel, with no separate helper spring.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I211

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Microfluidic

Name

Microfluidic diesel injector

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a microfluidic channel's geometry produces droplets at low pressure

Why Not Yet

injection is high-pressure common rail; microfluidic atomisation was never tried at engine temperatures

First Build

an injector on a spray bench with a droplet-size measurement

Kills It

Sauter mean diameter above the target

Desc

An injector with microfluidic passages that atomise fuel without high pressure.

Score

5.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I212

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Bio-based

Name

Mycelium packaging that survives the cold chain

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the mycelium's closed-cell structure

Why Not Yet

mycelium packaging is sold for dry goods; a wet, cold application needs a hydrophobic treatment that was never developed

First Build

a box with a cold pack and a thermal log

Kills It

hold time below EPS by more than 20%

Desc

A grown packaging that insulates as well as EPS for chilled shipments.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I213

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Catalytic

Name

Catalytic cargo-hold ethylene filter

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a low-temperature oxidation catalyst

Why Not Yet

containers use ventilation only; the catalyst exists but was never packaged for a reefer

First Build

a filter on a container's air path with an ethylene measurement

Kills It

less than 50% ethylene removal

Desc

A filter that destroys ethylene in a refrigerated container's air.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I214

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Radiative

Name

Radiative cooler for a refrigerated container's condenser

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the panel rejects heat to the sky, lowering the condenser's air temperature

Why Not Yet

reefers are designed around air-cooled condensers; a radiative precooler was never fitted

First Build

a container on a hot pad with a power measurement

Kills It

no reduction in compressor power

Desc

A panel that reduces the condenser's load on a hot deck.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I215

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Thermoelectric

Name

Thermoelectric seat cooler

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the junction cools a contact surface with the waste heat vented under the seat

Why Not Yet

cabins are cooled as a whole; personal cooling is far more efficient but was never fitted to vehicles

First Build

a seat in a hot car with a comfort and power measurement

Kills It

less than 50 W of cooling per seat

Desc

A seat whose Peltier element cools the occupant directly rather than the cabin.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I216

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Shape memory

Name

SMA thermal switch for a battery pack

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

an SMA element opens the louvre

Why Not Yet

vents are passive grilles or powered shutters; an SMA louvre needs no power or controller

First Build

a vent in a heated enclosure with a flow test

Kills It

failure to open at the set point

Desc

A vent that opens at a set temperature with no actuator.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I217

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Soft robotics

Name

Soft robotic cargo tie-down

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

an inflatable strap with a compliant contact patch

Why Not Yet

tie-downs are webbing with point loads; a conforming strap was never designed

First Build

a strap on a fragile load with a pressure measurement

Kills It

no reduction in peak contact pressure

Desc

A strap that distributes load over a fragile surface by conforming.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I218

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Harvesting

Name

Regenerative railway track harvester

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a piezo or linear generator under the sleeper

Why Not Yet

signalling is mains or battery powered; track deflection is free energy on rural lines

First Build

a harvester under a sleeper with a power log

Kills It

less than 100 mW average

Desc

A track-mounted harvester that converts rail deflection into power for signalling.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · development D11

Id

I219

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Inference

Name

Pothole detection from suspension data

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the shock absorber's velocity trace carries the road's profile

Why Not Yet

road condition is surveyed with instrumented vehicles; fleets already carry the sensors

First Build

a fleet's data against a survey vehicle on a known road

Kills It

correlation below r² = 0.7

Desc

A fleet's existing suspension sensors used to map road condition, with no dedicated survey.

Score

1.0

Development D11

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I220

Domain

Transport and logistics

Domain No

11

Tag

Transport × Structural

Name

Battery-in-frame e-bike

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

structural cells in the down tube

Why Not Yet

e-bike packs are removable for charging; a structural pack suits a bike that charges in place

First Build

a frame with cells and a stiffness and capacity test

Kills It

frame stiffness below the safety requirement

Desc

A frame whose tubes are the battery cells, removing the separate pack.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I221

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Passive thermal

Name

Thermal via-free hotspot spreader

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a graphite or diamond-like film with in-plane conduction

Why Not Yet

spreaders are used at package level; a die-level film with the right adhesion was never qualified

First Build

a die with a film and an infrared temperature map

Kills It

no reduction in hotspot temperature

Desc

An anisotropic heat spreader that moves heat laterally from a hotspot without vias.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I222

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Phase change

Name

Phase-change thermal buffer for bursty chips

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the PCM's latent heat buffers the burst

Why Not Yet

thermal design uses steady-state resistance; a transient buffer needs a different design method

First Build

a package with a PCM layer and a burst-load test

Kills It

no reduction in peak junction temperature

Desc

A PCM layer that absorbs a processor's transient heat, letting the fan be sized for the average.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I223

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Capillary

Name

Capillary-fed evaporative chip cooler

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the wick's capillary pressure overcomes the loop's losses at low heat flux

Why Not Yet

liquid cooling uses pumps; a capillary loop suits low-power devices in sealed enclosures

First Build

a loop on a heater block with a thermal resistance measurement

Kills It

thermal resistance above 1 K/W

Desc

A wick that delivers coolant to a chip's surface by capillary action, with no pump.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I224

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Triboelectric

Name

Contact-powered wake switch

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the contact generates a charge pulse that triggers a latch

Why Not Yet

wake-up uses accelerometers or buttons with standby current; a contact-TENG removes the standby

First Build

a switch with a standby-current and wake-latency measurement

Kills It

standby current not driven below 10 nA

Desc

A device that wakes on physical contact, with no standby power.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I225

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo MEMS microphone with a built-in self-test

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the element works in both directions

Why Not Yet

MEMS microphones are capacitive and cannot self-test; a piezo element can, which matters for automotive and medical arrays

First Build

a microphone with a self-test and a sensitivity comparison

Kills It

no detectable fault when the diaphragm is deliberately damaged

Desc

A microphone that tests its own diaphragm by driving it with the same piezo layer.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · development D12

Id

I226

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Optical

Name

Optical interconnect on a flexible substrate

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the waveguide carries modulated light between rigid boards

Why Not Yet

optical links are board-to-board; a flex-integrated version needs a connector that survives bending

First Build

a flex with a waveguide and a bit-error-rate measurement

Kills It

BER not improved over copper at the target length

Desc

A polymer waveguide with a VCSEL that replaces a ribbon cable in a flex circuit.

Score

0.5

Development D12

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I227

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Electrochemical

Name

Printed memristor for tamper logging

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

an air-sensitive layer changes conductance on exposure

Why Not Yet

tamper evidence is mechanical (seals); an electronic record was never printed at a low cost

First Build

a printed device in a package with a read after opening

Kills It

no state change on exposure

Desc

A device that records whether a package was opened, using a memristive state that is read electrochemically.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I228

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Magnetic

Name

Magnetic connector with self-cleaning contacts

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the mating motion has a tangential component

Why Not Yet

magnetic connectors exist in consumer devices but not in industrial ones where contact resistance matters

First Build

a connector with a contact-resistance measurement over 10⁴ mates

Kills It

resistance rise above 10%

Desc

A connector whose magnetic mating wipes the contacts as it closes.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I229

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Acoustic

Name

Acoustic power converter for implant power

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

ultrasound at a few MHz couples through bone and soft tissue with low loss

Why Not Yet

implants use inductive coupling, which is limited by coil misalignment; acoustic power was demonstrated but never engineered

First Build

a pair in a tissue phantom with an efficiency measurement

Kills It

efficiency below 10% through 20 mm

Desc

A transducer that receives power through tissue acoustically rather than inductively.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I230

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Compliant

Name

Compliant electrical contact for stretchable circuits

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a buckled metal film or liquid-metal channel

Why Not Yet

stretchable electronics use rigid connectors at the boundary; a compliant contact was never standardised

First Build

a contact under cyclic strain with a resistance measurement

Kills It

resistance change above 20% at 50% strain

Desc

A contact that maintains connection under 50% strain.

Score

4.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I231

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Microfluidic

Name

Microfluidic cooling for a 3D chip stack

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

microchannels with a low flow rate

Why Not Yet

3D stacks are cooled from the bottom; inter-die cooling needs a fluidic through-silicon via that was never manufactured

First Build

a two-die stack with a channel and a thermal measurement

Kills It

no improvement in the stack's thermal resistance

Desc

A channel network between stacked dies that removes heat from the interior.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I232

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Bio-based

Name

Cellulose substrate for disposable electronics

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

nanocellulose with a printed conductor

Why Not Yet

disposable electronics use FR4 or PET; a cellulose substrate's dimensional stability under printing was the blocker

First Build

a printed circuit on cellulose with a bend and function test

Kills It

track resolution worse than 200 µm

Desc

A printed circuit substrate that composts after use.

Score

0.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I233

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Catalytic

Name

Catalytic humidity sensor with self-calibration

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the catalyst's rate depends on humidity, providing a self-check

Why Not Yet

humidity sensors drift and are calibrated at the factory; a self-referencing chemistry was never designed

First Build

a sensor with a drift test over a year

Kills It

no reduction in drift

Desc

A sensor whose response to a known catalytic reaction gives an in-situ humidity reference.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I234

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Radiative

Name

Radiative-cooled LED luminaire

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a selective emitter on the housing's top

Why Not Yet

luminaires use finned heat sinks; a radiative surface is free area that was never used

First Build

a luminaire with and without the coating and a junction-temperature measurement

Kills It

no reduction in junction temperature

Desc

A luminaire whose heat sink radiates to the sky so the LED runs cooler outdoors.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I235

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Thermoelectric

Name

Thermoelectric energy harvester for a wireless sensor on a pipe

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a 30 K gradient across the TEG

Why Not Yet

pipe sensors use batteries; a clamp-on TEG was never productised because the pipes were not hot enough in the target market

First Build

a harvester on a steam pipe with a load measurement

Kills It

less than 1 mW average

Desc

A TEG clamped to a hot pipe that powers a flow sensor from the pipe-to-air gradient.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I236

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Shape memory

Name

SMA actuator for a camera's focus

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the wire's contraction is controlled by current

Why Not Yet

focus uses voice coils; SMA is slower but far smaller, which suits miniature cameras

First Build

an actuator with a focus and repeatability test

Kills It

position repeatability worse than 5 µm

Desc

A tiny SMA wire that moves a lens with no motor.

Score

0.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I237

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Soft robotics

Name

Soft connector for a wearable

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a conductive silicone pad with a defined contact area

Why Not Yet

wearables use rigid connectors that fail under repeated flexing

First Build

a connector with a flex-cycle test

Kills It

open circuit within 10⁴ cycles

Desc

A connector that makes electrical contact through a compliant conductive elastomer, tolerating motion.

Score

0.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I238

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Harvesting

Name

Photodiode energy harvester for indoor sensors

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a wide-bandgap cell matched to the indoor spectrum

Why Not Yet

indoor photovoltaics are made from solar cells optimised for the sun; the indoor spectrum needs a different bandgap

First Build

a cell under a domestic lamp with a power measurement

Kills It

less than 10 µW/cm²

Desc

A harvester optimised for indoor light rather than sunlight.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I239

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Inference

Name

On-chip ageing estimate from timing slack

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the critical path's slack is measured by a ring oscillator embedded in the clock tree

Why Not Yet

ageing is estimated from accelerated tests; the in-field signal is already there

First Build

a chip with a ring oscillator and an accelerated ageing test

Kills It

no correlation with the measured degradation

Desc

A method that estimates a chip's ageing from its own timing margin, with no test structure.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I240

Domain

Electronics and semiconductors

Domain No

12

Tag

Electronics × Structural

Name

PCB that is also the enclosure

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a thick board with moulded edges and a conductive coating

Why Not Yet

products have a PCB inside a case; a board-as-case needs a different assembly flow

First Build

a product with a board-case and a drop test

Kills It

mechanical failure in the drop test

Desc

A board whose edges form the product's housing, removing a part.

Score

1.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I241

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Passive thermal

Name

Athermal lens mount by geometry

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the mount's expansion moves the lens to compensate the glass's index change

Why Not Yet

athermalisation is done with exotic glasses or heaters; a geometric solution with commodity materials was never designed

First Build

a mount on a thermal stage with a focus measurement

Kills It

focus shift above the depth of focus over 40 K

Desc

A lens mount whose two materials cancel thermal focus shift with no active control.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I242

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Phase change

Name

Phase-change optical shutter

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the material's phase change changes its absorption

Why Not Yet

shutters are mechanical; a phase-change film has no moving parts but a slow switching time

First Build

a film on a detector with a switching-time measurement

Kills It

switching slower than 1 ms

Desc

A thin film that switches from transparent to opaque on a thermal pulse, for a cheap camera shutter.

Score

0.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I243

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Capillary

Name

Capillary-filled liquid lens

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the liquid's volume sets the meniscus curvature

Why Not Yet

liquid lenses use electrowetting with a voltage; a capillary-filled version is passive and cheap

First Build

a lens with a focal-length measurement across a temperature range

Kills It

focal drift with temperature above 2%

Desc

A lens whose focus is set by the amount of liquid in a capillary, with no pump.

Score

2.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I244

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Triboelectric

Name

Self-powered optical shutter trigger

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the impact generates a pulse that fires the shutter

Why Not Yet

high-speed imaging uses powered triggers; a passive trigger suits remote or disposable cameras

First Build

a trigger on a drop rig with a timing measurement

Kills It

jitter above 1 ms

Desc

A TENG that triggers a high-speed camera on an impact, with no power supply.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened

Id

I245

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Piezoelectric

Name

Piezo deformable mirror at low cost

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the actuators deform a thin mirror

Why Not Yet

deformable mirrors are expensive with hundreds of actuators; a 4-actuator version for cheap cameras was never made

First Build

a mirror with a wavefront sensor

Kills It

no measurable correction of a known aberration

Desc

A mirror on a piezo stack with a small number of actuators, for simple aberration correction.

Score

4.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal · screened · development D13

Id

I246

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Optical

Name

Single-shot phase imaging with a printed mask

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the mask encodes the phase in the intensity pattern, and a reconstruction inverts it

Why Not Yet

phase imaging uses interferometry or multiple frames; a printed mask plus a small model was never productised

First Build

a camera with a mask on a phase target

Kills It

phase error above a tenth of a wave

Desc

A camera with a printed diffractive mask that recovers phase from one frame.

Score

3.5

Development D13

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I247

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Electrochemical

Name

Electrochromic aperture

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the ring's opacity is set by an applied voltage

Why Not Yet

irises are mechanical; an electrochromic aperture is slow but has no moving parts

First Build

an aperture with a diameter and speed measurement

Kills It

contrast below 100:1

Desc

An aperture whose diameter is set by an electrochromic ring, with no iris blades.

Score

1.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I248

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Magnetic

Name

Magnetically tunable filter

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the Faraday effect in a magneto-optic crystal

Why Not Yet

tunable filters are acousto-optic or grating-based; a Faraday filter is slow but cheap and vibration-free

First Build

a filter with a spectral measurement

Kills It

tuning range below 10 nm

Desc

A filter whose passband shifts with a magnetic field, for a compact spectrometer.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I249

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Acoustic

Name

Acousto-optic beam steerer for lidar

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

an acoustic wave in a crystal deflects the beam

Why Not Yet

lidar uses rotating or MEMS mirrors; acousto-optic steering is used in microscopy but never in a cheap lidar

First Build

a steerer with a field-of-view measurement

Kills It

field of view below 20°

Desc

A solid-state steerer with no moving parts.

Score

2.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I250

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Compliant

Name

Compliant zoom mechanism

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the flexure's geometry couples the two motions

Why Not Yet

zoom mechanisms use multiple motors and cams; a compliant single-actuator design was never productised

First Build

a mechanism with a zoom-ratio measurement

Kills It

optical misalignment above the tolerance

Desc

A single-piece compliant mechanism that moves two lens groups for zoom, with one actuator.

Score

3.5

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I251

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Microfluidic

Name

Microfluidic refractive-index sensor

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the fluid core acts as a waveguide whose loss depends on the index

Why Not Yet

index is measured by refractometers with prisms; a microfluidic version needs little sample

First Build

a sensor on sucrose solutions

Kills It

resolution worse than 1e-3

Desc

A channel whose transmission changes with the fluid's index, for a process analyser.

Score

0.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I252

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Bio-based

Name

Bacterial-cellulose diffuser

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

the cellulose's nanofibre network scatters light

Why Not Yet

diffusers are injection-moulded PMMA; a grown one has a different, softer look and was never tried

First Build

a diffuser with a luminance measurement

Kills It

non-uniformity above the standard

Desc

A grown diffuser for a luminaire with a designed scattering profile.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I253

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Catalytic

Name

Photocatalytic self-cleaning window for a camera

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a photocatalytic layer decomposes organic films in light

Why Not Yet

cameras use wipers and hydrophobic coatings; a photocatalytic layer was never qualified for optics

First Build

a window on an outdoor camera over a month

Kills It

no improvement in image contrast

Desc

A coating that keeps a camera's window clear in polluted air.

Score

3.0

Permanent entry link

Invention proposal

Id

I254

Domain

Photonics and imaging

Domain No

13

Tag

Photonics × Radiative

Name

Radiative-cooled detector housing

File

03-domains-11-15.md

How

a selective emitter rejects heat to the sky

Why Not Yet

detectors use thermoelectric coolers; a passive radiative path is free cooling in dry climates

First Build

a housing with and without the coating

Kills It

no reduction in detector temperature

Desc

A housing that keeps a detector near ambient at night without a cooler.

Score

1.5