PopSci Presents: The 2008 Invention Awards

The world needs help. Power demands are rising, bridges are collapsing, cancer is still cancer. These are sweeping, global challenges, but the solutions may well end up coming from the garages and basements next door. As the winners of PopSci’s second annual Invention Awards demonstrate, invention—even world-changing invention—can happen anywhere there’s an idea and an endless drive to see that idea made real. Launch the articles and videos below for 10 examples of homespun creativity tackling real problems.

A Zero-Emissions Moto-Unicycle

The Uno accelerates with a simple lean and turns like a street bike on side-by-side wheels

A Multi-Rotor Wind Turbine

Doug Selsam's Sky Serpent uses an array of small rotors to catch more wind for less money

A Lifesaving Beacon for Miners

Russell Breeding finds lost miners with the same tech found in guided missiles and the Nintendo Wii

A Sewage-Proof Diving Suit

Sealed-up suits for divers in dirty seas

A More Natural Artificial Foot

Jerome Rifkin's K3 Promoter mimics the jointed motion of a real foot for easier walking (with video of the foot in action)

A Living Air Filter

These filters use plants and fans to clear the air of toxic chemicals

A Rocket Engine for the Masses

An off-the-shelf powerplant for the burgeoning private space industry (with video of the inventor demonstrating the engine)

A Homebuilt Tumor-Killer

This machine uses radio waves and nanoparticles to zap cancerous tumors (with video of the machine in action)

A Better Bridge Beam

John Hillman put a concrete arch inside a plastic case to build stronger, longer-lasting bridges

A Steam Engine for Your Car

This engine uses superhot steam to make a cleaner, more efficient car (with video of the inventor explaining how the engine works)