The greatest security innovations of 2018

They’re the

By Eric Adams and Corinne Iozzio

Posted on Nov 28, 2018 12:00 AM EST

Onyx exoskeleton by Lockheed Martin on a soldier's leg
Grand Award Winner Exosuit to double endurance
A tired soldier is a target—for both injury and attack. Hauling 100-plus pounds of gear, climbing rough terrain, and coping with heat, cold, or damp leads to fatigue and compromises readiness. When strapped to a trooper's hips, the Onyx powered exoskeleton can double their fortitude. Onboard processors crunch inputs from accelerometers throughout the frame to analyze a person's stride and direction of movement; the controller then activates motors at the wearer's knees for an assist. The battery-powered skeleton might not make servicepeople any stronger, but it will help them last longer. In trials, a user donning the Onyx could do 72 squats under a 185-pound load; without it, they could muster only 26. Lockheed Martin

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Simple but powerful: combination locks that keep your code unreadable to snoopers. Brian Klutch

Looking for this year’s list? 2019’s Best of What’s New winners, this way. >>

There are no tanks or firetrucks or massive surveillance initiatives among the items we’ve dubbed the best security innovations of 2018. That’s because safety happens by the inch, through a relentless effort to stop the simple vulnerabilities that can lead to major threats—on our doorsteps, overseas, and in our streets. Our honorees down malicious drones without risking collateral damage, help military vehicles transverse tough terrain, offer new ways for police to capture fleeing assailants, and prevent porch pirates from nabbing our packages. Even our old friend the combination lock got a snoop-stopping upgrade. All the better to protect us with, my dears.

High Energy Laser Shooting Weapon System by Raytheon on an ATV
Reconfigurable humvee wheel track by Darpa and Carnegie Mellon on a vehicle on the road
Miniature Hit-to-Kill Interceptor by Lockheed Martin liftoff
Smart-sighted Westpac Little Ripper Lifesaver Drone by The Ripper Group

Magnification Combination Padlock by Master Lock

Magnification Combination Padlock by Master Lock
Digit-masking lock
Conventional locks can leave secret codes exposed to spying locker mates, so the Magnification Combination Padlock puts the numbers behind a clear, curved lens. Askance, the slope of the polycarbonate warps the dial so that snoopers can’t spy your digits. Straight on, it magnifies the font underneath from the equivalent of a 20-point typeface to a 28-pointer—making the numbers easier to see through your post-workout sweat haze.
Firefighter saving a dog from a river
A man using the BolaWrap 100 automatic lasso by Wrap Technologies on another man

See the entire list: The 100 greatest innovations of 2018

Sideline weapons detector TAC-TS4 by Thruvision screening people at an airport
Amazon Key smart lock and security camera by Amazon