Good Thinking

Women and girls in industrial countries may have ready access to inexpensive menstrual pads, but such is not always the case in developing nations. That may soon change, however, thanks to the sisal plant.

The traditional white cane may never become completely obsolete, but there certainly are a number of devices that could give it a run for its money. One of the latest is the GUIDi, which guides blind users via cameras and buzzers on a belt.

For centuries, shipworms have vexed mariners by boring into – and consuming – the hulls of wooden ships and boats. Soon, though, we may actually be eating those "worms," as they have successfully been farmed for the first time.

The 2023 James Dyson Award global winners have been announced. The prizes have gone to three different student teams, each of which offers novel solutions to modern issues including global warming and providing care in war and disaster zones.

Yes, you're right, there has been a glut of titanium multi-tools on Kickstarter and Indiegogo over the past few months. The TiSpanner is a bit different, though, in that it features a little adjustable spanner wrench.

Noise-cancelling headphones are great for blocking out the loud talkers and chaotic coffee shops of the world, but what if there are certain sounds that you want to hear? That's where the experimental new "semantic hearing" system could soon come in.

While everyday carry multitools are great at many things, they can fall short in the measuring department. The new titanium Tiroler ring fixes that by adding the ability to take measurements to your EDC kit, with a smart portable design.

While there are now a number of handheld systems for checking if a medication is the genuine article or a counterfeit, most require users to access an online database. The SmartID system, on the other hand, works entirely offline.

Interchangeable-bit ratcheting screwdrivers are very useful devices, but they're not something you'd typically stuff into a pocket. The folks from Logical Carry are out to change that, with the flat-form Ti-Mag.

For people who are blind or lack fine control of their fingers, touchscreens such as those used on self-serve kiosks can be almost impossible to use. The experimental new BrushLens device, however, utilizes the user's smartphone to get the job done.

When using a spirit level (aka bubble level) to mark mounting points on a wall, you almost need three hands. The Levelmarker 2.0 is designed to address that problem, by combining level-holding and mark-making in a simple two-handed job.

If you're traveling with a small child, you typically have to bring both a folding stroller and a suitcase. The Strollug is designed to simplify matters by transforming from a stroller into luggage and back again, as needed.

Interchangeable-bit screwdrivers may be convenient but they don't always provide enough leverage, depending on the task at hand. Symtik's S1 Boost addresses that shortcoming with a power-boosting lever that can be utilized as needed.

Prostheses that replace fingers are typically complex, expensive devices, the cost of which often isn't covered by medical insurance. The student-designed Lunet, on the other hand (no pun intended) is simple and can be made from open-source plans.

For people such as Gary Lynn, cerebral palsy makes it nearly impossible to perform tasks like getting a sip of water without human assistance. He can now get those sips on his own, however, thanks to a student-designed device known as the RoboCup.