Airbus Bird of Prey Aircraft Concept

Standard aircraft already mimic some avian characteristics, but Airbus' "Bird of Prey" concept takes biomimicry further than ever before. The blended wing-to-fuselage joint of the hybrid-electric, turbo-propeller aircraft is based on the aerodynamic back arch of an eagle or falcon. Meanwhile, individually-controlled "feathers" at the tips of the wings and tail provide active flight control, making the regional flights the design is meant for even more efficient. The concept was revealed at the Royal International Air Tattoo air show but is meant more as an inspiration for future engineers than as a future production model.

Tesla Model P Phone Concept

Fresh off his Citroen eCV concept car, designer Martin Hajek has returned to his roots with a concept phone. Dubbed the Model P, it imagines what a Tesla-branded phone might look like. The rear of the phone is given a car-like glossy red paint finish, with a sculptural fin in the center and a camera cutout that recalls headlights of the company's cars. Other callouts to their automotive language can be found in the pointed "notch" at the top of the screen, and in the carbon fiber detail around the speakers and charging port. Purely a concept at this point, it does posit an entertaining "what if?" scenario.

Infinity London 360-Degree Rooftop Pool

Most infinity pools run off one side, giving the illusion of joining with the water beyond. The Infinity London is a rooftop infinity pool concept that extends in all directions — and would be the first in the world to do so. Slated to sit atop a 720-foot building, the cast acrylic pool will hold 600,000 liters of water, and will be clear on both the sides and the bottom, allowing visitors below to view the swimmers and the sky. The pool's heating system will use waste energy from the air condition system for the building, and a built-in anemometer will allow for the monitoring of wind speed.

Photos: Compass Pools

Michelin Uptis Airless Tire

Short for Unique Puncture-Proof Tire System, the Michelin Uptis is an integrated airless wheel structure designed for passenger vehicles. The system is being developed in collaboration with GM and promises to eliminate the dangers of flat tires and blowouts while eliminating the need for pressure checks and damage inspections. It would have the environmental benefits of eliminating the 20% of tires that are scrapped each year because of punctures and irregular wear. Research is ongoing, with the goal of having the Uptis on the road by 2024.

Flying-V Passenger Jet Concept

Named after the iconic Gibson guitar, this Flying-V jet concept uses its shape as more than a stylistic concern. It's projected to use 20% less fuel than traditional designs, while accommodating 314 passengers in the wings, along with fuel and cargo. Created by Delft University of Technology student Justus Benad, it's currently in development thanks to support from Dutch airline KLM, with the first test flight planned for later this year and a commercial release slated for 2040.

Photos: Studio OSO

Sotera Motorcycle Helmet Concept

Motorcycle helmets are, by definition, protective. The Sotera concept from designer Joe Doucet is just more protective than most. Not by adding any additional padding or space-age shell material — it's still made from Kevlar and polycarbonate — but by using the bottom of its 3/4 design to integrate an LED lightbar. Paired with an accelerometer, it turns red when braking, white during acceleration, and off when at rest. No word on when it might make it into production.

Knack Abl Walking Cane

For those who need them, canes aren't just a mobility aid: they're part of their personal style. The Knack Abl Walking Cane takes this into account, with a sleek, stigma-defying design. A cushioned leather-wrapped, ring-shaped handle positions the user's grip directly over the cane's solid wood shaft for added comfort and stability, while a flared rubber tip allows the cane to stand on its own. The result is a flattering product that users are proud to carry.

Osseo Sailing Yacht Concept

Blending modern creature comforts with the romance of wind-powered sailing, the Osseo concept yacht is a seamless blend of old and new. A carbon fiber and graphene hull gives it a dark hue, reduces weight, and offers corrosion resistance, while a spacious interior has room for 12 guests. The main deck offers plenty of space for eating, gathering, and sunbathing, while a semi-transparent roof at the rear offers protection from the rays and shades the dip pool. Designed by Igor Jankovic, it's sadly just a concept for now.

Ford Self-Braking Shopping Cart

In an effort to make parents' trips to the grocery store a little less trying, Ford is bringing its Pre-Collision Assist tech to an unlikely place: the shopping cart. It uses a sensor to scan for people and objects ahead, and automatically apply the brakes if a potential collision looms. Not just good for the ankles of shoppers in the store, it would no doubt also keep many cars in the parking lot from picking up unnecessary dings. Unfortunately for us all, it's still just a prototype.

Lockheed Martin Moon Lander Concept

Everyone seems to be focused on Mars, but the fact is we haven't been to the Moon since 1972 — so we should probably start there. Lockheed Martin's Moon Lander Concept is designed to do exactly that, piggybacking on work already done on the Orion spacecraft to get humans back to the lunar surface by 2024. It would rely on the planned Gateway space dock, and would simply take astronauts from the station to the moon and back. The two-stage design would include an Orion-based crew module and ascent stage, with a larger descent element that would make transfer vehicles unnecessary. Unlike the Apollo missions, this setup would allow for repeated landings in new, unexplored areas of the lunar surface and serve as a springboard for missions to Mars and beyond.

Move Airbus Seating Concept

Most aviation concepts focus on private use cases or opulent first-class digs. Move aims to improve things for the rest of us. Created by designer Benjamin Hubert's agency Layer in collaboration with Airbus, this prototype system would replace bulky, foam-padded economy seats with something akin to a high-tech running shoe. Conductive, pressure-sensitive yarn is knitted into the seat cover, letting the seat adjust automatically to passenger weight, size, and movement and offer recommendations on when to stand up or stretch. Its wrapped over a fixed frame made from aluminum and carbon fiber, with a tray table that stows vertically, doubles as a flight safety card, and adjusts for different uses and passengers of different sizes. No word yet on when the app-connected seats with their integrated laptop storage might make their first commercial flight.

Boeing Transonic Wing Concept

Supersonic concepts and on-demand people-carrying drones have been getting most of the headlines, but most real-world flights still take place in the transonic range. Which makes this Transonic Truss-Braced Wing concept from Boeing arguably a bigger deal. Created in collaboration with NASA, the folding wings measure 170 feet, a span made possible by trusses that support the added length. As a result, they are far more efficient than the wings found on current commercial planes and are optimized for a cruising speed of Mach 0.80, or roughly 614 mph.

Apple Watch Pod Case

The 6th-generation iPod nano was a small, squarish device people strapped to their wrist and wore like a watch. In many ways, it was the precursor to the Apple Watch, which makes this Pod Case its functional opposite. Designed by C.O. Design Labs for Caseology, this concept takes the Series 4 and wraps it in an iPod-shaped case, complete with a (non-working) scroll wheel. While it obviously puts a damper on fitness tracking, the watch's screen, scroll wheel, and side button are still accessible, making it a functional, potentially wireless-enabled modern day iPod. The case has yet to launch but is said to be coming soon.

Photos: Joyce Kang

3D-Printed Mars Habitats

Created as entries for one of NASA's Centennial Challenges, these 3D-Printed Mars Habitats offer a few glimpses at how we might sustain life on the Red Planet. The winning submission uses a spider-like landing craft that creates a seal with the ground and a pressurized printing zone inside, lifting up only when the complete unit is done and moving to build the next. Like the second-place, egg-shaped structures, they're printed using materials that are either found or can be grown on Mars. All five finalists received a portion of the $100,000 prize, presumably to continue research into extraterrestrial living.

Magic UX Smartphone Interface Concept

Moving between real-life objects on a desk is easy. Moving between apps can be a chore. The Magic UX concept interface lets you pin apps to specific areas, and move between them just like you would sheets of paper on a table. To do so, you just move the device itself back and forth, dragging any content you might want to use in the next app with you as you go. Developed by UK-based consultants Special Projects, it's still a concept, but it's such an intriguingly simple idea we wouldn't be surprised to see it make an appearance in a future official OS release.

TouchCal Scientific Calculator Concept

It looks like an app. That's on purpose. Drawing inspiration from smartphones, Gavin Rea's TouchCal is a concept design that brings the scientific calculator out of the '90s and into the future. Physical buttons at the bottom retain the tactile experience preferred by frequent users, but cover only basic functions, while more advanced options are presented on the color touchscreen on a context-specific basis. As a result, it provides the best of old and new, all hidden behind a protective cover that doubles as a kickstand.

Audi Patrone Police Drone

Thankfully still just a concept, the Audi Patrone Police Drone offers a look at the potential future of law enforcement. It has an aerodynamic body meant to be more stable than competing drones, with a mix of propeller and jet propulsion moving it through the air. An onboard camera would allow officers to control it via VR, allowing them to maintain a presence in communities without needing boots on the ground.

Rolls-Royce Engine Maintenance Robots

Jet engine maintenance can be expensive and slow, thanks to their closed nature and the need to take the engine off the aircraft completely to perform some tasks. Rolls-Royce's Engine Maintenance Robots envision a future where that's not necessary. Developed in collaboration with the University of Nottingham and Harvard University, they include a set of collaborative Swarm robots that measure just 10mm in diameter and go inside the engine, sending live video back to the mechanics and speeding up inspections. They get inside the engine via snake-like Flare robots that travel through the engine like an endoscope and are helped by permanent periscope robots named Inspect. Finally, a remote boreblending robot would allow a maintenance team to install it inside the engine, then hand over operation to remote specialists who could then perform more complex maintenance tasks.

CeramicSpeed Driven Chainless Drivetrain Concept

Traditional chain and derailleur systems have been around for nearly 100 years. In the name of efficiency, the CeramicSpeed Driven scraps them completely. Developed in partnership with the University of Colorado's Mechanical Engineering department, this new system uses 21 CeramicSpeed bearings to transfer torque from the front ring through the drive shaft and onto the 13-speed rear cog. As a result, it eliminates all eight points of friction within a traditional chain drivetrain, reducing friction by 49% and letting the power from every pedal transfer to the road more effectively.

Boeing Hypersonic Vehicle Concept

Boeing has been researching hypersonic vehicles for six decades now. Although it's not ready to take off just yet, this Hypersonic Vehicle Concept provides a glimpse of a future that could arrive in as little as 20 years. Capable of traveling Mach 5, it would rely on a turbofan engine at takeoff, switching to a ramjet at altitudes as high as 95,000 feet. As a result, it could make the trip from New York to Tokyo in around two hours, making our already small world that much smaller.

D-Mask Smart Diving Mask Concept

Most diving gear looks much as it did decades ago. The D-Mask is a forward-thinking look at a more elegant solution. Created by Chinese designer DDG, the full-face design secures below the mouth and above the forehead, providing a 180-degree field of view. There's a transparent screen that lets you overlay information like depth, water temperature, and weather, and an attachment point on the side is compatible with both snorkels and oxygen tanks. Finally, a light and camera are built in, and a bone conduction headset lets you hear communication from the surface or listen to music as you explore.

New US Dollar Concept

There are plenty of reasons for Americans to be envious of other countries. One of the easiest to remedy is our bland currency. The work of designer Andrey Avgust, this concept takes the US Dollar in a bold new direction. It tackles every bill in circulation — 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 — and replaces it with one made from multiple layers of transparent polymer. High-resolution graphics on the front and back play off one another thanks to the translucent nature of the material, and a unique PGP encrypted QR code for every bill makes counterfeiting nearly impossible.

Bosch Anti-Slip Motorcycle Jet Thrusters

Whether you're carrying too much speed or hit some loose gravel or leaves, there's little that can save your bike from a slide when it starts to go down. Bosch Anti-Slip Motorcycle Jet Thrusters aim to fix that. Still in the concept phase, the system would detect sideways wheel slip, then activate an airbag-like gas accumulator, vented through a nozzle, which acts like an invisible hand to right the motorcycle. Given the added complexity and single-use nature of the system, it's likely to appear first on high-end bikes, but no production launch is planned at this time.

UberAir

Forget ridesharing — flightsharing might be the future. UberAIR is the company's initiative to move beyond the road and into the sky. The service, scheduled for launch in Dallas and Los Angeles by 2023 with the first flights occurring years before, will use vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft to carry passengers on-demand from place to place. Not meant to replace traditional airlines, the system is instead being designed for distances of 50-100 miles, just long enough to make a car ride unsavory but short enough to make conventional air travel not worth the hassle and expense. While autonomous flight is the obvious goal, human pilots will be relied upon when the service first comes online, and the company is currently seeking an International city to serve as its third trial partner.

MIT SoFi Robotic Fish

Created by MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the SoFi Robotic Fish is a groundbreaking new way to study marine life. Controlled from afar by a diver using acoustic commands, it uses a hydraulic motor to move from side-to-side, mimicking the movement of real fish. A pair of side fins and a buoyancy control unit let it move in all three dimensions, while onboard cameras allow it to capture footage in places and proximity that would be impossible for a human.

Goodyear Oxygene Living Tire Concept

Most "green" automotive innovation is aimed at reducing CO2 emissions. The literally-green Goodyear Oxygene Living Tire Concept actively removes the compound from the air. Thanks to living moss growing within the sidewall, it inhales CO2 while exhaling oxygen via photosynthesis. The moss sits within an open structure that allows it to absorb water from the road and improve traction, and the form is 3D-printed using rubber powder from recycled tires, creating a lightweight, shock-absorbing tire that's puncture-free. In addition, the tire harvests the energy created during photosynthesis, using it to power onboard sensors and a light stip in the sidewall that changes colors to alert surrounding drivers and pedestrians of various maneuvers.

BorromeodeSilva Monocoque Paddle Canoe

Mixing modern materials with old-world craftsmanship, the BorromeodeSilva Monocoque Paddle Canoe is a human-powered transport with the grace of a yacht. Its hull is composed of copper-woven carbon fiber and classic teak wood, hand-laid by artisans in Genoa. Hidden within the streamlined design are places to tuck the oars away, giving the rear of the boat a pair of "fins" similar to those found on vintage Cadillacs. Winner of a Land Rover Born award, the design is currently a one-off, although future production has not been ruled out.

Volt Car-Charging Drone

The advent of electric cars means you no longer need an enormous underground tank of fossil fuels to fill your car. You just need a battery, as the Volt Car-Charging Drone concept shows. Created by Korean designer 92 white, it looks much like other drones until it lands next to your car and you open the lid to access the charging cable. Service requests and payment are handled via an app, with the only limitation being the range of the drone itself.