Brixels are modular blocks that can be combined to create moving walls
New York design studio Breakfast has combined elements of the brick with the pixel to make Brixels, a building block for moving architectural art. More about Brixels are modular blocks that can be combined to create moving walls
MIT surveys two million people to set out ethical framework for driverless cars
Self-driving cars should swerve to protect young people over the elderly and humans over animals, according to the Moral Machine survey of more than two million people, conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. More about MIT surveys two million people to set out ethical framework for driverless cars
Terra alarm alerts people before an earthquake hits
Students from Sweden's Umeå Institute of Design have created a minimal, low-cost earthquake alarm that is also a source of calm during non-destructive incidents. More about Terra alarm alerts people before an earthquake hits
Superstar is a graphene wheelchair that promises strength and lightness
Swiss company Küschall has made a wheelchair it claims is the world's lightest, using wonder material graphene. More about Superstar is a graphene wheelchair that promises strength and lightness
Five geoengineering solutions proposed to fight climate change
If humans can't reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, can we design our way out of climate-change catastrophe? Last week's UN report shone a light on geoengineering, a discipline that proposes large-scale interventions to counteract global warming. So what ideas are geoengineers proposing? More about Five geoengineering solutions proposed to fight climate change
BCXSY and Atelier Robotiq's Out of Order lamp created by "absent-minded" robot
Dutch design studios BCXSY and Atelier Robotiq have collaborated to create a lamp with a disorderly pattern that is meant to suggest that it was made by a robot with a mind of its own. More about BCXSY and Atelier Robotiq's Out of Order lamp created by "absent-minded" robot
Night Loo is a safe portable toilet for women in refugee camps
American designer Anna Meddaugh has created a personal urinal that women in refugee camps can use in shelters at night to avoid the threat of sexual violence outside. More about Night Loo is a safe portable toilet for women in refugee camps
Facett hearing aid takes inspiration from precious gemstones
The mineralogy collection at the Melbourne Museum inspired Australian designer Leah Heiss' Facett hearing aid, which aims to shift talk "from disability to desirability". More about Facett hearing aid takes inspiration from precious gemstones
Pin-free Mi Plug project reimagines power outlets for the 21st century
Northumbria University design graduate Will de Brett has redesigned the everyday electrical plug, making it pin-less and stackable to accommodate numerous devices. More about Pin-free Mi Plug project reimagines power outlets for the 21st century
Air-filtering bus takes to the streets in the UK
UK transport operator Go-Ahead has launched a bus with a rooftop filter that removes air pollution as it travels. More about Air-filtering bus takes to the streets in the UK
Anti-flood greenery-boosting Climate Tile installed in Copenhagen street
Danish architecture studio Tredje Natur has installed a street paving system in Copenhagen that aims to reduce street flooding and create green spaces. More about Anti-flood greenery-boosting Climate Tile installed in Copenhagen street
Bermuda is a pop-up seawater purifier that uses light to remove salt
Mexican designer Marco Antonio Barba Sánchez has won a James Dyson Award for inventing a low-cost seawater purifier, for castaways and people without access to drinking water. More about Bermuda is a pop-up seawater purifier that uses light to remove salt
Kano's Harry Potter wand kit lets you code spells
Tech company Kano has created a coding kit for the Harry Potter universe, with a wand that users can programme to cast spells when they wave their hand. More about Kano's Harry Potter wand kit lets you code spells
Kano battles "throwaway culture of electronics" by teaching kids how to take apart their tech
Slimmer, lighter devices are the goal for most technology companies, but not Kano. In this interview, the designers behind the pioneering STEM toy company make their case for tech products that can be easily disassembled. More about Kano battles "throwaway culture of electronics" by teaching kids how to take apart their tech
Cooper Hewitt reveals sinister side of facial recognition tech at London Design Biennale
Digital artists R Luke DuBois and Zach Lieberman have both created installations to reveal the primitive nature of facial-recognition technology that is used by organisations all over the USA. More about Cooper Hewitt reveals sinister side of facial recognition tech at London Design Biennale
Mushrooms have the power to eat plastic say scientists
Fungi can be used to break down waste plastic and create sustainable building materials, according to scientists from Kew Gardens in London. More about Mushrooms have the power to eat plastic say scientists
Elvie launches wearable breast pump that's silent and wireless
Technology company Elvie has launched a cordless breast pump designed to be worn inconspicuously in any nursing bra. More about Elvie launches wearable breast pump that's silent and wireless
Opendesk launches augmented-reality shopping for its open-source furniture
Opendesk customers can now use augmented reality to see how the furniture brand's pieces look in their homes before ordering them from local makers. More about Opendesk launches augmented-reality shopping for its open-source furniture
Odico's Factory on the Fly is a pop-up robotic manufacturing unit for construction sites
Danish company Odico is preparing to launch a mini all-in-one robotic construction system that can be sent to building sites inside a shipping container. More about Odico's Factory on the Fly is a pop-up robotic manufacturing unit for construction sites
Mind Over Matter installation descends into chaos in response to viewers' brainwaves
Designer David Carson and artist Thijs Biersteker have worked together to create a mind-controlled art installation, which goes on display in Amsterdam this week. More about Mind Over Matter installation descends into chaos in response to viewers' brainwaves