Velonet is a female-specific cycling experience that protects and connects. It is a helmet as well as a social network for riders of all levels. When purchasing the helmet, customers are registered in a network of local riders. Riders can download an app and organize their rides, find friends, set goals and meet new people on the road.

Contact: Katherine Bennett: kbid@mac.com

Credit: Christine Purcell of Art Center College of Design

Blomo is a pair of devices for detecting diseases and recording health information in seniors that turns annoying home-health monitoring into a fun experience. By blowing into the devices, grandparents and grandchildren can play a series of Web-based games. Meanwhile, Blomo can analyze their breath in order to detect a series of diseases, such as asthma, lung cancer or diabetes.

Contact: Pentago Yu: pengtaoyu@gmail.com

Credit: Pengtao Yu, Nicolas Lehotzky, Lydia Chan and Mas Rukminto of Art Center College of Design for GE Healthcare

These snowboard boots remedy the ankle-support problem with a shoelace that wraps around the entire foot, similar to ballet shoes. The boot and the foot are tightly bound together, preventing serious injuries, because this minimizes extra space in the boot. Overlapping sections on the exterior of the boot mimic bandages that are worn underneath ballet shoes for more protection.

Contact: Katherine Bennett: kbid@mac.com

Credit: James Yoo of Art Center College of Design

The product is a low cost, logistically feasible, no touch, open/closed latrine specifically designed for parts of the developing world that squat to defecate, including much of sub-Saharan Africa, India and parts of Southeast Asia. The design also reframes the latrine from a mere defecation location to a renewable source of fertile compost while addressing known user pain points to incentivize use.

Contact: Juan-David Quiñones: reach.me@juanquinones.com

Credit: Juan-David Quiñones of Art Center College of Design

This is the design for a container for people with poor vision, senior citizens whose hands tremble severely, and anyone who complains of inconvenience when refilling shampoo or detergent containers. The upper part of the product package is made of silicon rubber, and has been inverted so that it can play the role of a layer when using refill products.

Contact: Jinsoo Cho: lask3329@nate.com

Credit: Jinsoo Cho and Jiae Moon of Chosun University (South Korea)

The Easy Brailler is Braille tape made out of silicon that allows people who are blind to easily label items in their homes for quick recognition.

Contact: Eung Seok Kim: mondo.kim@gmail.com

Credit: Eung Seok Kim and Beom Seok Lee of Dankook University (South Korea)

The Braille Buddy is a two-phase learning device that aids the visually impaired in learning Braille. It teaches students how to read and write through understanding the Braille cell and the standard Braille keyboard. Audio and tactile feedback make the product more interactive and facilitate independent learning.

Contact: Yasaman Sheri: ysheri@gmail.com

Credit: Yasaman Sheri of Carleton University (Canada)

The E-Z Pour allows cooks to easily pour their hot liquids from large diameter skillets, bowls, pots and pans into smaller diameter containers. It also gives those who cook with hot grease a way to easily and safely dispose of the grease that cannot be discarded in the sink or trash can.

Contact: Alex Thompson: thompwa@auburn.edu

Credit: Alex Thompson, IDSA of Auburn University

The Mestari flame grill is a portable lightweight one-legged iron grill. It is easy to assemble and can be adjusted in all directions. The friction-joined gridiron of the grill can be raised or lowered on the vertical support bar to adjust the cooking temperature as the flames grow or die out. The gridiron also rotates around the support bar.

Contact: Iiris Saaren-Seppäl: iirissaarenseppala@gmail.com

Credit: Kari Saaren-Seppälä of Oravala (Finland)

This MP3 player is powered by a touch sensor, making it friendlier to use. So just the movement of putting on earphones turns the power on. The volume is controlled by holding the player in your hand and moving it up to increase volume and down to decrease. Move the player to the right to hear the next song and to the left for the previous one.

Contact: Youngdo Choi: _re_uv@hanmail.net