Transport: The goal of making flight as easy and accessible as road travel may be within reach. That raises the question of what to do about bad drivers

Materials: Smart paint promises to make it easier to identify and repair cracks or corrosion in bridges and other infrastructure

Medical technology: Using a scanner, rather than a scalpel, has the potential to make autopsies faster, cheaper and more accurate

Robotics: A new, open-source medical robot promises to make surgery safer and more effective, and stimulate further innovation in the field

Computing: Running a steady stream of fluid through a chip could offer a handy way to supply cooling and power at the same time

Computer displays: A new type of display that uses tiny mechanical mirrors to produce coloured dots would work even in bright sunlight

Transport: Adding an electric motor to a helicopter would make it easier to perform an emergency landing following engine failure

Technology and development: A new business model could help people in poor countries light their homes cheaply using solar power

Consumer electronics: An ambitious gesture-recognition system lets you use your body instead of a range of portable electronic devices

Military technology: Elaborate systems that simulate combat in great detail are changing the nature of training and the conduct of warfare itself