After witnessing women in desperate conditions delivering babies in African hospitals, Dr. Laura Stachel knew she needed to help. She and Hal Aronson have designed a solar kit that is portable and permanent and can provide electricity during labor and bi

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Solar suitcase supplies electricity to developing-world hospitals

We use bandages to protect our wounds, but what if they could accelerate our recovery? Or better yet, make our injuries hurt less. Procellera bandages accomplish that by creating a tiny electric current. SmartPlanet's Sumi Das explains.

Bioelectric bandages speed up healing, reduce pain

In the hundreds of millions of Asian, Latin American, and African households where water is only available once every week or two weeks, families lose both time and potential income waiting to fill their buckets. SmartPlanet's Sumi Das talks to a f

How texting can solve unreliable water issues

Moms of wee ones are always wishing they had a pair of free hands. The Origami stroller from 4Moms doesn't offer extra limbs, but it does make the dreaded chore of collapsing and unfolding a stroller painless. SmartPlanet's Sumi Das takes it

Self-folding stroller will please both moms and Transformers fans

Silicon Valley-based Tonic Health is developing software to make medical data collection more patient-friendly. SmartPlanet's Sumi Das sits down with CEO Sterling Lanier for a demo of some of the gamification features inside.

iPad software makes patient intake fun

Looking for ways to keep your kids with short-attention spans, more engaged? You might want to try, Kiwi Crate, a subscription service designed for busy parents. Here's how it works. Sign up for a monthly subscription, and get a box full of crafts d

Unboxing a Kiwi craft crate with company CEO

SRI researcher Phil Vahey is studying why many students flounder in math when they enter middle school. SmartPlanet visits the research organization and gets a tutorial on a more visual approach to learning math.

How SRI aims to improve middle school math skills

Whether it is analyzing your heart rate, controlling stress, or tracking your sleep patterns, Silicon Valley-based Azumio is using smartphone technology to give users a better and more accurate picture of your health. SmartPlanet gets a demo from Azumio

Azumio turns your phone into a biofeedback device

Grabit, a spin-off from research institute SRI International has developed a way for robots to pick up objects using electroadhesion. SmartPlanet's Sumi Das finds out how the technology works.

Sticky fingers for robots

Robots help sea and space exploration

Robert Full, a professor at University of California at Berkeley, believes that by studying the motion of animals, we can better design robots for search and rescue missions. SmartPlanet visits his lab to look at its robot, Tailbot, and the Agama lizard

Lizard motion influencing design of search and rescue robots

At the Silicon Valley-based company, CEO Matt Bell and co-founders Dave Gausebeck and Mike Beebe are developing a consumer-friendly system to capture physical environments into three-dimensional images with the use of a handheld scanner and software.

Matterport develops tech to scan the physical world in 3D

Laser cutting, machine sewing, wood-working -- they're some of the skills used to build today's latest tech product. And more and more entrepreneurs are getting hands-on training to make their ideas a reality. Mark Hatch, CEO of TechShop, talks

Techie DIY projects creating a movement

We all know that leaving a device plugged in wastes significant amounts of electricity over time. But is anyone motivated enough to unplug all their gadgets and appliances while they're not in use? SmartPlanet's Sumi Das takes a look at a new

Charging devices eliminate vampire power

Taking a trip but don't want to drive by yourself? Ride-sharing startup Zimride enables drivers to sell empty seats in their cars. Passengers can buy rides with people already driving to where they want to go. SmartPlanet looks at how the company us

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