In the 1950s, German manufacturer Hailo produced step trash cans.Nowadays trash cans (at least in Europe) are no longer standalone items in kitchens, but are hidden within cabinets. Keeping pace is Hailo's modern offering, the Libero. It's a super low-profile hands-free cabinet door opener consisting of a laser sensor and a motor: Installing one does...

This Help Universal Light is by German industrial designer Rupert Kopp. A sort of task lamp for everyday life, the graphic, playful shape is meant to encourage you to jury-rig it into places where you couldn't get an ordinary lamp.The dimmable LED puts out up to 1,900 lumens. The diameter is 26cm (10 ¼") and the cord is 360cm (11.8') long. "The light...

Remember the package-design-egg-drop challenge they make (or made) ID students do? Civil Engineering students at the Technical University of Munich face a similar challenge, except the egg is their professor. In order to pass TUM's Design & Construction 2 course, student teams each have to design and build a bridge that spans a given distance and...

As European cities increasingly ban cars and trucks, delivery by bicycle is growing in popularity. But cargo bikes can only carry so much. That's why Cityshuttle, an urban mobility company, is taking a page from the trucking industry's book. Cityshuttle's ePack is essentially a tractor-trailer arrangement, except the tractor is a pedal-assist electric...

Here's an unusual furniture niche: Powered behind-the-sofa consoles. Michigan-based builder Mitten State Woodworks specializes in them, offering depths as narrow as 3", and as wide as 11". The other dimensions are up to you and the size of your sofa. A built-in outlet provides two standard plugs and two USB-A ports. You can spec additional outlets....

"I struggled to work with my cats nearby," writes inventor Scott Salzman. "They interfered with my work, stepped on the keyboard, and interrupted business." Salzman then designed this Desk Nest Cat Bed: It's basically a monitor arm, a small pet bed, and a mating mount. It's also a crowdfunding smash, having pulled in $422K-plus at press time. Buy in...