At Mobile Marketing were proud to help tech companies showcase their cutting-edge solutions, whether its on our website, in our magazine or at our Mobile Marketing Summits. Giving a platform to companies that are breaking new ground in their market brings audiences one step closer to the ideas and developments that will shape tomorrow.

In that spirit, our Innovation Lab feature takes a step beyond the world of apps, ads and handsets with slightly bigger screens, in order to share some of the tech worlds innovative ideas. They might be interesting, disruptive or just outright strange, but these are the stories that have caught our eye over the past week.

Canada Plans on Storing Energy in Giant Underwater Balloons

Two miles off the coast of Toronto Island and 55 metres beneath the surface of Lake Ontario, a series of balloon-like structures filled with compressed air are helping to pump energy into Torontos electricity grid in a way that is environmentally friendly and generates zero emissions.

The system, created by clean energy startup Hydrostor and installed in partnership with Toronto Hydro, stores excess energy from Torontos existing power grid during non-peak times, and then releases it back into the system during peak times. It can also be paired with renewable energy sources like solar or wind, storing energy on days with high winds or clear skies to compensate for days with lower production.

The balloons, which are made of the same material used to raise shipwrecks from the bottom of the ocean, store electricity by using an advanced compression system which sends air through the firms two-mile pipe to the lake bed. When electricity is needed, the pressure of the lake water pushes the air back down the pipe, powering a turbine.

“This event marks an important milestone for our company and were thrilled to have the worlds first underwater compressed air energy storage system in service,” said Curtis VanWalleghem, CEO of Hydrostor. “Were now focused on commercialising this technology globally to bring our green energy storage solution to countries around the world.”

Modular Smartwatch Can Become Any Device You Need

The team at Blocks have already garnered attention for their modular smartphone which can be adapted to suit individual needs on a moment-to-moment basis. Now, the same company is trying to achieve a similar level of customisation with a smartwatch that can provide whatever you want, no matter your needs.

To achieve the modular design, Blocks had to narrow a list of 50 different connection methods down to a flexible PCB system, similar to what is already used inside certain mobile devices, which connects up with a set of pins on each linked module and body to create a reliable, waterproof connection.

The watch is being produced in partnership with Compal, which will be manufacturing the watch, and Cronologics, which will create an Android-based OS for the device. Basic Android Wear cant be used because of the complex systems needed to make a modular smartwatch work.

Prototype models have already been produced which include modules for NFC, GPS, measuring heart rate and extending battery life, and Blocks has started a Kickstarter campaign to fund full production which saw hundreds of purchases in the first few minutes, managed to surpass its goal in a matter of hours, and is currently sitting at around $1.5m (£980,000).

Car Retailer Will Deliver Your Purchase Through Robotic Vending Machine
Walking over to the car you just bought is soon to go the way of the dinosaur, the dodo and AOL free trial discs, thanks to Carvana. The motor dealership has created a giant robotic vending machine that will deliver your new vehicle like a can of coke.

While there are several vending machines for cars already in existence, believe it or not, Carvana takes the idea one step further than existing systems which are simply a fancier version of just walking over to your car.

When collecting your car, the dealer will provide you with a specially designed coin which you drop into a jukebox-style retrieval machine. An automated system then fetches your vehicle from a 20-car tower and delivers it to one of three bays where you can pick it up.

Ingestible Sensor Can Monitor Heart and Breathing Remotely

Thanks to new technology developed at MIT, doctors can look forward to remotely monitoring patients with a sensor that that is swallowed and sits inside the gastrointestinal tract, monitoring heart rate and breathing rate.

The sensor makes it easier to assess trauma patients, as well as perform long-term monitoring for patients with chronic illnesses, professional athletes or even soldiers in battle. The sensors would provide more accurate readings that current techniques like ECG and pulse oximetry, as well as eliminating the need for uncomfortable wearables.

“We hope that one day were able to detect certain molecules or a pathogen and then deliver an antibiotic,” said Giovanni Traverso, a research affiliate at MITs Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. “This development provides the foundation for that kind of system down the line.”

Scare Off Intruders with an Elephant
Home alarm systems are hardly new technology, but innovations in mobile technology and the Internet of Things have brought new simplicity and functionality to the sector, which companies like Elephant Door are taking advantage of.

The system can be fit onto a door with adhesive tape and accessed through a smartphone app, eliminating many of the costs associated with installation, and thanks to integrated sensors, the alarm can distinguish between accidental door handle jiggles and someone trying to break in, alerting you before the door is breached.

As well as sending an alert to your phone and the authorities in this case, the Elephant Door can also emit a 100 decibel-plus alarm to alert anyone nearby. The device uses low-energy Bluetooth and 3G wireless to connect (it requires a SIM card) so doesnt require wi-fi, and because it doesnt interact with the lock like other smart-home door devices, it can be attached to garage or back doors as well.