The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation Season 1, Episode 14: Solar Roads

1

Microscopic Windmills

Host Mo Rocca shows teen inventors who are out to stop distracted driving; Thomas Edison’s inventions still make us all look like slackers; the drone invasion is upon us; and windmills the size of a flea could revolutionize electric power.

30 min

2

Medical MacGyver

Host Mo Rocca shows a medical MacGyver who makes health devices from toys; train spinning; computerized smart shopping carts; and lighting the world with soda bottles.

30 min

3

Voice Magic of Auto-Tune

Host Mo Rocca shows the creator of the pop singer’s best friend, Auto-Tune; Rosa Parks and the bus that changed the world of race relations; humanoid robots are making it into the mainstream; and skimming the plastics from our oceans.

30 min

4

Algae Girl

Host Mo Rocca shows a girl who is pioneering oil-producing algae by growing it under her bed; the Wright brothers building the first plane; innovations in pet tech; and a 3D printing pen.

30 min

5

Hollow Flashlight Girl

Host Mo Rocca shows a teen who invented a battery-free flashlight; diagnosing million-dollar violins with CAT scans; cloth that generates electricity; and is payment technology making wallets extinct?

30 min

6

Aging Software

Host Mo Rocca shows software that can accurately age any facial picture to up to 80 years old; a futuristic portable home of the past; emergency tech — how to stay in touch when the power goes out; how actress Hedy Lamarr changed our wireless world.

30 min

7

Nano Clothes

Host Mo Rocca shows how nanotechnology could make dirty clothes a thing of the past; how food packaging changed how we shop; innovations that are taking the frustration out of finding that parking space; inventions to make sure you never lose your keys again.

30 min

8

3D-Printed Food

Host Mo Rocca shows us that soon you may be able to print your pancakes; Igor Sikorsky, the father of the helicopter; recording sound off of leaves; and never lose anything again.

30 min

9

Armband Mouse

Host Mo Rocca shows us inventors making any car a self-drive vehicle; Henry Ford was also the father of soybeans; the inventors of the armband computer mouse; and floating wind turbines capturing the high-altitude winds.

30 min

10

Facial Recognition and Shopping

Host Mo Rocca shows us how stores use facial recognition software to target big-ticket shoppers; the legacy of Abraham Lincoln; how jock tech is changing the way we exercise; and the young Irishman who created a sports mouth guard to detect concussions.

30 min

11

Salmon Cannon

Host Mo Rocca shows us the invention that shoots spawning salmon over man-made obstructions as they swim upstream; Noah Webster Home, where the first American dictionary was written; the inventor of a soccer ball that generates plug-in power; and the last generation to know some of the world’s greatest inventions.

30 min

12

Three Under 20

Host Mo Rocca shows us incredible innovators under 20 years old; 9-year-old Algae Girl, who is pioneering oil-producing algae by growing it under her bed; how Thomas Edison’s inventions still make us all look like slackers; 16-year-old Hollow Flashlight Girl, who invented a battery-free flashlight; and the 20-year-old from the Netherlands who is skimming the plastics from our oceans.

30 min

13

Electric Paint

Host Mo Rocca shows us the biker dudes who’ve invented elaborate paint that lights up; The Henry Ford and the return of wrinkled sheep; the inventor of the Elio 3-wheeled car; and the teen who invented a way to clean water with water.

30 min

14

Solar Roads

Host Mo Rocca shows us an innovator who condensed a TV satellite truck into a backpack; how the Model T car assembly line changed the manufacturing world; the inventors of solar roads that could power the world; and lifelike robot predatory birds to lessen the dangers of real birds at airports.

30 min

15

Snake Robot

Host Mo Rocca shows us the man who invented the digital camera; the fascinating history of the presidential limousine, including the one used by President Kennedy; the inventors of the snake robot that can save people in disasters; and the inventors of clear solar panels that look like glass.

30 min

16

Wrist Air Conditioner

Host Mo Rocca shows us the inventor of an app to monitor your sleep and health; unique trains throughout history; the inventors of a watch-like device that cools your entire body like an air conditioner; and the three Irish girls speeding up how seeds grow.

30 min

17

Pocket Printer

Host Mo Rocca shows us the hardware store robot; the incredible patent models from Thomas Edison that show us the beginning of our electronic world; how the USG Corp. is leading the way with grooming the next generation of engineers and mathematicians; the Israeli inventors of a printer that fits in your pocket.

30 min

18

Liter of Light

Host Mo Rocca shows us the inventors of the armband computer mouse; Rosa Parks and the bus that changed the world of race relations; that soon you may be able to print your pancakes; and lighting the world with soda bottles.

30 min

19

Inventor of Email

Host Mo Rocca shows us the inventor of a fireproof gel that is helping firefighters save lives; the historic steam engines that are the grandfathers of electricity; a camera that automatically follows you so you’re always in frame; and the man who, at 14 years old, invented the email system we use today.

30 min

20

Penguin Chick Bot

Host Mo Rocca shows us the students who built a car that gets 2400 MPG; the beginning of the computer age with one of the original Apple Computers; the inventors of the highest tech suitcase; and the Penguin Chick Bot that is giving researchers a new view into the penguin world.

30 min

21

Science Restaurant

Host Mo Rocca shows us the chef using science to add to your dining experience; the evolution of cars throughout history; the 13-year-old who built an affordable Braille printer; and brushing your teeth with a Bluetooth toothbrush.

30 min

22

Robot Birds

Host Mo Rocca shows us the creator of the pop singer’s best friend, Autotune; The Henry Ford and the return of wrinkled sheep; the invention that shoots spawning salmon over obstructions as they swim upstream; and lifelike robot predatory birds to lessen the dangers of real birds at airports.

30 min

23

Shiver Shield

Host Mo Rocca shows us the overhead Skycam camera giving a bird’s-eye view of sporting events; the 100-year-old history of the electric car; an inventor who will help you never to be cold again; and the company turning ocean plastic into products.

30 min

24

Chairless Chair

Host Mo Rocca shows us an electric bike wheel to power your ride; a restaurant serving a 100-year-old menu; the wonders of the world's highest tech sports stadium located in Silicon Valley; and the inventors of the Chairless Chair.

30 min

25

Tiny Homes

Host Mo Rocca shows us the innovative designs of the tiniest homes; the historic fashion of the Queen of Tires; the inventor of the phone in your pocket; and words of wisdom from the inventors we’ve profiled to the innovators of tomorrow.

30 min

26

Electric Soccer Ball

Host Mo Rocca shows us the inventor of a soccer ball that generates plug-in power; Igor Sikorsky, the father of the helicopter; saving lives with Snake Robots; and the Penguin Chick Bot that is giving researchers a new view into the penguin world.

30 min