Pump

How exactly kidney cells transport blood through the organ's tubes has remained a mystery. Now researchers at Johns Hopkins University have investigated the mechanical forces at work and found a previously unobserved pumping action by kidney cells.

Among other items, serious canoeists are advised to carry an extra paddle (in case they lose one) and a bilge pump (in case their boat gets swamped). The Paddle Pump is designed to make things simpler, by combining both tools in one device.

Soft-bodied robots move via pneumatic "muscles" that are selectively inflated or deflated. And while the muscles themselves may be soft and squishy, they're usually hooked up to hard, unwieldy pumps. A new pump, however, is both small and flexible.

When it comes to portable bicycle tire-inflating devices, hand pumps require a lot of effort, while CO2 cartridges are single-use only. The aluminum Choka bike frame offers an alternative, by doubling as a compressed air tank.

Invented by siblings Joe and Christine Edell, the AirLock is both a tire pump and a cable lock.

Portable, cordless air-compressors aren't new, but they're often bulky, limited in scope and ugly. In response to these issues, a team of engineers and product designers fro Hong Kong has come up with the Norshire Mini. A compact, minimalist, multi-function pump/compressor for the iPhone generation.

​While people are fairly fussy about things like bicycle tire pressure, they tend to be a lot more blasé when it comes to inflating basketballs – even though a ball's pressure can greatly affect its performance. The Innoflate Perfect Pressure Needle is designed to help … by whistling.

​Founded in Italy in 1917, Silca was the first company to put an air gauge on a bicycle tire pump. Now based out of Indianapolis, the manufacturer has sort of come full circle with its Viaggio Bluetooth-equipped floor pump – it's taken the gauge back off, and put it on the user's smartphone.

​For nursing mothers who don't wish to be tied down to a non-portable breast pump, there are already wearable versions that can be slipped under a bra. Women's tech company Elvie is taking things a step further, by announcing what it claims is the world's first silent wearable breast pump.

​Serious cyclists typically carry compact hand pumps with them on long rides. Using such a pump to inflate a completely flat tire from scratch, however, can be an arduous process. That's why the foot-operated Stompump was created.

When a cyclist has to change a high-pressure tire at the side of the road, pumping it back up using a compact hand pump can be quite the hassle. An alternative was unveiled at Interbike this week, however – the pocketable miniFumpa battery electric pump.

Thanks to gravity, fluids flow downwards following the path of least resistance. Now researchers at Brandeis University have mixed biological molecules into a substance that marks the first steps towards developing a self-propelling liquid, that could flow free of human or gravitational influence.