Some of Australian cyclists have used "GPS art" to turn a 202 km (125- mile) ride into the outline（轮廓）of a goat, which interests many people greatly.

The four men marked their route on an app before using it track their journey around Perth. When uploaded to the computer, it was shown as a picture. Cyclist Ben Jones said the group settled on a goat because it was an easy animal to draw. He said the ride lasted more than six hours, with the four men stopping only for food, and flat tyres . "Except for riding 202km,' it's relatively simple," Mr. Jones told the BBC. "You mainly mark your route on the app and it plans directions out."

GPS art has also been widely used by runners and other cyclists when they travel out. Mr. Jones said his group wanted to shake up their normal weekend ride. "We all ride l0,000km to 15,000km a year," he said. "Mostly we just ride together as mates and have a good time － that's what this was about."

The group received much attention after posting their map to social media this week. Others described Mr. Jones as a goat guy in an interview on Australian television. For their next piece of GPS art, the group plans to draw a local animal such as the koala. "Certainly, there'll be something coming, for we are making our decisions to put more and more plans into practice. I'm sure of that," Mr. Jones said.

Backpacks are convenient. They can hold your books, your lunch, and a change of clothes, leaving your hands free to do other things. Someday, if you don’t mind carrying a heavy load, your backpack might also power your MP3 player, keep your cell phone running, and maybe even light your way home.

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., have invented a backpack that makes electricity from energy produced while its wearer walks.

The backpack’s electricity-creating powers depend on springs used to hang a cloth pack from its metal frame. The frame sits against the wearer’s back, and the whole pack moves up and down as the person walks. A mechanism with gears(传动装置) collects energy from this motion and transfers it to an electrical generator.

Surprisingly, the researchers found, people walk differently when they wear the springy packs. As a result, wearers use less energy than when carrying regular backpacks. Also, the way the new packs ride on wearers’ backs makes them more comfortable than standard packs.

The backpack could be especially useful for soldiers, scientists, mountaineers, and emergency workers who typically carry heavy backpacks. These people often rely on global positioning system(GPS) receivers, night-vision goggles(夜视镜), and other battery-powered devices to get around and do their work. Because the pack can make its own electricity, users don’t need to give up space in their packs to lots of extra batteries.

For the rest of us, power-generating backpacks could make it possible to walk, play video games, watch TV, and listen to music, all at the same time. Electricity-generating packs aren’t on the market yet, but if you do get one eventually, just make sure to look both ways before crossing the street!

Cool inventions

With this turbocharged(涡轮增压的) snowmobile, getting over snow and ice will besnowproblem. The snow Crawler snowmobile is designed with two skis under its front end. Below its back end is a pair of tracks, or rubber belts around a set of wheels. Inside it's heated, so jump inside, start up the engine, and listen as the wheels start to turn the tracks. Each track is designed to grip (抓住)slippery surfaces easily, allowing the snow-mobile to move over them without difficulty. Let it snow!

It's easy to fall asleep in the special bed. This comfortable sleeping place features a plastic, water-filled mattress (气垫)that's designed to adapt to the shape of the person lying on it. Simply kick off your shoes and climb onto the bed. As you lie there, the mattress will hug your body. Meanwhile, the water in the mattress will gently rock you from side to side. It is a similar feeling to floating on your back in a pool. The mattress even heats up to make you extra comfortable. Now that is a dream bed.

This might take shoes in a new direction. The Lechal company has created shoes insoles that "tell" wearers how to get from one place to another. How do they work? Put the insoles into your shoes. The insoles are built to vibrate(振动). They are also connected wirelessly to your smartphone. Pull up the Lechal app on your phone and type your destination. The app uses GPS to map out the quickest path for you to walk. Every time you need to take a left or right, the app signals the correct insole to vibrate so you know which direction to turn. That's amazing.