Our product landscape is cluttered with millions of existing objects whose forms we take for granted. A subset of designers and inventors have the ability to see how they can be upgraded, improved or outright replaced. Here are some examples we spotted this year.

Lots of folks carry water bottles. The designers of the Ringo figured out how to wring some extra utility from it.

The Twixit Seal & Pour is a bag clip with a built-in pouring spout. (It's designed for paper bags, which is how sundries are often sold in its native market of Scadinavia.)

Not as extreme as a chair lift: The AssiStep is an easier-to-install staircase climbing aid that uses no power—it's mechanical.

Repurposed Materials is a company whose entire thing is re-thinking. They buy up surplus materials, then finds creative ways to re-use them.

Fireworks shows, with their attendant smoke and occasional accidents, are becoming a thing of the past. Drone light shows, some of them powered by solar, are replacing them.

A startup called Airloom has re-thought the form factor of the wind turbine, developing a design that's 1/10th the cost.

The NexMonitor makes space for your phone at eye level, and charges it wirelessly.

Treadmills take up a lot of space. This one is designed to fold away for storage.

Industrial design firm Formworks designed this Barmes Freebase series of luggage. With multiple flip-out compartments, they're meant to serve as a mobile office.

This rolling suitcase, of unknown origin, features bag hooks, a cup holder and a phone stand, all of which would come in handy during those long stretches in the airport.

E-readers had a good run, reckons a startup called Sol; their Sol Reader aims to replace reading tablets with an eyeglasses form factor.

Swedish design studio Avolt's Square 1 reimagines the extension cord as an objet d'esign.

Unlike a fixed power receptacle, the hardwired Bull Track Socket lets you slide outlets to the position you prefer.

Schneider Electric's APC surge protector is a U-shaped power strip that clings to things.

So does this hard drive concept, by design studio CLAIRE + LÉA.

Industrial designer Fabio Verdelli's Jellyfish pushpins are fun and squishy.

The smartphone is the incumbent form for ubiquitous personal technology; can anything replace it? Perhaps Humane's Ai Pin, a wearable, talking AI personal assistant that projects info onto your hand, will have something to say about it.

Motorola feels the smartphone still has plenty of life in it. Their Razr Plus has a new folding, dual-screen form factor that they reckon will change the way we use one.

Solar panels are static things that live on roofs or stands. Portable power company Jackery's Solar Mars Bot concept, in contrast, would roll around on its own to find sunny spots.

Air purifiers, too, are static objects. But industrial designer Albert Rakhimzhanov's Ultra concept envisions a flying drone doing the purifying, covering more ground.

The Spacetop is a laptop with no screen. Instead, AR goggles provide the visuals.

An ergonomist and an industrial designer have created ergonomic street furniture for Barcelona's mass transit system.

Speaking of mass transit, with their Street Level Stations concept, industrial design firm Pensa asks: Do subway riders have to wait underground?

Conventional furniture is a pain in the neck for healthcare facilities to disinfect. So Lifecare Furniture designed their SYSTM line to easily disassemble, making cleaning a snap.

Moving heavy outdoor concrete furniture is difficult. To make it easier for municipal workers, architecture firm Schemata designed these pieces to be easily movable with a pallet jack.

With their Nautilus Paper Knife, Nendo has completely re-thought the form of the letter opener.

Bicycle pedals are designed for grip; they're not designed to be comfortable when they accidentally slam into your shins. After 30 years of commuting by bike, inventor Bill Lee created these foam-surrounded Bumper Pedals.

Pouring canned beer into a glass or plastic cups is inherently wasteful. The Draft Top Pro is an invention for bars and restaurants, that allows bartenders to quickly turn the cans themselves into wide-mouthed drinking vessels.