If you’re looking into metal casting for your latest invention, there’s a good chance you’re curious about what other inventors are up to. That’s why we’ve decided to come up with a list of our favorite new inventions so far this year.

What if your drink could float? That’s what led one Chicago inventor to create the Levitating CUP. Dubbing it “gravity defying drinkware,” his goal was to create a purely aesthetic way to display drinks. That’s right—it doesn’t make the drink taste better, but it absolutely makes the drink look cooler. The Kickstarter for the Levitating CUP was funded successfully in August and the first cups will ship to backers in October.

How about a car that drives itself? Driverless cars are currently being tested, but when their technology is perfected, it could mean the end of unsafe driving. Ford is even hoping to begin testing cars on actual roads as early as the end of this year.

What’s the one thing these inventions have in common? They started with an idea. If you’ve got an idea that needs a prototype, metal casting might be the perfect solution. Take a virtual tour of our shop, check out our services, look at our various processes, think through which alloy might work best, and then go ahead and contact us. We’d be thrilled to answer any questions you have or provide you with a quote to make your invention idea a reality.