Best Inventions 2005: On The Move

•TUNNEL VISION Want a low-maintenance pet that won’t scratch, shed or sleep all day? AntWorks is a new kind of ant farm that replaces dirt or sand with a clear, seaweed-based gel that is packed with all the tasty sugar, water and nutrients that ants need to survive. Just pop in some ants, close the lid, and watch the insects start tunneling through the blue-tinted goop. A magnifying glass, included, lets you see the ants’ surprisingly sharp claws and even the hair on their bodies. For special effects, blue LED lights can be attached to the bottom of AntWorks to make it glow day and night.

INVENTOR Fascinations AVAILABILITY Now, $20, plus $3 for 25 live ants TO LEARN MORE fascinations.com

•ROLL AND ROCK Traveling musicians, rejoice! With keys just an eighth of an inch thick, the 2-lb., 61-key Hand Roll Piano rolls up like a blanket and spreads out to about 3 ft. in length. Incorporating technology used in remote-control buttons and touch panels, the silicone-rubber keyboard, which has a built-in speaker, can be played for up to 15 hours on four AA batteries. But it’s no lightweight. The Hand Roll comes with a set of 128 tones (from acoustic piano to bird tweet), 100 rhythms, 20 prerecorded demo songs and a speaker jack, and it connects to a computer.

INVENTOR Yamano Music AVAILABILITY Soon, about $160 TO LEARN MORE www.yamano-music.com