Why it’s Breakthrough: It’s a dog leash that uses its retractable tether to power an on-board LED light – the better to see and be seen with. It also has reflectors and storage for bags built right in to its ergonomic design.

The Story: Dog leashes have come a long way, yet, clearly, there’s still room for a little breakthrough technology. Enter Fido Fashion, a startup with a really good idea. Besides offering a leash that expands and retracts like most of the popular leashes of the day, this one takes the kinetic energy generated from that give and take, and turns it into energy that illuminates an LED. The same LED that comes in very handy when your dog does his or her business, and it’s night, and you’re wrestling with a dog, bags and a light to see where you need to clean up.

Though the product is approximately six months away from a trade show prototype, we really like this idea and hope it gets the kind of investors and attention it deserves.

According to the manufacturer, here are some other product features:

•  LED lights that shine forward and down, to see the ground in front of you, along with what you’d rather not step in, along with LEDs that point slightly upwards so that others, be they walkers, bike riders or cars can better see you

•  No batteries are ever needed to generate power for the LEDs. It’s all done courtesy of your dog, who, thankfully, never really learned “no pull”

•  Center panels can actually be changed out with other design panels, to make your leash more fashionable