This design, by a team at London Metropolitan University, is quite remarkable. The team known as HelioMet comprises students from the Department of Architecture and Spatial Design at the university. The masterpiece crafted by them is designated SunBloc. What commemorates the design is the fact that it is the only UK entry at the global US competition organized by the Department of Energy, namely; Solar Decathlon Europe 2012. The competition encourages universities to build sustainable designs that function on solar energy. The designers can also apply a few other energy efficient technologies to build their design.

HelioMet’s SunBloc

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HelioMet’s SunBloc

HelioMet’s SunBloc answer to sustainable urban development

The modeling of SunBloc is quite outstanding. The structure is made from lightweight and affordable materials. The pioneering approach applies the PassivHaus strategy. The abode can survive in different environment settings. Also, the market prospects of this structure are promising. The design of the building can be customized according to the buyers liking. The interiors and furnishing are slotted in the house beforehand. Thus, the layout looks downright impeccable and planned to the notch.

The structure is also energy efficient. Latest breakthroughs from the field of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technology have been used to construct the house. Not only does the structure use clean and green energy, the amount of power generated is also plentiful. The energy produced can juice up the building and also a few other edifices surrounding it. In fact, solar power can also be supplied to the building on which SunBloc is stationed.

Via: HelioMet

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Guess what, the design of this lamp is designed to strengthen the bond between children and parents, especially the ones who go out of town on business trips often. Kids miss you when you are away. If outings are a regular feature, then the child could begin to hold grudges against you. Every concerned parent tries to avoid this scenario by keeping in touch often and this lamp will help immensely to bridge the gap.

Lumi-Us night lamp

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Lumi-Us night lamp

Lumi-Us night lamp by sebastiaan

Firstly, the bulb has an engaging design that kids will love. It has a coiled outline, like objects you see in magical movies, and it emits a subtle luminescence. Audio recordings can be dispatched to the lamp. Two symbols can also be sent along with the message. Meant to be a night lamp, it is a good idea to place this light near the bed. Thus, the messages can be heard out conveniently at the end of the day. The child has to pick the bulb to access messages. Viewing messages will feel like an imaginary conversation between the parent and child. After the listening to the message, the light can be easily blown out, which adds tremendously to the experience.

Your child can listen to messages leisurely when they go to bed each day. Surely, this will make your kid feel a lot more secure. Additionally, it imparts a feeling that you are still around when you are actually away on a trip. The piece brings predictability into your child’s life. By listening to your message the same time every day, they feel that you care enough and will always be around for them. It will definitely give children assurance that you lookout for their safety and well being.

Via: Sebastiaanpijnappel

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The German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Transport Systems is committed to prevent road and rail accidents by efficiently managing the traffic through their cutting-edge technology, risk analysis, and transportation assistance systems. The recent outcome of their research is a driving simulator which is based on the concept of car2infrastructure communication. The concept centers on providing external assistance to the drivers via driving assistance systems which will communicate with the traffic signals to give speed recommendations to the driver.

DLR Driving Simulator

The simulator is a glimpse of the institute’s research on automation and assistance and was recently put to show at the CeBIT 2012, the world’s largest trade fare show featuring Digital IT and Telecommunications solutions, which took place from 6th to 10th March in Hanover, Germany. The visitors were welcomed to step in the simulator and have a hands-on experience of the state-of-art technology. This technology will help the urban drivers to avoid congestion on the road through intelligent mobility communications. The traffic lights will communicate with the car to help the vehicle pass as many traffic signals as possible towards its destination by following the speed suggestions.

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DLR Driving Simulator

Driving Simulator from German Aerospace Center (DLR)

This technology can be soon witnessed operating live on the roads of central Germany. Application Platform for Intelligent Mobility (AIM), a research platform for transport related applications, along with German Aerospace Center is currently working to transform their research into intelligent transportation applications in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. According to the project requirements, the city of Braunschweig, with a population of under one million, provides ideal conditions for the research. AIM will be monitoring the whole area and its transportation infrastructure to carry out the research.

A navigation system is quickly becoming a part of every car’s interior mechanics. By incorporating an intelligent driving assistance system along, it can help the driver to smartly deal with the traffic congestion.

Via: Akihabaranews

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With the growing network of waterways across major cities in the world, the need for an amphibious vehicle is also growing. The Axolotl Hybrid Amphibious Vehicle is one such vehicle concept that seeks to serve as a medium of personal transport on land as well as water. This kind of a vehicle would be aimed at people living on islands or those living across major rivers or lakes that generally need to depend on a ferry or a boat to reach land.

Axolotl amphibious vehicle

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Axolotl amphibious vehicle

Axolotl: innovative Hybrid amphibious configuration for boating

The Axolotl Hybrid Amphibious Vehicle is propelled using solar and wind power and can be constructed using a fiberglass or aluminum structure to keep its body lightweight. Due to this reduction in weight, the vehicle would consume less energy in water as well as on land. The designer has not specified the exact number of wheels that the vehicle would be offered with though it can be built in three and four wheel configurations depending on the kind of land use owners want to put it through.

The amphibious vehicle was inspired by the Axolotl salamander which is born with mammal like legs and can even navigate aquatic terrain with less water. The Axolotl Hybrid Amphibious Vehicle provides mobility in water and on land with its versatile, functional and unique form being derived from ergonomic vehicles from Yachtsmen as well as Piaggio.

Two engines would power the vehicle with the engine at the back being used to operate the propeller when the vehicle is used in the water. The front engine would power the vehicle on land. Both the engines would powered by a combination of electric and petrol energy with the protective glass of the vehicle soaking up the sunlight to generate solar power.

Source: James Dyson Award

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The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America claims that around 5000 people visit emergency room everyday for asthma related ailments and according to doctors most of the patients practice improper inhaler techniques that further worsen their condition. The T-Haler concept, developed at Cambridge Consultants can prove to be a life-changing technology for such patients. It is an asthma inhaler training device with interactive software to examine how a patient uses their inhaler. The device is wirelessly connected to an interactive video game that provides real-time feedback about the patient’s compliance with their inhaler.

T-Haler

The T-Haler gives visual feedback for easy interpretation so that users can work on the areas that need to be worked upon and could help in reducing the number of asthma sufferers worldwide. The most remarkable feature about this device is the ease with which users learn using this device.

T-Haler

The T-Haler gives feedback on the basis of three major factors. First significant factor is whether the patient shakes inhaler before using it. Secondly, the force applied to puff in the inhaler and thirdly, the process of releasing air out after having the puff of drug. The whole process is based on these three steps and decides the efficiency with which drug is taken using real metered dose inhaler device (MDI).

Though the device is not ready yet but the training concept was carried out to demonstrate effectiveness and simplicity of this device. The device could prove to be a real blessing for around 235 million asthma sufferers worldwide.

Via: Cambridge Consultants

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Created for a small Adelaide, Australia-based company, the Ultra-Lite Fuselage and iPad Integration Proposal by student designer Dale Wakeham proposes to incorporate a new digital gauge system that is centered on an iPad for displacement and relay needs. Each year, the company manufactures a few Ultra-Lite airplanes bare framed and wanted to explore the possibilities for manufacturing bigger crafts. Since the current lot of Ultra-Lite crafts available in the market is offered with a naked chassis, the designer based his proposal on an iPad-integrated fuselage for the crafts.

Ultra-Lite Fuselage with iPad Integration

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Ultra-Lite Fuselage with iPad Integration

Ultra-Lite Fuselage with iPad Integration by Dale Wakeham

With numerous configurations for the Apple tablet, the concept craft with its aggressive and uniquely bold aesthetic looks to exploit this gap in the market. With the iPad mount in the center of the craft, the articulating arm is able to fold away into the main center beam of the Ultra Lite plane. The iPad can also be stored away in the side slot when it is not needed. Depending on individual preferences, the iPad can be placed in the A frame of the steering or even on either of the mounts. The mounts can be rotated and slid for adjustment and the iPad is always tethered for safety

Several intake vents and aggressively styled lines make the fuselage an attractive offering. A comfortable sitting position is provided by seats that flip down for rear access and storage space and the nose cone provides wind protection and incorporates ignition controls and two gas gauges. The seat’s sides have also been incorporated with CB radio with an aerodynamic shape and flowing line aesthetics complimenting the fuselage’s two tone finish, “fast back” roof fins, “duck tail” rear and “coke bottle” hips.

[Cheers Dale]

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Access to drinkable water is the universal problem faced by people living in rural areas across the entire globe, be it any country. In an effort to lend helping hand to the people suffering from water crisis, designer Kwan Ken Yong has come up with the ZeusHydration water collector concept that promises to provide safe water in developing countries. It’s a simple device that takes in water from a variety of sources, stocks it up and purifies it, making it suitable for human consumption.

ZuesHydration concept

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ZuesHydration concept

ZeusHydration water collector concept by Kwan Ken Yong

Practice of collecting rainwater is very common in rural areas and this device works on the same practice. The ZuesHydration comes with a “sponge” element that works as a micro-filter that soaks up moisture and water when brought in contact with water sources and releases clean water on compression. The device absorbs water from the ground surrounding it especially after a rain shower. Water can even enter the “sponge” through its cover. The efficiency of the device can be easily made out from the fact that it can even absorb and filter muddy pool water.

Once the “sponge” has absorbed an adequate amount of water, the user simply have to place the bottom cover and compress the whole device. This is when micro-filters of “sponge” come into use and force out clean water from the center of the top cover on removal of its cap. The device is tremendously lightweight and easily compressible when dry, therefore could be transported and stored with an ease.

Via: Red-dot

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There are many futuristic vehicle prototypes nowadays causing quite a stir in the market for high tech transportation. Each one of these sports their own POD’s. However here’s one player which boasts of employing cutting edge contemporary technologies rather than the enthralling futuristic concepts. Come to think of it, the use of existing technologies makes more sense. It ensures project viability and feasibility of execution. The RT 112 shall be a state of the art rescue machine coming to aid in almost all terrains and situations.

RT 112, an all terrain vehicle

RT 112’s design has been cleverly and ergonomically inspired from man-made mechanical wonders such as all terrain vehicles and helicopters. It draws inspiration quite deftly from nature as well by replicating and incorporating the mechanism of a camel kneeling to pick up people or load. These are just a few highlights of the package that is The R 112. Read on as we explore further into its true potential.

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RT 112, an all terrain vehicle

RT 112, an all terrain vehicle by Tomasz Siemek

Each and every part of RT 112 has been designed keeping in mind rescuing factors. Inner shell of the vehicle is made up of Makrolon, a polycarbonate that bestows many styling options and also allows creating seamless metal shell and window functions. Few parts of the vehicle are covered with extra layer of special foil to barricade heat carried by light. The air suspension helps loading wounded people by allowing considerable change in its height. Added features include front and back lights with three intensity levels and telescopic light tower on its roof to brighten large area around the parked vehicle.

The vehicle comes equipped with water tanks and electric motors to promote rescue operation in disaster areas. Care has been taken while placing heavy elements of the vehicle to maintain the center of gravity. Cockpit and seats complement each other to strengthen the whole body. The rear section is completely adjustable to suit any situation and location. In short, this all-terrain vehicle puts functions before form.

Source: Siem

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Why does the world love an iPhone? Because it’s sleek? Because it’s shapely? Because once it slips into the palm of your hands you can barely feel its weight on your wrists? Well, those are all the reasons why the world loves the iPhone. But I guess the Korean know a thing or two about iPhone usage that we don’t which is why this Taylor Mug for the iPhone created by Korean design studio Connect Design baffles us so much but the people in its advertisement look so pleased using it.

iPhone Mug Case

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iPhone Mug Case

iPhone case is self-standing with a mug handle that works as a stand

The mug or half mug shall we say, is basically a stand for the iPhone which takes away all the industrial sleekness of the device that engineers at Apple came up with after months and years of research. The website for the design studio claims that the half mug lets you securely place your iPhone in the this ugly cradle so that you can view it in portrait mode, at a 45 degree angle as well as in landscape mode.

The makers claim that the mug makes the phone much more fun to make and receive calls with though we think showing up to the office with your phone in a half mug might get you a visit from the company shrink and perhaps the company’s HR manager might ask you if everything is alright with the missus.

Also a great way to ensure that you can never fit your iPhone inside your pocket again, the Taylor iPhone Mug costs $22 and is a surefire way to completely destroy your reputation at work and among your relatives.

Via: Gizmodo

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For the elderly living in cities, social isolation is a huge problem. Due to lack of daily contact with the outside world, they tend to become depressed and often their illnesses are magnified by the lack of social interaction. Another major problem for this part of the population is the fact that they often have to cook and clean for themselves which makes them more prone to accidents in the kitchen. The Care-Us Horse Drawn Meal Delivery Vehicle by designer Francois-Xavier Martouzet looks to provide a solution to both these problems via a single food van/mobile social club.

Care-Us

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Care-Us

Care-Us by Francois-Xavier MARTOUZET

The horse drawn carriage is a little less industrial looking than most meal vans and food delivery carts that function in the city. The unintimidating look of the Care-Us Horse Drawn Meal Delivery Vehicle makes it an ideal food delivery vehicle for the elderly who can subscribe to a meal service and have their breakfast, lunch and dinner freshly prepared and delivered to a location near them.

The vehicle also comes with an extendable exterior that can be turned into an open air dining space with a wooden floor, a covered overhead space and a table for six people. This lets the elderly socialize around the vehicle while they have their meals. Being a horse-drawn vehicle, the Care-Us Horse Drawn Meal Delivery Vehicle also doesn’t pollute the environment which makes a safe vehicle for the elderly with respiratory problems to hang out around.

Source: Hall Design

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