• March 31, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    Directional force feedback screens make you feel the direction of force

    Nikonian Bar:

    In the age of touchscreens and sensitive panels, here is an innovation that is sensitive in another respect - to the difficulties of the user! Usual touchscreens produce a vibratory sensation when you touch an object. While this lets you know that you have indeed achieved your objective, it does not let you understand where the object is. To do that, one would have to look at the screen. The new system replicates the sensation of touching an object with the associated force and direction making it a more informative, tactile surface.

    Tactile Display
    Tactile Display

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    Tactile Display
    Tactile Display With Directional Force Feedback

    The touch panel makes use of wires to pull each corner of the panel. Since the tensile force to be applied to each of the wires can be controlled and adjusted, the strength and direction of the force also can be controlled. The prototype that has been released has touch sensors located in the bezel while the display itself houses all the wires and motors necessary to generate the force. Thus, the display can be easily used as any other touchscreen without attaching any extra devices to the fingers.

    The system has been developed by a research group comprising of members from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and NEC. Shin Norieda, a member of the Future User Interface Team at the Information and Media Processing Lab, NEC described that the screen could be used for navigation as well. People can get to know which direction they are headed by simply touching the display without seeing it. It can also be used in applications where one can enter text by simple flicking and yet knowing which way the flicking has been done.

    Via: Diginfo


  • March 30, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    Sprout, a thoughtful gadget to kindle your eco conscious

    Shallu Sharma:

    “Going green” is the most common slogan heard these days, but still most of us live unaware of the fact that global warming has aggravated our environment and is doing the same by every passing minute. Realizing the need of the hour, an artistic designer, has come up with a very unique green gadget as his contribution to stop the global warming. The main motive behind creating this product was to make people considerate towards their environment by showing them the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by plants during photosynthesis.

    Sprout
    Sprout

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    Sprout
    Sprout tell the amount of CO2 absorbed by photosynthesis

    Carbon emission is corrupting our eco activities and this gradual process is not easily visible. With the intention of making this process visible and to promote green environment, an artifact christened as Sprout has been created that can keep a check on the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the trees throughout the day.

    The green gadget has a small display, which is wide enough to exhibit the readings. Monitor can be attached and removed from the base fixed to the ground which makes using the product quite easy. There is a ring like structure attached to the main body, which is tied around the tree’s trunk and measures the CO2 absorption level.

    The product though simple can prove a great help to make people act environmentally friendly by adopting “green” motif.

    Via: James Dyson Award


  • March 30, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    Wearable fitness trackers to evaluate your workout

    Dhivya Venkatesh:

    If you are wondering how you’re going to reach your fitness goals this year, invest in a good fitness tracking device that will keep track of your activities, pace, distance, calories burned and heart rate. These fabulous fitness trackers will help you stick to your lose/gain weight or simply stay fit and healthy program with the click of a button. Most of them are wearable, attaching easily to your wrist. Fitness trackers will help you save over hundreds of dollars you would otherwise have to spend on a personal trainer to meet your fitness needs. Fitness trackers also allow you to upload your workout stats on Facebook or Twitter, which is an awesome way to get support and encouragement from friends and family. Here is a list of top 10 wearable fitness trackers that have received some of the best reviews for their functionality and quality. Take a look.


  • March 30, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    ‘TUM NTU GlobalDrive Bike To Go’ makes electric mobility trendy

    Asmita Prasad:

    Created by a design teams from Nanyang Technological University and the Technological University of Munich, the GlobalDrive TUM-NTU Bike-To-Go aims to bring electrical mobility to the masses and help ease traffic congestion in the cities. Since biking has become the “in” thing with young urban city dwellers, the foldable electric bike design fits right in with the changing lifestyle and eco consciousness of the city youth who are more open about replacing gas guzzling motorcycles with more eco friendly and health friendly options like electric bikes.

    GlobalDrive Bike-To-Go
    GlobalDrive Bike-To-Go

    As a mobility solution, the TUM-NTU GlobalDrive Bike-To-Go looks to complement public transport while allowing users to forgo their motorcycles or cars for a zero emissions bike that can be easily folded and carried aboard public transport like city buses and subways. Designed for easy handling as well as trendy style, the pedelec (pedal-plus-electric) bike is made to look, feel and drive like a regular bicycle though it comes with a clever folding mechanism as well as a supplementary electric motor that can provide extra boost when the biker doesn’t want to pedal, is going uphill or needs to travel farther.

    Picture Gallery
    GlobalDrive Bike-To-Go
    GlobalDrive Bike-To-Go by Ying Hern Pow

    The TUM-NTU GlobalDrive Bike-To-Go is propelled by a 250W built-in electric motor that powers the pedal and allows the vehicle to be classified as a normal bicycle which allows it to remain exempt from parking taxes for motorized bikes. The electric motor travels at top speeds of up to 25 km/h which keeps the biker safe and in control of the bike at all times. The bike weighs less than 15kgs and can be folded into a trolley-like structure that is compact and be stowed like a trolley.

    The TUM-NTU GlobalDrive Bike-To-Go is also smartphone compatible with a dock for the iPhone allowing users to sync up the bike’s vital stats like recuperation rate and battery condition and also keep an eye on nearby parking spots, recommended routes and distance to their specified destination etc. The iPhone can also be used as a speedometer and a GPS navigator.

    Thanks to a signature wave-like bodyline, the bike can be folded into a structure that resembles the form of the cobra. The tubular structure of the bike is fashioned out of carbon fiber and features desirable and trendy styling that can be customized by the user. The masculine silhouettes of the vehicle are derived from leading auto brands like BMW which enhance the ergonomics of the bike while giving it a distinct styling edge over rival e-bike brands.


  • March 30, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    Infinite Mobile Device runs on solar and kinetic power

    Asmita Prasad:

    Most mobile phone users around the world are in the habit of leaving their cellphones plugged in to charge overnight as a habit in the hopes of having a fully charged cellphones that would be able to endure a whole day’s use. However, leaving a cell phone plugged into a charger for too long can damage your cell phone’s batteries irreparably and can even lead to loss of battery life overtime. Moreover, overcharging cellphones also result in unnecessary energy loss for household that lose as much as a $100 worth of electricity annually due to overcharging of cellphones alone. The Infinite Mobile Device by Taiwanese design student Tony Deng looks to remedy this situation by presenting a more sustainable cell phone charging system.

    Infinite Mobile Device
    Infinite Mobile Device

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    Infinite Mobile Device
    Infinite Mobile Device by Tony Deng

    The Infinite Mobile Device is an intricate yet easy to manufacture cell phone casing/packaging system that can address the problem of overcharging cellphones and the waste of energy it causes as well as the problem of buyers having to hoard or throw packaging material that these products are sold in. The device uses a system of self powered nanogenerators fitted in the casing of the Infinite Mobile Device which allows the cell phone to be recharged via kinetic energy harvested by the movement of the user or by the user’s interaction with the phone like tapping on its screen.

    Alternatively, the device can also be powered using solar power with the packaging of the cell phone doubling up as a portable solar charger after the user has extracted their cell phone out of the box it came in. The kinetic and solar energy harvested by the phone and the package/solar charger can also be shared with other users low on battery power and users can also keep a count of the watts they generate and save during cell phone usage to promote the use of renewable sources of power.

    Source: Deng Design


  • March 30, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    Allandale House, a minimilist yet beautiful construction tucked into the woods

    Jaspreet Kaur Walia:

    A house in the woods comes tagged with a lot of serenity, which can take you to an altogether new world. Usually, whenever we think of a house in the wilderness, the things that come to our mind are wood logs, iron stoves and a big fire place. Killing this typical image is architect William O’Brien Jr. with an awesomely designed house that is meant to look a little different from the rest. Christened the Allandale House, it will instill a sense of freshness that one craves while living in cities.

    Ultra-Minimalist Cabin
    Ultra-Minimalist Cabin

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    Ultra-Minimalist Cabin
    An Ultra-Minimalist Cabin Takes A-Frames To The Limit

    The ultra minimalistic forest cabin has been placed in the aesthetically appealing Mountain West and comprises of three A-frame roofs. The outside has been smothered with matte black tiles, which lend it a mystifying charm as they extent down till the grass. The frame of the house is very skinny and its west side comprises of a wine cellar, garage and library. The central A-frame is quite wide and has two floors, which consist of bedrooms and bathrooms. While the medium side A-frame placed on the eastern side has the kitchen, living and dining areas.

    The triangular design of the house solves the problem of low roofs, which limit head height because of the angled construction. Thickness created between the inner wall and outer roof surface has been intelligently used by crafting showcases as well as bookshelves. The Allandale House, with its A-frame unfurls panoramic views and has all that makes a house comfortable and livable.

    Via: Fastcodesign


  • March 30, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    Now capture passing moments with 3D snaps clicking Apollon camera

    Radhicka S Saxena:

    All the 3D imagery that you see in movie theaters is truly stupefying and now you can produce the same effect yourself too. Here is a camera using which one can generate 3D images. This amazing piece is a concept camera by Gordon Tiemstra and the industrial designer crafted it for his university project. Known as the Apollon camera, the extraordinary abilities of this astounding camera are highlighted below.

    Apollon camera
    Apollon camera

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    Apollon camera
    Apollon camera by Gordon Tiemstra

    What’s special about the camera is that it can be combined, by which we mean it can be physically attached to other cameras. Now this unique setup is capable of achieving things that other cameras cannot do. With this linked chain of cameras, you can click 3D snapshots and also create panoramas. But how exactly does this happen? The process is quite simple actually and a few nifty features in the camera make all this possible.

    The wireless feature this camera embeds can transfer snaps clicked from other cameras onto your piece. Now, you have many snaps of the same scene but clicked from slightly different angles. These shots, all of the identical scene but each slightly different from the other, are then processed. Using these, you can now create animation and 3D images. A software fitted in the camera works on the processing. So, all you have to do is attach it with other cameras and click photos.

    If you are a photography nut or like to experiment with your camera, then you must go for this piece. The very shape of the camera will stir you to delve deeper and explore the possibilities. You can try out various configurations. Also, the interconnected cameras can be used in many ways. Test out loads of angles or perspectives. Even processing on the software can be done in different styles. So, go ahead and get creative with the Apollon camera.

    Apollon cameraApollon camera by Gordon Tiemstra

    Via: Gordon Tiemstra


  • March 30, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    Antenna that enhances mobile broadband reach in crowded urban cities

    Radhicka S Saxena:

    Mobile broadband services have their own set of challenges and one of them is to provide efficient services in urban spaces that will get heavily populated in the future. To overcome this challenge, a new antenna design has been created by a team of Danish designers. This eco friendly and hassle free plan saves on time as well as money. Let’s see how the team comprising Troels Rask Pedersen, Anne-Sofie Voss and Anders Backe will make the antenna network of the future more feasible.

    Mobile Antennas
    Mobile Antennas

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    Mobile Antennas
    Mobile Antennas by Anders Backe

    The solution proposed is simple and viable. Instead of one large antenna, several small ones will be fitted. Moreover, finding a place to fit these small antennae will not be a problem as the designers have come up with an innovative plan. They will be cleverly fitted into the street lamps fixed around an area. On the outside, the street lamps will look just like regular lamps as the antenna configuration will be laid just underneath their outer shell. Other organizations needed for the functioning of the antenna will be outfitted inside the body of the lamp.

    The perks associated with this plan don’t end here. The Mobile antenna will be fitted into the LED lights installed in any area. The energy saving LEDs make this plan environment friendly. Additionally, the expenditure involved will also be reduced as the cost of transmission and rent will shrink greatly. The time required to install lamps will also come down thus speeding the delivery time to customers. This will mainly happen because no building permits will be needed to set up the lamp. The designers have also added an aesthetic bent to the plan as every neighborhood will have lamps in different colors.


  • March 30, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    Eco friendly sunglasses to look clean from a green eye

    Dhivya Venkatesh:

    The cold winter months have passed and sunny spring is here. Time to show off your latest sunglasses to avoid harsh sun rays and keep your precious eyes cool has come. Do you know that you can protect your eyes together with protecting the environment? Yes, it is indeed possible with the wide variety of eco friendly frames available in the market today. Eco friendly frames are made of 100 percent sustainable and biodegradable material. Whether you are looking for a classic or hip, subtle or bling style, these ultra cool eco friendly frames will impress you completely. No worries if you’re on a tight budget, there are so many wallet friendly options to choose from as well. Before you buy a new pair, always remember to donate your pair of old sunglasses if they are in a pretty good condition, instead of throwing them off and adding waste to the environment. Now take a look at the top 10 eco friendly sunglasses below.


  • March 30, 2012   Published ~ 12 years ago.

    Meshboard doubles up as a platter and a serving bowl

    Asmita Prasad:

    Do you absolutely hate having to use and wash a lot of utensils that are needed during the food preparation process? Then the Meshboard is the all-in-one kitchen product for you. Created by designer Can Guvenir, the board consists of a perforated and an unperforated foldable chopping surface as well as a lower chamber made in melamine that can be used as a platter to serve food or as a colander.

    Meshboard
    Meshboard

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    Meshboard
    Meshboard by Can Guvenir

    The versatile product makes food preparation and food serving process less messy for people who absolutely hate having to go through a lot of utensils every time they cook. The Meshboard is fashioned out of high density elastic polymer made using double injection method. One side of the board features a triangle textured surface that allows the flat board to be shaped into a bowl or a decorative shallow platter on demand.

    The Meshboard is the perfect versatile kitchen product for smaller kitchens where storing a lot of utensils can be a bit of an issue. The board also allows users to create customized bowls and platters in shapes they desire that can be adjusted to accommodate both large as well as smaller servings of prepared food.

    Source: Can Guvenir


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