It’s still in the research/concept/prototype stage at this point, but I’m already a fan of this Sculpt-a-Light illuminated duct tape which should make pimping out your ride as easy as re-attaching a fender. There are still obvious issues with the overly large power source and ridiculous price tag if this were to hit the market right now, but I like the idea of being able to add a bit of illumination by simply tearing a strip of tape off a roll.
No matter how many branches you pile on the floor of your living room, you’re not likely to make yourself a comfy chair. As it turns out, the reason for this is simply that you’re not using big enough branches… If you use a branch big enough that you can see its individual cells, and you carve it into a block, and then use magic to make it squishy, you end up with what looks to be a spectacularly comfortable chair.
Yu-Ying Wu’s “Breathing Chair” is, indeed, based on plant cells. The bigger cells are more flexible than the smaller cells, so when you sit in it, the carefully calculated network naturally forms an arm chair. It’s made out of a 100% environmentally friendly foam plastic that’s sproingy enough to give you a little boost as you stand up, too. The chair received a Red Dot Design Award earlier this year, which could mean that someone’s going to pick it up for production.
Unless you’re a farmer, meteorologist or umbrella salesperson, I can’t imagine you’re too thrilled when it’s raining outside. But apparently that’s not the case in Japan, where students at Osaka University’s Human Interface Lab have developed the Funbrella which can simulate the feeling of rain, even when the sun is shining.
Using a mechanism not unlike a regular old speaker, the Funbrella can be fed a signal and will reproduce vibrations that feel like raindrops are actually hitting the top surface of the umbrella. The mechanism also works the other way, recording the vibrations created by real raindrops, so the effect can be recreated later. This video goes into a bit more depth about how it works, but you’ll probably want to skip ahead to the 1:40 mark, lest you end up even more confused about the concept.
Who would have thought that someone would find a way to make pop-up books, aka the best type of book ever invented, even better? Well that’s exactly what Jie Qi, with assistance from Leah Buechley and Tshen Chew, from the MIT Media Lab have done with their Electronic Popables. The book uses traditional pop-up paper book mechanics but also integrates modern paper-based electronics for more “dynamic interactivity.” In other words it makes them even more awesome, as you can see in the video below.
It’s just another concept at this point, but Jeong-Sun Park’s Knob Light will be appreciated by anyone who tends to wander the house at night. It’s basically a replacement door knob in the shape of a glowing light bulb, making it easier to find your way around when the lights are all off. There’s no specifics on how the bulb is supposed to get power, since doors aren’t usually wired for electricity, but I’m pretty sure it will use LED based bulbs instead of incandescent ones because of the whole hot glass vs. skin issue.
It’s nice that Audiovox has made it easy for anyone to retrofit their minivan with a PS2 gaming system, but sometimes that still doesn’t provide enough distractions for those who aren’t behind the wheel. When you’re in for a particularly long haul you need something like the Viano “Lounge Concept” from Brabus.
It includes such luxury amenities as fully reclining leather seats, bamboo trim, a Dolby Surround sound system and a Nespresso coffee maker, but it’s the 32-inch LCD display, the Sony Vaio laptops, a Vertu Constellation cellphone and the PS3 that most people will be envious of. (And really, that’s all that’s important.) Sadly though, like the headline says, the Viano’s just a concept at this time.
If you need a clock that will surely stand the test of time you’ll want to keep your fingers crossed that Daniel Kurth’s Nixie Concrete Clock actually goes into production. At the moment it’s just a one-off concept featuring a set of six vintage Z560M Nixie tubes embedded in a fairly hefty block of concrete, but Daniel is apparently looking into production possibilities.
The concrete clock can apparently be wall mounted too if you prefer, with sufficient engineering of course, and the time is displayed in an irregular fashion so as not to stress people out by constantly reminding them of what time it actually is. But if you just have to know, it was 10:28:09 when the above photo was taken.
How many of you still use a kettle for heating up water? I’m not big on doing it myself, since the microwave does things plenty fast enough. However, I know a few people who are big tea drinkers, and use a kettle most of the time. Of course, this means they have to deal with that annoying whistle every time they want some tea. Well since you’ve got all of that air moving, why not have your kettle make some music?
Apparently one designer has given a lot of thought into that very matter. It looks like hey has inserted a tube, likely with several holes strategically placed, into the spout. Small pistons (which seem to be controlled by a small circuit board, though not much info is given) move up and down to cover the holes in accordance with the music. It’s a bit over-the-top for a cup of tea, but that’s the life of a designer for you.
Designed by Sang-hoon Lee and Yong-bum Lim, the Braun Bell Mug is a pretty clever concept designed to help the visually impaired pour a beverage without overspill or having to use their finger to monitor how full the mug is. Inside the mug are three sensors that can detect how far it’s been filled, and the user simply has to press one of three buttons on the handle to choose what level they’d like. When the desired amount of liquid in the mug has been reached, an audible alert will sound letting them know they can stop pouring.
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By Andrew Liszewski
