The Design blog |
- Soleil City Car folds into a luggage for trouble free parking
- World’s smallest coffee maker brews the perfect cuppa in 25 seconds
- Minor design failures that cost NASA majorly
- Electrolux Personal Cleaning Robot could be the future of home cleaning
- The Descender Skateboard includes treaded wheels for a power ride
- Cargo Hostels offers sustainable retreat for people on the move
- Modern bathroom design ideas for contemporary homes
- Elliot gives an artistic lease of life to plastic Coke crates
- Super folding Comb wheelchair allows sustainable and safe movement
| Soleil City Car folds into a luggage for trouble free parking Posted: 08 Feb 2012 04:13 AM PST Asmita Prasad: The two-seater Soleil City Car concept, a collaboration project between designer Caghan Engin Cesmeci and Emre Gurel, aims at providing a space efficient transport option for historical cities with narrow streets. Since it would be virtually impossible to widen the streets in neighborhoods with historic buildings, a city car that makes the best use of the existing space holds a lot of merit. The high tech minimalist vehicles offer users an easy to drive transport option when on road and when no longer in need they can simply be folded into a luggage like bag and stored.
 Soleil city car Though the designers have not elaborated how exactly will a foldable vehicle work and how easy would it be to carry it to say, an apartment or a hotel room, but the concept appears to be a step in the right direction when it comes to looking for solutions to traffic congestion and clogged parking spots in older cities. The electricity-run vehicle boasts of an aerodynamic design that is slick enough to navigate through even the narrowest of city lanes. for maximum protection, a strong yet lightweight material would be used to fashion the frame and the shell of the vehicle itself will be crafted using a rubber-like composite material to allow it to be folded easily. In-wheel motors would allow the vehicle to run engine-less and compact yet super-efficient batteries would be used to power the vehicle. Source: Michelin Challenge Design
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| World’s smallest coffee maker brews the perfect cuppa in 25 seconds Posted: 08 Feb 2012 01:18 AM PST Asmita Prasad: If the automated coffee machine had been invented in Jonathan Swift's time, we might have found the folks of the island of Lilliput trying to wake up Lemuel Gulliver with a cup of Joe rather than poking him with tiny arrows. This one inch tall coffee maker created by Pietro Marmo, an Italian goldsmith, is Lilliputian in every sense and produces a tear drop sized amount of coffee. With a fully functioning gasket, two filters, sterling silver coffee pot and a heater, the miniaturized coffee machine brews the perfect cup of coffee in just 25 seconds.
 Smallest coffee maker ever
Minuscule as it may be, the hand crafted pot requires a pinch of coffee powder and ten drops of water to produce one tiny, tiny cup. We haven't had anyone vouch for the quality of the brew just yet, but we're sure there would be plenty of people who wouldn't mind showing off their dexterity with the tiny pot.
 Smallest coffee maker ever The 54 years old Pavia province native created the thimble sized contraption after months of hard work. The one inch tall coffee maker is a one off novelty for now though the goldsmith intends to make a bunch of them for a limited edition run that would be studded with all kinds of gemstones (or even diamonds) and would be made entirely in gold.
 Smallest coffee maker ever Via: The Sun
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| Minor design failures that cost NASA majorly Posted: 08 Feb 2012 01:04 AM PST Rohit Ram Singh: We have always been curious about knowing what lies beyond our atmosphere. To explore universe we relied on telescopic cameras and the inquisitiveness to know more and more made us send people into space. The findings are, of course, precious but there is a dark side too. Several space missions simply failed due to minor design issues, which led to loss of lives and huge amounts of money as well. Inefficient design and planning is usually the result of trying to rush things up. No doubt, space research has helped us a great deal in different spheres of life but still we need to be careful about our aspirations and their realizations. Are we really being over curious about the space before we have the substantial technology and design? These are just five incidents that caused the loss of $9.2 billion due to minor design issues. The list goes on and claims billions of dollars and hundreds of lives.
1. Challenger Space Shuttle
 Challenger Space Shuttle Estimated Loss: $6.7 billion Space shuttle Challenger was launched on January 28th, 1986. It was NASA's second orbiter (Colombia was the first) but the flight lasted only 73 seconds. The space craft crumbled over the Atlantic Ocean killing all seven crew members and disintegrated spacecraft was recovered from the ocean bed after a long search. Thiokol was the manufacturer who made SRB for Challenger. For the loss of life they had to pay $10 million compensation to NASA. The mishap resulted in a 32 months of halt on the space program. Design failure:
 Challenger Space Shuttle The O seal in the right Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) failed during the lift off, which made a hole in the SRB joint and allowed hot gases to escape from the motor to the nearby hardware and the fuel tank. There were no counter measures in the spacecraft to avoid it and the seal was not strong enough to hold it back during the launch. 2. Orbiting Carbon Satellite (OCO)
 Orbiting Carbon Satellite Estimated loss: $170 million The motive behind OCO was to study how carbon dioxide moves through the atmosphere. Scientists believed that by studying carbon dioxide sources and sinks they could bring a breakthrough in global warming research. The project itself was extremely hyped. The launch failed on February 24, 2009. The spacecraft crashed due to its re entry into the atmosphere. Later it sank in the Indian Ocean near Antarctica just after 17 minutes of lift off. Design failure: Conventionally, the rocket carries the satellite outside the atmosphere and then dissociates itself from the satellite. Unfortunately, they failed to detach and the weight pulled it back into the atmosphere. Certainly the disengaging system had some problems that led the whole assembly into the ocean. This must have been very embarrassing for NASA. 3. Genesis
 Genesis Estimated Loss: $264 million Genesis spacecraft was sent out to collect solar winds and bring it back to the earth. From this collected wind, scientists would have got a chance to study the real composition of the sun. The spacecraft was successfully launched on August 8, 2001 and featured specially made collectors to gather solar winds. The collector was made up of gold, diamond and sapphire wafers and was successful too. But the satellite was so fragile that it couldn't even land. Though scientists were able to collect back the particles through the wafers however they lost the whole satellite. Design failure:
 Genesis Since the satellite was not strong enough and carried precious information, so NASA decided to get hold of it in the mid air by parachutes. The solution did not work out as thought and it smashed in the Utah desert. They should have really thought of a more practical design and preventive measures. 4. Apollo
 Apollo 1 Test Cabin Estimated loss: $616 million Apollo 1 was to be the first manned mission of Apollo which was to land on moon. The spacecraft was scheduled to launch on February 21, 1967. Unfortunately on January 27 during a pad test, a cabin fire killed all three crew members. NASA constituted Apollo 204 Accident Review Board to find out the source of fire. Design failure:
 Apollo 1 Test Cabin The board constituted by NASA could never find out the exact source of ignition. NASA received a lot of criticism for lethal design and construction flaws. Lots of inflammable materials like Velcro and nylon were found in the cabin that became a major concern for the members. Around 113 unplanned engineering changes were made before its delivery, which might also have contributed to the cabin fire. 5. Columbia Space Shuttle
 Columbia Estimated Loss: $ 1.5 billion (approximately) Columbia had successfully completed 27 of its previous space visits but the satellite smashed to ashes on its 28th mission, killing all seven crew members. Columbia was launched on January 16, 2003 and was making a reentry into the atmosphere after completing its mission on February 1. The spacecraft crumbled on reentry and smashed down in Texas. It fell off under high aerodynamic pressure of the lift and damaged the Thermal Protection System. The spacecraft couldn't cope up with the heat generated during reentry into the atmosphere. Design failure:
 Columbia The main reason for the failure of the space shuttle was a small piece of foam insulation that got off during the launch. In addition, the risk management system was weak again. There were no imaging devices to pin point the possible damages on the spacecraft. Hence the engineers failed to respond to the malfunction in the left wing. There should always be counter measures on board to deal with failures like these.
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| Electrolux Personal Cleaning Robot could be the future of home cleaning Posted: 08 Feb 2012 12:56 AM PST Asmita Prasad: For the last few decades, cleaning technology has not really improved much beyond the addition of a few LCD displays on all the standard gadgets. Even with more potent cleaning solutions and more powerful cleaning devices, the time it takes to clean the entire home has remained virtually the same. This is where the Electrolux Personal Cleaning Robot created by student designer Nicholas Fair comes into the picture. The technology required to make a cleaning robot does currently exist. In the year 2050, a household cleaning brand like Electrolux would be able to use its traditional techniques and combine it with state-of-the-art robotics to create any surface fully automated household cleaner that would take care of all domestic cleaning on its own.
 Electrolux Personal Cleaning Robot
The Personal Cleaning Robot is designed with a thermal lift mechanism that allows it to float using air streams and lets it clean in three dimensions and reach the hard-to-clean corners of future architecture. Thanks to an incredibly lightweight body, the robot can be used in both hand-held form as well as an autonomous cleaning machine. The front of each side circle in the PCR features an arrangement of visual input censors that give it both a forward and bottom view. The arms, the handle and the back feature additional nodes.
Picture Gallery  Electrolux Personal Cleaning Robot by Nicholas Fair To make sure the house is pristine at every level, a UCV disinfecting light is directed at the surface as the PCR cleans and folds down with the underbelly plates automatically. For various cleaning modes and surfaces, the PCR has a lined input canister containing differing components. The hovering all-in-one cleaning device is suitable for varying surfaces and its central body contains five separate cleaning apparatuses. The PCR is also user friendly and environment friendly since it uses battery capacitor hybrid power storage and recycles its lost energy during its rounds. The cleaner also recycles much of the fabric that it collects as it cleans and its modular structure allows individual parts to be replaced instead of users having to purchase a new machine. As it is made to be an autonomous unit, the Electrolux PCR minimizes the physical effort a user needs to put in while cleaning. Once purchased, the computer on-board the unit does an initial scan on your house to understand the perimeter and cleaning requirements. Once preset, the PCR will do the cleaning automatically even when the floors are fitted with carpets since its sensors automatically switch gears to suit all kinds of surfaces. Once purchased, the unit will do an initial scan of the home, using on board computers to assess which area of the house is open to it and how it can clean most effectively (both for time and energy). Defining the set bounds of the home is done by making it realize it is in an enclosed area. Once a perimeter is established, the PCR can clean daily, even if the carpet is replaced by hardwood, it can immediately adapt to the change. To trigger the manual mode automatically, the electro sensitive sensors on the handle are programmed to recognize a human grip and as soon as you place your hand on the PCR, it switches to manual mode. After that you can use its two button system to operate it manually. A video game controller inspired stick allows users to toggle the controls and intensity of cleaning action. Reagent Canisters help the PCR deal with a wide variety of surfaces. They can be slid easily into any of the four back access ports according the internal cleaning drums though they must be replaced as they run out. [Cheers Nicholas]
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| The Descender Skateboard includes treaded wheels for a power ride Posted: 08 Feb 2012 12:53 AM PST Asmita Prasad: This is the kind of thing you would want when you have spent an insane amount of your childhood playing video games that show characters skateboarding uphill. Though most ordinary skateboards are designed to be ridden around on smoother surfaces like sidewalks and skating parks, but for the more adventurous of sportsmen, The Descender all-terrain skateboard from Rockboard is nothing short of the Holy Grail.
 Rockboard’s Descender: Treaded Skateboard
Fitted with 36 wheels (nine in each tread and three in each set), the skateboard may look like the illegitimate lovechild of a military tank and a Zero Deck but its makers claim that the board can be ridden virtually anywhere including on mountainous terrain. The sad thing is that the board itself is completely flat and with no hint of a suspension, may wreak havoc on your knees and lower back when ridden over rocks. But we're sure a few innovative boarders would be able to find a way to make the board more comfortable and accommodating to all kinds of terrain. And we also look forward to someone adding a few tiny motors to each of the wheels which would make this ride even more impressive. The Descender in its current form is good for users of all ages under the 200 lb weight limit. The board will be up for sale by the time the spring thaw sets in so you can count on dragging in a tonne of mud every time you breeze into your home having ridden this puppy all over the soggy front yard. Via: Gizmodo
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| Cargo Hostels offers sustainable retreat for people on the move Posted: 08 Feb 2012 12:53 AM PST Shallu Sharma: World cities are becoming denser day by day, which has made compact living not only popular but essential. The trend of staying in "Capsule Hotels" has been quite prevalent in Japan since decades. The motive behind such capsule designs was to provide temporary and cheap alternative to the travelers and businessmen. Cargo Hostel by David Hassmund is a similar establishment that combines the idea of capsule hotels and a container to form a mobile living space.
 Cargo Hostel
These hostels are made up of containers with 40-feet frame, which makes them quite simple to ship or carry by truck or even plane. These cabins could be used indoors as well as outdoors, depending upon the requirement and are tough to withstand harsh climatic conditions. The ladder, handles and the screen are the only enhancements required to be added to this container hostel upon arrival. The system operating these cabins is fully automatic with an integrated reservation procedure with limited time access cards, making transactions possible through SMS as well as credit cards. Proper lighting, ventilation and booking system, backed up by two 3-phase connectors and an emergency battery make Cargo Hostel a reliable and sustainable alternative to expensive hotels. The Cargo Hostel serves as a safe and comfortable destination for campers in place of tents. Tired families and travelers could use them for resting while long distance traveling. These potential multipurpose hostels can help you making your journey more comfortable and full of new experiences as smaller the place, better the bonding.
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| Modern bathroom design ideas for contemporary homes Posted: 08 Feb 2012 12:52 AM PST Meenal Johari: A comfortable and appealing bathroom makes an ideal place in your home where you can refresh yourself as well as relax for some time. Reconstructing a bathroom is quite a difficult task and requires you to consider many components, particularly the sink. While remodeling a bathroom, it is very essential to choose a sink that is compatible with the cabinet and counter, besides being trendy and modish in looks. Here is a collection of ten modern bathroom design ideas for contemporary homes. 1. Aquatic Thermal Bathroom by designer Didem Hazinedar
 Aquatic Thermal Bathroom by Didem Hazinedar Taking inspiration from the Turkish bathroom culture, which emphasizes the fact that cleaning of the body should be accompanied with cleaning of the soul, Didem Hazinedar has designed a luxurious bathroom concept that is comfortable, spacious and offers different cleaning operations to give you a relaxing and purifying bath. Hence, you can easily stretch out your arms, sit or stand in the cubicle while the module turns around your body to give you a bath. Further, the water jets inside the sink and behind the sink provide you the pleasure of Hydro Therapy Massage while the adjustable shower can be used for either a steam bath or a sprinkling shower. To add to this, the Aquatic Thermal Bathroom is provided with three jets in the middle to control the flow of water and comes equipped with an air conditioner or dryer. 2. Greener Bathroom by Indian designer Dipesh Parmar
 Greener Bathroom by Indian designer Dipesh Parmar Greener Bathroom concept is a stylish yet environment friendly approach towards modeling a contemporary bathroom. Conceptualized by an IIT graduate Dipesh Parmar, the bathroom design incorporates the technique of rain water harvesting. A concealed spill over tank is constructed in the bathroom in which the water used in shower or bath tub gets accumulated. This water can be reused in flushing the toilets for a maximum of 14 times saving the wastage of water. Moreover, the attractive design of the bathroom appeases your visual desires as well. 3. Bathroom concept by Ron Arad
 Bathroom concept by Ron Arad An innovative piece of art with a multipurpose utility is what makes this bathroom concept a unique installation in your washroom. This attractive and space efficient spinning module can revolve by 180 degrees serving both as a bath tub in one go and a shower in another. Designed by Ron Arad along with Teuco, the Italian bathroom design brand, this design concept is still in its prototype stage though Teuco's production team is working on converting it into a reality soon. 4. Bathroom Design by Karim Rashid
 Bathroom Design by Karim Rashid Designer Karim Rashid has opened up the possibilities to give your bathroom interiors a spiky and revolutionary look with his bathroom furniture design range called Kawa. The application of interesting color combinations and fascinating shapes makes these bathrooms a great choice for designer washrooms that are classy and vibrant. 5. Modern Nature Bathroom concept by Marc Arcoe
 Modern Nature Bathroom concept by Marc Arcoe The Modern Nature Bathroom concept designed by Marc Arcoe blends the beauty and tranquility of nature inside your bathroom in the form of a sprouting sink, grass wall and rainfall shower. This makes the ambiance in your bathroom quite lively and pleasing. The sprouting sink comprises of a glass plate that provides you with a glimpse of green moss growing beneath it, every time you use the sink. Grass wall features the modular panels of hydroponic natural grass that enhances the beauty of the bathroom while protecting the walls from moisture. You need to keep the moss moist and continue adding the special nutritive mix to grass regularly for its proper growth. Moreover, amidst the greenery of the bathroom is the Rainfall Shower, which sprinkles water on you giving the feel of a rain with the comfort of adjusting the temperature and pressure of the water. 6. Hi-tech bathroom from Ideal Standard
 Hi-tech bathroom from Ideal Standard A hi-tech digital bathroom is the ultimate choice for a technology lover, which also reflects your interests and personality to the core. Adding to the host of exclusive bathroom furniture provided by Ideal Standard, the Hi-tech Bathroom concept is the latest novelty designed by it. This incredibly futuristic approach to the bathroom interiors includes the presence of all such necessities in your bathroom that soothe your body and mind while giving an ultra-modern touch to the bathroom. 7. Bathroom concept by Zahir Khan
 Bathroom concept by Zahir Khan Designer Zahir Khan has come up with an uncomplicated and minimalistic approach for designing your bathroom. This concept is marked by the presence of a shower unit in the center of the bathroom with the toilet finding place right next to the entrance and a bath tub as well though the omission of wash basin and storage cabinet is quite conspicuous. The bathroom furniture and decor provide a very clean and basic look unlike the other intricate bathroom designs offered these days. 8. ‘Clock’ bathroom concept by Ana Marta
 "Clock!" bathroom concept by Ana Marta The "Clock!" bathroom concept designed by Ana Marta is characterized by its compact size, utility and ability to be operated by a remote control. This bathroom set comprises of a shower, a bathing seat, wash basin with inbuilt hand dryer, toilet paper dispenser, a mirror, storage support and a vacuum cleaner. To add to this, "Clock!" also allows you to enjoy a few stretching exercises using its modules designed accordingly. Further, all the modules of this bathroom set can be controlled by a remote system. If this is not enough, the colorful metallic body of "Clock!" satisfies your aesthetic sense as well. 9. Ultra Modern Ebb Bathroom
 Ultra Modern Ebb Bathroom The Ultra-Modern Ebb Bathroom concept brings a dash of style and sophistication to your bathroom. The sleek and voguish patterns of the bathroom components combined with the elegant white color make this concept ideal try-out for your bathroom. Moreover, the Ebb Bathroom concept is designed such that it fits into almost any space, making it efficient to be integrated in a bathroom of any dimensions. 10. User-Friendly Bathroom Concept by Simon R. Pestridge
 User-Friendly Bathroom Concept by Simon R. Pestridge A congested shower area often leaves you struggling while cleaning your feet and legs comfortably. Well, here is a contemporary solution to your problem. Designed by Simon R. Pestridge, it comes with an external seating arrangement attached to the main shower cubicle. So, you have the luxury to occupy this external space equipped with an external shower head to clean your feet easily. Moreover, women can utilize this addition for comfortable grooming during pedicure or while shaving their legs. The presence of a glass division around this seat prevents water from spilling around the washroom when the external shower is used. The towel rack above this seat further adds to the utility of this bathroom concept.
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| Elliot gives an artistic lease of life to plastic Coke crates Posted: 08 Feb 2012 12:47 AM PST Jaspreet Kaur Walia: Coca Cola is one of the favorite beverages and has managed to pamper our taste buds for years at a stretch. The fizzy cola comes packed in a curvy bottle, which is further distributed to various places in red colored plastic crates. Each year thousands of these crates are discarded, which definitely add to the ever increasing pile at the dump yards. Porky Hefer is spreading a strong message of recycling in his attention grabbing design named Elliot for the Coca Cola recycling campaign.
 Coca cola giant statue
The designer has erected a giant structure at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, which has been given the form of a sitting man. The stupendous structure will leave onlookers in a state of complete amazement when they stare it. The towering crate man is a whooping 60 feet tall and weighs a good 27 tons. Now, this is really massive! The design is a part of PETCO, which is a recycling program, kicked by the beverage brand Coca Cola. The company doesn't shrug away from responsibilities for the environment. This is evident from the fact that it has made sure many more structures like this will be seen throughout South Africa. Elliot has been made from a good 4200 plastic crates and sends a clear message of recycling and the dire need to adopt it in today's polluted world. Once someone stands in front of the red structure made by recycling crates, they will be inspired to give thrown away stuff a new lease of life. Via: Inhabitat
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| Super folding Comb wheelchair allows sustainable and safe movement Posted: 08 Feb 2012 12:45 AM PST Asmita Prasad: Whether you are using a car or a public transport system, wheelchairs are one of most difficult to transport items. Even though there are plenty of foldable wheelchair designs in the market, they still only fold down the middle which can still be very difficult to store and transport. The Super Folding “Comb” Wheelchair Concept by designer Rudolf Mihu is created to make storage a breeze so it can easily be transported on a car or even a bus or a train.
 Super Folding ‘Comb’ Wheelchair
The Super Folding “Comb” Wheelchair Concept has been constructed using composite materials as well as carbon fiber, titanium and aluminum, which allow the design to remain super light yet very sturdy and strong as well. The main intention behind naming the wheelchair "comb" was to manufacture a product that is both sustainable as well as naturally appealing. This multiple fold wheelchair comes with an adjustable front that allows users to manipulate seat height, foot rest length and backrest height as well as the back rest angle and the front caster angle to best suit the users' requirements. The Super Folding “Comb” Wheelchair Concept uses a system that does not require any additional screws, brackets or bolts since these only add to the weight of the wheelchair. The ultra lightweight wheelchair was also designed to be aesthetically appealing and features a dynamic and playful look to appeal to users of all age ranges.
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