The Design blog |
- Floating Forest lets you soak in the beauty of the English Arcadia
- Spherical Car Concepts for a splendid ride
- Crescasa Houseboat to facilitate nomadic living on the water
- NXT modular input device range helps you customize computer usage
- Lophii Bicycle gives penny farthings a fresh lease of life
- High tech Seoul Station Media Bus Shelter is totally future ready
- Use your notebook as a desktop with ARdock Automatic Laptop Docking Station
- Aqua Tek S takes your iPhone to unimaginable places
- A Day Made of Glass (Part 2) ridicules our low tech lives
- KAME is a practical baggage for business travelers
| Floating Forest lets you soak in the beauty of the English Arcadia Posted: 16 Feb 2012 03:19 AM PST Asmita Prasad: Created specifically for the waterways of London's East End, the floating Bowered Glade and the traveling Root Lounge are a part of the quirky botanical water vessels called Floating Forest. The imaginative design is the collaborative effort of designers Pablo Milara, Friedrich Vitzthum and Alex Haw, the grass and wood vessels provide visitors with a sensual experience of traveling through water on floating mounds covered with vegetation.
 Floating Forest The two versions of the Floating Forest were created to promote the local tourism industry during the 2012 Olympics and were commissioned as a future leisure travel mode by the Kindest Group's Thomas Lindner. Focusing specifically for use on East London's waterways, the low budget prototype was launched at the Hackney Wicked Festival in 2011 after having briefly been seen at the Shoreditch Festival.
Developed by Floating House Productions with funding from OpenVizor, the entire project was conceptualized by London based sensory interactive artist or love coach Katiushka Borges. The practicing Tibetan Buddhist artist aimed at incorporating a mystical experience within the floating gardens to allow visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty of the local culture and surroundings. London based Art and Design Studio Vahakn provided Oracle symbols that are chosen and interpreted by visitors to make the vessels more interactive. The first of the two vessels is the Root Lounge that features a sculptural floating landscape with a catamaran below fashioned from two aluminum Grumman canoes. A central storage stump houses plywood ribs carved from CNC that provide the perfect offset to the floating grass landscape above it. With seating for 10 visitors, the Root Lounge allows visitors to sit, stand or recline over the grassy banks as they float over the water. The Bowered Glade, the second vessel in the project, is basically a furnished isle run by an electric motor located in its hull. A pair of sturdy plastic pontoons holds the vessel afloat with an outstretched tree fashioned from CNC-carved plywood providing a stunning contrast to the forested floor and the splashing water. The backers of the project have not yet revealed whether a ride on these vessels will be charged or if it will simply be a part of the summer Olympic experience for visitors and tourists. The leisure lounging experience provided by the two vessels of the Floating Garden project are sure to attract a lot of visitors during the summer when Olympic frenzy envelops the city and serve as the perfect platform for London to showcase its less-frequented urban waters as well as the dynamic natural beauty of its countryside.
Floating ForestFloating Forest by Thomas Lindne Source: Atmos Studio
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| Spherical Car Concepts for a splendid ride Posted: 16 Feb 2012 03:18 AM PST Mayank: Spherical car concepts are one of the most futuristic, energy efficient and space smart designs that can carry several people at a time. Being space smart, these cars have less chance to be stuck in traffic for a long time. Apart from that, users will find it very easy to park these cars, even in small areas. Due to these reasons, several designers are coming up with impressive spherical car concepts, which will be discussed below. In each of the following concepts, designers have made sure to provide all the comfort and pleasure to users.
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| Crescasa Houseboat to facilitate nomadic living on the water Posted: 16 Feb 2012 03:17 AM PST Asmita Prasad: While most of us envision cities of the future as dark, grim, cramped spaces with each inhabitant getting a very small space to call home, designer Tom Pearce has a more optimistic view of things. He envisions a future where humankind would go back to a nomadic lifestyle to get away from the chaos of the metropolis where "home" would be something a lot closer to his Crescasa Concept Houseboat.
 Crescasa Concept Houseboat
According to the designer's vision, in the year 2040, people would essentially combine their home and transport into a single organic living space where traditional architecture and automobile design would be combined to provide users with the best of both worlds. The mobile living space would be a multipurpose design that can be used as a mode of transportation as well as a home/office in cities with waterways and canals as well as for region with marshland and in tundra regions.
The inflatable Crescasa Houseboat comprises of an expandable design that allows owners to extend the living space provided at the rear of the houseboat to accommodate more inhabitants as and when needed. The amphibious houseboat is the perfect solution for a future nomadic lifestyle and would feature aeroponic farms on board that would allow people to grow their own food. The houseboat would be propelled via a multi fuel engine and users would be able to trade carbon credits. The vehicle itself would be fashioned out of a bamboo hemp composite material that would make the vehicle sustainable to manufacture. On the inside, the Crescasa Houseboat features a full kitchen as well as fully functional and fully furnished sleeping and living areas as well. With an incredible sustainable potential, the Crescasa Houseboat makes a strong case for a life on the water in the not so distant future that would help people avoid the cramped cities. Source: Kapias
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| NXT modular input device range helps you customize computer usage Posted: 16 Feb 2012 03:12 AM PST Asmita Prasad: The field of computer input devices has remained pretty static since they were first conceived barring a few fundamental changes brought into the design of mice. The "NXT" series of input devices look to provide a fresh perspective on what a keyboard and mouse can look and function like. The set of seven products are designed to meet the demands and needs of consumers with different budgetary restraints and are thus divided into different price segments.
 nxt computer devices
Each individual device offers users the freedom to combine the five modules from the high-end segment to create custom sets. The high-end segment of the range features a remote control, a graphics tablet, an options bar, a numeric keypad and a keyboard. Like all NXT branded products, the high-end keyboard is slim and light with a compact layout and appearance. Also highly mobile, the keyboard features a distinctive frame. The high-end Number field features a mirrored arrangement of the number layout with the modular number field offering left-handed users the freedom to use it on the left thanks to the ergonomic cyclic loading of the modular design. The high end Options Bar offers several options edges on demand and can be expanded. Five freely assignable command buttons on the bar can be customized by the user to meet their own needs. The high-end Graphics Tablet features a reduced appearance that gives it a clearer focus. For quick access in the work process, the device also serves as a pen holder with its recessed handle asymmetrically arranged to serve the purpose. In the bottom half of its design, the high-end Remote control features an additional touch pad in addition to the usual commands that makes it a much more functional addition to the range of input devices. Via: Home Arcor
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| Lophii Bicycle gives penny farthings a fresh lease of life Posted: 16 Feb 2012 03:04 AM PST Asmita Prasad: Inspired by the movement and proportions of the predatory lophiiformes species of fish and the form of the penny farthing bicycles that were immensely fashionable in the late 19th century, the Lophii is an urban commuter bike that has been created to introduce the element of fun for sightseeing groups and tourists.
 Lophii Bicycle
The seat of the bike has been designed to be perfectly suited to the person of average height and the elevated seat provides riders with a better view of the surroundings. The upright seating position also allows riders the comfort to use the bicycle throughout the day without inducing much fatigue. This element helps make the bicycle more appealing to tourists and sightseers of all age groups.
The structure of the seat and storage space features an intricate overlapped silk thread frame that ends at the main frame and begins at the fender. This provides the bike's structure with the necessary tension to remain durable yet lightweight in its operation and introduces a graphic element in the form of the bike itself. To reduce the overall weight of the bike, powder coated aluminum is used to construct the main frame while a hydraulic mechanism is used to register steering input. This mechanism connects the stainless-steel back steering pin to the motion of the handlebar and makes the steering more comfortable and responsive. To provide visual lightness to the bike, clear polycarbonate plates are used in the structure of the wheels. The Lophii Bicycle comes with a flexible storage space at the back that adapts to parcels and its seat is woven with bioluminescent cord to make it visible during the night. Source: Oscar Salguero
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| High tech Seoul Station Media Bus Shelter is totally future ready Posted: 16 Feb 2012 02:49 AM PST Asmita Prasad: Seoul Special City is known all over the world for its highly developed infrastructure that is very technologically advanced and the bustling metropolis is one of the most economically powerful cities in the world. With a rich history behind it, the city has done well to establish itself at the ideal 21st century megacity. One of the world’s top ten commercial and financial centers, Seoul also one of the world's busiest public transport systems which means that bus stops and shelters are prime advertising spaces. In keeping with Seoul's obsession with tech infused and highly lit public spaces, designer Hyeyoung Yoon has created the Seoul Station Media Bus Shelter which connects waiting passengers to online networks and provides them with information regarding arrival of buses via IR bus arrival sensors.
 Media Bus Shelter
The high tech bus stop is fitted with an urban bus information system (BIS) and uses a motion detecting system to enable people to enter into a complex two-way interaction with the integrated locative media. The structure uses low pitch pixels to display moving images on its glass ceilings and walls. Each Seoul Station Media Bus Shelter is 8m wide and 2.5m tall with a pair of transparent glass being used to fashion its ceiling and walls. By embedding 36,400 LEDs inside large scale media can be presented to the public via the public structure. At the moment there are over 12 such shelters in the city including one at the Seoul Train Station Bus Transfer Center. Via: Cargo Collective
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| Use your notebook as a desktop with ARdock Automatic Laptop Docking Station Posted: 16 Feb 2012 02:46 AM PST Asmita Prasad: No matter how much you love your laptop, there still are times when you wish you had a full-fledged desktop to work with. For folks who want the best of both worlds but do not want to invest in a full on desktop or do not have the time to sync data between a desktop and a laptop, the ARdock Automatic Laptop Docking Station from gadget maker Alest Rukov could be a really useful alternative.
 ARdock
The ARdock Automatic Laptop Docking Station comes with a 24" LED Full HD monitor and a full travel keyboard that lets users simply dock in their laptops (Apple MacBook Air, Sony VAIO Z21, etc.) and offers them the freedom to enjoy the stationary conditions of the desktop. The ARdock Automatic Laptop Docking Station comes with a BD-ROM/DVD RW or better optical disk drive as well as a separate web camera and microphone to allow users to access all the functions of their laptops while it's docked. The dock comes with a despotic and noiseless laptop cooling system that ensures maximum protection against laptop overheating. The ARdock is made to automatically slope towards the user as soon as the laptop is plugged in. the dock is made from glass, leather, precious woods and metal elements that give it a distinct high end look. Source: Alest Rukov
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| Aqua Tek S takes your iPhone to unimaginable places Posted: 16 Feb 2012 02:44 AM PST Rohit Ram Singh: Snow Lizard has come up with a new case for the iPhone 4/4s. Though the product is not in production because of funding and the company has asked for donations from people. If you feel like donating you can send them a tip with insert coin in the address line of the email. However they have made a prototype which works as proposed. The case is named Aqua Tek S and is made mainly for the people who crave adrenaline in their blood. The case is a great product for people who love their iPhone just like they love outdoors.
 Aqua Tek S iPhone case
Aqua Tek S is a waterproof case with solar cells on the back panel for charging. The case is built pretty tough to avoid jerks and accidents with the phone. Aqua Tek S is waterproof up to 20 meters under water. So now your iPhone goes to places previously unimaginable. The solar panel makes sure that you have enough battery backup for any outdoor activity. It is very easy to sync the phone with the case battery. Just open the thumb screw and connect the micro USB connector.
The enclosure is made up of tough polycarbonate material with rubber protection for added grip. The tough case would protect the phone from accidental drops. The case leaves space for the speaker too just like for the camera. The design would be available in three colors signal orange, Urban camo and black night. Nine other colors could also be produced if the sales go well. With Aqua Tek you get fully functional buttons as on the iPhone. The touchscreen works great inside the case. There is a wide opening so that your camera can be used to click and record videos. So you will go home with a lot of memories. If they could raise required funds then we would see them shortly in the market. The price of this device is expected to be around $130. Via: Engadget/ Kickstarter
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| A Day Made of Glass (Part 2) ridicules our low tech lives Posted: 16 Feb 2012 02:40 AM PST Asmita Prasad: New York based glass manufacturer Corning made a huge splash last year when they released a YouTube video dubbed “A Day of Glass.” The concept video features the company's vision of a future where high tech glass would make our lives simpler. With companion technologies, highly engineered glass propagated Corning’s vision for the future of glass based gadgetry. Corning has now released a sequel to the video called “A Day Made of Glass 2,” which develops the futuristic vision introduced to the world a year ago.
 A Day of Glass 2
As the video shows, glass in the future would not be just glass, it would be a highly sophisticated machine in itself that would allow us to turn virtually ever surface in our homes and offices into touch enabled displays. This means that we would be able to use handheld tablets to instantly scan and project all kinds of data as well as use it to interact with other glass displays. The glass in the windows in our homes and automobiles would be intuitive enough to tint itself with a single touch command.
 A Day of Glass 2 The high tech glass would improve the efficiency of photovoltaics and make classroom learning fun (hah! Fat chance of defiant teens ever falling for that old lie!) The most promising technology showcased in this video is the 3D holograph projecting display that would let doctors section off any part of the virtual patient and get a closer look at what's happening inside them. Watch the video for more.
A Day Made of Glass 2Corning vision of the future of glass. Via: Core77
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| KAME is a practical baggage for business travelers Posted: 15 Feb 2012 10:00 PM PST Radhicka S Saxena: People traveling from one place to another for work have to lug around a lot of stuff. They could be traveling within the city or outside. Either ways, all business travelers have a tough time carrying around all their gear. Keeping this in mind, an innovative baggage has been created that will drive away woes of business travelers. The bag makes it easier to haul around work equipment like laptop, discs and files.
 KAME portable work system
The modular system consists of two compartments. One case is for the laptop while the other one is the main unit. The two have to be combined together to make a larger bag. But in case you are carrying lesser load, then you can easily cut down the size of the baggage. Instead of joining the two units together, carry any one of them solo.
Several pouches and Velcro straps fitted into the main unit help to accommodate a number of files and office paraphernalia. Other features of the bag that make life easy for you are the waterproof zipper, secure lock, slide release and the expandable zipper. The piece has a stunning and polished facade. So, it will never look out of place in industry meetings or business outings. The dimensions of the bag are also suitable for air travel. The bag will easily fit into the overhead storage area of a plane. In addition, the suitcase has wheels attached. Thus, you can cart the bag effortlessly on airports or railway stations. The bag is useful for intercity travel as well. Just lift it out of the cab, pull out the retractable handle and tow it to any place desired. The nifty suitcase has been designed by Kevin Helm, an industrial designer. Source: Kevin Helm Design
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