electro^plankton: techness: July 2006 Archives

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July 31, 2006

Lullabub - Cot Rocker

Lulabub-1

For all the new parents out there that aren't afraid of technology, this innovation could possibly save you some serious hours of no sleep.

Completely automatic and unassisted, this cot rocker is designed to naturally settle and soothe a baby to sleep. Through a gentle rocking motion, the Lullabub subtly mimics the motion of a car and puts your small ones to sleep without your exhaustion.

July 30, 2006

Graffiti Research Lab

Katsu Grl Pole

What do you get when you muster a bunch of graffiti artists together whom mutually share a love for technology? You get the Graffiti Research Lab.

These artists take open source technologies and armed with their handy do-it-yourself know how, they've designed and created some really cool art. Some are interactive and some are an evolved extension of their main discipline.

July 26, 2006

Square Eclipse - Light Display

Square Eclipse

This wall mounted display of lights will give any room a stimulating atmosphere.

The Square Eclipse uses 24 microcontrolled tri-color LEDs that are carefully positioned behind the unit to create clean geometric patterns of light and shadow.

As colored contours from one LED intersects with other LEDs, it constantly creates new animating patterns that morphs into different shapes and colors.

Check out this video to see it in action.

more photos after the jump.

Square Eclipse02

Square Eclipse03

Car Turntable

If like me you live in Los Angeles or any other car densely populated city you are most likely aware of the often sticky tight spaces we are forced to deal with, well this innovation deals with at least one of them.

This is an example of a residential installment of the vehicle turntable. Why not turn your drive way into a less distressing experience, simply pull out from the garage and let the table spin you around on the spot. If anything the table could serve as your "thinking spot" or maybe even as a peace full place where you could take a date on a relaxing spin.

Reef Surf Tent

I've traveled to Costa Rica 3 times the last 4 years to surf and I know this would be perfect for my next trip. No more cockroach infested hostel's, just me and my tent right on the beach.

LifeStyleDesign has created the Reef Surf Tent. The tent takes architectural inspiration from the gaping mouth of a whale and provides the aesthetic appeal of second skin clothing. It comes in two parts: an inflatable sleep pod (no rods) and an adjustable canopy (with rods) - both of which pack snugly into what doubles as an ice chest.

another picture after the jump.

Reef Surf Tent 2

July 23, 2006

Print Me A 3D Plane

Polecatuav

When I was just a wee-geek-boy, I remember watching a show called Beyond 2000 and in a particular episode, they covered a new technology called 3d printing which uses lasers to carve and melt polymer together. At the time, it was just small projects - little objects that could help designers better envision and test their creations. This opened the doors to rapid prototyping.

Fast forward almost 20 years and it seems the technology has advanced far enough to print not only the object, but the mechanics inside as well.

One of the first to fruition from this technology is of course, funded by the military. It's called the Polecat UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), designed to test cheaper and faster manufacturing technologies. Since most of its parts are laser printed, there is less room for manufacturing errors as computers are far more accurate and consistent.

If the project proves successful, we could see the technology trickle down to consumer levels. 3D laser printing could be the bridge between current manufacturing methodologies and the often romanticized nano technology.

via new scientist tech

July 18, 2006

SEGA Mu-Bot

Mubot 01

Okay, I bought an iDog. It's cute, and when I'm bored, I turn him on, pump up some music and watch him dance. I passed up the iCat and weird iFish tho. They just weren't as cute. Adding a 4th member to the lineup of iPod (or any mp3 player) accessories is the Mu-Bot.

The little faceless guy is more than meets the eye. Developed in cooperation of Avex Entertainment, his arms are actually earbuds. He's light enough to dangle around your neck and when you're done, just give his head a twist and the earbuds wind back up into his body. GENUIS!

I can't vouch for the sound quality but at least the actual shape of the earbuds matches the stock buds that come with the iPod. At only $21, I might have to get one. It reaches U.S. shores just in time for the holidays, in various colors too.

another picture after the jump

Mubot 02

Liquid Firefly

Firefly Waterbottle

Another one of those, "damn why didn't I think of that!" inventions, the Firefly is a water bottle that doubles as a lantern. The lid is uniquely designed to house a very small LED light. When you turn it on, the light refracts in the water casting a bright glow. You can even adjust how much light you need; soft for a night light or bright to help you navigate your way thru dark areas.

For all you outdoorsy people out there, it's only $21.95

A Bird-like Plane

Solidstateaircraft

Scientists have gone back to the drawing board to solve how we can replicate nature's mechanism of flight. We understand the dynamics but haven't been able to build the actual wings. Our standard box of materials - gears, shafts, and flaps end up becoming too complex and heavy, not to mention energy hungry to operate.

If we observe everything that flies, they share one characteristic; they flap their wings. So part of designing a new methodology of flight is rethinking the materials which in turn leads you down a new path of flight mechanisms and construction.

The fruition of this research revolves around a new material called ionic polymeric metal composite or IPMC. The synthetic material is capable of deforming in an electric field and returning to its original shape when the field is removed. The material is lightweight, flexible, and far less complex than current wing designs. Since the kinetic motion comes from a magnetic field as opposed to a combustion engine, far less energy is required to flap the wings. All you would have to do is sustain a small magnetic field and rapidly turn it off to generate a propulsive force from the flapping wings. Dynamically alternating the field between the wings, and you can have a plane that turns on a dime. HOW COOL!

July 10, 2006

Civic Natural Gas Vehicle

Civic Ngv 2006

The Honda Civic NGV has always flirted with my eco-sensibilities. Back in 2004, when I was shopping for a new car, my only choices were between the new Toyota Prius and Honda Civic NGV. I ended up choosing the Prius for its ample room, tech goodies, and more importantly it used readily available petrol instead of natural gas.

Fast forward to 2006 and the new Civic NGV gets better mileage (32 mpg), more power, and has all the amenities of its awarding winning Civic cousins. Honda also makes it easier to refuel by including PHIL, it's home refueling station that uses your home's current gas line. The system itself is self contained and safe. Just plug in your Civic overnight and come morning, you're good to go 200 miles before needing to refuel.

The advantages of natural gas are its clean emissions (next to zero), home convenience, and its cost compared to petrol. It's the perfect car for someone like me who just needs to get to and from. Anything I can do to try and reduce my tailpipe emissions in L.A. is reason enough to jump on the NGV bandwagon.

Unfortunately natural gas is a depletable energy resource. There's only about 100 years left of it at the current rate of consumption so vehicles like this one will stay in its niche market. Just look at the bigger picture though. You're doing your small part in reducing the world's green house gases while encouraging auto companies to continue R&D in clean energy alternatives. We need it for our future's sake so invest in technologies like this now so we can have a better cleaner tomorrow.

July 8, 2006

Braille Mobile Phone

Samsung Braille Mobilephone

A long time ago, a visually impaired reader sent me an email asking me if it were possible to change my website to be more compatible with screen readers. He loved reading my old blog but at the time my design focused more on aesthetics than usability, therefor if you didn't have the latest browser and flash plug-in, you were pretty much screwed.

When I restarted this blog, I made sure it conformed with screen reader specs, allowing the CSS to scale the layout when necessary. I hope he's still reading because this new little invention by Samsung may just be a revolution waiting to happen for all visually impaired people and I thought of him when I first read the article.

It's called the Touch Messenger and it recently won the Gold Award at IDEA (Industrial Design Excellence Awards), an extremely competitive competition by the world's top designers and firms.

The Touch Messenger enables visually impaired users to send and receive braille text messages. The phone has two keypads. The upper keypad is where you input your messages. The lower keypad displays incoming messages by raising bumps to form braille lettering. The phone operates on standard GSM networks making it compatible with services like Cingular and T-Mobile.

Although the phone is only a concept, there is a possibility of Samsung commercializing the product. When that happens, it could boost the quality of life for over 180 million people worldwide.

Samsung, BRING IT!

July 2, 2006

A Hi-tech Fetish

Fetish 003

I've been asked to describe myself in one simple phrase before and put on the spot I just say "clever and intelligent". PUKE, how boring is that?

I came across this site which at first caught my eye more than it did my mind until I realized there was fun word-play in the site's URL. It's called Hitech-Fetish. DING DING DING! I wish I would have thought of that. I'm so obsessed with gadgets, I might as well attach a perverse connotation to it. Hi-tech things are def. my fetish.

The site goes so far as to illustrate that play on words by offering up monthly images combing sex and gadgetry in a very S&M way. The fact that the site is German only adds more to its allure. We all know how Germans can get kinda bossy, rough, and demanding and believe me when I say that's a sexy thing. It sorta reminds me of what my buddy over at magmozine suggested I do last year; instead of my usual tech reviews, couple it with a photo of some really hot guy holding the gadget in question. It never panned out so this site def. gave me a few chuckles. My favorite image is the one above. Just stare at it. I know I did.

more images after the jump
thanks to my buddy gunmetalblue for the linkie

Fetish 001
Fetish 004
Fetish 008
Fetish 005
Fetish 007
Fetish 006-1

The General Knows His Motors

GM has sorta become the laughing stock of the automotive world. No matter how the General's PR soldiers spin it, there's no denying the once mighty empire is and has been in decline against the onslaught of old foreign rivals, not to mention new ones emerging from China. Although the company has taken painstaking strives is restoring itself to profitability, it's going to take time for such a large company. So many ask, does GM have an ace up its sleeves?

I answer yes - yes the General does. He's no fool and although his troops and resources are fragmented, there's a group within GM's ranks that quite possibly could be GM's future.

This group is responsible for GM's fuel cell research and development. It's no biggie to hear about fuel cell development. It is in fact touted as the future fuel source for all things mechanical. One could even say GM's old rivals like Honda area already way ahead of the curve with fleet testing of its small FX car and the announcement of a full size fuel cell sedan and a home refill station. What's the General doing different?

The General has to think different from Honda. He has many divisions, all with different needs and that means continuing what many call GM's reason for downfall - universal platform sharing. The current problems are too many autos across GM's brand list sharing the same platforms without enough differentiation in design and function. The future solution could be what GM's fuel cell group has developed; a fuel cell based drive system compact enough to sit flat like a skateboard below the shell of the vehicle, meanwhile producing enough electricity to power up a neighborhood street.

Gm Hywire 01
Gm Hywire 02

Back in 2002, GM showed off the fruit of its labor, dubbed the Hy-Wire. It's touted as the first drivable fuel cell concept with by-wire technology. No moving parts, no mechanical linkages. The shell of the body is bolted onto the skateboard-like platform containing all the energy and drive components. The only thing required to connect the two is a single cable, transferring control inputs to the car's drive system. The Hy-wire is quiet to drive, powerful because of its torquey electric motors, and theoretically cheaper to mass produce since all you have to do is replace the shell to go from sedan to suv to truck. They all ride on the same platform, but unlike GM's current platform sharing issues, by-wire technology allows designers to really create different vehicles since its independent of the drive system. To add to the benefits, since the cabin has no mechanical linkages to the drive system, the interior can be completely customizable to many configurations. For instance, the steering column is on the right when you're in England but take a ferry to France and the entire steering column can shift over to the left with just a push of a button.

So there's GM's ace for ya. If the General can leverage its research and turn them into real world products for tomorrow's drive needs then its def. back on the map. The Hy-Wire is the first glimpse of what that future might look like. Revolutionary in its build, and so scalable in its configurations, I've yet to see or hear anything out of other leading fuel cell developers that could compete. Daimler, Honda and Toyota are all taking the same approach - a fuel cell future but built on the current production ideology. GM is looking to shift that paradigm.

In the meantime, to compete with the Japanese Hybrids, I recommend the General really transform it's Saab division into the eco-performance company it so wants to be. Bio-fuel with plug-in recharge vehicles coupled with the brand's luxury marque could put Saab back on the map. Proven successful in one of GM's divisions means it will eventually spread to the others. Strap your boots up General, ya needs to get crackin' on this.

check out video of the Hy-Wire in action.

July 1, 2006

A LEGO Crossbow

Legocrossbow

The LEGOS of today make the LEGOS of my youth look silly and useless.

Take for instance this monster. It's a full size fully functional crossbow made out of nothing but LEGOS. The designer cleverly uses the unique properties of strength and flexibility afforded to different shapes to successfully launch a real arrow without shattering the frame of the bow.

It's an amazing sight to see. Enjoy it!

My Pen Does Almost Everything, Does Yours?

\ Multifucntion Pen

A USB, MP3 player, FM radio, voice recorder, blk ball point pen. WHEW! Talk about a convergence device!

Okay, so I've seen many multifunction pens, but none look as sleek and as well integrated as this one. It would seem the only thing it's missing is an LED flashlight. Hell, if it had that and some swiss army functions, I would be more than happy to plop down the requested $48. On the plus side, it does have 512MB of flash memory and a headphone jack. That is pretty damn nifty! I guess that makes the $48 more of a bargain.

Tree Windmills

Newwindmill

When the Dutch aren't busy smokin' bowls or collecting red cards, they create some pretty interesting design concepts. The Dutch government recently commissioned One Architecture to design the next generation windmill. The proposed mill looks something like a tree capable of holding up to 8 turbines. The tree-design is supposed to look less intrusive but if I saw a sea of these on flat land, I don't think I would be able to turn away; unobtrusive they ain't, but I love the design.

via reluct

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