Wall-Crawling Robot Mimics the Sticky Feet of Geckos
November 4, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Science & Research & Technology & Gadgets. ]
When engineers turn to nature for inspiration, they rely upon the wisdom of millions of years of evolution to guide the design of modern technology. In a stunning example of this biomimicry, researchers at Simon Fraiser University have developed a robot that can climb vertical surfaces thanks to the biology of a gecko’s foot.
(above image via: sfu; top images via: keith marshall + sfu)
Instead of using wet adhesives, the researchers turned to a dry adhesive method that would not leave behind a sticky trail. Some dry adhesive methods require pumping air for suction or use magnets that are only effective on metal surfaces. But the surface of a gecko’s foot can stick to any surface using the force that holds molecules together.
(image via: furrycrawly)
A gecko’s foot is covered in microscopic hairlike growths called setae, which the researchers mimicked using mushroom cap-shaped artificial hairs. According to SFU, “The mushroom cap shape allows the setae on the treads to release at an angle, so no extra force is require to unstick them from a surface. That’s what allows the tank to roll forward with ease, without dropping off the surface.”
Watch how it works:
SFU explains, “”The research…provides an alternative to using magnets, suction cups or claws which typically fail at climbing smooth surfaces like glass or plastic. It also paves the way for a range of applications, from inspecting pipes, buildings, airplanes and even nuclear power plants to employment in search and rescue operations…”
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Lilliputian Landscapes: Paper Sculptures in Mini Bottles
September 28, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design & Nature & Ecosystems & Technology & Gadgets. ]
There are plenty of ways to carry a little bit of nature with you, but the tiny worlds created by Akinobu Izumi might just be the cutest. The Japanese artist makes architectural models by day, but after work hours those model-building skills are put to even better use making super-small paper sculptures and embedding them in tiny glass bottles.
The beautiful scenes Izumi invents depict everything from Christmas trees to sea and land animals to prehistoric creatures. There are even little boats and ships, bringing to mind the classic ship-in-a-bottle art projects enjoyed by many weekend hobbyists.
The itty-bitty figures are made of paper and held in place with clear or colored resin, giving the entire scene an otherworldly floating appearance. The bases and backgrounds are usually made of clay. Because of the fragile nature of the glass bottles Izumi advises against carrying or wearing the little worlds, but it seems almost impossible to imagine owning something this sweet and not wearing it around to show to the entire life-size world.
Izumi’s Etsy shop TinyWorldInABottle showcases his incredible miniature works of art, letting anyone own a magical little world of his or her very own.
Elegant Tree Building is Half Learning, Half Play
August 28, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design & Nature & Ecosystems & Technology & Gadgets. ]
Watching trees meet untimely ends in the name of construction is heart-wrenching. But Japanese architectural firm Tezuka Architects figured out an elegant solution to the problem of a tree standing on the desired building site: they simply built around it. The Ring Around a Tree project surrounds and embraces a beautiful mature tree, encouraging interaction with the living architectural element.
(all images via: DesignBoom)
Built as an additional space for Fuji Kindergarten in Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan, this stunning building blends indoors and outdoors, natural and constructed, learning space and play space. The structure was built to be used as English language classrooms and a waiting space for students who are riding buses home. Half of the building is enclosed in glass while the other half features many levels of small platforms in an open-air configuration.
The platforms in the play space offer some very intriguing spaces for crawling children to romp and hide. There aren’t many barriers in this unusual space, but there is plenty of soft padding on the floors to cushion the unavoidable falls.
Two classrooms, each taking up one level of the building, use this unconventional space to create a liberating and stimulating learning environment. Although the auxiliary learning space is just a stone’s throw away from the main school building, having English language classes in this removed space allows students to enjoy the unique setting. The classrooms may even allow a greater chance for real-world experience-based lessons.
The centerpiece of the new structure is, of course, the mature tree in the very center. Its limbs and leaves were left intact as the beautiful building went up and remain untouched today. Children are encouraged to play around the tree, but for safety’s sake are not allowed to climb on the branches.
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Out on a Limb at the Morris Arboretum Tree Adventure
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Truckin’ Revisited: Introducing The Ecco Camper Concept RV
June 28, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steve in Energy & Fuel & Geography & Travel & Technology & Gadgets. ]
If the term “RV” brings to mind hulking, gas-guzzling, fake wood paneled, tornado-attracting 4-wheeled rolling trailers, then it’s time to fast-forward your thinking. The Ecco camper concept RV by design firm NAU is a streamlined, zero-local-emission RV that’s more winning than any old (or new) Winnebago.
Back to the Egg
(image via: AutoMotto)
The Ecco camper concept by design firm NAU boldly takes the RV where it’s never gone before: scenic highways and byways favored by those who love the “get away from it all” RV lifestyle, but who worry about being stranded in the back of beyond miles from the nearest electrical charging station.
(images via: Motorhomes Insight, Vintage VW Cars and PixarCars.tv)
The Ecco concept may look radical but its designers at NAU readily acknowledge its illustrious predecessors the Airstream trailer and the VW Microbus camper van. However, the classic Airstream trailer of the 1930s may have pioneered RV streamlining but it had no motive force of its own. As for the Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter, as its officially known, it may have been the choice ride of counterculture deadheads but its flat-four engine ran on gasoline, reds, vitamin C and cocaine… OK, just gasoline.
(image via: The Price of Silver)
Take the compact, freedom-loving vibe of the Microbus and meld it with the shiny, space-age exterior of the Airstream and you’ve got the basic visual esthetic of the Ecco camper… or the bizarre bastard lovechild above – must’ve been some bad acid goin’ round. Where were we? Ahh yes, while most concepts push the envelope to “anything goes” and sometimes beyond, the creative folks at NAU have applied solid, practical engineering into the Ecco so that it CAN go pretty much anywhere, even if fuel (in the form of electricity) isn’t close at hand. Let’s take a closer look.
Follow the Sun
(images via: The Haggin Museum, Book Cover Judge, Bloggery Gone Awry and KillerKen)
In most real-world driving situations, the Ecco camper will go most anywhere a traditional RV can go. Consider that both begin their journeys fully-fueled: the RV with its gas tanks topped up, the Ecco having had its batteries fully charged overnight through a standard 240v electrical outlet. Most RV drivers tend to stop for the night at dedicated trailer parking facilities which offer water and electric power connections – if you’re driving an Ecco, you can follow the same itinerary.
(images via: Raindrops On Roses and NAU)
The 4-seat, three-wheeled, teardrop-shaped Ecco camper pulls ahead of traditional RVs when it comes to generating its own power and it’s roughly the size of a VW camper van. See that long, wide, black roof? It’s not there just for show, it’ll help Ecco drivers when it’s time to go! Built-in photovoltaic panels soak up sunlight and trickle the juice into the onboard batteries. Suddenly, stopping for a picnic lunch in sun-baked Monument Valley is just that: a short stop before hitting the highway once more.
Truckin’ 21st Century Style
(image via: Broadsheet)
Since the Ecco is an RV at heart, some mechanism had to be devised that would alternate the vehicle’s configuration from a wind-cheating (and power-saving) aerodynamic road warrior to an un-cramped camper that, as Nau states, can “provide a level of space and comfort that its forbears could only dream of.”
Nau seems to have done exactly that, devising a bellows-style membrane roof that opens clamshell-style, more than doubles the Ecco’s interior space, and exposes an even greater expanse of solar cells to the sky.
(images via: The Gentleman Camper and Zillamag)
Once flipped to camper mode, the Ecco offers users a living area with variable seating, bathroom pod with toilet and shower, kitchen with cooktop & sink, and a sleeping loft with a fold-down extra bed. Add your own portable electronic entertainment devices and it’s a home away from home!
(images via: Gas 2.0 and Gizmag)
Will we ever see the Ecco concept camper at stores or dealers, and if so, will it be sold at an affordable price? Traditional RVs aren’t cheap by any means, considering their multifunctional nature and often substantial size. As time goes by and more and more Baby Boomers decide to hit the road, they just might find the Ecco camper suits their needs the way their psychedelically painted Microbus used to… powered in a way their tie-dyed counterculture pals would likely approve.
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A More Fantastic Future Plastic: Recyclable Alternative
June 23, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design & News & Politics & Technology & Gadgets. ]
As environmental concerns continue to rise and world oil reserves steadily decrease, we are left to wonder about the future of plastics. We have come to rely on plastics for so many things in our daily lives, but our days of nearly-unlimited plastics production are numbered. What material will take the place of the durable, inexpensive, versatile plastics we use so freely today?
(all images via: Design Boom)
PEGA Design & Engineering, a consultancy firm based in Shanghai and Taipei, thinks they have the answer to the plastic problem. They propose an alloy made from recycled paper and polypropylene that could be formed in the same injection and mold machinery as that which is currently used for standard plastics.
The material is sturdy, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive. Since the machinery used to create the alloy is the same as that used in current plastic production, the costs of the plastic alternative are further kept down.
Besides its cost effectiveness, the Paper/PP Alloy is biodegradable, giving it a big advantage over conventional plastics. The award-winning idea is the perfect blend of simplicity and innovation, giving it a bright future in the manufacture of electronics, toys and other plastic-heavy household objects.
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Verdant Vending: Exceptionally Eco-Friendly Outdoor Kiosk
May 25, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design & Energy & Fuel & Technology & Gadgets. ]
The EcoKiosk is a self-contained stall for street vendors that relies on clean, renewable energy and Earth-friendly components to make street vending greener than ever. From its solar panels to its rainwater collection system, the EcoKiosk is an ecological marvel from the top down.
Created by Bizarreka Design and a shortlisted entry in the IIDA 2010 World Green Design Competition, the EcoKiosk is a carefully-structured building meant to be used outdoors. Thanks to solar panels that adorn the roof, the small structure doesn’t even need an outside source of electricity. The solar panels can provide power for up to ten hours, allowing the kiosk to be fully operational even after the sun goes down.
The kiosk’s open design makes good use of natural lighting and ventilation, taking advantage of the crosswinds and sunlight that are in bountiful supply outdoors. Even on rainy days, the EcoKiosk works overtime to earn its green cred: it collects rainwater and stores it in a storage tank beneath the main structure. The water will later be filtered and used as tap water or pumped up to the plants that line the sides of the kiosk.
These plants help to soften the appearance of the otherwise-stark and modern EcoKiosk, giving it a look that would be equally suited for food vendors, clothing peddlers and even cell phone providers. The plants are not only there for aesthetics, however; they also help absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide.
The interior design of the EcoKiosk keeps the comfort of both operators and customers in mind. The kiosk is designed in a way that every inch of space is arranged intelligently. The rear part of the kiosk can be extended during working hours so that two workers can move about inside, then retracted during closing hours so that the kiosk takes up less space. A low front counter is meant to provide a comfortable experience for disabled customers who might not be able to see over the counter at a traditional outdoor vendor stall.
Vertical Parking Lots: Brilliant Urban Bike Hanger System
May 11, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design & Energy & Fuel & Technology & Gadgets. ]
Urban centers may benefit greatly if more commuters started using bikes instead of cars, but the problem of where to put those bikes is a somewhat difficult one. Public bike racks take up space that is often in high demand – but this concept would solve that problem by using the spaces that normally go unused.
(all images via: ArchDaily)
The Bike Hanger concept was developed by MANIFESTO Architecture P.C. for the Seoul Cycle Design Competition 2010, a yearly design contest that seeks to make Seoul a more bike-friendly city. The architects reasoned that since urban space is so limited, revolving bike racks could utilize the vertical spaces between buildings.
The concept is ingenious in its simplicity: it is a human-powered revolving rack that can hold up to 36 bikes at a time. Riders attach their bikes to an empty space on the rack, then when they are ready to leave they hop on the human power generator (a small stationary bike) to move their own bike around to the bottom position. Then they just grab it and go – simple, clean, and even healthy.
The rack itself would be constructed of recycled plastics and metals, and because no new structure would need to be built to house the assembly the construction would be relatively clean and eco-friendly. The operating costs would be extremely low, as well: the city would spend around $15 per year on lubrication for the moving parts and for calibration of the human power generating system.
Overall, the concept would encourage more urban travelers to bike rather than walk – after all, parking a bike on the Bike Hanger is bound to be cheaper and easier than parking a car in a garage. The positive environmental impact from the reduction in auto traffic along with a reduced need for new car parking structures could even contribute to a cleaner, more beautiful city for everyone to enjoy.
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Get Tanked: Fabulous Faux Swimming Pool Illusions
May 3, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design & Technology & Gadgets & Tricks & Hacks. ]
There are few things more delightful than a dip in a cool pool on a hot summer day – but there is definitely something different about these swimming pools. Despite looking like normal water-filled pools, people are walking upright on the bottoms and not getting wet. What in the world is going on here?
(images via: Swedish Bed, Toxel)
These highly unusual swimming pools are, in fact, illusions. Rather than being filled from bottom to top with water, these basins only have a very thin layer of H2O at the top. The chamber of the pool is actually a room that is entered through a small door to one side. The 10 cm-thick layer of water creates the illusion of a pool that is filled to the brim.
That illusion is called into question, of course, when an entire family is seen effortlessly walking on the bottom of the pool. Although it may seem obvious once you know the trick, it is undoubtedly disconcerting to those who are seeing the effect for the first time.
(images via: Swedish Bed)
The pools are the work of artist Leandro Erlich, a talented sculptor who wanted to open up a new perspective for those viewing the pools. How does it feel to look down through the shimmering water and see real, live people moving about below you? How does it feel to stand in the bottom of the pool and look up at the rest of the world through that layer of water? It must be an experience like nothing else.
Erlich installed one pool at the PS1 Art Center in New York and another at the 21st Century Art Museum in Kanazawa, Japan. Regardless of their geographic location, these incredible works of art would truly be a sight to behold. Was the artist making a statement on water conservation or simply having fun? Viewers are free to draw their own conclusions and decide just how deep to take their contemplation of the subject.
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Power Juicing: 2 Ads Using Oranges to Light the Way
April 17, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Energy & Fuel & Food & Health & Technology & Gadgets. ]
Most of us can agree that fruit is an excellent source of natural energy. Have you ever considered that it might be useful for fueling more than just the human body? Two separate ad agencies have developed, more than a year apart, ad campaigns using the natural power of fruit to produce electricity. The ads take the time-honored “lemon battery” science fair project and turn it into a fun study of the power of nature.
Imperial Leisure developed this ad in 2010 for Jaffa oranges. The film shows a large array of Jaffa orange slices powering an iPhone, giving a unique perspective to the amount of energy needed to run not only our electronic devices, but our bodies as well. Metal spikes (usually zinc and copper) pierce the oranges and a chemical change takes place in the metal. This reaction produces a small amount of power; when lots of the tiny batteries are linked together they can actually produce a significant amount of electricity.
Much more recently, French agency DDB developed this short film for Tropicana. A similar fruit battery concept is used to power a neon billboard reading “Natural Energy.” Imperial Leisure, the British agency that developed the Jaffa campaign, argue that the Tropicana billboard can’t actually be powering the lights because when the oranges are pushed onto the spikes more than two electrodes (one positive, one negative) are piercing each one, meaning the battery would short out rather than produce any power. Whether the billboard is actually powered by oranges or not, both ad campaigns are a fantastic reminder of the energy our bodies can gain from eating natural foods.
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12 Green Megastructures for an Eco-Fantastic Future
March 25, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Science & Research & Technology & Gadgets. ]
To tackle big problems – like overpopulation, desertification, lack of clean water and a need for cleaner energy – sometimes, nothing but big solutions will do. And these 12 sustainable urban living concepts are not just big. They’re massive megastructures that provide healthy high-density housing, capture or desalinate water, produce renewable energy and sometimes even create their own microclimates.
Living Mountain Skyscraper
(images via: evolo.us)
Could ‘living mountains’ save us from global warming-induced desertification? This concept for the 2011 Evolo Skyscraper Competition creates a livable oasis in one of the world’s harshest environments, the desert of Taklamakan in northwest China, creating a microclimate inside the man-made mountain. This superstructure includes 2,000-sq-ft ‘living pods’, man-made lakes produced by extracting water from the region’s substrate and rainwater collection. Eventually, multiple mountains could be linked using cable cars.
Waste-Recycling Underwater Skyscrapers
(images via: evolo.us)
Imagine using massive underwater skyscrapers to filter all of the plastic and other debris from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean. The ‘Lady Landfill Skyscraper’ consists of three main functions: trash collectors at the bottom, a recycling plant in the center and housing and recreation above the surface of the sea. The waste would be heated in the recycling chamber and converted into a gas which could then be stored in huge battery-like structures and used as energy. The shape of the structure was actually inspired by an upside-down Eiffel Tower.
Skeletal Skyscraper Harvests Energy from Lightning
(images via: evolo.us)
It’s an odd catch-22: if only we could figure out a less energy-intensive way to produce it, hydrogen fuel could be a great source of renewable energy. But the answer could come shooting straight down from the sky in the form of lightning. The Hydra Tower concept aims to harness those bolts of lightning and use them to literally smash molecules of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The skeletal frame of the tower is made from super-tough graphene, which is 200 times stronger than steel, so that it can withstand that kind of force. These towers would be placed in the tropics, which see 70% of all lightning strikes.
Green Tech City for Hanoi, Vietnam
(images via: inhabitat)
This incredible vision for an entire sustainable city within the city of Hanoi, Vietnam is actually being actively developed. Green Tech City, by SOM Architects, integrates two pre-existing villages to create a new sustainable urban center for 20,000 residents and incorporates both cutting edge modern technology and low-tech passive design customized to the culture and climate of Vietnam. The city will include a green corridor along the Red River with pedestrian-friendly residential neighborhoods located in close proximity to a towering commercial district. Canal water cooling, tri-generation plants, waste recycling and rainwater harvesting will help this city become a model for sustainable urban living.
Everrich 2 Apartments: Self-Sustaining Tower
(images via: designboom)
Another megastructure coming to Vietnam in the near future is the Everrich 2 Apartment complex by DWP Architects, a huge rolling curving structure that resembles an amusement park more than urban housing. Currently under construction, the complex contains 3,100 apartment units along with two floors of mixed retail and public space. The architects designed the structure to maximize daylighting and natural ventilation, and will use precast concrete and local masonry.
Flat Tower: High-Density Honeycomb Structure
(images via: evolo.us)
How can cities be more densely populated, without either dominating the skyline or spreading out to take up too much valuable green space? The Flat Tower concept packs in living space above ground level in an unusual honeycomb pattern, forming a sort of artificial hill. The green space below is left untouched, large openings let in plenty of sun and the structure is able to harvest both rainwater and solar energy.
PoroCity: Rehabilitation for Mumbai
(images via: evolo.us)
The triangular footprint in Mumbai currently occupied by the Dharavi slum – one of the densest in the world – could be transformed into terraced housing with PoroCity, a concept by Khushalani Associates. PoroCity would reorganize the housing of the slum, maintaining the small living spaces and communal living feel but making them more modern with built-in transportation including elevators and funiculars and including space for business and industry, eliminating the need for cars.
Reflections Development in Singapore
(images via: designboom)
Celebrated architect Daniel Libeskind will make a big splash on Singapore’s shoreline with ‘Reflections’, a controversial collection of curved towers containing 1,129 residential units that will be completed this year at Keppel Harbor. The six skyscrapers, connected by sky bridges and towering above low-rise villas, were spaced to allow views to the horizon. The structure won Singapore’s Green Mark Gold Award for significant energy savings.
Seawater-Filtering Skyscrapers from Old Oil Platforms
(images via: inhabitat)
Hundreds of disused offshore oil platforms could be transformed into livable skyscrapers that could desalinate sea water, providing a source of fresh water for millions of people who currently don’t have access to a clean source of this precious resource. The existing oil drill pipes would be used to draw up sea water and the water movement against the tower could provide enough energy to power the site’s facilities. Little pods on the structures would house workers as well as research facilities.
Solar-Powered Paris Triangle
(images via: luxist)
Paris is notoriously resistant to tall modern structures that would dramatically alter the city’s famous skyline, but after a ban on high-rise buildings was voted down, the door was opened for this 50-story glass pyramid called Le Projet Triangle at Port de Versailles. Designed by Herzog and De Meuron, the tower – powered by solar and wind energy – will be the third-tallest building in Paris. Construction has already begun and it’s due for completion in 2012.
KEPCO Green Energy Headquarters Concept
(images via: bustler)
When the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) announced a competition to design its new headquarters in a city near Naju, South Korea, one proposal stood out both for its size and its sustainable factors: a ‘Green Energy Theme Park’ that would not only serve as KEPCO’s home base but also as a way to show off renewable energy technology. The design consists of a 29-story tower on a landscape podium with a series of sloped green roofs, sun shading devices and a north side fully covered in moss which would catch water and naturally insulate the building. Winning third place, this design also includes wind turbines, greywater recycling, geothermal systems and solar panels.
Urban Trees Green Housing Projects
(images via: evolo.us)
With trunk-like central columns and trees growing on rooftop gardens, the Urban Tree project by Geotectura certainly lives up to its name. Housing units of various sizes are contained within ‘floating’ cubes, some of which even have projecting ‘sky terraces’ for outdoor living high in the sky. The result is lots of greenery and plenty of natural air flow, giving occupants healthier living spaces that feel more tied to nature and require less energy to heat and cool.
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