Category Design

April 19, 2014We have all seen a skateboard. Four plastic wheels, a couple of solid axle trucks and a deck. A simple and effective design that has provided some of us with endless hours of fun from childhood well into adulthood.So what happens when a few skateboard loving engineers with automotive backgrounds come together?

April 20, 2014The traditional casts offered by hospitals to cover broken bones are not the best things to have to wear while waiting for your bones to heal. After they have been on for around a week the cast emits a bad smell from sweat and the skin underneath begins to itch horribly. Breaking a bone in the future may mean that you don’t have to suffer for weeks on end and put up with the traditional cast.

April 30, 2014A smartphone designed by David Hunt is a DIY project based on the Raspberry Pi, it goes by the name of the PiPhone and was designed more of a proof of concept just to see what could be made in a small form factor and using off the shelf components that are cheap. But, could it become a contender for the iPhone?

A budget vacuum elevator, which can be installed within a few hours, for a price tag that won’t break the bank.April 17, 2014Elevators are the perfect way to get about from floor to floor, especially if you have issues with climbing stairs. However one of the biggest issues with installing one in the home is the cost and space needed.

May 19, 2014With summer coming up fast many people are now looking forward to taking a well-deserved holiday. One of the things that many people think about is lounging around the resort pool and catching some rays. However there are swimming pools and then there are huge swimming pools and at the San Alfonso Del Mar Resort in Chile, they have one that is enormous.

May 07, 2014If there are two things that electronic engineers enjoy, it’s technology and beer! This project here is the best of both worlds. Featuring a 32x12 LED grid, twenty RGB cup detecting pods, two automatic ball washers, VU meter mode and a wireless interface, this beer pong table has it all! Image Source: Instructables The table is completely water/beer proof thanks to the 2’x8’ Lexan sheet protecting the electronics on the table and it even has four cup holders that have been outfitted with LED rings on each side of the table.

April 01, 2014NASA has just announced the design for a spacesuit which the public chose and it seems that the general public would like to send astronauts of the future to space in a Tron spacesuit. The suit that got the most votes took inspiration from the Tron movie and it is now going to be made into a final version of the suit and should be ready for testing by November of this year at the Houston Johnson Space Centre.

May 18, 2014The cost of bikes today often means that they become a target for thieves. Now a new start-up company, founded by ex Jawbone and Boeing engineers, may have the answer to keeping your costly purchase safe and secure as they have made a one of a kind lock for a bike that provides the owner with alerts in real time, just the same as owners of luxury cars, by the name of Skylock.

May 12, 2014BMW have just unveiled the curtain on their new Solar Carport concept - a solar charging station for your electric car. It was showed off as part of the media launch of the BMW i8 in Los Angeles, a plug in hybrid sports car being readied for the market. Image Source: BMW Design Works The concept is quite simple; an open style garage to park your car underneath with solar panels on the roof.

May 23, 2014When you think about guitar players such as the late Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, one famous guitar name comes to mind…the Fender Stratocaster. & 39;They just don’t make them like they used too anymore,& 39; is the old saying that is true when it comes to guitars made today. While they sound good, modern materials including Arium and Flaxwood just don’t offer the same sound as those made from the old vintage woods.

May 20, 2014 Image Source: Colin Furze Popular Youtuber, mad inventor and British plumber Colin Furze has just released videos of his latest project - fully functioning Wolverine claws. He shows them off in a video where he laughs maniacally whilst slicing and dicing his way through everyday objects (and even a blow up version of X-Men villain Mystique).

May 25, 2014Japanese engineer and hobbyist, Kenji Ishida, has spent 10 years of hard grafting and designing on the Transformer Robot and now, he& 39;s made impressive progress with the release of version 7.2. Starting with just a pair of robotic legs that could barely maneuver and producing several other iterations, he has now manufactured a robot along with other researchers at Brave Robotics in Japan that can switch from 2 legs to 4 wheels at the click of a remote button.

May 23, 2014If you have a lot of gadgets you may know all about not having enough sockets in the house to charge them. Well now in the UK there is a simple solution by way of a £20 plug cover. Group Gear from the Midlands in the UK is selling the plate and it comes with two UK 3 pin sockets along with USB ports.

May 06, 2014The Quad Micro Bar aka the QMB comes from the designer Joe Warren, who knows that the best things often come in small packages. In this case, bigger things come from a small package as the QMB is the perfect solution for those who are tight on space but who on the odd occasion need to have a larger table when entertaining.

May 23, 2014Camera company Giroptic based in Lille, France, have just launched a Kickstarter capaign to fund the launch of its new 360 degree view HD video camera. The device can record 360 degree video at the simple click of a button and using WiFi capabilities, can stream live over the internet so that you can watch from your computer or smartphone in real time.

May 23, 2014If you have children or have ever looked after a child you will know how awkward things can get if you have to take the child out and about. Ok there are many different types of cars seats on the market to help you safely transport your child, there are also many choices of buggy for when you arrive at your destination, however, getting baby in and out of them can be tricky and even more so if you have been shopping and have your hands full.

June 01, 2014Motorcycle riding is dangerous. There& 39;s no questioning that. So any extra level of safety is definitely welcomed into the motorcycling world. Now, Ryan Shearman, founder and CEO of FUSAR Technologies has attempted just that by coming up with an augmented reality helmet that offers extra safety and functionality to the rider.

May 24, 2014Just when you thought gears were a brilliant man-made invention mother nature comes out of nowhere to say & 39;already did that& 39;. Young planthopper insects found in backyards all over the world have been discovered to have tiny gears which interlock its back legs allowing it to jump far and straight.

May 15, 2014A project currently nicknamed the “China-Russia-Canada-America” line has China looking into plans for a high speed train between Beijing and the U.S via the Bering Straight.The line would be just over 13 000 km long! There is no current map of the route but current plans suggest that after departing Beijing, the train would travel to Siberia and once at the border of the Asian land mass it would delve underwater for a 125 km trip under the Pacific Ocean before emerging in Alaska.

May 24, 2014Even if you are not passionate about the Cadillac car, there is no denying that this new concept car from Ondrej Jirec is absolutely stunning and it would fit a super hero right down to the ground. The Czech student behind the concept is studying at the Art Center College of Design in California and you have to admit that the car is something that would like right at home in a Batman movie.