Over the last few weeks you might’ve heard about the ultra-futuristic information kiosks recently developed for the New York City subway system. It’s sci-fi stuff, thoroughly modernizing the arteries of an often creaky metropolis. And we headed down to New York’s financial district to check out a working prototype for ourselves. More »
Automation company Festo loves showing off its technologies and expertise by creating robot versions of animals. We’ve featured the company’s SmartBird before, and you may have also seen its AirPenguin in action. Now the company has released information about its latest pet project, the BionicOpter.
With the BionicOpter, Festo set out to replicate the flying capabilities of the dragonfly. The company says the insect is unique in that it can move in all directions, glide, hover, turn and accelerate quickly and even fly backwards. By replicating how dragonflies use their wings, the BionicOpter ends up being more versatile than a plane, helicopter or glider.
The robot has an aluminum body and carbon fiber wings. It has one external brushless motor and eight motors that handle the movement of its wings. Speaking of which, the robot can orient its wings vertically or horizontally as needed, just like the real deal. The BionicOpter can fly on its own but it can also be controlled remotely. All of that in a machine that weighs only 175g (approx. 0.39lbs.).
If you ask me the best feature of the BionicOpter is that it has a gracefulness to it that I previously thought could only be exhibited by a living creature. Check out Festo’s report (pdf file) if you want to learn more about the robot.
[via Slash Gear]
Keeping a stack of desk drawers organized isn’t always easy, particularly when one is open and completely blocks access to the drawer below it. Sure, it might not be one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today, but it’s a problem that’s thankfully been solved thanks to Colors’ Cartesia Desk featuring drawers that open in multiple directions. More »
Don’t these SmartPlayhouses make you want to go back in time? The pint-sized abodes will give you an appreciation for architecture at a very young age, provided you have parents rich enough to buy you one. More »
The Design Museum has announced the contenders for the sixth annual Designs of the Year. And their shortlist for transport showcases some of the most forward-thinking ways to get around you’ve ever seen. More »
The most recent in a series of short documentaries by filmmaker Dustin Cohen, The Shoemaker is a film about Frank Catalfumo: a 91-year-old shoemaker and repairer who’s lived in Brooklyn his entire life. More »
A Piet Mondrian painting is unmistakable for its big blocks of primary colors set in grids of horizontal and vertical black lines on a white background. The Mondri 3 in 1 vase is very clearly inspired by the late De Stijl movement artist, and it breaks apart into three pieces so you can create your own neoplasticism masterpiece. More »
Molon Labe Designs created this concept for airplane seating where the aisle seat can slide in. It’s supposed to cut down on boarding times. But are we really that fat? More »
Made of comfy polyurethane foam, Fabio Novembre’s new Jolly Roger chair looks like it’s capitalizing on the Pirates of the Caribbean trend that unfortunately faded a few years back. However, the film presumably spawned a new generation of pirate wannabes that will find the chair’s subtle skull shaping more marvelous than morbid. More »
Capitalizing on the whole ‘rising sun’ theme, Japanese designer Satoshi Itasaka created his Sun Rising Lamp that recreates our nearest star as it slowly rises up from behind a mountain. Illuminated by an LED inside the sphere, the lamp is just eight inches wide but will set you back almost $1,400. Expensive, for sure, but when else will you ever have the opportunity to own your own personal sun? [Japan Trend Shop] More »
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