Landmine Detecting Shoe Insoles Might Just Save Your Life

Most of us are lucky enough to live in peaceful places where landmines don’t threaten our lives on a daily basis. Unfortunately, many people still live in fear of stepping on landmines and losing their limbs – or worse, their lives. This is true for Colombia, where over 10,000 people have been maimed or killed because of these lethal weapons.

Well aware of this fact, design firm Lemur Studio came up with a landmine detector called “SaveOneLife” that fits right inside a person’s shoe.

saveonelife landmine concept 1 620x478magnify

As designed, it will use a small coil of conductive material that produces an electromagnetic field. This is key to how it works, as this field will be able to interact with the electromagnetic field of the landmines. When a landmine is detected, the user will get an alarm on the armband that works in conjunction with the sole – hopefully before they step on one.

saveonelife landmine concept 2 620x478magnify

Iván Pérez, Lemur’s creative director, explains: “The device was created with the goal of saving a life, hence the name, first by the families of the victims and second for the cost effects of military forces by the loss of his men in combat.

SaveOneLife is still a concept design for now, but here’s to hoping it becomes a reality.

[via Co. Exist via Dvice]

iPhone Carbon Monoxide Detector Case Concept Could Save Lives

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. Inhaling enough of the gas can poison you and possibly kill you, but because of its nature, you’ll have no idea when or if you’re being exposed to it. The presence of the gas can be identified using carbon monoxide detectors, though.

People don’t really have carbon monoxide detectors installed in their homes or in their cars. So David Tyer decided that the best way to go is to design an iPhone case with a built-in carbon monoxide detector in it.

iphone carbon monoxide detector

His design makes sense. For one, people carry their phones with them wherever they go, so if they’re being exposed, then their phones could alert them of the risk.

The only downside is probably the fact that having a built-in carbon monoxide detector might make the case bulkier and burn through more battery than most users would like. Most detectors are a little on the bulky side, so I’d expect a small and compact detector to cost a bit more than usual.

Tyer’s design is only a concept for now, but who knows? Some manufacturer out there might just decide to make it.

[via Gadget Review]

Radioactive Orchestra 2.0 takes the music live, makes sweet photonic melodies (video)

Radioactive Orchestra 20 takes to the live stage, makes sweet melodies from photons video

Sweden’s Kollektivet Livet took a step towards demystifying the invisible energy around us last year through its Radioactive Orchestra, which turned isotopes into beats and beeps. To our relief, the Orchestra isn’t content to record in the studio. Version 2.0 of the music project is all about going on tour, so to speak, through live instruments: in a first prototype, a photon detector translates every radiation hit from nearby materials into its own audio pulse. The invention results in an imprecise art based on distance, but aspiring cesium rock stars can tweak the sensitivity or transpose the notes to generate their own distinct tunes. Orchestra manager Georg Herlitz tells us that the initial setup you see here, played at TEDx Gotëborg, is just a “sneak peek” of both a finished instrument and more work to come. We might just line up for the eventual concerts if the performance video after the break (at the 10:30 mark) is any indication.

Continue reading Radioactive Orchestra 2.0 takes the music live, makes sweet photonic melodies (video)

Filed under: ,

Radioactive Orchestra 2.0 takes the music live, makes sweet photonic melodies (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTEDx Gotëborg  | Email this | Comments

30-Year Quest Ends In $15 Million Gold and Silver Coin Treasure [Money]

Thirty years ago, a farmer found a few Iron Age silver coins while working on his land in the island of Jersey, off the coast of Normandy. Now, after combing the soil with metal detectors for three decades, two treasure hunters have found a hoard of silver and gold coins, the biggest of its kind, valued at $15 million. More »