Electronic Skin

A company called Sensor Products Inc., in operation since 1990, has developed something called Tactilus Real-Time Surface Pressure Mapping Technology which is an "electronic skin" that senses the body's tactile pressure against varous objecs such as furniture, clothing, and wheelchairs. This technology ulimately has the potential to allow companies to redesign a lot of their products to be more comfortable and safe for the consumer. This technology would not only be used for products that have tactile impact with the bod, but with machines. By mapping out the tactile force among machine components, scientists will be able to identify stress points that could wear down certain components, leading the machine to become hazardous.sensprod001.jpg">

class notes 3/9/10

• in photo editing, the opposites are:
• green ----- magenta
• red---------cyan
• blue--------yellow
• shift command 4 takes a picture of what you're looking at

Bar Pods

Sekhar Roy, a student at the Florence Design Academy has created a concept seating unit called the Terrace Bar Seating Pod. The orb-like apparatus has both vintage and modernistic elements. The overhanging light reminds me of an old fashioned street corner, while the general bubble shape of the unit looks futuristic. I like the concept because it really sets the mood for intimacy. This would definitely do well in a restaurant/bistro/coffee shop catered for dating. Roy has a bunch other other concept designs on his online portfolio. Most of them seem to revolve around interior design. He is currently looking for connections and jobs.

Nike Grind

Apparently, Nike is now recycling components of old sneakers into what it calls Nike Grind. Nike Grind is broken down into three subcategories including rubber (made from the outer sole), foam (made from the midsole), and fiber (made from the fabric components). The Grind rubber is used for track and playground surfaces, the foam is used to pad outdoor courts, and the fiber is used for cushioning pads for indoor courts. There are plants that do this recycling work in the Midwest, Europe, and Australia. Of course anything recycled provides a good impact on the environment, but I think Nike would do better to recycle the old shoes to produce shoes for the poorest areas of the world, places where people can't afford shoes. Watch the video of how it's done.

class notes 3/4/10

• Photoshop: raster-based program - creates a grid of assigned values (pixels)
• in practice, use layout program, with a editing, and a vector based program.
• Adobe Illustrator is a vector based program

Kaynemaile

KML22 is a "seamless polycarbonate mesh" created by the company called Kaynemaile. The seamless aspect of the mesh means that each little ring has no joint the way traditional metal jump rings are produced. So how are these things made? Unfortunately the company isn't telling. Smart move. Kaynemaile, a New Zealand based company, says that "the innovation results in a cost-effective, odorless, thermally insulating, impact resistant, rust free, and pleasantly translucent alternative to old-school metal mesh." This product offers amazing possibilities when it comes to interior design. It can be formed into elaborate chandeliers lit up by different color lights, or used as room divisions. There is talk about using this material for body armor and artificial ski slopes. It all depends on what strands of polycarbonate materials get injected into the molds.

Carb Chairs

Here is a set of furniture (a table and 2 chairs) fresh out of the oven. These bread-crafted chairs were created by Spanish industrial designer Enoc Armengol called "Panpaati." The description about the bread furniture is a little lofty for my taste. The writer is trying to tie the bread chairs in with the living element. For god sakes, its a chair made from bread. You can't sit on them or really put them anywhere. If the creation was a more aesthetically pleasing subject, then maybe it would be a good centerpiece for a family party, but besides that, I'm not a fan.