Yes, Movinkler! A self-adjusting fire sprinkler system that is simpler, smarter, and safer than most existing models. The design features a heat-detection camera and capacity for movement. Addressing existing issues like not operating until they reach a certain temperature, not functioning properly on dead spots and not controlling the water usage, the Movinkler offers solutions that seem acceptable.
Movinkler is fitted with a heat-detecting camera.
When the camera detects heat due to a fire, Movinkler starts rotating and its headpiece aims at the fire by moving up and down.
It ejects water immediately to put out the fire.
Once the fire is extinguished, it stops operating.
The sprinkler system extinguishes fire in what would otherwise be dead spots; enables early fire suppression by operating promptly upon detection of a fire; and guarantees far less wastage of water as well as less severe secondary water damage.
– Yanko Design Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world! Shop CKIE – We are more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design! (Movinkler, Say What? was originally posted on Yanko Design)
Spanish architecture collective Map13 combined a traditional Spanish construction technique with digital design tools to create this vaulted brick pavilion in a Barcelona courtyard (+ slideshow).
Named Bricktopia, the structure was designed by Map13 using a Catalan vault – a method where plain bricks are laid lengthways across gently curved forms to create a series of smooth low arches.
“Unlike the construction that can be seen these days, this project aims to restore the expertise and imagination of the building hands,” explained the architects.
The structure was conceived using three-dimensional modelling software program Rhino and a plugin called Rhinovault. This enabled the architects to test the geometries of the structure and adapt it so that only compression stresses act on the vault.
This approach is based on a prototype developed by researchers Philippe Block, Matthias Rippman and Lara Davis at the Technical University of Zurich.
Photography by eme3
“This research collects the material tradition and the constructive knowledge of tile vaulting and combines them with contemporary computational tools,” said the designers.
Photography by eme3
The structure was built by architecture students and volunteers, who used criss-crossing metal rods and pieces of cardboard to outline the basic frame.
The completed structure comprised four vaulted spaces with curved openings that form doors and windows.
Bricktopia was constructed as part of the Eme3 International Festival of Architecture, which took place in June, and was used to host a programme of summer events including talks, activities and film projections.
Photography is by Manuel de Lózar and Paula López Barba, unless otherwise stated.
Here is some more information from the architects:
Bricktopia, Contemporary Crafts Festival EME3
Bricktopia, by the architects of the international collective Map13, is the winning project in the “Build-it” category at the International Festival of Architecture Eme3 held from the 27th to 30th of June in Barcelona. It can be visited during this summer at one of the courtyards of the former factory Fabra i Coats, in the district of Sant Andreu.
This intervention configures a new square where different activities can be performed, both under the building and around it. It includes bathing public spaces and sundecks, a bar and a stage for enjoying the summer 2013.
It is a vaulted structure made of brick using a traditional construction technique called tile-vault (or “Catalan vault”). It has been designed with new digital tools to optimise the structure through geometry. The proposal is the result of the academic research currently carried out by Marta Domènech Rodríguez, David López López and Mariana Palumbo Fernández, co-founders of the group Map13, with the help of different Professors from different fields and various schools of architecture.
This construction takes as a reference the prototype built by Philippe Block, Matthias Rippman and Lara Davis at the Technical University of Zurich, with which they demonstrated the reliability of “RhinoVault”, a plug-in for Rhinoceros, used to design the pavilion.
As “Bricktopia” is a pilot project which makes this traditional technique work to its limits, its implementation has required the expansion of the team, which has been enlarged with Paula López Barba and Josep Brazo Ramírez. The construction has also required the effort of Eme3 festival that gives support to young talented people to carry out their projects, the sponsorship of the companies that contributed with workforce and materials and the help of volunteers and students of architecture.
This research collects the material tradition and the constructive knowledge of tile vaulting and combines them with contemporary computational tools. This project, developed in the enclosed area of a nineteenth-century factory made of brick, uses the same material raising a new topography in the old courtyard. However, it is opposed to the industrial construction offering a concave and protected space that links the origins of all cultures.
The vaulted pavilion sets out the contemporary validity of this traditional system, native of Catalonia and widely used in various parts of the world for centuries. It is economical, sustainable, with formal and functional versatility and nowadays it is also offering the possibility of being built in developing countries for roofs, stairs, drainage systems, etc.
Unlike the construction that can be seen these days, this project aims to restore the expertise and imagination of the building hands. “Bricktopia” has been built by excellent builders who have made an unprecedented craftsmanship. The challenge that requires good layout in tile vault construction, specially with a complex shape like this one, suggests the work as an opposite to the mechanical work.
La société DayCraft a imaginé des cahiers pour le moins appétissants. Appelés bRead en hommage au pain, ces carnets ressemblent volontairement à des tranches. Un rendu impressionnant intitulé « Delicious Notebooks » à découvrir dans une série d’images dans la suite de l’article.
The Little Note Clock is simply ingenious! So simple, in fact, it’ll make you say “duh, why didn’t I think of that!” The only thing different between this and your average wall clock is its face made of dry erase board. Users can scribble anything from notes to numbers or doodles to reminders. Best of all, no two are just alike once you’ve added your own touch to it!
– Yanko Design Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world! Shop CKIE – We are more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design! (Tick Tock Message Spot was originally posted on Yanko Design)
A seamless background can do a lot to make the focal point of a photo really pop! Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or just trying to get Instafamous on Instagram, you’ll fall in love with Foldio! It allows you to take your own seamless background on the go so you can photograph smaller objects anywhere. Flat-pack ready it fits in any bag or backpack and is super-easy to fold up when you need it!
It’s that time of the year when you get the jitters and start hunting high and low for the perfect gift. Allow me to put you out of your despair, and give you the heads-up on a product that appeals to all ages (young and old) across the board. Sphero. My Superhero! Yes, it’s that kinda thing that appeals to the gamer, the techie robotic kind, the shy, the friendly, the design freak, the outdoorsy and the indoors. In short…everyone! This sophisticated and programmable robot is the buzz-word for today!
At its core, Sphero is a robotic ball that you can drive around using your smartphone or tablet. But that’s just the beginning. Since there are millions of ways you can use the Sphero, it’s a guarantee that you won’t get tired or bored of it. Interestingly, you can use it as a muse for your pets! What I like most about it is that you can get creative with the way you use it.
For example, you can build an obstacle course using the ramps that come included in the box or play a high-tech version of golf using the Sphero Golf app. The possibilities are endless. Top of my head, I can think of taking it to the pool with me, play tag with it, innovate with awesome augmented reality games like Sharky The Beaver or indulge in tabletop games like ColorGrab.
Sphero travels easily and gives you over an hour of non-stop play. Its deigned creatively with cable free induction charging. You can use iOS and Android systems to control the play and the system comes with 25 free games and apps available for download.
To make the Sphero more durable and fun, there is a special Nubby cover designed. It essentially converts the Sphero into the ultimate off-road robot, giving strategic advantage navigating over gravel, water, and concrete. Nubby also protects against scratches and scuffs. Here’s the fun part of it all, Orbotix has a limited edition version called Sphero 2.0 Revealed that is sold exclusively at Apple Stores.
As a special gesture, when you buy a Sphero from the online store, you can get a free Nubby cover with your purchase!
– Yanko Design Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world! Shop CKIE – We are more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design! (Sphero, My Super Hero was originally posted on Yanko Design)
Mention Kickstarter in a room and see how people start off with their two cents on the pros and cons. The bottom line on this topic is that crowdfunding is here to stay and innovations like the Auris Skye are in our hands thanks to the concept. The pain of getting seamless WiFi connectivity especially when you move from room to room is a thing of the past. The device is a receiver for your Music Dock that Streams Music Using Airplay or DLNA.
If you ask me, then I’ll brand the Auris Skye as my music buddy, the one that that gives me the freedom to enjoy high resolution audio quality. Marking a new generation of WiFi music receivers that works well with AirPlay or DLNA, you can only imagine my excitement of hooking up my iPad and iPhone or iTunes to it. Android and Windows Phone users need not fret as Auris Skye has you covered.
I asked the Co-founder and CEO Jay Shah, on what drove him to bring us such innovation; he said that his team and he had identified several limiting factors in popular music receivers. These included pairing issues, low operation range, poor sound quality and limited compatibility. To overcome these challenges, Jay and his team immersed themselves in a year of R&D to perfect the technology that eliminated these problems. The end result is the super popular Auris Skye.
From a design perspective, I think we can safely give Jay’s team a full ten-star. The receiver is sleek, intuitive and easily slides onto the 30-pin docking station. The whole point of giving freedom to your music, reverberates in the fact that you can play your music from any compatible device (like an iPhone) and move with your groove!
For the first time only, simply add skye to your WiFi network, and follow the connection instructions on the free skye control app.
From there, you can stream audio wirelessly from your iOS, Android, Windows phone devices and Mac/PC in your WiFi network with AirPlay (for iOS) and DLNA (for Android and Windows) support while staying connected to the Internet at the same time.
Skye uses Apple Lossless technology to keep every note beautifully clear
WiFi technology also means that you can freely roam throughout your home without worrying about keeping your device close to the speakers.
You can stream music to multiple docks one at a time or stream simultaneously with iTunes on a Mac or PC Lossless.
No need to charge the Auris Skye as it simply pulls power from your music dock.
So if you’re a free bird like me who likes to listen to high quality sound with tech-savvy finesse and utter freedom, then get your Auris Skye here, today!
Just when you thought artist Nils Völker couldn’t expand on his expansive respiratory installations, we’re bringing you a new title to the bunch. Like with his last breathing light installation, “Thirty Six,” his newest addition “Seventeen” adds just enough new appeal to catch our attention.
This one features the somewhat creepy breathing motion that the artist is known for along with some smart light play. More understated and zen-like than the others, “Seventeen” culminates in an undulating hanging light system made of Tyvek. The lights are brought to life with cooling fans, LED lights and custom-made electronics. Check out the video below to get the full scope of the installment. Make sure to full-screen this one—it’s the only way to watch Völker’s work in action.
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