If you’ve dreamed of making your own computer that looked straight out of a movie set, all the planets and stars have aligned to make it happen.
Although things called single-board computers have existed before it, the Raspberry Pi can be credited for giving birth to a new generation of creators, makers, and hackers that democratized processes that were once available only to big companies. Every day, the world is greeted with half a dozen or so “hacks” that try to solve a problem or even solve a problem no one thought was even a problem, using only off-the-shelf materials assembled together in garages or basements. Not all of them turn out to be useful or even attractive, but some do pique our interests, like this DIY pocket computer that actually works like a regular computer.
Called the Penkesu Computer after its creator, the ultra-compact device that resembles a bulky communicator from the good old Nokia days has a distinctive charm despite its unpolished looks. While you probably wouldn’t use it for serious work, the wide but short laptop has the makings of a cyberpunk prop, specifically a cyberdeck that’s often used by characters to access the net or other computers. If you’re into that genre and style, the Penkesu Computer will definitely tickle your fancy, and it will undoubtedly turn heads if you use it in some cafe.
It’s not for sale, though, but makers and hackers will probably love even more the fact that you can make one yourself. Penk Chen has generously provided the exact list of materials and components to buy, as well as the pattern for 3D printing the enclosure. Almost anyone can freely follow in his footsteps, though you’d at least need to have access to a 3D printer.
There might be a bit of soldering involved, though a lot of the parts also just need to be plugged into each other. It isn’t a trivial project for beginners, but there are also variants of this kind of DIY project that are more involved and more complicated. It’s an endeavor that will definitely generate a euphoric feeling of satisfaction when completed, earning you your “hacker” badge.
The best part? This isn’t just a prop or toy device. The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W inside can actually run a full Linux-based operating system. You won’t be flying with it, of course, but it can still let you get stuff done, complete with a hacker feeling.
“As a domestic source of electricity in times of digitalization, [power outlets] are an important asset that allows most people to work at home in different places,” writes Marie Radke, a Masters candidate in Product Design at the Berlin University of the Arts. Yet despite their ubiquity and importance, Radke finds power outlets are “still quite undesigned and often not so easy to reach.” This of course requires workarounds:
This then became the subject of Radke’s final project, VOLTA:
“While improvised solutions of multiple sockets under tables or sofas force us to bend and stretch, VOLTA brings the power to you. The collection consists of 3 objects with sockets: a multifunctional lamp, a multiple plug and an extension cord to clamp. So there is always a power outlet within reach.”
I like the thinking, though I suppose the issue of trip hazards should be addressed as well. I often find myself wishing the power outlets in my house could magically descend from the ceiling when summoned.
If there’s a consensus for how robots should locomote, it’s that they either move over the ground on wheels or legs (or combinations of such), or they float and fly. Researchers at CalTech, however, decided to create this jaunty little hybrid called LEO:
The LEO robot stands just 2.5 feet tall. It’s cute for sure, but all I could think was, why does it walk at all as opposed to being purely a flying robot? Unless you are using it specifically to transport skateboards as in the video, I couldn’t see the value.
But CalTech’s researchers point out that this is, well, research. It’s experimentation for the sake of it, in search of a potential application. “We drew inspiration from nature. Think about the way birds are able to flap and hop to navigate telephone lines,” says researcher Soon-Jo Chung, Bren Professor of Aerospace and Control and Dynamical Systems. “A complex yet intriguing behavior happens as birds move between walking and flying. We wanted to understand and learn from that.”
“By using a hybrid movement that is somewhere between walking and flying, the researchers get the best of both worlds in terms of locomotion,” the researchers write. “LEO’s lightweight legs take stress off of its thrusters by supporting the bulk of the weight, but because the thrusters are controlled synchronously with leg joints, LEO has uncanny balance.”
As for what the future applications could be, the research team is thinking of adaptive landing gear systems, not just for robots on Earth, but for rotorcraft on Mars. Being able to stick the landing on tricky terrain, particularly when you’re 200 million miles from help, would be a boon for NASA.
Founder Emily Rudman debuts a thrilling collaboration that she has been working toward her whole life
Emily Heath Rudman named the luxury beauty company she founded after her superhero alter ego, EMILIE HEATHE, a moniker she feels reflects minimalism and balance, with a nod to her love of comic books—which also infuses the independent brand’s surprising collaboration with the forthcoming feature film The Batman. It’s the realization of a longtime dream for the founder, who thinks of her brand as a series of “elevated essentials, little luxuries,” she tells us.
Rudman’s descriptions echo across each item in her 10-free roster—from geometric nail polish bottles to gleaming mirrored lip balm tubes—each of which has been developed to be clean, nourishing, sustainable and heavily influenced by design and architecture. The company motto reads, “Where beauty meets art.”
When Rudman was a young girl she began to collect comic books and taught herself to draw her own. It was in the process of drawing characters that Rudman first began to “do makeup” while illustrating the features of the faces. As she got older and saw her sister experimenting with makeup she wanted to join in and try as many products as possible. She remembers looking forward to going to the nail salon with her mom. These outings were the first time she saw women who looked like her. They often asked her if she spoke Korean, which she does not, but she loved the shared beauty experience and the chance to choose nail polish colors and designs. By middle and high school she was reading Kevyn Aucoin’s Making Faces and Bobbi Brown’s Teenage Beauty books.
Rudman attended Tufts University, where she studied Spanish and economics. While there, she spent a lot of time with international students, and took time to hone her makeup skills by helping friends get ready for events. She returned to NYC where she was raised, earned an MBA at Columbia and felt ready to make her way in the beauty industry. She attended MUD makeup school, worked at a MAC store, developed products at Avon and booked wedding makeup artist jobs on the weekends.
When she felt it was time to put all of her studies and experience into action, she began to map out the plans for EMILIE HEATHE. During the two and half years spent creating her dream nail polish, Rudman teamed up with Established for branding and bottle design. “One of the ways I felt we could stand out was with our packaging,” says Rudman. “I wanted something high-touch, beautiful, very industrial and something geometric.”
During the collaborative process, Rudman and the Established designers looked at multiple variations. “We would get some of the samples 3D printed so we could physically see what we wanted,” explains Rudman. “It’s all about art,” she adds. Rudman finds inspiration in the combination of craft and fine art of Bauhaus as well as Danish and Swedish architecture. For the nail polish bottles they considered a sculptural stacking design, but concluded that it was too technical. They then began to focus on the circle idea. “That’s when I said, if we can’t do something inspired by LEGOs, another way to connect them would be magnets.” The first set featured five shades: Perfect red, Big Night Out purple, Half & Half white, Just The Nip nude and a burnt orange inspired by NYC called Public. Later they added a blue-toned black and a series of luxe metallics.
Courtesy of Emilie Heathe
Before starting EMILIE HEATHE, Rudman had worked in nail and lip product design and innovation. “It seems like it goes hand in hand. Nails and lips,” she says, acknowledging the word play. “For the products we are always thinking about an Asian American consumer to address problems I am trying to solve for myself or others who have similar features as mine,” she adds, noting that she uses her own products, many of which were developed when she couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for.
Rudman has continued to expand her offerings. “We create skincare products as it relates to your color cosmetic routine. For example, having great prepped lips helps you put on your lipstick to look amazing. We are also working on a hand serum, so that when you are putting on your beautiful nails and nail art and manicures you have the best conditioned hand and cuticles,” she says. “We like to say every product is a hero product. Every product is a superhero for us.”
As for comic books, Rudman’s love has only grown. She says, “All my friends, after a year, lost interest and went on to other things, but I became obsessed.” Rudman continues to read comic books. Recent acquisitions include artists that she followed as a kid: Jim Lee, Joe Madureira, Michael Turner and J Scott Campbell (who she met one time at Comicon while dressed as Harley Quinn). Rudman is thrilled to debut her first film collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics for The Batman.
The one thing I learned as an entrepreneur is that you can always ask because the worst thing they can say is no
“You could call it manifest destiny,” says Rudman. “The one thing I learned as an entrepreneur is that you can always ask because the worst thing they can say is no. People are so afraid to ask for things. It’s worth taking the risk.” Over the years, she has reached out to both Marvel and DC. Her determination was rewarded when DC responded with a yes. The Batman Nail Artist Trilogy collaboration blossomed into custom nail polish colors for The Batman. Rudman brought Established back to help customize the bottle design and create new thematic secondary packaging. Warner Brothers’ official style guide for The Batman asked them to reflect on the themes of “Unmask the Truth” and “Vengeance.”
First up was to develop an EMILIE HEATHE shade that celebrates the title character. While considering a black tone similar to the Batmobile, Rudman began to envision a deep blue. “We call it The Dark Knight, a play on words,” explains Rudman. “It is a dark blue with a silver pearl and looks like the ‘night’ sky.” They created Madness in a luscious green with a purple flip to represent The Riddler’s vibrant clothes and dual personality. And Rudman was inspired by Selina Kyle’s transformation into Catwoman for the color called Vengeance. “I think of her as elegant, with long nails and very seductive,” she says. The plum-wine red polish with blue pearl undertones evokes blood and revenge.
When asked what her younger comic-book-obsessed self would think about creating custom products for The Batman film, she replies, “Part of her would be in disbelief and part of her would think, “I knew this was going to happen!” This has been my goal. I remember looking at MAC products and the collaborations they would do with artists and brands and I remember thinking, ‘Oh yeah, that will be me some day. I am going to do a comic book collaboration.’ And it happened!”
For the film’s release, Rudman intends to open a bottle of her The Batman Nail Artist Trilogy polish, paint on some Vengeance, sit back and enjoy.
When Elon took to the stage to reveal the Cybertruck design, he made a pretty telling and significant observation – when you put the top pickup trucks right beside each other and remove their branding, it’s difficult to tell them apart. That statement ushered in a new age of pickup truck design, with Tesla, Rivian, Canoo, and a bunch of other automotive companies redefining what a new-age electric pickup truck should look like. With this new pickup concept, it seems like Jeep is throwing its hat into the ring too.
The Jeep Pickup Concept by Aitor Amigo López is a balanced fusion of modern yet traditionally brawny… a combination of beastly and refined – sort of like ‘Smart Hulk’. I wouldn’t imagine a lumberjack or trucker behind the wheel of this car… but swap out their flannel shirt and dungarees for a leather jacket and sunglasses and maybe they’d fit right into this modern monster.
When López envisioned his concept, he undoubtedly flashed his creative license quite a bit. Purely from a realism standard, there are a few things that feel ‘far-fetched’ about this concept, although on paper, the Jeep Pickup is purely a ‘what if’ exercise, so it’s best viewed from that lens.
The Jeep Pickup sports the same low-poly edgy design as the Cybertruck, although it isn’t shy to explore curves, complex 3D surfaces, and an overall aesthetic that’s more expressive than Cybertruck’s bare-basics minimal design. The concept makes use of both sheet metal as well as carbon-fiber, creating a dual-color effect around the front, sides, and back that’s definitely interesting to look at. The mammoth of a vehicle floats majestically off the floor with ground clearance that’s enough to let you drive over boulders without worrying about them hitting the underside of your car. This concept may look like it was designed to have an electric powertrain under the hood, although grilles on the front of the car make me wonder otherwise.
Now onto the more ‘unrealistic’ details on the Jeep Pickup. For starters, the car doesn’t sport any glass panels. The front and rear windshield are made from a pretty futuristic-looking hexagonal armor-panel (I’m getting Crysis vibes), while the side windows are decidedly opaque. One could assume that the interior of the car’s equipped with massive HUDs and display panels (sort of like the inside of a tank)… given the impression the Jeep Pickup is trying to make, that seems like a pretty fitting design direction. The opaque panels, sadly, mean that there’s no way to see what the insides of the pickup look like. Maybe the designer will detail it out sometime in the future.
Speaking of ‘future’, the car’s modern aesthetic is further completed thanks to its edge-lit headlight and taillight, the lack of side mirrors, and even door handles. The truck does, however, come with a pretty spacious rear bed. Big enough for a quad-bike… or maybe a hovercraft if we’re this far into the future?
It was once common for homes in America to be designed with wall penetrations that were neither doors nor windows. Instead, these “milk doors” allowed milkmen to deliver bottles of fresh cow juice without leaving them in plain sight.
With porch piracy now a persistent problem, it didn’t take a genius to see that a tweaked version of these would make a comeback. A company called MB Sentinel is advertising their Box Gobbler, an in-wall package receptacle with a keypad lock that promises to keep your packages safe.
The width of the package opening is advertised as 14″ wide, so I imagine the unit was designed to be installed between standard 16″-on-center wall studs, (making them easier to retrofit than say, framing out a new window). In the photo below, which is obviously of new construction, it looks to me like they’re using 2×6 studs and that the Box Gobbler is being installed between two that are 16″-on-center, and being framed next to what will be the front door.
Of course, framing one of these in isn’t the only thing required. In the video below, we can see–by absence, not inclusion–that there’s an additional consideration required: Building something on the inside of the house. As depicted below, the Box Gobbler simply opens into the garage, with the entire room in full sight. If this was my house, I’d build some sort of closet or enclosure to shield the interior from view.
For those who don’t have garages or who live behind gates, MB Sentinel also manufactures freestanding units that can be placed at the end of a driveway or integrated into a fence.
Some of these units can receive letters as well, through a smaller door in the top of the units.
The in-wall units start at $1,895, while the freestanding units are in the $4,000 range, not counting whatever you decide to clad it in (and I assume you must also pour a small concrete pad to anchor it to). That’s a lot of money, unless you’ve already had $4,000 worth of packages stolen from you, but I suppose what you’re really paying for is peace of mind.
I place these products in the category of “It’s a shame these exist, but I see why they must.”
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Timex’s iconic Q Timex collection, the beloved watch brand has brought back a distinct archival design in the Q Timex 1972 Reissue. From the 43mm polished gold-tone stainless steel case (in a rounded tonneau shape) to its rich red face and period-specific domed acrylic crystal, bold design decisions successfully align for this quartz wristwatch.
Container House is a modular family residence near Stockholm, Sweden that’s built from eight shipping containers.
Shipping containers give new meaning to modular home design. Chosen for its structural integrity and prefabricated build, the shipping container is a sustainable and long-lasting choice for home builders. Måns Tham, architect and founder of Måns Tham Arkitektkontor, recently finished work on a multi-year, shipping container project that’s home to a family of five. Completed with eight 20′ and 40′ disused high-cube shipping containers, the residence gives rise to a geometric monolith posed on a steep lot near a lake outside Stockholm. Simply calling it Container House, Tham mentions, “It’s as if a flying Tetris block landed on steep granite rocks.”
Inspired by their interest in customized American cars, Tham’s clients felt a connection to the DIY nature of turning shipping containers into modular homes. In addition to the natural connection they felt to shipping container architecture, the couple chose to build with shipping containers for their sustainable appeal, flexibility, and prefabricated structural integrity. Generally speaking, all of this allows architects to build shipping container homes quickly, but that’s not always the case. For Container House, it took just about three years to reach completion. Built on a steep cliffside, Container House’s chosen location brought some challenges with it.
The jagged terrain gives way to an unforgiving canyon, where rainwater collects before flowing toward the lake. Working with such wild terrain becomes difficult when your main structural elements are rigid shipping containers that have predefined parameters. Joining shipping containers together generally requires some tradeoff of their structural integrity. When a shipping container’s wall is removed to merge with another shipping container and form a larger living area, some of the structure’s integrated support is also removed.
Tham found stability and efficiency in a layout that props three shipping containers on the ground level, where an outdoor entryway leads to the residence’s den that flows into a guest room, where guests can enjoy a utility room, laundry, and full bath. Just above the ground level, four additional shipping containers create space for an open-plan living area that includes a kitchen, living area, and dining room.
On the same level, an outdoor terrace is delineated by an open-air steel frame that cradles a catwalk to bring residents to the forest’s edge. On the largest floor of the residence, a bathroom, main bedroom, and three smaller bedrooms can be also found. Posed on top of it all, a single shipping container functions as a lookout level for residents to bask in the views of the rugged cliffside and nearby lake.
We’re almost a month and a half into 2022, which makes me wonder, how’s everyone fairing with their New Year fitness resolutions? Are you still on track to achieving your fitness goals, or did you give up somewhere in mid-Jan and turned to carbs for consolation? In all honesty, I’ve really surprised myself. I’ve been maintaining my efforts to work out regularly, eat cleaner, hydrate abundantly, and move my body about as much as I can. COVID-19 has made hitting the gym nearly impossible, so I’ve been turning towards home workouts, and they definitely do wonders. Home gyms are an amazing way of sticking to your fitness resolutions and getting in your daily dose of cardio. But picking the right kind of equipment to meet your workout needs is imperative! This prevents injuries and ensures we work out in the correct and safe manner, without pushing or damaging our bodies. In an attempt to motivate you to follow through and not give up on your fitness resolutions for 2022, we’ve curated a collection of home gyms to ensure you don’t skip out on any leg days!
1. The Olympus Grips
The Olympus Grips are built to accommodate even the toughest workouts. They sport a reinforced steel frame capable of taking up to 500 lbs of weight per handle, a rubberized base for high friction, and silicone handles for comfortable gripping. The grips sport a proprietary connecting mechanism called SR 360 Connect that allows them to connect to each other. The 360 connection allows the grips to stay connected but still swivel on the same axis, letting you perform a whole range of Self-Resistance exercises with an expanded range of movement that lets you comfortably move your arms while exercising or switch arm positions. Along with letting you do conventional exercises like pushups, handstands, and lunges, the grips are even equipped with swivel eyebolts on each side to let you attach resistance bands, nylon straps, etc. to help expand your exercise arsenal and work out your arms, core, and even legs.
2. Peleton Vibe
Peloton Vibe caters to every sense and muscle from start to finish, it is truly a whole vibe. The bench has a unique multi-position arm that can be moved to work with a variety of exercises. The lower portion stores a set of dumbbells that help expand to a larger range of guided workouts by the Peloton App service. Once you complete your workout, the bench seat and arm surface seamlessly transform into a massage experience. It utilizes built-in massage balls that can rotate and heat up based on your preferences. At-home gym equipment AND at-home spa? I would work out more often simply so I can make the most of the heated massage feature.
3. Walkolution Treadmill Desks
Walking is perhaps the easiest and most economical thing to do. You can start with it but what happens when working from home and staying at home are becoming the norm. One can’t just go around the neighborhood, at least, in some parts of the world due to fear of Covid. A treadmill is an answer. There are plenty of portable and smaller models available in the market that you don’t have any reason not to buy. But for those multitaskers, you can consider this desk treadmill from Walkolution. The most affordable model, the MT300 NEW WORK, is very compact and is a silent treadmill. It doesn’t have a desk but you can place it anywhere a standing desk. You can choose to get a handrail and standing aid. The other two models, the MTD700R WANDERLUST and the MTD800R ÄRA, are also compact and come with a silent treadmill workspace with an integrated desk and a free-standing premium lift desk, respectively. Both offer ergonomic standing aid and hand-rail. The standing desk on each model is adjustable.
4. The Stoyka
Merging the home gym with storage capabilities, the Stoyka from product design studio Dydykin is a power rack for the modern home designed to look like high-end furniture. Since physical fitness has become integral to our daily routines, the purpose behind Stoyka aims to strike a balance in using living spaces as fitness studios. In finding that harmony, the designers behind Stoyka integrated a storage system into the power rack, which slides out from behind the power rack’s rear wall. These sliding racks carry enough room to store the power rack’s barbells, round weighted plates, as well as rack accessories like support beams and spotter’s arms.
5. Kondition
Oliver Perretta’s Kondition was inspired by a piece of furniture that actually resembles a standard workout bench, IKEA’s BEKANT series. Both IKEA’s BEKANT and Perretta’s Kondition have similar personalities. They appear as modest, simple furniture designs whose true essence shines through in their ability to blend into any given room. At first, an unassuming side bench or low-rise table during living room hours, and then an adjustable home workout with a sliding bench come gym time. Perretta was certain to make bullnose corners for Kondition’s workout station to enhance both the piece’s adaptive nature and its approachability in its inherent baby-proof design. Additionally, Perretta plans to utilize aluminum extrusion in any eventual construction process to ensure a high strength to weight ratio for more intense workouts. Stamped panels also make for easy and deep cleaning so that job won’t ever feel stressful after a good sweat.
6. The-O
Meet “The-O” exercise bike designed to be minimalistic, sans all the fancy features you’ll never end up using in your daily fitness routine. The fitness accessory is designed keeping in mind the quirks of owning one. First up is the space requirement and the non-flexibility of usage. Then there is the complexity of use which mars the whole purpose of a simple fitness regime. The-O has none of them, and it doubles as a functional piece of furniture when your fitness is kept on hold for some days or even weeks. Use it as a seat for your casual work regime or turn it into a bar chair for parties – the options are endless. You can even turn it into a base for keeping indoor plants.
7. Floe
Recognized by Good Design for 2021’s Sport and Lifestyle category, Floe appears as a simple, backless bench, but hidden storage compartments reveal much more. Stocked with everything you might need in the gym, including a yoga mat, foam roller, kettlebell, and medicine ball, Floe even comes with a virtual coaching feature similar to the services found on Peloton. Equipped with an extendable viewing stand and iPad, Floe users can follow along with programmed workouts in the comfort of their own homes. From yoga to weight training, Floe offers it all and transforms back into an inconspicuous entryway bench once the sweat session ends.
8. The TechnoGym Bench
The TechnoGym Bench is your perfect alibi towards the goal of a healthy lifestyle without any unnecessary frills. This sleek and versatile bench holds all your workout tools and doubles as a workout leverage point for many different exercises. Thus, satisfying your need for a complete workout from the confines of your home if you are skeptical about heading to the gym amidst the ongoing pandemic. The functional training kit includes a myriad of over 200 body workouts. There are tools such as elastic bands, hexagon dumbbells, weighted knuckles, and a training mat – in a compact footprint to cater to all your workout needs. Perfect for small apartments or urban spaces where space is at a premium.
9. FUORIPISTA
Whilst gym equipment may look right at home in… well, a gym, it does clash with the décor of most domestic settings. Seeing as we certainly don’t need another excuse not to exercise, it’s about time we have a more desirable alternative to all that clunky equipment! The solution is FUORIPISTA, a piece of fitness equipment that is undoubtedly an aesthetically pleasing object while meeting our functional demands. FUORIPISTA’s transparent legs achieve a visually light design so it can sit unobtrusively within the room. These legs have been paired with a wooden body that makes up the frame of the bicycle; with the design being treated in a manner that complements the existing furniture within the room instead of standing out and creating disharmony.
10. The CLMBR
Meet the CLMBR, it’s a combination of an elliptical trainer, a bench-press, a stationary cycle, and has elements of cardio dancing, HIIT training, and even rock-climbing in it. Designed to give every single muscle in your body an intense workout, the CLMBR helps 60% more calories than running, rowing & bike workouts… and its vertical design allows it to fit into the smallest of homes and rooms. On the floor, the CLMBR occupies roughly 3×3 feet of space or about as much as two doormats. Most of the CLMBR’s gear is oriented vertically, which allows it to do two things – A. Occupy a fraction of the space of a home-gym yet give you all of it, and B. Use gravity to its advantage to make your workouts more intense and effective.
With its new brand name and its newly unveiled theme for the 2022 leg of the competition, the Movin’On Challenge Design is all set to revolutionize the world of transport and make it sustainable, equitable, and beneficial to everyone.
Formerly known as the Michelin Challenge Design, the international competition has a rich 21-year history when it comes to fostering and encouraging innovation from the brightest minds in the design industry. Over the last two decades, the challenge issued a broad brief to designers, asking them to create concept electric vehicles, conceptual Le Mans race cars, and even its 2021 brief — “Respect”, a call to end the mobility divide between people from different communities, walks of life, and with different abilities. Michelin Challenge Design became Movin’On Challenge Design in 2020, reflecting its integration as a featured program of the Movin’On Summit, the world’s foremost gathering for sustainable mobility. Created and inspired by Michelin, the Summit brings together large companies, startups, public and academic authorities, NGOs, and international organizations, as well as a community of experts and professionals to move from ambition to action.
The Movin’On Challenge Design now enters its 2022 edition with its competition theme: DELIVERED. The brief of the theme is to invite designers to focus on logistical equality and equitability, or being able to get goods and services to the people who need them. Nearly 30 percent of the world’s population lives outside urban centers and an equal number reside in economically depressed urban areas with sub-standard infrastructure. The 2022 Movin’On Challenge invites participants to design a mobility solution to provide essential services to all people in a safe, efficient, and sustainable way. The challenge isn’t even a transportation-focused one anymore. It’s open to artists, designers, engineers, architects, city planners, creatives, or anyone with a strong vision to build a more equitable, sustainable future by considering mankind’s need for and relation to mobility. Participants are encouraged to:
Identify the people or communities that your solution would serve, by including related research, and how it will improve their quality of life.
Explain how your idea is built on the foundation of inclusive design to enhance the human experience, and not simply to make services more convenient for those who already have access.
Illustrate how your innovative solution will deliver services to people.
The 2022 Movin’On Challenge Design is now accepting entries up until its submission deadline of March 1st, 2022. The Challenge’s top three winners will be announced at a Movin’On global event in June and concurrently through Movin’On social media channels. Through its first 21 challenges, the competition has received more than 14,700 entries from 136 countries. Scroll down to see a few of our favorites from the 2021 challenge, with its theme: RESPECT.
The Crosswing’s clever design turns a prosthetic leg into a skateboard that the prosthetic-wearer can use to skateboard – either for recreation or transportation. The prosthetic leg features a fold-out skateboard that when closed, provides the same walking experience as a prosthetic leg but when opened out, offers a riding experience that compares to a skateboard or pair of skates! The multipurpose artificial limb “turns a disadvantage into an advantage”, mentions Spahn, a fourth-year industrial design student at Kean University.
T.Flex by Siavash Jafari Jozani
T.Flex is an Adaptive Extreme Sports Wheelchair that aims to redefine the pleasure of having an active lifestyle with an enjoyable machine for individuals with limited lower-body mobility. Traditional wheelchairs are designed to be steady and balanced, a feature that becomes a problem for people who want their mobility solutions to be flexible, freeing, and frankly, thrilling. The T.Flex incorporates an innovative steering and a flexible structure to realize this freedom. Moreover, the riding position is highly customizable to meet the needs of individuals with diverse body characteristics, including paraplegics, above-knee amputees, below-knee amputees, and a host of other disabilities. While incredibly unconventional as a design solution, the T.Flex does justice to the 2021 challenge’s theme, giving respect to its user and allowing even the disabled to enjoy the thrills of racing and extreme sports!
Orbit by Seongha Lee, Byunghyun Bae, Byungyoon Jung and Minsun Lee
A modern solution for a modern problem, the Orbit is a mass-transit system designed to provide public transport for people with agoraphobia. The pandemic has drawn major attention to the need to socially distance, although people with agoraphobia find it difficult to be around other people, to begin with. Orbit aims to hit two birds with one stone, providing a public transport system that’s accommodating for all, while still creating a private, personalized travel experience. The larger vehicle acts as a ‘movable nest’ for smaller pods that can independently dislodge from the main body of the Orbit and complete last-mile pickups and drop-offs for people. The main vehicle covers fixed frequent routes while the individual pods provide access in remote areas, picking them up from their locations and taking them to the main vehicle, which transports everyone in their own enclosed bubble!
Tramo by Stefan Perriard
Tramo imagines transportation in a world without cars. Designed for the futuristic car-free city, Tramo offers an equitable mode of transport that’s safe, human-centric, and truly for everyone. The design adopts the shape of a pod-like platform that traverses across the city’s roadways. Its unique design makes space for people who want to stand or sit, as well as for wheelchairs and baby strollers. Designer Stefan Perriard describes Tramo as “a flexible solution with no need for stations — like a moving sidewalk” that you can hop onto or hop off from.
Concept Holosafe by Kiran Babu
The Indian Railways is among one of the world’s largest rail networks, although 41% of its accidents and 63% of its fatalities happen OUTSIDE the train, on railway crossings. Kiran Babu’s Concept Holosafe aims at making the railway crossing not only safer but much more informative too. There’s a sense of complacency when you see the barricade descend at a railway crossing, and most people simply assume that they’ve got a reasonable window of time to cross before the train ACTUALLY arrives because the barricade doesn’t tell you how long you have to wait. This attitude is so prevalent at unmanned crossings in India that the government has decided to completely close off all unmanned crossings in the interest of public safety. Kiran Babu’s solution is a novel one that promotes safety by eliminating complacency and replacing it with actionable information. While it isn’t entirely possible to prevent people from crossing over at unmanned railway crossings, Babu’s solution implements a holographic counter that acts as a ‘traffic light’ of sorts. The holographic barricade creates a virtual ‘red zone’ with a countdown clock to let people know how long they’ll be waiting at the crossing, and when the train passes by, it turns into a green zone with a countdown clock too, giving people a realistic idea of the time they’ve got before the zone turns red again. Sounds a lot like a certain Squid Game event, but hey… this one’s actually designed to SAVE lives!
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Rudman’s descriptions echo across each item in her 
First up was to develop an EMILIE HEATHE shade that celebrates the title character. While considering a black tone similar to the Batmobile, Rudman began to envision a deep blue. “We call it The Dark Knight, a play on words,” explains Rudman. “It is a dark blue with a silver pearl and looks like the ‘night’ sky.” They created Madness in a luscious green with a purple flip to represent The Riddler’s vibrant clothes and dual personality. And Rudman was inspired by Selina Kyle’s transformation into Catwoman for the color called Vengeance. “I think of her as elegant, with long nails and very seductive,” she says. The plum-wine red polish with blue pearl undertones evokes blood and revenge.
DC and WBEI. (s22)
