Hasta La Ideas

Most of the at-home medical devices that we have are more functional and not design-focused. The important thing for most users is that it does what it’s supposed to do, whether it’s measuring blood pressure or taking your oxygen saturation level. But what if the design of the device actually contributes to how regularly the “patient” will be using it and how regularly they use it is connected to early detection and diagnosis?

Designer: Lucas Couto

This is the idea behind the concept for a Home Breath Analysis device by designer Lucas Couto. Anyone who has taken care of a patient at home, whether a family member or a professional, knows how hard it is sometimes to make them use a device that is supposedly good for their health. Breath analysis has been one of the most important things used for early-stage detection and can also be recommended for some as a monitoring tool for related diseases or conditions.

Detecting Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and other aerosols are used to detect things like cancer, respiratory diseases, liver conditions, and even our metabolic health. Monitoring these is especially important for aging populations but they can also sometimes be the most stubborn when using breath analysis devices. So the emergence of new technologies has been a boon for at-home care and this design concept for a Home Breath Analysis device combines technology and the design factor.

The concept moved away from the usual medical device-looking analyzers which can look scary and intimidating for some. The goal is to come up with something that is simple-looking, that would feel comfortable when being used, and can even blend with the environment and look like part of your home decoration. And of course, have a working and accurate breath analysis device. What he came up with is a circular device that doesn’t look at all like the others in the market.

The docking station is also well-designed but the purpose is to protect the mouthpiece from dust and other particles. It of course charges the device as well through induction. Basically, the entire thing looks “non-medical” even as it’s supposed to bring a medical solution to home monitoring situations. Once the doctor gives the device to the patient, they can easily set it up at home without any medical personnel needed. There’s also an app that will connect to their Electronic Medical Records and which the doctor will have access to.

If this does become a product, it would be interesting to see if the design factor does make it easier for patients to use a breath analysis device at home. If ever it comes to a point that I would need to use one, I’d definitely prefer to use that rather than the ones that I had to use at the hospital.

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Real-time holograms, new multicolored fish, an infinity train, a remote restaurant and more from around the web

This Real-Time Hologram App Aims to Improve Remote Video Meetings

As an alternative to Zoom or other (empowering yet exhausting) remote video meeting services, the startup Matsuko—a finalist in SXSW Pitch 2022’s Extended Reality & Immersive Technology category—is developing real-time hologram-meeting capabilities. All one needs is an iPhone and the free Matsuko app. “Our brain is wired for the third dimension, and we need a sensation of people physically being there,” Maria Vircikova, cofounder and CEO of Matsuko, has explained. According to Fast Company, Vircikova, an AI researcher, partnered with Matus Kirchmayer, a former programmer on the Assassin’s Creed video game, to start developing Matsuko in 2017. Read more about their secret progress—and how XR goggles may be involved soon—at Fast Company.

Image courtesy of Matsuko

Scientists Declare a New Species of Multicolored Fish

A Maldivian scientist has officially announced a new fish species: the mesmerizing Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa, or rose-veiled fairy wrasse, named after the Dhivehi word for rose (finifenmaa). The rainbow-colored fish was first spotted in the 1990s but researchers believed it came from an already-known species. Now, scientists from the California Academy of Sciences, the University of Sydney, the Maldives Marine Research Institute and the Field Museum have amended that belief after careful study, concluding that the rose-veiled fairy wrasse is a unique species. Beyond its dazzling color, the fish is important as it represents the first time a new fish species has been scientifically described in a study by a Maldivian scientist, and its announcement contributes to conservation, taxonomy and the overall quest to understand the ocean. As co-author of the study Luiz Rocha says, “It speaks to how much biodiversity there is still left to be described from coral reef ecosystems.” Learn more about this stunning fish at CNET.

Image courtesy of Yi-Kai Tea

Landmark Australian Exhibit “Queer” Dispels The Practice Of Presuming Art as Heterosexual

Open now through 21 August at Australia’s National Gallery of Victoria, Queer is a triumphant exhibit, showcasing over 400 artworks that dispel the notion that art should be presumed heterosexual until proven otherwise. Expansive and full of camp, the exhibition’s contents span from ancient Egyptian amulets to Kylie Minogue and Indigenous works made today. In conjunction with each other, the artworks celebrate queerness—whether it appears overtly or not. Further, the art reveals connections between seemingly disparate pieces and gestures toward the queer experience of reading between the lines to create new meaning. Including LGBTQ+ icons like David Wojnarowicz and Yasumasa Morimura, the exhibit comprises different themes—shame and discrimination, real and imagined queer royalty, activism and more—to create Australia’s largest exploration of this kind. Learn more about this landmark show and how it was brilliantly curated at The Guardian.

Image courtesy of Peter Bennetts

New York Plans To Open First Marijuana Dispensaries With Licenses Reserved for People With Drug Convictions

New York State’s first outlets for retail marijuana are slated to open by the end of the year with officials planning on providing those with early licenses access to stock from local farmers as well as storefronts leased by the state. The first 100 to 200 of these licenses, however, will be reserved for people who have been convicted of marijuana-related offenses, or their relatives. This policy is an important step forward in creating equity for those who are disproportionately targeted and imprisoned over drugs, namely Black and Brown individuals. To bolster this economic opportunity, Governor Kathy Hochul proposed (and is likely to pass) a $200 million budget to help early business owners find and secure storefronts. Plans will kick off next week when the state opens applications for cultivators. Read more about this critical, unprecedented policy at The New York Times.

Image courtesy of Sara Naomi Lewkowicz/The New York Times

Non-Profit SkatePal Empowers Young Palestinians Through Skateboarding

Launched in 2013, SkatePal—a non-profit organization founded by Edinburgh-based Charlie Davis—seeks to support youth in occupied Palestine by fostering skateboard culture. The idea was sparked in 2006, when Davis skated down the streets in Palestine (where he was teaching) and found that his peers were intrigued. Realizing the physical and mental benefits that outdoor activities have on adolescents, Davis set out to build some of Palestine’s best skateparks, while also providing equipment and hosting lessons and summer camps for local youth. “These things transpose boundaries and political situations to create a sense of community and self-confidence,” he says. “Building concrete parks in Palestine means a lot more than it does over here because of the lack of space and the occupation.” For the community, particularly besieged by political strife and violence, skate culture provides a meaningful outlet to focus on. Learn more about it at The Face.

Image courtesy of The Face

The World’s Most Remote Michelin-Starred Restaurant Will Soon Be Even More Remote

The restaurant KOKS has brought culinary-curious tourists to the Faroe Islands, a remote and otherworldly North Atlantic archipelago, since it won its first Michelin star in 2017. Now, head chef Poul Andrias Ziska will transport the acclaimed establishment to Greenland’s Ilimanaq Lodge, some 200 miles above the Arctic Circle, for the next two summers (as they seek to find their next permanent location in the Faroes). This will be the first time a Michelin-anointed chef will set up shop in Greenland (which, like the Faroe Islands, is a semi-autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark). “As a Faroese person, I’ve always felt like there’s a connection there,” the chef explains to Bloomberg about the shift to Greenland. “It’s a place we identify ourselves with, at least when it comes to the raw materials.” Read more about the inspired transition at Bloomberg.

Image courtesy of Beinta á Torkilsheyggi

Decoding Pig Emotions With AI

A team of scientists—co-led by Elodie Briefer of the University of Copenhagen—has used an AI algorithm to translate acoustic characteristics within a pig’s grunts to determine how the animal is feeling. The aim of decoding these “oinks, snuffles, grunts and squeals” is to improve animal, and particularly livestock, wellbeing. As Briefer explains, “We have trained the algorithm to decode pig grunts. Now we need someone who wants to develop the algorithm into an app that farmers can use to improve the welfare of their animals.” Read more at The Guardian.

Image courtesy of Geoffrey Swaine/Rex/Shutterstock

Gustafson Porter + Bowman’s Eiffel Tower Landscape Plan Approved

With a 35% increase in green space, the addition of 200 new trees and the incorporation of pedestrian access across the Iena Bridge, Gustafson Porter + Bowman’s landscape plan for the Eiffel Tower site has now received final approval from the Paris City Council. The verdant, future-forward plan won the 2019 international competition surrounding the two-kilometer area’s redevelopment. “The first phase will transform the roundabout at Trocadero into lawn terraces with fantastic views of the Eiffel Tower, increase the amount of planting around the Varsovie fountain, green the entire Quai Branly and enhance the gardens around the Eiffel Tower,” Mary Bowman explains. Read more about the ambitious vision (which will commence this summer)—and see several stunning renderings—at Arch Daily.

Image courtesy of Lotoarchilab

Electric “Infinity Train” Charges Itself With Gravity

UK-based Williams Advanced Engineering has been acquired by Australian company Fortescue, which is transitioning toward green renewables and resources, and together they have announced the world first zero-emission Infinity Train. It’s electrically-powered and can move loads of iron ore without needing to be charged by an external source. Because the train travels downhill, there’s enough momentum and braking opportunities to regenerate power in the battery without ever needing an external source. Then, when the train travels uphill, it does so after being unloaded and is thus lighter, which supports the whole system. “The Infinity Train has the capacity to be the world’s most efficient battery electric locomotive,” says Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines. “The regeneration of electricity on the downhill loaded sections will remove the need for the installation of renewable energy generation and recharging infrastructure, making it a capital efficient solution for eliminating diesel and emissions from our rail operations.” Learn more about it at New Atlas.

Image courtesy of Fortescue Metals Group

Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning. Hero image courtesy of MIR

Bitcoins, dogecoins, and NFTs all live exclusively in the digital realm, but designers are now pushing back to make these virtual entities more tangible and, ultimately, more humane.

We live in a world that’s increasingly becoming more reliant on digital objects. A lot of work files today are digital, and much of our entertainment and communication happens over digital lines. Although it merges with the physical realm, the Metaverse aims to make our world half digital as well. Humans, however, are not just their eyes or ears. They have even more senses that get neglected, like smell and, most importantly, touch. It’s for that reason that designers are coming up with ideas to pull these digital artifacts into the real world, including the most perplexing one of them all: cryptocurrencies.

Designers: Giorgio Mastropasqua, Ivan Vecchia

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum aren’t going to replace conventional money anytime soon, and not just because they’re still too young. They are often considered to be distinct from traditional currencies, running in their own decentralized world. More importantly, the concepts and processes behind this kind of digital currency are so alien to most people that they approach it with fear, uncertainty, doubt, and even ridicule.

Even with many transactions and purchases happening online, people still find some comfort knowing that their money has some physical representation somewhere. They also take comfort in having a physical wallet to keep their money in, and wallets have become one of the most popular expressions of product design across all ages and genders. That’s the kind of comfort and familiarity that this Auroom Crypto Wallet tries to bring for digital currency owners.

The Crypto Wallet admittedly doesn’t look like a conventional wallet or plastic card, and it really doesn’t need to since it’s not storing conventional money. That frees it to take any form that is appropriate to the digital currency or brand. In this case, the designers opted to let it resemble the iconography of the fictional Auroom logo while still leaving some room for color options.

The most eye-catching part of this “wallet” is the screen that not only informs the owner about the state of a transaction but also authorizes it. A fingerprint scanner is presumably hidden beneath, just like on some smartphones today, to authenticate the owner before a transaction is completed. Given how cryptocurrencies depend heavily on security-related technologies, such a feature would be a necessity for any crypto wallet.

The one drawback with such a brand-specific wallet is that it might not be compatible with other cryptocurrencies or brands. That would mean you’d have to carry different fobs and keys with you, almost like carrying different cards that take up more space. Then again, cryptocurrencies are still in their infancy, even after so many years, so there’s no telling yet if there will be a unified system or wallet for all of them in the future.

The post Crypto Wallet fob concept gives digital currency a physical form first appeared on Yanko Design.

Using a technique called parametric design or generative design, automotive designer Ayoub Ahmad created the HV-001 by defining a set of conditions and allowing 3D algorithms to create an organic-looking automobile to fulfill those conditions. If the design looks almost like a skeleton, that’s no coincidence because natural evolution works the same way too – it designs skeletons based on a certain set of conditions. Humans have strong heels and tailbones for standing and sitting, birds have lightweight skeletons for flying, and goats have strong skulls for occasionally headbutting.

The car’s chassis itself becomes its body, with an exoskeletal framework that’s so organic and beautiful, it would be a shame to hide it under a fascia. The HV-001’s unique exterior tries to achieve strength and aerodynamism with as little material as possible, resulting in open spaces where material isn’t necessary, and connective pillars in places that take on gravitational stress, physical loads, or mechanical pressure. As far as surfaces go, the HV-001 opts for an almost mesh-like surface that has its own dimples or negative spaces to remove unnecessary material and reduce the car’s weight, making it more energy-efficient.

Designer: Ayoub Ahmad

The car’s uniquely skeletal design isn’t unlike the Formula 1 perfume bottles Ross Lovegrove designed in 2019 (he used parametric design too). With such intricately complicated forms, it’s almost axiomatic to rely on 3D printing to build out your creations. The car’s design definitely hints at being 3D printed, with the number of undercuts, contours, and complex surfaces all across its exoskeleton. The unique organic design isn’t just limited to the car’s chassis – its wheels have organic 3D printed rims, and the car’s cockpit (even its steering wheel) echoes the same organic generative design language. I wasn’t kidding when I said the HV-001 was almost entirely designed by algorithms!

The three most common parameters that define such designs are A. Strength, B. Minimal material/weight, and C. Aerodynamics to limit drag and boost efficiency. Simply looking at the car’s contours help you understand what path the air would take as the car cuts through it. The vehicle has a defined contour running along the sides, and an abundance of air intakes and outlets to keep the vehicle cool even when it hits maximum speeds. Fins on the back help cut and channel air too, and the lack of a traditional exhaust system is enough to make an educated guess that the HV-001 is powered by an electric or hydrogen-powered drivetrain. The car is conceptual, however, and is most likely just a form exercise by designer Ayoub Ahmad, a Dubai-based automotive designer.

The post This futuristic car was almost entirely designed by computer algorithms first appeared on Yanko Design.

The 4PM is a wooden chaise longue chair from Massproductions built to be ergonomic using a sustainable production process.

Massproductions is a slow furniture company, don’t let the name fool you. Since the furniture company only develops a few pieces every year, the ones that go into production guarantee a top-quality build and durable life span. Boasting an efficient, sustainable, and high-quality industrial production process, the company’s designers ensure the integrity of Massproductions’s vision. The company’s founder, Chris Martin, developed the 4PM Chaise Longue Chair to reinforce the company’s commitment to quality and produce an ergonomic, long-lasting chair for much-needed R&R.

Designer: Massproductions

From the design process to the production process and even shipping, Massproductions aims to maintain as small a carbon footprint as possible. To achieve this, Massproductions worked with KTH Royal Institute of Technology to identify the aspect of their production process that generated the most greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, Massproductions partnered with the Danish company MALBAR the entirely “green-ify” their product line.

Throughout its production process, the designers kept the materials needed to build the 4PM Chaise Longue Chair to a minimum. Comprised of flat and curved features, the 4PM Chaise Longue Chair is designed to create comfort out of hard material.

Constructed in either Douglas fir or cherry wood, the only upholstered component of the 4PM Chaise Longue Chair is the leather headrest. Balanced on top of the backrest, Massproductions held the headrest in place with a steel weight.

Martin initially felt inspired to design the 4PM Chaise Longue Chair in response to the past two years that had us all holed up in our homes, at times without fully functional and comfortable furniture pieces of our own. Speaking to this, Martin notes,

“A chaise longue is not really a piece of furniture you will ever need, but if you can afford it, it can gild everyday life…because a chaise longue takes up a lot of space in relation to its function. That’s probably why you do not see them so often in our homes. But now that we’ve been through two tough years, it’s time to sit back for some well-deserved rest. That is why we are launching 4PM”

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