Hasta La Ideas

Here’s what we looked at this week:

After 13 years, NYC’s in-river swimming pool lands $16 million–as the designers get into a dispute.

Libman’s Step-On Dustpan: Ergonomic improvement, or pointless?

The Kim-e: A standing-height, hands-free powered wheelchair that’s essentially “a self-balancing personal mobility robot.”

Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot has invented the HoloTile floor, an incredible omnidirectional treadmill surface.

Product design with contrived UX: This tumbler with a physically corresponding coaster.

Vay’s transportation-on-demand is like Uber, but you drive yourself. A remote “teledriver” drops the car off with you, then whisks it away afterwards.

Ballie, Samsung’s vision for an AI-powered domestic robot, is a solution in search of a problem.

Design studio Bel y Bel has recreated the motorcycle from Akira, and will reportedly be selling electric versions this year.

After almost a decade, this laser gizmo that helps you drill straight is coming to market.

This Gravity Mag Reel 360, a “tactical cord reel gear holder” with a built-in magnet, is the latest bit of EDC porn.

These gigantic, transparent horn-shaped speakers are by British audio equipment designer Timothy Hill.

Marc Newson on designing the AX Visio, a pair of smart binoculars for Swarovski Optik.

Boomerang balls: Spheres that fly.

This OBH lockable bike helmet system, invented by an engineer, could use some design refinement.

The Duvel Chair, by industrial design consultancy Futurewave, repurposes beer truck tarps as chair upholstery.

Design classics: Enzo Mari’s Formosa and Timor perpetual calendars are still in production, 60-plus years later.

A better form factor for anti-package-theft porch lockers: A useable bench.

The boomloom, invented by artist Lauren Puchowski, is a portable loom. The invention was picked up by the Cooper-Hewitt Museum Shop.

Industrial design case study: Pelican’s first backpack, by ID consultancy studioFAR.