3D-printed casts for fractured bones could replace the usual bulky, itchy and smelly plaster or fibreglass ones in this conceptual project by Victoria University of Wellington graduate Jake Evill.
The prototype Cortex cast is lightweight, ventilated, washable and thin enough to fit under a shirt sleeve.
A patient would have the bones x-rayed and the outside of the limb 3D-scanned. Computer software would then determine the optimum bespoke shape, with denser support focussed around the fracture itself.
The polyamide pieces would be printed on-site and clip into place with fastenings that can’t be undone until the healing process is complete, when they would be taken off with tools at the hospital as normal. Unlike current casts, the materials could then be recycled.
“At the moment, 3D printing of the cast takes around three hours whereas a plaster cast is three to nine minutes, but requires 24-72 hours to be fully set,” says the designer. “With the improvement of 3D printing, we could see a big reduction in the time it takes to print in the future.”
He worked with the orthopaedic department of his university on the project and is now looking for backing to develop the idea further.
After many centuries of splints and cumbersome plaster casts that have been the itchy and smelly bane of millions of children, adults and the aged alike, the world over, we at last bring fracture support into the twenty-first century.
The Cortex exoskeletal cast provides a highly technical and trauma-zone-localised support system that is fully ventilated, super light, shower friendly, hygienic, recyclable and stylish.
The Cortex cast utilises the x-ray and 3D scan of a patient with a fracture and generates a 3D model in relation to the point of fracture.
Designer Yves Behar of San Francisco studio Fuseproject has launched his OUYA open-source game console.
Fuseproject developed OUYA with technology start-up Boxer8 for open-source gaming on a TV, allowing developers to make their own games and tweak the hardware as they wish.
The anodised aluminium console designed by Behar is much smaller than rival devices thanks to the layout of components inside, which creates natural airflow and uses the aluminium as a heat-sink so a fan isn’t needed.
“The radically small scale of the console allows it to live discretely anywhere,” says Fuseproject. “Whether in the kitchen or the game room, the console’s small profile ensures it will stand as an accent rather than an eye sore.”
OUYA controller and console
Handles on the controller are also made of aluminium and frame a central touch-pad. “The use of authentic materials such as the aluminum is a quality and innovative approach not generally associated with gaming,” explains the studio.
Behar’s case includes a lid and a spring-loaded button to access the internal components, so the shell can easily be switched. The blueprints are available on Thingiverse, the online design database operated by 3D-printer firm MakerBot (see our earlier story).
OUYA runs on Google’s Android operating system and games will also be open-source and free, or available as a free trial.
“Both the interface and hardware are truly open, available to be hacked, changed and built upon in a real way. It is gaming for the people,” says Fuseproject.
OUYA user interface
The development of OUYA was funded through Kickstarter, with supporters pledging £5.6 million in exchange for first access to the console, making it the second-highest earning project in the crowdfunding website’s history.
OUYA is on a mission to bring gaming back to the TV, in an open and accessible way. From the design of the hardware to the user interface, from the logo to the name “OUYA”, as creative co-founders, we built a holistic brand. The product and experience is designed to be simple and bold, using high quality materials and ergonomics, all the while remaining affordable, truly embodying OUYA’s open platform.
Inspired by the indie gaming movement that has gained momentum over the last few years, OUYA partnered with fuseproject with a dream: open sourced gaming, built for the TV. We wanted to bring gaming back to its essence, moving away from the big companies that churn out predictable and formulaic games, excluding the developers and gamers who crave a different experience. Kickstarter gave us the unique opportunity to both harness the excitement and energy around a fresh new gaming experience and raise awareness about the product within the industry and beyond. After raising over $2.5 million in 24 hours, OUYA went on to raise over $8 million.
The OUYA hardware is designed for the utmost functionality in a clean, beautiful package. The radically small scale of the console allows it to live discretely anywhere; whether in the kitchen or the game room, the console’s small profile ensures it will stand as an accent rather than an eye sore. To achieve this, we laid out the internal components of the console to create a natural airflow without the use of a fan, allowing the console to retain its small and discreet profile. Also, the anodized aluminum material acts as a heat-sink and disperses heat produced by the components.
OUYA branding
With the design of the controller, we focused on feel and ergonomics to make a great tool for playing games. After dozens of form studies and over 50 structural prototypes, we achieved the optimal shape for the highest level of comfort and ease of use. On the surface, three vertical material areas organize the buttons visually and frame the controller’s unique touch pad. Using consumer feedback and research insight to guide our design, each button was sculpted and tuned to provide a highly functional experience. The O,U,Y,A controller buttons are laid out to correspond directly with the user interface in both order and color. From the tactile and cool to the touch aluminum handle areas, to the surface indentation on the analog sticks, to the shape and feel of the triggers, the OUYA controller is designed for optimal gaming.
OUYA’s hardware reflects a belief that quality can be affordable, and that craft is as identifiable in a well made game as it is in the product’s physical experience. The console form plays off the brand’s graphic elements in a fun, gestural fashion. Finally, the use of authentic materials such as the aluminum is a quality and innovative approach not generally associated with gaming, it ties the product offering together in an iconic way.
The OUYA user interface is at once simple and bold, standing apart from competitors while clearly communicating what OUYA is all about: individuality, openness and fun. The experience employs horizontal parallax scrolling in homage to classic games like Sonic and Super Mario. While working to create a sense of depth, the movement brings distinction to the medium. This type of navigation is not traditionally used in gaming experiences, but its roots in gaming history make it familiar. It immediately feels like a return to something great, to the essence of gaming that has been diluted over time.
The interface is graphically dynamic, and its prominent typography serves as a visual compass, always letting the user know where they are in the experience. The hierarchy the typography establishes makes the experience intuitive for newcomers and experienced gamers alike. From the user experience through the gamer’s interaction with the physical components, OUYA succeeds as a holistic experience. OUYA’s distinct mission of creating an open universe for gamers and developers alike lead to the building of a smart and adaptive system that brings the user closer to the experience they crave. Both the interface and hardware are truly open, available to be hacked, changed and built upon in a real way. It is “gaming for the people”.
French designer Claire Lavabre has made a mirror that only works when it’s placed in front of a dark shape painted on the wall.
A partial reflection is visible in the bevelled frame if it is placed in front of a white surface but the reflection becomes clear when the glass overlaps with dark matte paint.
Claire Lavabre used specially treated ultra-reflective glass that also retains high transparency. The effect is an enhanced version of looking at your reflection in a darkened window on a sunny day, or from a lit room when it’s dark outside.
Lavabre says she wanted to explore surfaces that are both reflective and transparent, overlapping images to create new perspectives. She’s proposed a series of six different geometric shapes and colours to be used with the frame. “In this way the mirror can be appropriated – people can choose the colour they prefer and it can adapt to different places,” Lavabre told Dezeen.
The project was developed during Lavabre’s studies at École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle (ENSCI) in Paris, where she graduated in December last year. It will be shown at the Design Parade 8 festival as part of an exhibition of work by ten young designers at Villa Noailles in Hyères, France, from 5 to 7 July.
Here’s a short project description from the designer:
Reflet
In this project I had a particular interest in reflections. Reflections appear on surfaces that are transparent and reflective at the same time. A tree reflects in a lake, in a train window. I like the overlaying of different images. When we look through the surface it is transparent. The surface tends to disappear like glass. On the contrary, when we look at a reflection on glass, this surface exists. It finds a presence by sending us our own image.
A geometric shape is drawn on a wall with paint. The frame of the reflective surface is leant on the wall. When this geometric shape and the reflective surface intersect, the reflection increases and this installation finds use. The geometric shape’s colours and shapes are numerous. Reflection system: wood frame, glass, paint. Variable shape and size.
Designers Jack Beveridge and Lizzie Reid have adapted the flocking process to make a hairbrush that’s coated in human hair.
Flocking involves depositing small fibrous particles onto a surface to make it fuzzy, and Beveridge and Reid cut-up discarded hair to coat the brush.
“Using the off-cuts of human hair from our local hairdresser, we cut the hair down to a length that could be put through an electromagnetic flocking gun,” says Beveridge.
The back and handle were smeared with adhesive, then the hair particles were negatively charged in the gun so they stuck to the earthed brush when fired.
A group of Royal College of Art graduates has used the pulp from mulched newspapers to form helmets for London’s cycle hire scheme (+ movie).
Tom Gottelier, Bobby Petersen and Ed Thomas took discarded free newspapers strewn around the city’s public transport system and used them to make paper mache.
The pulp was mixed with adhesive and pigment then vacuum-formed into shape, before being heated to dry it out.
Straps slot into grooves that criss-cross the top of the helmet, clipping together under the chin like the standard design.
The surface inside the helmet is also bevelled so air can flow through and keep the head cool.
Each helmet would cost around £1 and could be sold in a vending machine or nearby shops, offering low-cost safety equipment for London’s Barclays “Boris Bike” cycle sharing scheme.
Technology startup Edison Junior Design Laboratory has created a doorbell that allows users to see who’s at their door remotely on their smartphone or tablet.
The doorbell incorporates a camera that transmits live video and audio through an app, making it possible to communicate directly with whoever is outside.
“The biggest difference with DoorBot from any other doorbell system is that you will be able to see and talk to anyone who is at your front door from anywhere in the world,” August Cziment, director of operations at Edison Junior Design Laboratory in Santa Monica, California, told Dezeen.
By notifying users when the doorbell rings and immediately streaming live video, they have the option of whether to respond or to ignore the visitor.
DoorBot can also combine with an automatic door lock called Lockitron to enable the door to be unlocked remotely if someone trusted needs access.
Cziment says DoorBot is designed “to be bulletproof against hacking, but even if something crazy happened and it was hacked, the reality is the only thing a hacker could see is the area in front of your house.”
The project was launched on crowd funding website Christie Street and has surpassed its funding target of $250,000, raising $395,660 so far. The first units will be distributed in late July.
San Francisco designer Yves Behar has also recently designed a door lock operated by a smartphone app that unlocks the door when the phone is nearby, or grants access remotely through the app.
Your home is your most valuable asset, and now with DoorBot, you’re more connected to it than ever. DoorBot is a simple, yet powerful wireless doorbell that streams live video and audio of your front door directly to your smartphone or tablet. Simply install DoorBot, download the free app and you’re ready to go. Now, anytime you have a visitor you’ll not only be able to see them, but you’ll be able to talk with them as well. DoorBot is the perfect device because of the peace of mind you get while away from home, and the convenience you get while in it. DoorBot brings your front door to you – wherever you may be.
“Recent research shows that 91% of people keep their phone within 3 feet, 24 hours a Day,” (Morgan Stanley) making it the perfect device for monitoring your front door.
DoorBot is perfect for when you’re away…
Communicate with delivery people as though you were right there. Let them know it’s okay to leave the package at the front door. Or, tell the food delivery person to hold tight – you’ll be home in a minute.
Never miss another visitor. Whether it’s a neighbor stopping by to drop something off, or a friend who happened be in the area –– you’ll always know. Give the illusion you’re home; you might decide it’s best that an unknown visitor doesn’t realize that your home is vacant. Never again worry about who may, or may not be there. Leave your home with the peace of mind that your doorstep is right by your side.
And DoorBot is equally amazing for when you are home…
Never interrupt what you’re doing to find out who is at the door. Whether you’re lounging around or in the middle of something important, you don’t have to worry about dropping everything to answer the door.
See someone you don’t want to talk to? You don’t have to answer. With DoorBot you can check out the video stream before answering – if it’s someone you don’t want to deal with, simply ignore the notification. They’ll never even realize you were home. Lounging by the pool? Working in the garage? Playing with the kids in the backyard? DoorBot brings your front door to you –– wherever you may be.
Beautiful design. Easy to use.
DoorBot’s perforated brushed aluminum faceplate looks great on any front door. And it’s not just good looking; the internal and external components are carefully designed to endure the elements. DoorBot’s powerful camera captures amazing video in the daylight, and at nighttime. The adjustable camera lens allows you to position your DoorBot to your exact preference, so it always captures exactly what you need it to. DoorBot’s highly efficient Wi-Fi technology allows the device to run for a full year under normal use before needing to replace its 4 AA batteries.
Installing DoorBot couldn’t be easier. You can choose between mounting it using nothing more than 4 screws, or with our included bracket. Regardless, installation can be completed in a matter of minutes. Once the device is mounted simply download the free app, sync it to the DoorBot and you’re ready to go! You’ll never miss a visitor again. Think of it like having an extra set of eyes and ears.
Additional Features
Theft Prevention – We are looking at ways to improve the mounting bracket to prevent thieves from being able to take the device, or batteries. In addition, we’re guaranteeing that if your DoorBot is stolen, we’ll replace it – free of charge.
Legacy Doorbell Compatibility – We’ve gotten a lot of feedback around integrating DoorBot with your current doorbell. Well, we have worked with the engineers and we will be able to ding your doorbell if you currently have one in place. Now when a visitor rings the DoorBot not only will your smartphone and tablet be notified, but your home’s doorbell will chime as well. Also we are looking into being able to alternatively power DoorBot off of the doorbell wires, but as of right now we can not guarantee that.
DoorBot + Lockitron: The Perfect Marriage
Not only see who is at the door, but also let them in. Lockitron is an amazing wireless automatic door lock. Like Doorbot it is super easy to install. The team at Lockitron built their lock with an open design and because of that, we are going to add the Lockitron controls to the DoorBot app. Just enter your Lockitron credentials and you will see the door lock controls on the screen. So buy the Doorbot/Lockitron bundle and you will be able to see who’s at your front door and decide whether or not you want to grant them access – from anywhere, all from the palm of your hand.
This kit by Royal College of Art graduate Neil Merry allows musicians to control sound and lighting effects at their gigs by slinging the microphone around or waggling their instruments about (+ movie).
Presented at the Royal College of Art graduate show in London this week, the portable Plug + Play kit includes sensors that clip onto instruments or microphone stands, controlling sound and lighting according to the performer’s movements and gestures.
One senses the proximity of the performer to the microphone, for example, while another is activated by twisting the microphone stand.
“It’s about having control over things you wouldn’t normally have control of as a performer,” says Merry, who thinks the kit could bring more engaging performances to electronic music in particular: “With electronic music you can be stuck behind a laptop so you lose that interaction, whereas this lets you control the electronic sounds in a more physical way.”
He explains that while shows at a big venue might come with a sound desk and a lighting display, “this is a kit for intimate gigs on a small stage – it’s something one person can take with them.”
All the components clip together on the back of the lamp for easy transportation. Right now the sensors feed into a control box that relays changes to the speakers and a light, but Merry hopes to make the system wireless so it would be easier to set up.
Neil Merry is graduating from Platform 17 of the Design Products course at the Royal College of Art, where the show opens to the public from 20–30 June.
Plug + Play is a portable toolkit for the performance of electronic or computer-based music. Traditionally, electronic music requires the performer to hunch behind a laptop or synthesiser pushing buttons and twiddling knobs, as a consequence this can the lack live visual performance and on-stage energy of a more traditional band. Using a collection of sensors and lights, Plug + Play provides a means for a more dynamic performance of electronic music by translating gestures and actions into sound and lighting effects.
Each sensor works according to a different method of interaction (Movement, Intimacy, Twist & Slam) and can be worn on the body or attached to an existing instrument. As such, a microphone stand can become a 3D music controller, a maraca a heavy bass line or a raised hand a pulsating synth wave.
My design fits within the existing architecture of a live performance and interfaces with the huge range of sounds provided through modern music software (a sort of advanced, digital equivalent of the guitar pedal). With the increased accessibility of music creation programs on laptops and tablet devices, it has never been easier to produce your own music, however there are currently very few options when it comes to performing this music live. Plug + Play can integrate electronic sounds into a live band, orchestral performance, or simply give electronic artists new ways to create sounds and music. The whole kit can be packed up and easily carried and would be particularly suitable for performance in small music venues, as well as easily integrating into a larger stage set-up, suiting both bedroom producers and more established musicians.
As vocals are a common element in many electronic tracks, I used the microphone stand as my main point of focus for this project. Already featuring as a tool for expression by many performers, each Plug and Play sensor enables this expression and physical interaction to become a central part of the music creation. The result is to turn the simple microphone stand into an instrument in its own right and offer a more tactile and emotive interaction with electronic and digital sounds.
Neil Merry is a recent graduate of Design Products course at the RCA, studying on Platform 17 which focuses on the broad world of consumer electronics and is tutored by Martin Postler and Ian Ferguson. Within my work I look to find meaningful applications of technology that bridge gaps between the physical and digital and provide new spaces for interaction and expression.
As expected, the new operating system unveiled today at Apple‘s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco features uncluttered interfaces and marks a distinct shift away from imitating physical materials like leather and wood, bringing the brand’s software more in line with the pure and minimal style that Ive famously developed for its hardware. “We see iOS 7 as defining a important new direction, and in a way a new beginning,” said Ive in a movie shown at the launch.
“I think there is a profound and enduring beauty in simplicity, in clarity, in efficiency,” he continued. “True simplicity is derived from so much more than just the absence of clutter and ornamentation; it’s about bringing order to complexity.”
The team redesigned all the icons, stripped back typography and implemented a new colour palette
Distinct translucent layers of content are meant to help users maintain a sense of context while moving through the interface and a new “multitasking” feature means users can scroll between application windows without going back to the home screen.
“These planes combined with new approaches to animation and motion create a sense of depth and vitality,” says Ive, adding that just changing the desktop picture affects the look and feel across the entire system.
Transparent layers “create a sense of depth,” says Ive
The team has redesigned all the icons, refined and pared back the typography, and implemented a new colour palette. “In many ways we tried to create an interface that is unobtrusive and deferential, one where the design recedes and in doing so actually elevates your content,” Ive concluded.
Anticipation over the visual overhaul has been mounting since Ive was appointed head of the new Human Interface team at Apple in October, and experts have been predicting a move towards cleaner edges and flat surfaces over the textures and faux materials that came to characterise Apple’s software design.
Apple’s previous calendar design had particularly been under fire for its stitched leather look
“Obviously they didn’t go there with the hardware so why did they go there with the software? It’s a really good question,” he said. “There’s now many companies looking at it in a way that’s quite interesting and Apple actually is a little bit behind in that area.”
“Developing a grid system allowed us to achieve a much more harmonious relationship between individual elements,” said Ive of the new icons
Industrial designer Yves Behar of Fuseproject has unveiled a television set-top box that includes a remote control with no buttons (+ slideshow).
Designed by Fuseproject for American company Fanhattan, The Fan TV system allows users to search live cable TV channels as well as recorded shows and streaming services through one interface, so they can easily find something they’d like to watch regardless of whether it’s on cable or the internet.
The two parts are styled like pebbles and automatically align when stacked thanks to concealed magnets.
The Bluetooth remote control has a smooth touchpad with 200 sensors so users can navigate menus, change channels and control volume settings, without looking down, through a series of swipes and taps.
It’s deliberately not possible to just punch in channel numbers, but there is an on-screen keyboard for search.
The user interface design departs from the usual grids and time slots of TV menus, instead offering users a way to explore by scrolling through genres, actors, channels, what’s trending or what friends have recommended on social media.
A search for a specific show might bring up options for the latest episode being broadcast now, episodes from this series that have been saved to the cloud-based storage and episodes from past series available to stream, plus reviews and soundtracks.
Fanhattan already has an app for search and discovery of TV shows for streaming and this week made public a web service. The Fan TV device, however, will rely on partnerships with cable TV companies that have not yet been announced, though the device is scheduled to become available later this year.
“Everything about Fan TV is about cohesiveness between hardware and user interface,” says Fuseproject. “While others still look at these elements separately, Fanhattan and Fuseproject partnered at every step of the creative process to build the ultimate entertainment experience.”
Television and movies have been stuck by hardware and interfaces that are frustrating un-designed experiences. Fan TV has crafted the deepest and most magical experience, an easy and cinematic way to discover and watch all content.
At fuseproject, we have worked incessantly for the last two years to build a cohesive physical experience as well, a set top box and remote that change the game. The remote has no buttons and a touch surface, fits in the hand and is small in size. The cable box and the remote look like two pebbles, they physically connect through magnetic touch points that magically re-align both parts.
At its core, Fan TV is about you – about fans getting the most out of their entertainment. Instead of a clunky cable box or DVR system hidden in the cabinet, Fan TV is designed for display. The small remote responds to the subtlest touch, simply tap or swipe to navigate your movies and shows.
Mimicking nestled stones, the box and remote fit together with the use of magnets, ensuring the remote has a place where it can be found again.
Our branding work and our industrial design is influenced by the simplicity of the offering, a zen-like experience that stimulates discovery through a cinematic looking database of all the world’s movies and shows. The magical touch interface on the remote, the simplicity of the packaging, and the way all of these elements come together. Whether it is your favorite new TV show or old movie, Fan TV strips away any complications and just lets you watch.
Austrian designer Clemens Auer has created a pair of tweezers made from a single loop of metal.
Clemens Auer designed the steel grooming aid to mimic the “O” shape created when the index finger and thumb of one hand are brought together in a pinching gesture.
“It is a poetic and intuitive translation of an image that feels natural into a simple product,” he told us.
Apart from the two ends that curve out to create the plucking implement, the metal band almost forms a complete circle
Galvanisation with various alloys can be used to achieve different coloured finishes.
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