Tag: Inspiration

A group of freshmen at the Olin College of Engineering built this autonomous self-balancing bicycle:View the full content here

This Gordix invention, by Taiwanese manufacturer Muherz, aims to offer CNC-mill-like capabilities, without the bulk of a gantry and table. You drop a trim router inside the object, and then unfurl four belts from its corners. These belts are then connected to the four corners of your workpiece—a 4x8 sheet of plywood, say—and the device uses the belts to sense its precise position as it cuts.

Elevator indicator panels take up a certain amount of wall space. Installers cut a hole in the wall roughly the size of the panel. However, Mitsubishi Electric Building Solutions has designed an easier-to-install solution. Their Projection Lantern for elevators requires just three holes: One for the wiring, and two for the anchor bolts that hold the bracket. There is no large

Here's what we looked at this week:Anker Bak and Takumi Kohgei's gorgeous Gaze Highback Chair.Renault brings back the canvas roof. A convertible-like experience that's cheaper to manufacture. Unitree has developed a production-ready mech suit.

Something you'll find in a European gardening center, but probably not an American one, are these palisade-style landscaping stones. They're a nifty (and probably meditative) way to create raised beds or landscaping features. Berlin-based design company

This outrageously chunky Cubio coffee table is by Danish furniture brand Formarkivet.The fabricators went to great lengths to hide the seams, giving this raw aluminum piece the look of something l

This Pommel stool was created by Industrial designer Jens‑Egil Nysæther and architectural designer Line Mari Sørra, a/k/a Lije Studio, a design firm in Oslo.

Francisco Paco Martinez has seen some big changes in his life. Though born in Mexico and trained as an architect, he now lives in Japan, where he works as a carpenter/craftsman. From his studio in Saitama, outside of Tokyo, Martinez runs classes in traditional Japanese hand tool use and furniture building. What most caught my eye is this unique workbench in his shop: Martinez built this low-tech height-adjustable workbench out of Cypress.

Supermarket produce bags have a short usage life. Japanese housewares brand Marna makes this little folding gewgaw to extend their utility. You pop it open, then it provides the structure to use produce bags as a mini trash bag: Or you can use it to bag sauce:

To stay warm in a cold space, you can either heat the entire space, or save money on energy by throwing on extra layers. But there is no opposite money-saving tactic for staying cool in a hot space.Sony engineer Kenji Ito aims to change that. He invented the Reon Pocket, Sony's wearable personal air conditioner. It's essentially a tiny heat pump that creates temperature differentials using semiconductors. It's worn at the base of one's neck, and a metal plate resting against the skin transmits cool. While it won't change your body's core temperature, the device can cool your local skin temperature by an astonishing 25°F / 14° C.