Doesn’t the bog-standard desk and chair seem so antiquated? Enter Dutch designer Jurgen Bey, who’s created the office of the future, a swivelling station that offers privacy in our age of flexi-time – and a whole new take on what working life could be. Oliver Wainwright visits him in his studio
DS5 2013
Next – Workspace
physical distribution networks
The network of things in the next big network. Imagine the air traffic control – new building types and new city infrastructure will be required. Forget those that say this will never happen; it will.
How to load a container ship Wired UK
Container ships are the pack mules of global trade, and journalist Rose George’s new book, Ninety Percent of Everything, examines how the steel boxes full of solids, liquids and gases get where they’re going. One huge challenge, George says, is simply loading and unloading these giant ships, a task that calls on physics, chemistry — and knowledge of pirate tactics. Bryan Gardiner
Anti-Gravity Object Modelling
MATAERIAL is a innovative project developed through collaborative research between Petr Novikov, Sasa Jokic from the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IACC) and Joris Laarman Studio.
The method they’ve coined as “Anti Gravity Object Modelling” is a new method of additive manufacturing that gives the flexibility to create naturally flowing 3D curves without the need for support material. Rather than the layering of 2D planes to make up the 3D object this manufacturing process follows the stress lines of the curve and hardens almost immediately from extrusion.
The really impressive part seems to be that the forms can be printed on any surface regardless of its inclination. Without further knowledge of the materials, my first thought would be that with attributes like sticking to a vertical surface and cantilevering off it as shown in the video, it must use some pretty nasty additives. The process is impressive none the less.
Robot trade fair opens in Japan – video | Technology | theguardian.com
Tokyo’s international robot exhibition (iREX), the world’s largest robot trade fair, showcases the latest innovations in robotic technology on Thursday. The show welcomes a record 334 exhibitors as Japan, home to almost half of the world’s industrial robots, expects the growing industry to expand to £6.2bn. Robots on show include a robotic muscle suit and a waterproof snake-like search and rescue robot
via Robot trade fair opens in Japan – video | Technology | theguardian.com.
Rjukan sun: the Norwegian town that does it with mirrors | World news | The Guardian
On the market square in Rjukan stands a statue of the town’s founder, a noted Norwegian engineer and industrialist called Sam Eyde, sporting a particularly fine moustache. One hand thrust in trouser pocket, the other grasping a tightly rolled drawing, the great man stares northwards across the square at an almost sheer mountainside in front of him.
Behind him, to the south, rises the equally sheer 1,800-metre peak known as Gaustatoppen. Between the mountains, strung out along the narrow Vestfjord valley, lies the small but once mighty town that Eyde built in the early years of the last century, to house the workers for his factories.
He was plainly a smart guy, Eyde. He harnessed the power of the 100-metre Rjukanfossen waterfall to generate hydro-electricity in what was, at the time, the world’s biggest power plant. He pioneered new technologies – one of which bears his name – to produce saltpetre by oxidising nitrogen from air, and made industrial quantities of hydrogen by water electrolysis.
via Rjukan sun: the Norwegian town that does it with mirrors | World news | The Guardian.
Glowing Plant Project founder: don’t fear GM bioluminescent plants Wired UK
European Regulations around genetically modified organisms GMOs have a very negative impact around the world, according to Antony Evans, co-founder of the Glowing Plant Project.The Glowing Plant Project uses an enzyme called luciferase — which makes fireflies and some fungi and bacteria glow — to modify the DNA sequence of a small plant called Arabidopsis. The project smashed its targets on Kickstarter, raising more than $480,000 £299,000. However, the plant has to be grown in the US due to EU regulations.Evans believes that these regulations are “all very well for politicians and activist living in Europe with good food” but that “for every action there’s the cost of inaction”, and that cost is often being borne in the developing world.
via Glowing Plant Project founder: don’t fear GM bioluminescent plants Wired UK.
▶ Introducing WildCat – YouTube
Published on 3 Oct 2013
WildCat is a four-legged robot being developed to run fast on all types of terrain. So far WildCat has run at about 16 mph on flat terrain using bounding and galloping gaits. The video shows WildCat’s best performance so far. WildCat is being developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA’s M3 program. For more information about WIldCat visit our website at www.BostonDynamics.com.