The Dotonburi Canal is already known for swimming-only by the occasional Hanshin Tiger fan, who are known to take a dip when the team wins a championship. The area has already undergone a massive rehabilitation, turning the disused waterfront into a sprawling boardwalk meant to attract local families. Cafes, bars, souvenir shops and food stalls have popped up along the […]
Largest Outdoor Pool in Japan
Rotating Glass Discs Shelves
Japanese design studio Nendo designed a simple wooden storage shelf with circular-shaped glass discs that serve as the doors. The design was inspired by “the historical practice of cutting sheet glass from glass discs” and the resulting transparent discs retain that beautiful, handmade quality about them. The discs rotate in the shelf’s slots when you use the finger-sized handles to […]
Melo Meditate Drink
Melo Meditate is a shot drink; it is the opposite to the standard energy drink. Melo contains fruit juices, herbal extracts and natural grape flavouring. The creators believe that the ingredients in Melo Meditate work to reduce stress, enhance mood and help you focus. We combined three traditional herbs and our favourite fruit juices with the aim of combating everyday […]
Floating Mangrove
Once a dumping ground for a suite of industrial firms, Homebush Bay used to have dismal levels of DDT, phthalates, and other toxic chemicals swimming in the water. A huge cleanup operation has since improved the situation, though it’s not still perfect, and the surrounding area has become the scene of many recreational activities and waterside residences. The floating mangrove […]
Cola Sharing Can
Ogilvy France and Ogilvy Asia-Pacific joined forces to make a can that splits in half for Coca-Cola, the most literal extension of the brand’s global “Share Happiness” concept. The split-can design is admittedly pretty cool, although sharing a Coke with anyone who isn’t a germaphobe is already pretty easy, so this is a solution to a problem that doesn’t really […]
Personal Pain Control
Dr. Amy Baxter, pediatric ER physician, invented an inexpensive, reusable device to block needle pain. The “Buzzy” device began as a vibrating bee for her kids’ shot phobia, but quickly became a solution for adult injection pain and burning. Now, Buzzy is being used for everything from itching to splinters to bee-stings to blocked milk ducts. Research has demonstrated that […]
Robo Exoskeleton Suits
If you’ve been dreaming of strapping on your own “Iron Man” armor, you might have to wait a while longer. But revolutionary “bionic exoskeletons,” like the metal suit worn by comic book hero Tony Stark, might be closer than you think — just don’t expect to fly away in one. Exoskeleton developers working in rehabilitation are leading the way, creating […]
Knock Knock
Knock Knock @ HEAD media design from Khalil Klouche on Vimeo. Created by Khalil Klouche and aimed at small children, Knock Knock is a playful calculator which allows calculation on the wood surface by knocking and will give back the answer using the same knocking tone. Components include Arduino board, contact microphones and solenoids. The device was designed for the exhibition “Touch!” at MUDAC […]
Fire Blocking Gel
Barricade Fire Gel is a foam that you spray on your house before a wildfire. It stays wet for 48 hours and keeps burning embers from igniting the house. It easily washes off and, unlike most compressed air foam (CAF) systems, is EPA certified as nontoxic. Working just like the super absorbent polymers in the diaper, Barricade absorbs many times […]
Windcatcher Inflatable Air Pad
Using a radically different inflation technology, the Windcatcher air pad inflates in seconds without using any power or requiring any pumping. It even deflates instantly too. The secret behind the Windcatcher’s amazing speed of inflation is its ability to leverage the awesome properties of air. When you blow into the Windcatcher you create a stream of fast moving, low pressure […]