The Wearbuds idea is simple enough: take a set of quality Bluetooth earbuds, and instead of selling them with a charging case, build them into a semi-smartwatch that doubles as a fitness band. So you never have to carry a charging case in your pocket, and your earbuds are super-accessible at all times. A solid idea, so how’s the execution? […]
Wearbuds Pro
Futuristic DFAB House
The homes of the future could be built with robots — that is the narrative that DFAB HOUSE, an experimental “house” in Switzerland’s municipality of Dübendorf, hopes to promote. Set atop Empa and Eawag’s modular research and innovation building NEST, the three-story structure completed last year serves as a testing ground and showroom for cutting-edge smart home technology and robotic […]
Water Irrigation Reservoir & Spa Will Harness The Power of Fog
This unique reservoir and spa design by Margot Krasojevi? Architecture for the Ilam District of Eastern Nepal proposes a fog-harvesting structure to help conserve the area’s water and natural environment. The conceptual project would use a network of solar pumps, pipes and valves as well as a system of reservoirs connected to suspended polypropylene fog nets. Once completed, it would […]
Building Rubble For Recycled Road
A team of engineers in Australia has come up with a new recipe for a road construction material that draws on two huge sources of waste; discarded tires and building rubble. The blended material was shown to offer the strength and flexibility required to handle heavy traffic, while being made from entirely recycled products. The work was carried out by […]
LiDAR Tech Allows Robots To Spot What Soldiers May Miss
There are now several robots that are designed to accompany and assist ground-based army troops. Those machines could soon have a new ability – detecting changes in the environment that may be missed by soldiers. When weapons such as IEDs (improvised explosive devices) are hidden along the roadside, they do visually change the environment, but in a manner which is […]
New Active Cooling Fabric
Researchers at Donghua University in China have developed a new type of fabric they claim can keep the wearer much cooler. The material is made from several different polymers in a relatively simple way, and can efficiently transfer heat and wick away sweat, while remaining water repellent from the outside. The material is composed of three main components: polyurethane, which […]
Mecanoo’s Brick Tower Uses Rain & Sunlight
The 2019 World Building of the Year winner Mecanoo is leading a team that’s creating a new mixed-use tower in Amsterdam. Featuring an interesting stepped form and finished in brick, the project will also incorporate greenery, solar panels and rainwater collection. The high-rise is named Brink Tower and will reach a height of 90 m (295 ft). It’ll consist of […]
Lego-Inspired Bioscaffolding
More and more, we’re hearing about scaffolding-like materials that are used to help heal bone injuries. A new one is claimed to be particularly versatile, as it’s inspired by Lego building blocks. Typically made of biocompatible polymers, so-called bioscaffolding is usually either 3D-printed in one solid piece, or injected in the form of a gel that sets into a solid. […]
“Filler” Ingredients In Drugs More
New research has systematically screened thousands of “filler” ingredients previously thought to be inert that are added to common drugs. The findings reveal several dozen of these compounds may actually be biologically active and cause unintended physiological effects. Most pharmaceutical drugs contain a number of other ingredients serving various purposes, from simply bulking up the tiny active molecule so it […]
World’s Smallest 3D Scanning Device
An Australian/German team has developed the world’s smallest imaging device, at the thickness of a human hair. It’s capable of traveling down the blood vessels of mice, offering unprecedented abilities to 3D-scan the body at microscopic resolutions. To build this miniature endoscope, the team took a fine optical fiber with a diameter of less than half a millimeter (0.02 in), […]