rotary mechanical by richard clarkson:

 
'rotary mechanical' concept smartphone by richard clarkson


designed by richard clarkson, the 'rotary mechanical' concept adapts physical mechanics to the functionality of a smartphone, incorporating an interchangeable rotary or button dial to the back of the device. 
the phone body is electroplated copper, overlain with paint to provide a worn effect as it scratches or fades over time. 
the brass dials can be easily swapped out for one another to provide either true rotary or button-push dialing. 


clarkson reflects: 
'the rotary mechanical smartphone is based on the idea of incorporating more feeling and life into our everyday digital objects. 
in modern times these objects have come to define us, but who and what defines these objects? are we happy with the generic rectangles of a touchscreen or do we want something with more tangibility, something with more life, something with more aura? 
'rotary mechanical' is a question not only about the ever increasing 'digital take-over' of everything in our lives but also what is lost when this happens.'



3/4 rear view, with interchangeable button dial at right

 
3/4 front view


 
full view of the device with button dial


 
full view of the rotary dial


 
detail view



rotary dial with differently coloured inserts


 
different colour models



construction diagram

designboom has received this project from our 'DIY submissions' feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication.

via  designboom 

source: DesignCoast 

polaroid [im]possible at westlicht

 
oliviero toscani: 'andy warhol with camera'
1974, polaroid type 105
3¼ x 4¼"
© oliviero toscani


over 350 polaroid photos by artists ranging from ansel adams to andy warhol are on exhibition at vienna's westlicht museum of photography, representing over forty years' worth of diverse polaroid films and artistic approaches.

beginning in the 1960's, polaroid inventor edwin herbert land provided artists and photographers with polaroid materials with which they could experiment, resulting in a collection encompassing 4400 pieces by 800 international artists and utilizing a range of polaroid film types. weslicht obtained the works, preventing dispersal of the pieces, following the public outcry that resulted when liquidators attempted to privately auction polaroid's european and american collections. 
the current exhibition presents over 350 of the photographs, representing about 150 artists.

'polaroid [im]possible' also includes photos by contemporary artists working with the recently released 'impossible' polaroid films. 
photographs by american photographer david levinthal offer an interesting bridge between the worlds of old and new, 
as he created the 'space series' for the historic collection and now returns with 'vietnam series', created with the impossible material.



paul huf (untitled)
1977, polaroid type 808
8 x 10"
© paul huf/ VBK wien, 2011



patrick nagatani: 'cinema II'
detail from the image 'alamogordo blues'
1986, polaroid spectra
© patrick nagatani



mark morrisroe: 'nyph-o-maniac'
1983, polaroid 35mm polachrome 
cibachrome print with paint, 10.4 x 15.7"
© the estate of mark morrisroe



paul de nooijer: 'fancy cake IV'
1977, polaroid SX-70
triptych
© paul de nooijer



minor white: 'boundary mountain, benton, california'
1959, polaroid type 52
4 x 5"
© trustees of princeton university



nobuyoshi araki (untitled)
2010, PX 100 silver shade
© nobuyoshi araki



vicki lee ragan
the princess and the frogs
1983, polaroid polacolor
20 x 24"
© vicki lee ragan



david levinthal, from the 'vietnam series'
2011, PX 600 silver shade black frame
© david levinthal



andy warhol: andy sneezing
1978 polaroid SX-70
© the andy warhol foundation for the visual arts inc. / VBK, wien 2011



charles eames: untitled
1975, Polaroid SX-70
© eames office, LLC 



ansel adams
window, bear valley, california
1973, polaroid type 55
gelatin silver print 9.8 x 13.3"
© the ansel adams publishing rights trust



luigi ghirri: amsterdam
1980, polaroid polacolor
20 x 24''
© eredi di luigi ghirri



sahin kaygun: nude
1983, polaroid 600 HS
hand-colored
© burçak kaygun 

via designboom

source: Design Coast

lytro light field camera

two stills adapted from a single image taken with a lytro prototype camera, which captures the entire light field of a scene
images © lytro / richard koci hernandez


california-based startup lytro has developed light field technology for use in digital cameras,
creating a device that automatically captures all parts of a scene in detail so that the image can be focused on one or multiple sections after uploading. the camera eliminates the need for focusing during image capture, and offers the freedom to choose in post-processing whether to create shallow depth of field or focus-stacked images, and which parts of the picture should be in focus.

a light field consists of all light rays traveling in all directions in a scene, thus fully defining every aspect of how it appears.
traditional camera sensors 'tabulate' all the light rays and record them as a single amount of light. by contrast, the lytro sensor captures the colour, intensity, and vector direction of all rays of light. it relies primarily on software algorithms rather than mechanical parts, increasing the speed of picture capture and improving image-taking in low light conditions.

data stored in the photograph will enable the images to not only be focused in post-processing, but also to be posted online in a way that viewers and well as the photographer can switch between multiple focuses, as in the images below and on the lytro picture gallery webpage.



clicking on different sections of this and the following photographs (taken with the lytro prototype camera) brings them into focus
image © michael soo

image © lytro / eric cheng 

image © lytro / eric cheng 

image © lytro / jason bradley 

image © lytro / eric cheng 

image © lytro / eric cheng  
example stills taken from a single lytro photograph
images © lytro / richard koci hernandez



diagram illustrating the concept of the light field, the set of all light rays in all directions defining a scene

preview video for the lytro camera

via designboom

source: DesignCoast

carbon bike + iFan by tjeerd veenhoven

'carbon bike,' designed by tjeerd veenhoven


with 'carbon bike' and 'iFan,' dutch designer tjeerd veenhoven adopts low-tech and sustainable approaches to design methods 
that are usually highly technical.

carbon frame bicycles have long been renowned for their light weight and strength, but their production process is expensive,
requiring advanced machinery. by contrast, 'carbon bike' uses strands of carbon and recycled bicycle parts to create a 
functional bicycle with all the benefits of a carbon frame.

the bike parts, entirely secondhand, are first mounted in a jig. instead of a traditional bicycle frame, 
carbon fibers are drenched in epoxy resin, then spun and twisted into strands that are stretched and wound between pieces, 
and finally left to dry. the density of carbon in a given section of the bike is dependent on the needs and properties of that part: 
more carbon is necessary in sections that experience compression, and less is needed where there is tension.



detail of the resin-coated carbon strands


in contrast to conventional carbon production processes, the technique is low-tech, intuitive, and hands-on. 
different models of the bicycle are currently in production, including a city racer and a traditional dutch cargo bike, 
historically used for transporting bread. the original 'carbon bike' is also currently in the traveling dutch design
exhibition 'connecting concepts.'



tjeerd veenhoven's 'iFan'


the 'iFan' prototype represents another original approach to technological production, allowing an iphone to be charged 
exclusively on wind power. the hardware consists of a custom rubber case to which a modified computer fan is attached; 
it currently takes six hours to charge the battery to completion.



'iFan' in use



'iFan for bike' design


veenhoven has also designed an 'iFan' mount to respond specifically to the needs of tour bicyclists, 
who use iphones for navigation but dislike the extra weight of conventional battery chargers. 
not yet in production, the adapter will provide easy visibility of the iphone display, 
while situating the fan to both minimize additional wind resistance and capture maximum wind energy. 

via designboom

source: http://design-fields.blogspot.com/

M55: the beast hybrid electric bike

the 'M55 beast' hybrid electric bicycle

the work of a team of about 30 specialists in engineering, industrial design, and optimization, 
M55's 'beast' electric bike is a luxury hybrid electric bike, designed for intensive off-road use.

the vehicle can obtain speeds of up to 40mph, and a single charge provides over 90 miles of power in normal use.



full view of the bike

in the hybrid bicycle, a sensor monitored drive system automatically optimizes the power input of the motor relative to the rider. the motor itself does not drive the pedals, but rather the system will engage when sensors register that the user requires additional torque.

the motor, as well as the bike's lighting system, is powered by 22 tenergy batteries, typically used in hybrid cars. 
current technological limitations put the lifespan of most ebikes at about two years, 
with batteries that last only 500-700 charges, but those powering the electric motor of the M55 
are guaranteed less than a 9% performance loss over 1000 charge cycles. 



views of the bike from front (left) and rear (right)



detail view of handlebar control panel

custom-made aluminum alloy crank arms are designed to interface with specially designed chainrings in converting the energy from pedaling into kinetic motion.

drive control is installed directly into the axle connecting the two crank arms, 
passing in front of an optical gate that determines the pedal cadence and calculates the optimal motor assist value. 
a separate optical gate prevents drive assistance when the biker is pedaling backwards, 
and another safety mechanism prevents a surge in motor drive even if the rider starts the bike while in a high level.



detail on crank arm and chains

the handlebar of the 'beast functions as the bike's control panel. 
housing the gear change mechanism and featuring an inset LED lighting system, 
the panel contains LED-lit control buttons and a digital display unit with night mode.

all elements of the machined metal and carbon frame and the handlebar control panel are water-resistant.



the bike is designed for off-road use, including rough and steep terrain



shots from a test drive in january

the 'M55 beast' debuted at the 2010 SEMA auto show in las vegas, 
with a commercial release expected for spring 2011. 

the company has also designed two new models: the 'daemon' urban bike, 
and the 'shadow' model, a less expensive, aluminum-form version of the 'beast'.



the stylized video offers additional specs of some of the bike's components 



via designboom 


source: http://designberryfields.blogspot.com/2011/06/m55-beast-hybrid-electric-bike.html

stanislaw ploski: bonobo bent plywood bike

'bonobo' by stanisław płoski
images courtesy of stanisław płoski


warsaw-based designer stanisław płoski has created 'bonobo', a bent plywood bicycle intended for urban cyclists. 
recently presented at DMY berlin 2011 as part of the 'perspective' exhibition, the bike features a strong and lightweight frame 
made solely from manipulated composite wood. balancing technology with a natural artisan quality, the design capitalizes on the 
inherent material properties, ensuring a smooth and comfortable ride. 



side


contoured lines and contrasting colors provide the piece with a strong graphic aesthetic that seeks to reinterpret the
classic archetypal model of a bike.  



handlebar details


functional components selected for their simplicity require little attention from the user. a single gear drivetrain and
reliable hydraulic disc brakes are low-maintenance and can be swapped out with an internal gear hub or a belt drivetrain
depending on the needs of the rider. 



wheel details



chain and pedals



bending the frame



construction of the frame



sanding



molds



frame and components



prototypes

via designboom 

source: DesignBerryfields

Kitsch Thing of the day: Pig Speakers

'pig speakers' by I.D.E.A.


japan's I.D.E.A. has created a new set of free-standing speakers that resemble cute little pigs.
available in white, black, gold, or pink, the ceramic objects have a built in circular speaker
in their bellies and an audio jack where the tail would have been to connect your ipod or mp3 player.



front view



belly speakers



audio jack



side view



different colours


via: Design-Campus