A week of New Materials, Robots and a Smart Bed
- daisypope
- Apr 9, 2019
- 5 min read
It's the beginning of April and we have some really exciting design releases. A fantastic new range of materials made from waste sunflowers, a new plastic for 3D printed prosthetics, LEGO release a breakdancing robot and the best night's sleep you will ever have... every night.
Sunflower Bio-Material
Its been a couple of weeks since we've seen a new material but this week we have a really interesting one... A bio-based material made from sunflowers. Sunflowers are grown to produce oil, seeds or biofuel, resulting in unused agricultural waste that is just discarded. Designer Thomas Vailly has created a sustainable material, non-synthetic binder and non-toxic varnish to utilise every part of the leftover sunflower. Vailly teamed up with scientists from the Ecole National Supérieure des Ingénieurs en Arts Chimiques Et Technologiques to create a variety of materials. The press cake that is usually kept for animal feed is turned in to a water based glue of pressed in to a leather like material. The bark fibres are heated and pressed into a hardboard while the marrow is combined with the sunflower seed glue to create an alternative to polystyrene.
"The sunflower crop offers a unique range of bio-based and biodegradable material," said Vailly. "Entering the realm of bioplastics, a vast number of applications of what was previously considered waste becomes possible: from a tiny bolt to a large insulation panel, from a bio-board to an smartphone case." (https://www.dezeen.com/2019/04/05/thomas-vailly-sunflower-material/)
Imagine where this could be used in the future? Replacing plastic packaging and glues that are non-recyclable? However I'd be interested to see if these materials can be made on a mass scale to really make an impact on the environment. And what other discarded crops could be used as well as sunflowers? See more at https://www.dezeen.com/2019/04/05/thomas-vailly-sunflower-material/.
A New Prosthetic Material
3D printing is a revolutionary way to create custom orthotics and prosthetics. But the week an affordable bio-based nylon polymer has been announced- PA11. Properties of the new polymer include elasticity, lightweight and high impact resistance, all of which are important for prosthetics. These properties also allow for more aesthetically pleasing designs to be created which will hopefully encourage wearers to use their prosthetics more. The design can be further customised at the standard white finish can be dyed to whatever the wearer desires. However the material is much more versatile than just being used for prosthetics, other high impact applications such as robotics, drones, electronics and consumer products can also be considered. PA11 offers a great opportunity to provide more comfortable, personalised and affordable prosthetics for those who need them. Imagine if your child needs the next size up for their orthotics, perhaps you could even 3D print them in your own home! I would've had concerns about the environmental impact of creating a new plastic. However as PA11 is made from a non-petroleum based material it is biodegradable. Let's hope we start seeing PA11 used frequently in the future to aid those who really need it. See more at https://design-milk.com/eos-and-shapeways-pa11-3d-printed-prosthetics/.
LEGO's Breakdancing Robot
The future is technology... right?... But engaging children in areas such as coding and electronics from an early age could be a difficult task. However LEGO have come up with a great solution in the form of a break dancing robot. The robot pack is called Spike Prime and has been designed to educate children from the ages of 11-14 in the basics of coding with the hope of steering more children to study a STEM subject in their future education.
The spike prime kit brings together LEGO bricks, a programmable, multi-port hub, sensors and motors, that students can get to know and understand before using to them to build various creations. instead of pointing students toward complex projects, the point is to focus on basic knowledge and practicality (https://www.designboom.com/technology/lego-spike-prime-robots-education-04-03-2019/)
Spike Prime can be made into a breakdancing robot or racing car and will certainly keep kids interested more than your usual pen and paper learning with calculations. Collaborating in teams children can build the robot in sections using the 523 pieces provided. The kit has been designed to be easily used and it can all be learnt in 33 structured 45 minute lessons provided by LEGO. This could be a great hands on project for kids to really learn about the importance of computer science and coding for future careers. It could also help get girls engaged at a younger age in STEM subjects which they might want to study further but wouldn't have known about without Spike Prime. It would be good to see what other objects could be made and coded with the same technology. All information is at https://www.designboom.com/technology/lego-spike-prime-robots-education-04-03-2019/.
The Smart Bed
Imagine getting the perfect night's sleep every single night. Sound like a dream right?... Well tech company Bryte have created a smart bed to do just that. The bed comes in Queen and Kings sizes and can be used on the Bryte bed frame or your own. The mattress is made from a latex-free hybrid foam and a Tencel topper. The bed had numerous smart features, lets start with the temperature. Using a thermoelectric heating and cooling system the bed changes temperature to create the perfect environment for the sleeper, which can apparently increase a deep sleep by up to 40%. Users can also customise the level of support the bed provides, which can also be altered for two different people sleeping in the bed depending on where on the body they need more or less support. 100 coils are arranged in to eight zones for one person or 16 zones for two. The sensors in the bed pick up on a persons movements and temperature and the information is sent to the bed's central processing system.
"Every person sleeps differently, and every person's sleep is different night after night," said Bryte co-founder and CEO John Tompane. "The idea that a static mattress would work for every person, every night, is unreasonable." (https://www.dezeen.com/2019/04/03/bryte-bed-smart-technology/)
All the technology within the bed is hidden to provide a serene bedroom look. The bed also has a lull option which makes the coils move in waves to provide a soothing motion to help the users get to sleep. All the information can be checked using the Bryte app, things like wake up time, amount of sleep and feedback on how you slept so the bed can adjust the next night. We are being told more and more that more important than physical exercise, sleep is the most important thing to keep us healthy. A good night's sleep provides us with a healthy mind and body to tackle the day. I makes me question why this hasn't been designed sooner... Or is it just another piece of smart technology for us to obsess over? Perhaps because it is so important to our health the Bryte bed will be an excellent investment for a better nights sleep, particularly for those who struggle with insomnia. This technology could also be applied to office chairs perhaps so that we have better posture when sat at a desk 9 hours a day, or even car seats to make our commutes more comfortable. Check out the video at https://www.dezeen.com/2019/04/03/bryte-bed-smart-technology/.
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