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Technology Power to the People

  • daisypope
  • Aug 1, 2019
  • 5 min read

This week we have a variety of products that utilise technology that help people. From smart nappies to a smart implant, a personal air conditioner and a masturbation suit. We also have a couple of environmental things including a submarine to refreeze the arctic and tree hugging.


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Re-freezing the Arctic - from Dezeen

Re-freezing the Arctic


You've heard of re-forestation - but have you heard of re-iceberging the Arctic?... Well a team of Designers, lead by Faris Rajak Kotahatuhaha, have created an iceberg submarine as part of an international competition organised by Association of Siamese Architects. The submarine submerges to collect the seawater in a hexagonal tank, and turbines blast cold air into the tank to to accelerate the freezing. Reverse osmosis is used to remove the salt which also speeds the freezing process. Once the iceberg is created the submarine submerges and leaves behind the frozen hexagon, ready to make a new one. The submarine would continue to produce hexagons that would nest together and eventually reform the polar ice caps. What a radical, but very clever idea!... Although it's pretty out there I can imagine this would be possible one day, perhaps we even have the technology to produce it now. Although just a concept it highlights the consideration Designers could take to help prevent the demise of our ice caps. It's also an interesting concept of rather than preventing the ice caps from melting any more, we replenish them. See the full video at https://www.dezeen.com/2019/07/27/refreezing-the-arctic-geoengineering-design-climate-change/.


Neuralink


A computer for your brain has finally been invented. The Neuralink consists of tiny sensors that contain tiny processors, a wearable computer that sits behind your ear, and tiny threads that are thinner than human hairs to connect the two. To top it all off, a robot has been developed to insert the sensors. How sci-fi is that?... The robot will accurately insert 6 threads into the brain per minute, careful to avoid any blood vessels. These threads will then read and write data, which will wirelessly connect to an app on your phone. The hope is to start human testing Neuralink next year, with FDA approval, and only on patients who have serious unmet medical diseases. I am not convinced. I understand how this could be useful for people with serious and/or terminal diseases and disabilities so you can really see what is going on. Or perhaps someone who cannot speak will be able to communicate straight from their thoughts. However, with all the data protection breaches over the past few years can you imagine what companies would do with data straight from your brain?... Or even in interrogation, would it be used to get the truth out of someone? See more at https://www.designboom.com/technology/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-implants-mind-reading-threads-07-17-2019/.

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Neuralink - From Design Boom


Lumi Smart Nappies


I've seen quite a few baby products incorporating technology in the past as it is something I studied at University... And I always wonder is it really needed? However, this week Pampers and Google's Sister company Verily have invented Lumi, the smart nappies that sense when the nappy needs changing. An activity sensor is used to let parents know how wet the baby's nappy is, it also tracks nap time to see how long baby sleeps for, and is a 2-way audio and video monitor. The accompanying app tracks all of the data collected by the sensor and lets the parents know baby's routine. I think it is an interesting product and could certainly help make parent's lives easier while giving them more information to keep their baby safe. I always wonder if these products work in practise. If parents are stressed, dealing with other kids and clearing up a poo explosion.. do they really need another thing to worry about? Or perhaps it could be too much for new parents who could obsess over the data and may stress over any little changes in data results. I guess only time will tell how well it'll work once Lumi is released later this year. See more at https://www.dezeen.com/2019/07/24/lumi-pampers-smart-nappy-design/.


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Lumi Nappies - from Dezeen

Pocket Air Conditioner


With the freak weather recently, particularly the hear wave, did you ever consider how great it would've been to have a portable air conditioner? Well Sony agree, and have set up a page on a crowd funding platform to make it a reality. Reon Pocket has been designed to cool the bodies temperature by 13 degrees on a hot day and raise your temperature by 8 degrees on a cold day. The battery lasts for 90 minutes on a 2 hour charge and is around the size of a computer mouse. It slots into a pocket at the back of your neck on your t-shirt. The air conditioner can be worn discreetly and connects smart phone so that you can alter the temperature dependent on your daily needs. The aim is to launch the product ready for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, so watch this space!... We often see some odd products come out of Japan, however this one is particularly practical. I think it's a great product and could really help some people out and make their lives a little bit easier. It would certainly help temperature arguments in the office when everyone wants something different. See the video at https://www.designboom.com/technology/sony-reon-pocket-wearable-air-conditioner-07-26-2019/.

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Reon Pocket - Design Boom


Ripple Masturbation Suit


As I have said before, one of the reasons I love product design so much is how you can design things that really make a difference to people's lives, and a lot of the time this involves designing for people who are living with some kind of disability. Hsin-Jou Huang, Szu-Ying Lai and Chia-Ning Hsu have designed Ripple, a three part masturbation tool to help people with restricted movement masturbate. The first part is a body suit which features heated, inflatable air cushions at sensitive areas and vibrations for females or pressure for males in the genital area. The second part is a handheld control. The user can alter the intensity of feelings from the Ripple suit and can also tailor their experience depending on what they like the most. Finally there is an eye mask which blocks out light while incorporating ASMR sounds and releasing pheromones to relax the user and really enhance their sexual experience. What is great about Ripple is that you can use it in private and with dignity. A carer can help you put on the suit, lay you on the bed, and place the control in your hand ready to go. The carer will then be alerted with their own control when the user is finished so that they can enter the room and help clear up. What a fantastic idea to help people with disabilities live a more normal life. At the end of the day we all have sexual desires, people with disabilities are no different, however we never consider how frustrating it must be if you cannot act on those desires. It is also an innovative idea to help the person keep this experience private, while also being able to tailor the experience to satisfy their sexual preferences, just like an able bodied person would. I would love to hear the feedback on this product, how it can impact on a person's life and help them explore their sexuality. See the video at https://www.dezeen.com/2019/07/24/ripple-masturbation-suit-sex-aid-design/.


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Ripple Suit - From Dezeen

Tree Hugging


Something fun to finish with... To highlight the impotance of trees to our environment botanical artist Christophe Guinet — known as monsieur plant - has created Tree Hug in the Gardens of Europe in Annecy, France. He took casts of the local people's arms and turned them into vegetation before 'hugging' them around trees. It personifies trees and is a tribute to the benefits of trees and represents how we need to look after and preserve them. See more pictures at https://www.designboom.com/art/tree-hug-monsieur-plant-annecy-france-07-27-19/.


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Tree Hug - From Design Boom


 
 
 

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