It's Finally Time to Re-invent the Wheel

daisypope
Jun 9, 2019
6 min read

The first week of June has brought a mixed bag of weather and with it a great mixture of interesting designs. We have a duvet made from eucalyptus, a sustainable rug from Ikea, as well as compostable packaging, a wheel reinvention, but first a very modern circus.

A Holographic Circus

The circus has been popular for as long as we know, I have many childhood memories of watching the circus with my Grandparents. It has ignited global excitement ever since Barnam founded the circus in 1871 and has regained popularity after the sensational Greatest Showman film released last year. However there has long been controversy over the use and treatment of animals in the circus, one reason I haven't seen one since I was around eight years old. However, keeping the tradition of an animal show alive for the modern day the Roncalli Circus in Germany has replaced their animals with 3D holographic images of animals instead. They wanted to reinvent the circus by using projectors that create a 360° moving image that fills an area 32 metres wide and 5 metres deep.

Roncalli’s agency TAG/TRAUM, in cooperation with Bluebox, teamed up with A/V specialists Optoma. The collaborative team installed a total of eleven ZU850 laser projectors to create the immersive holographic experience. The installation was completed using eleven BX-CTA03 long throw lenses allowing the projectors to be positioned further away from the stage for ultimate flexibility. (https://www.designboom.com/technology/animal-free-holographic-circus-roncalli-06-05-2019/)

Roncalli have created images of elephants, horses and fish to entertain audiences. It is hoped that the new technology will ignite the popularity of circus's again after a loss of business in recent years, the rumours of animal cruelty being one of the reasons. It is certainly exciting and I'd be happy to go and see a circus with holographic animals. It would be exciting to see the technology used in this way, and the future potential for this is great considering the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. Perhaps you could have a fully digital circus?... Looking back to a couple of weeks ago when we saw the deepfake technology used for Dalí, I can think of an abundance of ways this technology could be used in the circus. Interactive clowns, animals, even the ring master. It might not have the same atmosphere, but who knows what the future of the circus holds in our every expanding technological world. See the video at https://www.designboom.com/technology/animal-free-holographic-circus-roncalli-06-05-2019/.

Eucalyptus Duvet

Last week we saw the release of the Dopekicks, totally sustainable and vegan trainers. Continuing with the theme, this week sees the release of a sustainable and vegan duvet made from eucalyptus fibres. New York brand Buffy have released their second product this week, the first in 2017 was a duvet with a recycled plastic bottle inner encased in eucalyptus fibre. However their second release is a fully plant-based making is suitable for vegans. The eucalyptus pulp starts life in Austria where it is spun and bound into yarn while the duvet filling is made from loose eucalyptus fibres. The material is then transported to China to be cut, sewn and assembled to make the duvet. The duvet is sewn with a wavy stitch pattern to prevent clumping and ensure an even distribution of fibres within. But why eucalyptus? Well the plant has many natural properties making it a perfect choice. As touched on before it is totally plant based... *No animals were harmed during the production of this product*. Eucalyptus is also fully biodegradable, I mean do you ever even consider what happens to your old duvet once you've thrown it away and the effect this has on the environment? I certainly haven't... It is claimed to be softer than cotton as under a microscope the fibres do not have any irregularities or coarseness as cotton does. As well as being anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory the eucalyptus material is also temperature regulating, hopefully enabling you to have the perfect nights sleep. From an ecological view producing the eucalyptus fabric uses ten times less water than cotton, something else that is rarely thought about. How much water is used to create the duvet you use every night?.... Who knows. But the Buffy duvet is claimed to be 90% less water intrusive to create. On the face of it the eucalyptus duvet seems like the perfect solution. I'd love to try it out and see how comfortable it actually is. It would also be interesting to know the environmental factors behind growing and cultivating the eucalyptus, as well as electricity etc... used to manufacture the duvet, to back up their environmentally friendly ethos. See more at https://www.dezeen.com/2019/06/03/buffy-breeze-comforter-duvet-vegan-bedding-eucalyptus/.

Agricultural Waste Packaging

Another alternative packaging solution to combat the use of single use plastics comes in the form of Scoby, an organic, durable and edible material. Originally invented by Rosa Janusz Scoby has been developed by Makegrowlab who have conceived a manufacturing process that will allow for mass manufacture. Scoby is fabricated using a sustainable circular production process that can be done anywhere in the world. It is a substance made from agricultural waste, and once thrown away will compost just like vegetable waste. Just like plastic Scoby creates an oxygen barrier for food stuffs to help preserve them for longer. My scepticisms of plastic alternatives have always been due to the unfeasibility of creating them on a mass scale, perhaps Scoby will solve that problem. It would be great to know more details about how the material is made to get a greater understanding of its sustainability. Perhaps we will see Scoby being used for our food packaging in the near future, lets hope so. See more pictures at https://www.designboom.com/technology/makegrowlab-scoby-packaging-grow-and-compost-like-vegetables-06-06-2019/.

Rice Straw Homeware

Once rice has been harvested in India the farmers will set light to the leftover rice straw to clear the field and make way for the new crop. However, this is resulting in a great smog problem which is has lead to nine out of ten of the world's most polluted cities being in Northern India, causing numerous health problems. Ikea to the rescue. This week, as part of their Better Air Now initiative, Ikea have release their Förändring collection which is a range of homeware products made from rice straw. Akanksha Deo, an Ikea Product Designer in India, has created two methods of utilising the rice straw. Rice straw and fabric waste are used for the lampshades and vessels, while the straw is twisted into a cord and woven to make the rugs and mats. Ikea hope to expand the initiative across other regions in India and even globally to countries that use a similar method of crop clearing. What a great solution to a problem that I'm sure you didn't even know existed. I will certainly be seeking the homewares out next time I am in Ikea as not only do they solve a clearly devastating problem, they look pretty awesome too. See more at https://www.dezeen.com/2019/06/04/ikea-forandring-rice-straw-collection-air-pollution/.

Re-inventing the Wheel

Who says that you should never invent the wheel, this week Michelin and General Motors have done just that and it could be pretty groundbreaking. Currently the Michelin Uptis (unique puncture-proof tire system) is just conceptual, but it is hoped the first prototype will be rolled out as early as 2024. What are the main problems you find with current car tyres?... Punctures and blow outs. Well the Uptis tyre irradiates both of these problems. The airless technology require less maintenance as there are no air pressures to check. The reinvention hopes to reduce the amount of tyres that end up being scrapped while also using less overall raw materials and less energy during production. The wheel looks pretty cool too and makes me wonder why hasn't this been done before? Perhaps with 3D printing technology the wheel could even be printed to create a strong internal structure to withstand any bumps in the road. Imagine, you're driving home from work and your tyre splits. You get home, load up the file, switch on the 3D printer and can print yourself a new one, ready for the commute back to work in the morning, No need to go to a garage and deal with a waiting list or bank holiday closures! As innovative as the redesign is what about the material? We all know that rubber is notoriously not a sustainable material, and I can't imagine the production of tyres does much good either. Perhaps the designers could look at alternative materials also... I guess we'll see in five years time what they have come up with. Check out the video at https://www.designboom.com/technology/michelin-uptis-airless-tire-06-05-2019/.