Moisture Collectors
Inspired by the Giving Tree, this project called the “Savior Bud” latches on to trees (one of Earth’s most generous living things) and uses it’s natural recycling processes to obtain water. In a simple process which basically involves collecting the moisture from the leaves and emptying it out into containers, the Savior Bud takes one more step toward acceptable living conditions in Africa.
As our intrepid designers note, Africa is plagued twice by their hydration situation. Twice because not only is their water supply low, but the water that’s available is often undrinkable and polluted.
The process goes like this:
1. Find a broadleaf tree with lots of leaves.
2. Opening the Savior Bud like a giant clamp, surround a few leaves, and release. The Savior Bud should now be containing the leaves like you see in the picture below, sort of like a greenhouse.
3. In about four hours, the leaves will have produced about one cup of water. Turning the bottom of the bud like a faucet will release the water to be put into a separate container for drinking.
Additional details below. I wouldn’t mind one of these for camping or something like that, would you?
Also, C-3P0 not required.
Designers: Kim Hyo Jin and Seol Ah Sun
Harvard Medical School’s H1N1 App Let’s You Panic On the Go [IPhone Apps]
Swine flu! It’s the panic du jour, far less dangerous than eating poorly cooked chicken or getting in a car, yet apparently infinitely more scary. And now Harvard will take $2 to scare you on your iPhone.
Harvard Medical School has just released HMSMobile Swine Flu Center, a $1.99 app that offers all sorts of stuff that doesn’t quite seem worth $1.99. This includes:
-Videos on how to protect yourself (spoiler: wash your hands)
-A quiz on whether or not you have swine flu (spoiler: you don’t)
-An outbreak tracker to see if the fever has swept through your area
-Advice about survival kits, just in case shit gets really fucking serious
Combine this with the Pedophile Finder app and the HealthMap app and you’ll scare yourself into never leaving the house. Awesome? [HMSMobile Swine Flue Center]
Posted: October 27th, 2009
at 1:17pm by Adam Frucci
Topics: Apple, CellPhones, Medical, Swine flu, app store, harvard, iPhone, iPhone Apps
When Colors Speak For Kids
Feelor Touch the Color is a color pencil set that comes with a specialized character-form on the head. It’s intended as a teaching aid for blind, preschool children, who are able to grasp concepts of shapes better than mere words or Braille. For example, if they are to color their page a particular color say red; they pull out a pencil with the head shaped as an apple, because apples are red. Likewise a chic stands for yellow, clover for green, and so on…
This retractable lead pencil has a button on its side to pull the lead out or in and is ergonomically designed for a better grasp. The idea behind the project is nice, and the designing has been kept simple and easy for small children to understand. I think blind people have heightened senses, so touching and feeling for objects comes naturally for them. However, only the research experts in this field will be able to give us a proper verdict on the Feelor’s feasibility and acceptance.
Designer: Noh Ji Hun
Posted: October 27th, 2009
at 3:00am by Radhika Seth
Topics: Color Pencils, Feelor, Medical, Noh Ji Hun, Preschool, Product Design, Touch The Color, blind, children
Lullabelly Prenatal Music Belt
By Andrew Liszewski
It’s widely believed that playing music for your baby while it’s still in the womb will help improve their visual, auditory, language and motor development skills when they’re born. And that’s what inspired the creation of the Lullabelly. It’s a large belt that can be worn over clothes, or directly against the belly, which features a built-in speaker that can be connected to an MP3 player making it easier to play music directly at your baby. There’s a volume control dial so things don’t get too loud as well as a pocket for holding your player, and the whole thing is machine washable, after you take out the easy-to-remove speaker of course. It’s available in 3 different fabric patterns (pink, green or blue polka dots) directly from the Lullabelly website for $55.
[ Lullabelly Prenatal Music Belt ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]
Robotic patient with H1N1 symptoms
Those who attended the Security & Safety Trade Expo (RISCON) in Tokyo might have caught a whiff of this special robotic patient who actually exhibits the known symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus, where it was specially developed to be a realistic training aid for medical workers. Apart from its human-like skin, the robot is also able to sweat, convulse, moan and cry tears – nice thing it does not pee.
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