Tag: Design

Donations left by a desert robot could help create an oasis. The same cannot be said, however, for humans leaving their “mark” and their tissues in nature. Enter an Israeli design student’s sustainable toilet paper. Made from oranges and aloe vera, each individual leaf is woven with plant seeds such as mint, rose or parsley. Though thicker than traditional...

Complex objects could be reliably lifted during production. But how can people with rheumatism or carpal tunnel syndrome be helped to carry out everyday activities such as brushing their teeth? Cue a new online platform which aims to provide personalised adapters for handheld and electric toothbrushes. First, users provide information about their condition and the type of toothbrush they...

Rail journeys should be more comfortable in future. People with limited mobility, however, don’t just need help at train stations. Which is why a British consortium has developed a new concept to improve accessibility at airports. The consortium’s electric one-seater vehicle is self-balancing and comes with luggage space at the rear. Its design means users can dine or shop like other airport...

Video games can help diagnose depression, and smartphones identify blocked arteries. Now, a research team in Singapore has developed a light-emitting diode (LED), less than a micrometre in size, which has been used to build a holographic mini-microscope. Both LED and microscope are the smallest of their kind in the world. A neural network-algorithm converts objects measured by the microscope, such as cells...

A cooling helmet helps prevent hair loss during chemotherapy. Hot flushes, which afflict women during the menopause, are equally undesirable. But thanks to a young designer from England and his startup, these episodes could soon be a thing of the past. His armband with integrated sensors detects hot flushes as they develop and activates a patch which cools the...

Paper made from banana plants protect potatoes from pathogens. An important development for a Swedish design studio, which has produced a curved juice bottle made from a potato starch-based material. It dissolves in water after use and can also be eaten or composted. Thanks to a double-sided, biodegradable coating, the bottle can withstand liquid contents. Once empty, the material...

Used chewing gum can be transformed into skateboard wheels. Beaches, meanwhile, benefit from crushed used glass. Broken surfboards left by the sea are less hip, however. Therefore, a Welsh designer has developed a surfboard that serves as a breeding ground for corals in its second life. The skeleton is 3D-printed from biodegradable material, and filled with fungal spores and...

Tailored prosthetics create optimal conditions for movement. When it comes to the body of electric cars, design depends on established battery sizes and desired performance. In order to create more flexibility, a US startup has developed a manufacturing process, whereby solid-state batteries are 3D printed. Different sorts of powder made from glass, ceramics or metal can be combined in...