Tag: Living

New wheelchairs can be controlled by head movements. Now, a Californian startup has developed a wearable ring to operate light switches, fans and air-conditioning units more easily. The ring uses infrared to communicate with an electric switch cover, placed over a rocker switch, at distances of up to 10m. Both ring and switch cover take an hour to charge. Low...

Some tiny houses descend from wind turbines. Now, a German-Ukrainian team has built its own tiny trailer using recycled plastic and 3D-printing techniques. With granules from 7,500 recycled plastic bottles, reinforced by stabilising fibreglass, the prototype was printed in one piece. Ensuring the 3m x 1.85m mobile home weighed only 400kg. The kitchen is concealed towards the rear, under...

An add-on makes wind turbines safer for passing birds. Decommissioned wind turbines offer shelter too. A design studio has converted a former machine cabin into a tiny house. The nacelle, which once stood at 100 metres and housed the power generator, is 10 metres long and 4 metres wide, offering 35㎡ of living space. Its glass-fibre reinforced interior was...

Haute couture made from hair is a distinct possibility. Wool, meanwhile, isn’t just suitable for winter jumpers. The proof? Look no further than this England-based startup, which is using sheep’s wool to produce chairs. The team realised that fewer and fewer carpets were being made from the wool of two common UK breeds. Too good to be the waste...

Cocoa plants aren’t just used to make chocolate and buildings become more flexible. Now, an international research team has developed a design concept from which humans, animals, plants and organisms such as microbes could all benefit. The idea is to cover houses in several layers. Each of them is tailored to the needs of the organisms within. Humans, for...

With the right search engine, people with disabilities can check their holiday destinations in advance. A Spanish startup is helping Erasmus students find accommodation during their year abroad. Their platform saves students from potential language difficulties and issues with local processes, as well as the need to find trustworthy contacts on the ground. Users can search for a flat,...

In France, the law obliges companies to offer a repair service for electronic devices. A similar idea came to four women during a hackathon at Trinity College, Dublin. Their startup enables people to recycle old furniture in three easy steps. First, furniture owners upload details of individual items to the startup’s online platform. Next, artists choose a piece which is...

Grandparents make great friends and an intergenerational exchange can be beneficial to all involved. With this in mind, a Swiss startup has recently started a platform which brings together students and senior citizens. The former are always searching for low-cost accommodation solutions; the latter to avoid feelings of isolation and make use of extra space. Those with a spare...