Tag: Smart City

Fresh air, also when cycling, keeps us healthy. Now, an engineering student from India has founded a startup so that his compatriots can benefit too. The 23-year-old has invented a machine which absorbs the harmful elements of smog, such as black carbon, and captures them in a large container. The human-sized devices cost less than a new mobile phone...

A hot-water bottle is easy to make and stays warm for hours. Now, inspired by the heating wires of toasters, a startup from California hopes to create a new type of storage that stores surplus energy in the form of heat. The team discovered that carbon blocks were best suited to the purpose thanks to their high energy density....

Many alternative energies fall back on the elements. High in demand is wind. For proof, look no further than a design student in Berlin. He has developed a lamppost powered by four rotor blades. Tiny currents, created by passing cars or tunnels between buildings, are converted into electricity by a 300 watt generator. Initial tests at an ideal height...

A big city has much to offer. And a good sense of direction helps to navigate its labyrinth of streets. Yet, how is that possible for people with limited vision? The answer to this question is supplied by a startup from Chile. Their app takes users through a city by voice, providing an audio description of sites, and even...

A sky full of stars - a rare sight for city-dwellers on a clear night. Artificial light sources prevent the night sky from being seen in all its glory. Now a Dutch-based design firm has developed a streetlight concept that could combat light pollution. The lamp is inspired by the way grass sways in the wind and resembles a...

Innovation is when two or more things combine to make something new. Or get rid of something. Like the startup making wind turbines minus the rotor blades (the latter are neither sustainable nor safe for birds.) The cylindrical turbines vibrate in the wind, generating electricity as they go. Gears, brakes or oil? Not required. A 2.75 metre high turbine...

Tracking your morning run? Your decision, and a piece of cake thanks to apps. But data collection is not something we can necessarily control. Not in cities with video cameras on every corner. These systems recognize and track us, but how do they know why we are there? Unintentionally land in a violent demo? Your card is marked. Now...

High shelves create space. And architects in big cities find themselves gazing towards the skies. For evidence, look no further than the 98m hybrid high-rise planned for Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. Its concrete core is made more sustainable by the presence of columns, floor slabs and other elements fashioned from wood. Encompassing 29 floors, the development will for the most...