London’s giant snow globe

December 20, 2013  |  Out There

Nothing quite captures the Dickensian nature of a London Christmas like a newly shaken snow globe. And now the city’s Piccadilly Circus has been turned into the real thing. On Nov. 18, the switch was thrown on “the world’s largest snow globe” built around the iconic Shaftesbury Memorial, pop…
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Philips and Desso to develop light-transmissive carpets

December 10, 2013  |  Out There

.alignnone.size-thumbnail{margin:9px;} Dutch companies Philips Lighting and carpet manufacturer Desso have announced a partnership agreement to develop solutions that combine LED lighting with light-transmissive carpet. This innovation enhances the potential of LED integration into surfaces and adds…
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Tamicare offers 3D printed Cosyflex™

December 10, 2013  |  Out There

A new technology for feminine hygiene products has been announced by U.K.-based Tamicare. According to the company, its product Cosyflex™ is the world’s first technology developed to 3D print finished textile products. A radical departure from traditional textile manufacturing techniques, th…
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Morph into comfort in an economy airline seat

December 10, 2013  |  Out There

London-based design firm Seymourpowell has designed a concept economy seat for airline travel inspired by new materials and flexibility. Called “Morph,” the seat would offer passengers choices concerning the amount of space they pay for and provide a better fit for more people. Seymourpowell’s…
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To grow a chair

November 12, 2013  |  Out There

Can one grow furniture? A pair of Philadelphia University students says you can. In fact, they’ve done it. The students, Merjan Tara Sisman and Brian McClellan, launched an investigation of manufacturing objects from living materials in “The Living Room Project.” Their study of the potential…
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Robotic bird flies with solar power

November 12, 2013  |  Out There

“How can Robo Raven ‘feed’ itself in jungles?” asks SK Gupta, University of Maryland robotics expert, on his “Unorthodox Ideas” blog. The answer follows his question. The bird drone that researchers in the university’s Robotics Center created is the newest incarnation of their bird dro…
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Lighting up a rainy night

October 11, 2013  |  Out There

Lumi is a one-of-a-kind umbrella designed in collaboration with renowned dance company Pilobolus and inspired by their live show “UP: The Umbrella Project.” This limited edition umbrella was created following the original design used as part of that project, a participatory performance developed…
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Sound-activated garment creates its own aesthetic

October 8, 2013  |  Out There

A project named “Incertitudes” by Canadian designer Ying Gao features a dress made of PVDF (Polyvinylidene fluoride), dressmaker pins and electronics that cause the garment to respond to sound, specifically activated by a spectator’s voice. Says the designer, “Through the motion of the pins,…
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A mosque, solar powered

October 8, 2013  |  Out There

“A team of collaborating Italian architects, Paolo Venturella, Angelo Balducci, Luca Ponsi, and Paolo Gaeta, had an unusual approach for a mosque project. The solar panel-covered “Wall-Dome” concept was the group’s entry to the highly debated architecture competition to design th…
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Pleasant weather experiences forecast

September 23, 2013  |  Out There

Weather-sensitive fabric sculpture offers a multi-sensory experience for arts center visitors. It’s not a smart fabric, exactly, but it seems to behave like one. Artist John Grade has created a kinetic sculptural installation that moves in response to the weather—information collected on the roo…
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