Some new ideas – technologies, products, applications and projects – are just so novel that they’re hard to classify. Some might say they’re "on the fringe" or not commercially viable. But there’s no denying that they're innovative and definitely interesting. That’s what we call “Out There.” Biopack offers use, plant and grow packaging
June 27, 2019
Greek designer George Bosnas thinks the traditional waste management process is lengthy and uses a lot of energy. In response, he created the sustainable approach to a traditionalegg carton – the Biopack. For this designer, an alternative to “reduce, reuse, recycle” is “use, plant, grow.” According to an Inspiralistarticle, Bosnas was looking for a
Read MoreSeafood shells for better plastic, packaging and textiles
June 24, 2019
Langoustine claws are a source of chitin and chitosan, which are biodegradable materials that could be used to make eco-friendly food packaging. Scientists are tackling the world’s need to keep plastics out of landfills and waterways. One method may be found in making the most of seafood waste. A Science News article
Read MorePoncho design “explodes”
May 9, 2019
A transformative poncho is the latest collaboration between Nike and Tom Sachs. The poncho has taken four years to arrive at this patent-pending stage of design, according to a report on designboom.com. Jarrett Reynolds, Nike’s senior design director for apparel special projects, developed the slim-line pack containing a quick-deploy and easily repacked
Read MoreKnit canoe buoyed by 3D
May 6, 2019
Photo: Composite Creations. VISIONknit, a technical knitting company based in Toronto, Canada, and Canadian collaborators Composite Creations, have launched a 3D knitted canoe. The VISIONknit material can be used on modern flat (v-bed) knitting machines and knit into patterns, accompanying logos and other design features. According to an article in Knitting
Read MoreDecay as part of design
April 29, 2019
Photo: Mediated Matter Group. Could microbes combined with water be guided to selectively disintegrate and then be harnessed as agents of assembly? What would the ecology of a system that included microbes, biocompatible substrates and the contextual environment look like? Those are some of the questions a team of MIT
Read MoreShape-shifting aircraft wings offer new concept
April 22, 2019
MIT and NASA’s morphing wing assembly is seen under construction, assembled from hundreds of identical subunits. The wing was tested in a NASA wind tunnel. Photo: Kenny Cheung, NASA Ames Research Center. MIT and NASA researchers have developed a new shape-shifting approach to aircraft wing construction. An article in MIT
Read MoreNew sneakers made from coffee
April 18, 2019
German shoe brand nat-2 has created a means to recycle coffee into sneakers. The 100 percent vegan, unisex sneaker uppers are made from sustainable recycled coffee, coffee beans and coffee plants. The coffee is applied to a layer and retains its natural coffee scent. The material covers up to 50 percent
Read MoreRobotic gripper uses an origami structure
March 28, 2019
A team at MIT has developed a robotic gripper that uses a 3D-printed origami structure reported to be able to lift 100 times its own weight. The origami-inspired gripper consists of a 3D-printed 16-piece silicone rubber skeleton encased in an airtight skin. A vacuum collapses the gripper, which conforms around a multitude
Read MoreLG introduces a rollable TV
February 7, 2019
LG Electronics has introduced the SIGNATURE TV R, a rollable TV that uses organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology. A recent article in Printed Electronics World states that manufacturers are trying to make large TVs less conspicuous—without sacrificing depth of color and resolution. LG may have accomplished that by creating the
Read MoreNike presents digitally powered adjustable footwear
February 4, 2019
NIKE has launched a lace-less smart shoe with the new platform, NIKE adapt, the company has announced. NIKE adapt for basketball is designed to be a continually updated performance product that the company ways will create a near-symbiotic relationship between the shoe’s digital app and the opt-in firmware updates. Athletes may
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