|
|
| The birds nest structure lets light inside and filters simultaneously cold and wind. The architects Herzog and De Meuron extracted inspiration for the design of the new Olympic stadium in Beijing. This consists of 41875 steel "twigs" and translucent panels of tetrafluoroethylene that has the same insulatian functions as mud, plumes and mosses in a bird's nest.
The structure is 69 meters high and 320 m long and can accommodate 91000 spectators.
techniline.sirris.be
filed under:
architecture,
biomimetics,
environment
Property spectrum: Shape
We live in a three dimensional world, but many of the products we make are limited to one or two dimensions. This trend shows that the evolution to a 3D shape can help make it more aero dynamical, economical and mimic natural shapes.
|
|
|
The Nike Swift System of Dress lets athletes customize what they're wearing while increasing aerodynamic advantages on key parts of the body. Gloves, socks and arm coverings, an entire system of dress, were developed by Nike so sprinters could run faster. For example, the Nike Swift Suit gloves have dimpled fabrics like a golf ball to cut wind resistance and allow arms to slice through the air faster. In testing, the design team found that compared with bare skin, the sleeves reduce drag by 19 percent and the socks by 12.5 percent.
nikebiz.com
filed under:
sports,
textile & clothing
Property spectrum: Surface
This property describes the evolution of surface texture. Surfaces tend to evolve from flat, smooth surfaces towards bumpy surfaces. Dimpled surfaces may bring reduced drag, improved heat dispersion, and additional traction.
|
|
|
| The vest consists of sensors woven into the fabric that register the electrical excitation of the muscle fibers, and thin conducting metallic fibers that pass the signals to an electronic analysis system. People's muscle tension changes with their stress level, the greater the stress, the more likely the muscles are to produce a synchronous twitching effect. Though this is barely perceptible, the electrodes register the change. The new vest is designed to ensure a more relaxed test environment. The project members are exploring further potential applications such as a special vest for computer games. By selectively tensing the torso muscles, players could use the vest to control figures on the monitor and for instance burst their heroes' chains and fetters. The vest could also contribute to safety at the workplace, perhaps ensuring that workers do not lift loads that are too heavy for them. And sports coaches could tell from the electronic vest whether athletes have reached their performance limits or still possess energy reserves.
medgadget.com
filed under:
electronics,
sports,
textile & clothing
Property spectrum: Integration
This property describes integrating different functions in
your product to increase the user convenience. Some of the
benefits of adding additional functions are: integrating
other functions and the ability to add feedback.
|
|
|
| Inspired by the Olympic Mascots, Fuwa, Nike is going to release a Olympic Mascots Pack in this month with 5 different models. Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals, the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow and the Olympic Flame.
Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name, a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.
When you put their names together, Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni, they say "Welcome to Beijing", offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.
kix-files.com
filed under:
advertising,
sports,
textile & clothing
Property spectrum: Market evolution
This trend is focused on the recipients of the products and
processes we design. Customer expectations increase with
time. In order to remain competitive, the jump to the next
step needs to be taken. The mascot shoes are mainly focussed
on having an Olympic souvenir on your feet.
|
|
|
Having strong feelings about the need to make World Cup 2010 a marketing master piece, it's good to know the Chinese are thinking ahead and plan to use RFID technology in the tickets for this year's Olympic games to 'interact' with spectators during the event.
The Chinese are planning to use the tech to cut down on
fake tickets and possibly provide useful information on
seating and navigating venues throughout Beijing.
cherryflava.com
filed under:
paper,
security,
technologies
Property spectrum: Information
Systems and subsystems tend to evolve from requiring
external input to becoming self-controlling through the use
of feedback mechanisms. The integrated RFID tags help give
information to the owner.
|
|
|
With a little help from NASA, Speedo has managed to come out with the world's fastest swimsuit to help swimmers achieve greater speeds. Speedo's new LZR Racer (pronounced "Laser Racer") features seams "ultrasonically welded" instead of sewn, to reduce drag in the water by up to 10%. It has been designed more like a spacesuit. The suit is constructed from Speedo's unique LZR Pulse fabric. Ultra lightweight, powerful and water-repellent, LZR Pulse reduces muscle oscillation and skin vibration through powerful compression. This fast drying fabric also offers low skin friction drag.
speedo80.com
filed under:
sports,
technologies,
textile & clothing
Property spectrum: Activity
Smart materials are able to adapt automatically to their environment or change in response to a stimulus. The trend is for materials to become increasingly "smart" and for systems to increasingly incorporate smart materials. Smart materials are especially useful for eliminating contradictions in systems.
|
|
If you enjoy
CREAX newsletters, you will enjoy our hands-on MoreInspiration course. Our next 2-day
course is scheduled for the
24th &
25th
of September 2008 and the following course for the 29th & 30th of
September 2008. The next French course will be given on
17th & 18th
of September 2008. 
