Milo Lamps

“Milo.” Lightovo. Lightovo, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2014. http://lightovo.com/product/milo/ At Lightovo, Polish designers developed a series of lamps that embody symbiotic relationships. Called the “Milo,” each glass-shaded lamp acts as a miniature greenhouse for a potted plant.  The inner LED light bulb emits a color temperature of 4000 K to 6000 K, which not only replicates natural sunlight but also proves […]

Rain-Activated Dress

Reineke, Laura. “Season 13, Episode 8: The Rainway.” Lifetime. Lifetime Entertainment Services, 12 Sept. 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/blogs/project-runway-blog/season-13-episode-8-the-rainway-recap Project Runway likely isn’t the first thought that comes to mind when thinking of the intersection between the environment and technology. But the invention of Brooklyn designer, Sean Kelly, changed that in a recent episode. Faced […]

Man-Made Biological Leaves

Hobson, Ben. “The ‘First Man-Made Biological leaf’ Could Enable Humans to Colonise Space.” Dezeen. Dezeen, 25 July 2014. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. http://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/25/movie-silk-leaf-first-man-made-synthetic-biological-leaf-space-travel/ Julian Melchiorri, a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, has developed what he calls “the first man-made biological leaf.” As a synthetic plant, the leaf produces oxygen through its absorption of water and carbon […]

Internet Balloons

Detwiler, Jacqueline. “Carrying the Internet in Balloons.” Hemispheres Magazine September 2013: 61. Print. Engineers at the Google X lab are working to spread internet accessibility via balloon. Made out of polyethylene plastic, the massive 39 x 49 foot constructions aim to service areas like rural Africa and South America where internet access is scarce. The balloons travel the […]

Science of Bubbles

Lichtman, Flora. “The Science of Bubbles.” Popular Science June 2014: 31. Print. In Flora Lichtman’s piece, she introduces four categories in which bubbles make surprisingly significant contributions. Hunting, weaponry, computing and climate all seem to be fields where bubbles are valued as more than just entertainment. Notably, she mentions a technique used by Russian engineers called […]

Rain Room

“Rain Room.” random-international.com. Random International, 2012. Web. 03 July 2014. http://random-international.com/work/rainroom/ Rain Room is an art installation that allows viewers to walk through rain without getting wet. Upon entering the Rain Room, participants are encouraged to walk through sheets of falling water while 3D cameras track their movements and positions within the Rain Room. Sensors […]

Robotic Drumming Prosthesis

“Robotic Prosthesis Turns Drummer into a Three-Armed Cyborg.” www.news.gatech.edu. Georgia Institute of Technology, 6 Mar 2014. Web. 24 June 2014. http://www.news.gatech.edu/2014/03/05/robotic-prosthesis-turns-drummer-three-armed-cyborg Professor Gil Weinberg of Georgia Tech developed a prosthetic arm equipped with two drum sticks attached to one arm. Drummer Jason Barnes is able to control one drumstick with his bicep muscles while the second stick is controlled […]

Robots reading humans

“Softbank unveils ‘human-like’ robot Pepper.” bbc.com. BBC, 5 June 2014. Web. 8 June 2014. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27709828 This article talks about a Japanese robot designed to interact with humans and understand their emotional responses. The robot is built with an “emotional engine” and a cloud-based artificial intelligence system that enables them to comprehend human’s emotions, allowing them to react […]

Making Paper Obsolete

Goudarzi, Sara. “Top Ten Emerging Environmental Technologies.” livescience.com. Purch, 19 Apr. 2007. Web. 28 May 2014. Web. http://www.livescience.com/11334-top-10-emerging-environmental-technologies.html This article cites a possible form of electronic paper that would reduce the amount of paper produced in a given population. The paper doesn’t look like a typical e-reader or a standard tablet, but is a flexible piece of […]