Redesigning Design, Erik Spiekerman

February 24, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

Having applied Design Thinking throughout my career, and having spent time with clients in Europe and the US clarifying Design’s function in critical problem solving and as a methodology to expand business ecosystems, I found familiarity in Erik’s presentation offering some examples of Design Thinking applied to Apple’s iPod product line, and an innovative redesign of a bank’s savings account infrastructure.

“Creativity is the key resource to affect change. Design could be the guiding force behind the world’s innovative economy.” (In German, English slides, 16.5 min)

Humanizing Mobile Phones with Shape-Shifts and Heartbeats

February 24, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

Fabian Hemmert, TEDx Berlin, exploring the digital/physical potential of mobile devices. Floating gravitational center: augmenting physical objects with directional mass. Shape-changing mobile: thin to thick, inclined, or tilting toward more content by slanted direction. Acting like a living phone, with every breath and heartbeat.

3D Display, LED Fitted Airborne Mechanical Fireflies

February 19, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

MIT SENSEable Lab’s approach in using micro-helicopters as smart LED pixels. These mechanical fireflies are remotely controlled and configured in a dimensional swarm producing morphing luminescent 3D displays.

Festo Bionic AquaJellies

February 12, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

Learning from Nature shows the way to energy-efficient movement processes, through bionics. Recent technology is used in experimental prototypes, such as integrated mechatronic concepts with options for remote maintenance and diagnostics, piezoelectric valves and electric drives. Inspiration for the complex drive forms comes from natural phenomena in air and water, and from humanity itself.

Big Dog LS3 Robotic Prototype Auto-tracking a Human

February 4, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

DARPA funded artificially-intelligent robot in action. This entity uses GPS and machine vision to follow along with mobile humans, and function as a semi-autonomous collaborator. There’s a visceral shift in perception when we interact with sensor driven embodied AI. Animal nature, human nature, or AI nature.