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In this issue: Redundancy, UltraSilencer, LED Turn Signal Gloves, Cardboard bicycle, Ttone and more
In this issue: Redundancy, UltraSilencer, LED Turn Signal Gloves, Cardboard bicycle, Ttone and more
Line Printer
The color of sewing-machine thread is customized to the color of the cloth being worked upon. With the Line Printer you get to ‘print’ thread with color on demand. A small built-in camera is used to photograph the fabric, and then color-picking software determines the ideal shade for the thread. Small CMKY ink cartridges are contained within Line Printer, and system is calibrated to print on white thread. Line Printer sits on the top of the sewing machine and the thread is fed through it directly off the spool.
Cardboard bicycle
Israeli inventor Izhar Gafni has come up with a cardboard bicycle that's waterproof, durable and costs less than EUR 15 to produce. "The idea is like Japanese origami," he says in the movie. "You fold it once and then it doesn't become twice the strength, it's almost three times the strength. So I took it from there and did the same thing with cardboard."
video /
The Atom
The Atom is a lightweight, highly efficient bicycle generator and rechargeable battery pack designed to power virtually any of your electronic or mobile devices via USB. The generators easily mount on most standard bicycle frames and the battery packs detach easily to quickly extend your battery life.
Ttone
This little toothbrush provides exciting, interesting, and interactive experience for children, they can have fun while developing healthy dental hygiene habits. This tool plays music without batteries, it captures kinetic energy produced when your children doing brushing actions. The music is produced by the replaceable brush, when you replace it with a new brush, you get a new musical tune so your children won’t get bored.
Tactile Time
The Touch It watch makes it possible to feel rather than view time on its face. Hours and minutes are represented by raised bumps that rotate underneath a flexible surface, providing a tactile way of reading the time.
The Eggstractor
Separating egg whites from the yolk can take some serious skill! That is… unless you have this modern whisk by Ivan Zhang. By slightly modifying the shape with a circular indention, the whisk catches the yolk, allowing the white to drip down. The whisk can then be used as normal to beat the eggs or stir your mixture.
LED Turn Signal Gloves
Cyclists usually use their arms to signal of an upcoming turn; however, this action sometimes can’t get the attention from other drivers. Using these gloves, the LED will inform others better about the direction you’re headed.
Redundancy
Redundancy is the duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system, usually in the case of a backup or fail-safe. Redundancy is one of the most reliable methods to prevent system failure. There are four types of redundancy: multiple, homogen, active and passive.
Multiple (various) redundancy uses a number of different elements in order to present the same information. This redundancy can withstand a single fault, but is very complex to implement. So there are three kinds of brakes in the high-speed trains: an electric, pneumatic and hydraulic brake. In many safety-critical systems, such as fly-by-wire and hydraulic systems in aircraft, some parts of the control system may be triplicated. An error in one component may then be out-voted by the other two.
Homogeneous redundancy is the use of a number of elements of a certain kind (such as multiplying the individual strands in order to create a rope). This reduntancy is relatively easy to implement and maintain. There is though a question of sensitivity to the type of fault that occurs in a single element.
Active redundancy applies many elements of a particular type (such as numder of independent pillars to support the roof). Active redundancy protects both the system and the elements against malfunctions. When failure occurs this redundancy provides possibilities to repair and replace with minimal interruption of the performance of the whole system.
Passive redundancy is the use of redundancy elements in the failure of an active element (a spare tire of the car). This redundancy is ideal for non-critical elements. It is a simplest and most common form of redundancy.
Tip: Use all four types of redundancy in systems where higher reliability is required. In other situations use the redundancy which is the most suitable to the task.
Multiple (various) redundancy uses a number of different elements in order to present the same information. This redundancy can withstand a single fault, but is very complex to implement. So there are three kinds of brakes in the high-speed trains: an electric, pneumatic and hydraulic brake. In many safety-critical systems, such as fly-by-wire and hydraulic systems in aircraft, some parts of the control system may be triplicated. An error in one component may then be out-voted by the other two.
Homogeneous redundancy is the use of a number of elements of a certain kind (such as multiplying the individual strands in order to create a rope). This reduntancy is relatively easy to implement and maintain. There is though a question of sensitivity to the type of fault that occurs in a single element.
Active redundancy applies many elements of a particular type (such as numder of independent pillars to support the roof). Active redundancy protects both the system and the elements against malfunctions. When failure occurs this redundancy provides possibilities to repair and replace with minimal interruption of the performance of the whole system.
Passive redundancy is the use of redundancy elements in the failure of an active element (a spare tire of the car). This redundancy is ideal for non-critical elements. It is a simplest and most common form of redundancy.
Tip: Use all four types of redundancy in systems where higher reliability is required. In other situations use the redundancy which is the most suitable to the task.
De Overkant
From the 1st of June Bluelarix Designworks has a new address in a old diesel engine factory, now called "De Overkant"! Feel free to visit us for a cup of coffee and inspirational talk on the other side of the river IJ.
The new address will be:
Gedempt Hamerkanaal 253 / 1021 KP / Amsterdam
Proof of Concept Service
If you have an innovative idea for a new product, device or technology, you need to quickly assess its feasibility and functionality before going into Design Strategy and concept development. We can help you answer these questions quickly and easily.
Read more about Proof of Concept /
Read more about Proof of Concept /
Why work with us?
1. highly innovative design
The products we design are innovative, meaningful and serve your strategic goals: better user experience, enter new markets, raise margins, improved usability and interaction, quicker product introductions, create intellectual property, design your brand promise.
2. integration of electronics
Because we have our own electronics department, we can integrate interaction and electronics into products quicker and easier, whether it's about consumer electronics, electronic products for care applications or professionals.
3. human oriented design
In our team we have knowledge and educated persons in psychology, so that we can design the human aspect of products in a thoughful way. We love designing products that improve human life and health, like in care, medical and sports.
4. one-stop design & product development
Product development is complex and you do not want to find yourself in between parties. Therefore we take care of the whole process with our design team: industrial design, product engineering, interaction design, electronics design, industrialisation and production support.
5. fixed budget
We run design projects until the prototype stage for a fixed budget, which does not change as long as the scope of the project stays the same. We use risk assessment, validations, balance sheets and other tools to reduce your risks as much as possible.
6. international
We work for international companies as well and our design team consists of different nationalities. We are used to run projects successfully in cooperation with international teams of our clients. We speak english, german and russian at our office.
Learn more about our approach to product design /
The products we design are innovative, meaningful and serve your strategic goals: better user experience, enter new markets, raise margins, improved usability and interaction, quicker product introductions, create intellectual property, design your brand promise.
2. integration of electronics
Because we have our own electronics department, we can integrate interaction and electronics into products quicker and easier, whether it's about consumer electronics, electronic products for care applications or professionals.
3. human oriented design
In our team we have knowledge and educated persons in psychology, so that we can design the human aspect of products in a thoughful way. We love designing products that improve human life and health, like in care, medical and sports.
4. one-stop design & product development
Product development is complex and you do not want to find yourself in between parties. Therefore we take care of the whole process with our design team: industrial design, product engineering, interaction design, electronics design, industrialisation and production support.
5. fixed budget
We run design projects until the prototype stage for a fixed budget, which does not change as long as the scope of the project stays the same. We use risk assessment, validations, balance sheets and other tools to reduce your risks as much as possible.
6. international
We work for international companies as well and our design team consists of different nationalities. We are used to run projects successfully in cooperation with international teams of our clients. We speak english, german and russian at our office.
Learn more about our approach to product design /
It's time to read me
Do you often forget the important things you have to do? It's Time to Read Me is an electric pin-up board and light-up drawing pin set that allows the most pressing memos to be illuminated when they need to be acted upon.
UltraSilencer
Together with experienced meditation expert Gunilla Lönnberg Electrolux developed a program for so called informal meditation while vacuuming. The Clean Your Mind meditation program comes as a whole collection of tracks, easily adaptable to fit the size of one’s home.
Electrolux’s new UltraSilencer vacuum transforms the chore of vacuum cleaning into a resource for personal well-being, with a meditation program developed especially for vacuuming. Sounds were recorded directly from the machine, then filtered & modified to create a palette of different “instruments” that come together in different tracks available on iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud!
Watch it in action! /
