Design
Revolutionary rear-access 'shell' design could make motorcycles far safer
Motorcycle helmets have been around for almost a century, yet their design never deviated from the pull on-pull off type with a chinstrap to secure in place. Australian Vozz Helmets introduces a revolutionary design that renders straps obsolete – and has a few more tricks up its sleeve as Read More...
Reengineered brick can keep buildings cool
This clay brick from a pair of Colombian architects shows that material innovation doesn't always have to be high-tech. When Colombian architects Miguel Niño and Johanna Navarro set out to re-engineer the brick, they did so through the lens of sustainability. They wanted to create a mass Read More...
Plastic-bottle homes are popping up to shelter the homeless
Water bottles are a major pollutant of our world, but communities around the world are finding ways to put discarded bottles to good use. Throughout Africa and Latin America, communities are repurposing these bottles to provide shelter for the homeless. People collect discarded bottles, fill them Read More...
Tetris House takes modular homes to a different level
Have you ever wanted to change the layout of your house? Well, a new concept from Universe Architecture will let you do so simply and with relative ease. Tetris House is a modular system of blocks that can slot together in a number of different arrangements. Residents can also attach accessories to Read More...
This life-changing, low-cost artificial knee is on the market after years of design
The ReMotion Knee lets people in the developing world share some of our advanced prosthetic technology, but at a price you can afford if you make $4 a day. After he lost his leg in a traffic accident, Sonu Kumar, a 20-year-old electrician in Jaipur, India, was one of the first people to test an Read More...
Adidas uses plastic ocean waste to create a 3D-printed shoe
Back in June, Adidas revealed a shoe made almost entirely from recycled ocean waste. That product marked the beginning of a partnership between the sportswear firm and Parley, an organization trying to combat ocean pollution worldwide. Now, Adidas is taking this one step further: its new design Read More...
Building greener ships, to keep the sea from rising
With its cavernous cargo holds and gleaming white superstructure, the 730-foot Perla del Caribe, which is nearing completion at a shipyard here, looks like any midsize container ship. But at the stern, visible through cutouts in the superstructure, are two huge steel tanks that show this is no Read More...
Chinese researchers unveil brain-powered car
China’s first mind-controlled car has been developed by researchers in the north-east port city of Tianjin. Chinese researchers have developed what they say is the country’s first car that uses nothing but brain power to drive. The research team from Nankai University, in the Read More...
How mobile tech is improving global disaster relief
When war or natural disaster causes havoc around the world and millions of people are displaced or rendered homeless, communications and power infrastructures are often damaged or non-existent. Yet people are desperate to let their loved ones know they're safe and to find out what's going on. "The Read More...
Pioneering new urban design for Stockholm includes a soaring green sky walk park
As people flock to cities for new opportunities, designers around the world are faced with the challenging task of creating new places for them to live, work and play - without degrading quality of life. In Sweden, Anders Berensson Architects have devised a brilliant new plan that includes maximum Read More...