Archive for the ‘Design’ Category

Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera

36 fixed focus cell phone cameras and a peak sensing accelerometer make for a novel way of taking a 360 degree panoramic image.

 ”We used the camera to capture full spherical panoramas at scenic spots, in a crowded city square and in the middle of a group of people taking turns in throwing the camera. Above all we found that it is a very enjoyable, playful way to take pictures.”

[Via MAKE]

Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera // Jonas Pfeil.

Clever Kinetic Sculpture

Nice little kinetic ball sorting thing. The video (might take some time to load, it’s coming from China) has enough close up shots that is would not be that tough to duplicate this. I need to find a good supply of that brass wire he uses, looks like it’s brazing rod so it shouldn’t be too hard to locate some. I see a trip to Harbor Freight in my future!
Funny DIY Device With Subtle Control of Steel Balls’ tracks

See larger image Creative Kinetics: Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood (Paperback) By (author) Rodney Frost List Price: $14.95 USD New From: $22.87 In Stock Used from: $22.00 In Stock

Science for Adults – Theo Jansen’s Mini Beast

Another amazing science kit from Gakken! This time it features artist Theo Jansen, a world renowned kinetic sculptor that hopes to one day let his creations roam free on the wind swept beaches of the Netherlands. This kit looks amazing, not too unusual for a Gakken kit, and pretty easy to assemble. Like all of the projects in this Mook series, the instructions will be all in Japanese but drawn so well that you don’t need to read any of the text to understand it. The project takes you through building a beautiful wind powered walking creature that is as graceful as it is complex. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these!
[via MAKE Flickr pool]
cloud9science @Wiki – テオ・ヤンセンのミニ・ビーストを作ってみた

I have a pool of photos on Flickr that contains images of some kits and photos taken by some of the cameras that have been featured in the series. Have a look and if you have been graced by owning one of these inspiring products consider contributing a picture or two to the pool.

Gakken Otona No Kagaku Science Kits

See larger image MAKE: Technology on Your Time (Magazine) List Price: $59.56 USD New From: $34.95 In Stock

‘Flutter in Pinhole’ Instant Camera

A clever concept camera that combines retro instant pictures with even more retro pinhole photography. Each camera comes pre-loaded with two sheets of Fuji Film instant film (probably Instax mini ) and easy to follow pictograms on the back. You pop open the camera, open the shutter flap to make the exposure, and then collapse the camera again. The pencil that’s included is then rubbed along the back in one direction to burst the developing paste on the film. Cut in half and you have two photos, one for you and one to send as a post card to a friend. Very clever! I now have a reason to get a pack of that film and mess around with it.

Flutter In Pinhole – Camera Concept by Yoo Geun-hyuk & Yoon Bo-jung

See larger image Fujifilm INSTAX MINI Twin Pack Instant Film (Electronics) List Price: $19.95 USD New From: $11.48 In Stock

The AVR Treasure Chest

My friend Kelly built this:

When my boys were very young, I made a treasure chest from a cheap toolbox, placed an electronic lock in it (AT90S1200) and sent them on a treasure hunt, solving clues and ultimately opening the chest to get their pirate booty, a pair of N64 games. Over the years that chest has been used on many such hunts, created by myself or the boys.
Fast forward over 10 years later and I felt it was time for a new chest, one that would run the treasure hunt itself, playing videos, sound effects, and even hand out paper clues. The typical scenario would start with the chest playing a video clue on the iTouch, which would send the treasure hunters off looking for more clues and eventually get a key. Returning to the chest they would insert the key which would signal the chest that they completed that scenario and it’s time to start the next one, which could be another video, or dispensing a paper clue or map. Once the last scenario was completed the chest would release the big spring loaded trunk latch and the treasure hunters could reap the reward of what ever was inside waiting for them.

This is a pretty amazing project and the documentation is top notch. Thanks for telling me about this Kelly! Once you have seen the chest writeup go have a look at his robots, the man is a master of ingenuity and creativity. I’m proud to say that my robots have had their tin cans kicked by his ‘bots a number of times.
Treasure Chest

Danes In Space!

Soon a group of volunteers from Denmark will be pushing the boundaries for human endeavor. Well, humans that live in Denmark and are not affiliated with a major aerospace concern. These adventitious will be launching a test rocket as part of their attempt to put a man into space. The launch is to occur in the Baltic Sea on August 31th and is all goes well will reach 150,000 feet.

from their website: “This is a non-profit suborbital space endeavor, based entirely on sponsors and volunteers.
Our mission is to launch a human being into space.  We are working fulltime to develop a series of suborbital space vehicles – designed to pave the way for manned space flight on a micro size spacecraft.  Two rocket vehicles are under development. A small unmanned sounding rocket, named Hybrid Atmospheric Test Vehicle or HATV and a larger booster rocket named Hybrid Exo Atmospheric Transporter or HEAT, designed to carry a micro spacecraft into a suborbital trajectory in space.”

I hope all goes well for them. If they are successful they will be the first organization to enter the manned spaceflight game entirely without government donations.

[via WIRED]
Copenhagen Suborbitals

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