South Korean designer Lee Myung Su has developed an interactive bag to keep urban cyclists safe on the road. The SEIL bag, which stands for Safe Enjoy Interactive Light, is a backpack with an LED display on its face. The backpack communicates wirelessly with controllers attached to the bike handlebars, and displays signals, allowing other people on the road to understand the rider’s intent. The backpack can also hold personal items, and can even display simple messages and emoticons, making cycling an interactive experience.

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More Info:

• http://www.leemyungsu.com/works.html
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpNlsHlHQoE

Richard Little and Robert Irving, two inventors from New Zealand, are the founders of Rex Bionics and the creators of Rex, the Robot Exoskeleton. Rex is the first pair of robotic legs designed to allow paraplegics stand and walk on their own. The battery-powered device weighs 84 pounds and it joystick operated. Rex allows paraplegics to climb up and down stairs or slopes, sit, stand, and move forwards, backwards, and sideways. Rex offers the gift of mobility to those normally limited to a wheelchair.

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More Info:

• http://www.rexbionics.com/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGw5DYngHTo&NR=1

The EN-V concept, designed by General Motors (GM) and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), could be the answer to urban traffic problems in the future. EN-V, which stands for Electric Networked-Vehicle, is a two-wheeled and two-seat emission-free vehicle propelled by electric motors in each of the driving-mode wheels. The vehicle’s drivetrain platform is an evolution of the platform of the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility (P.U.M.A.) prototype developed by Segway. EN-V can travel up to 25 miles on one charge, and be operated either manually or autonomously with both GPS and vehicle-to-vehicle communication capabilities. Its compact and eco-friendly form will allow for more parking availability and less traffic on the roads, and the GPS technology could lead the way to future advanced vehicle safety systems.

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More Info:

• http://gm-volt.com/2010/03/24/gm-reveals-en-v-concept/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n_Chzj8NRw

The Kawasaki and Mouri Laboratory at Gifu University in Japan are researching and developing a touch interface which, combined with 3D displays, could offer a new way to simulate the touching of objects. HIRO III is a haptic interface robot that can provide realistic sensations to the user’s hands and fingers. The laboratory is currently working towards putting the haptic technology to work in the medical field, particularly for breast cancer screening.

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More Info:

• http://www.gifu-u.ac.jp/english/index.rbz
• http://robo.mech.gifu-u.ac.jp/en/Research/Haptic/index.html
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxlYY0xo4gk

Michel Kreuger of Amsterdam’s Studio Noach, in collaboration with architect Anne Holtrop and the inventor of the vertical garden, Patrick Blanc, has developed the Green RexWall concept based on floating construction with recycled core material. “Green Floating” is a full concept for living on water on a foundation of recycled polystyrene, in combination with a high-tech sustainable climate system and an ecological and botanical coating of plants and flowers.

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More Info:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKAoXRQ9ris
• http://www.studionoach.com/
• http://www.rexwall.com/

Apple is ready to release its second-generation iPad, the iPad 2. The slimmer, sleeker and speedier device will feature a 1GHz dual-core A5 chip and cameras both on the front and the rear. The iPad 2 is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than its predecessor, while still offering 10 hours of battery life. The graphics performance is said to be up to nine times better than on the original iPad, and offers many new features that will enhance the way you work and play.

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More Info:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbSBY1DwEE
• http://www.apple.com

Technology is leaving the confines of computers and becoming more interactive than ever. Patrick Baudisch and his colleagues at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany, have developed a touch-screen floor prototype called Multitoe, which recognizes individual users by their shoe pattern and responds to such universally familiar actions as stomping your feet and tapping your toes. Using frustrated total internal reflection, Multitoe can sense pressure, recognize foot postures, and identity users based on the soles of their shoes.

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More Info:

• http://www.hpi.uni-potsdam.de/baudisch/projects/multitoe.html
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spiKgkW1UmI

Designer Boaz Mendel has created a piece of multifunctioning furniture, aptly named the Loop Chair. The chair is made of seven boards of differing lengths which are connected in a loop by hinges. By folding the loop into different shapes, the Loop Chair can be turned into different types of chairs and tables. In less than a minute, the Loop Chair can instantly change from a bar stool to a coffee table; in total there are twelve different ways for the chair to be arranged.

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More Info:

• http://sites.google.com/site/mendelboazdesign/home/loop-chair
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5iRB8amlw0

Henrik Otto, Senior Vice President of Design at Electrolux, has created a concept that will revolutionize the home kitchen. The “Heart of the Home” is a multi-purpose table surface that can be used to be cooked and eaten on, as well as being utilized as a bar. A computer program analyzes any ingredients placed on the “Heart of the Home” and returns a list of recipes that the ingredients can be used for. The chef can then mark their desired cooking size and depth with their hand and the table will adjust, making pots and pans a thing of the past. Henrik Otto, Senior Vice President of Design at Electrolux, has created a concept that willrevolutionize the home kitchen. The “Heart of the Home” is a multi-purpose table surface thatcan be used to be cooked and eaten on, as well as being utilized as a bar. A computer programanalyzes any ingredients placed on the “Heart of the Home” and returns a list of recipes that theingredients can be used for. The chef can then mark their desired cooking size and depth withtheir hand and the table will adjust, making pots and pans a thing of the past.

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More Info:

• http://www.electroluxdesignlab.com/2010/02/electrolux-heart-of-the-home-kitchen-concept/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwLpquelYFI