Posts filed under 'Inventions'
Masamichi Udagawa and Sigi Moeslinger founded Antenna Design with the goal of making people’s engagement with technological objects and environments more exciting. They are achieving this ambitious objective through a combination of commercial and public projects that range from the redesign of the New York City subway cars and ticketing machines and the creation of custom monitors, screen displays, and information kiosks for Bloomberg to a series of interactive installations such as Power Flower, a window display for Bloomingdale’s that is activated by passersby, and their recent winning entry in the Civic Exchange competition, an interactive information installation for visitors and inhabitants of Lower Manhattan.
With backgrounds in industrial design and digital technology, their projects represent a successful merger of elegant product form, informational clarity, and sophisticated interactivity. 
Their work has won numerous awards, including recognition from I.D., Business Week, and Wired magazines. In 2003 they were finalists for the National Design Award in Product Design from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.
February 21st, 2006
Maxims and traditions. The art of archery has a close link with human civilisation. The philosopher Confucius praised the art of archery highly, since it formed as well as showed a person’s character: “While pulling the bow one can recognise a person’s virtue and behaviour.” Confucius was therefore a strong advocate of the idea that it should be obligatory for any adolescent to learn archery. The Initech Geologic is a “modern” bow, which makes it particularly easy for beginners to take up this sport. The demands on the design were manifold. The bow had to be affordable, had to differ from others in terms of form and material and meet the functional requirements of a beginner. The design of the Initech Geologic bow is closely linked with the characteristics of a new innovative material (a polyamide injection with 30 per cent glass fibre). This material allows forming all the components of the handle out of one piece and makes it easier to create the large openings required for a bow. The choice of material makes the bow simple and durable as well as reducing the cost. The Initech Geologic has been formed as a stiff bow, which raises the firing speed of the arrow as well as the precision and stability of the shot. Due to its ergonomic form, it sits well in the hand, thus making the art of archery easier. The design of the Initech Geologic bow has managed to further develop this traditional piece of sports equipment in a modern way. Today’s materials and ideas create a clear and contemporary functionality.
GEOLOGIC is a leisure bow for beginners who want to discover and practice archery, either at home or in a club, at a price affordable by most people. This bow had to be accessible and appropriate for use by a beginner, while accompanying the student’s progress. It replaces a wooden model with the same dimensions, but it is about 15 percent heavier. The heavier weight of the Initech is not a disadvantage, because it enables the archer to better stabilize the student’s bow when aiming. The Initech had to boost sales while reducing costs. After one year, sales have increased by more than 40 percent compared with the old model.
February 21st, 2006
The Fabric Freshener is a portable appliance which revitalizes clothes by removing odors and wrinkles and refreshing fabrics between trips to the dry cleaner. This product can be used in the home, dorm room or office, and compacts down for easy storage. It reduces the hassle involved with frequent, unnecessary drycleaner trips and benefits the environment as a result. The product has expanded the company’s Fabric Care offering and exposed new users to the brand. Users have referred to the product as an innovative “time and money saving” solution. The product is unique in the market place, and was developed to leverage global manufacturing and distribution.
February 20th, 2006
The Rubbermaid Paint Buddy is a touch-up paint roller with onboard paint storage. After painting a room, the user stores excess paint from the project in a Rubbermaid Paint Buddy and labels the cap with room and color information. Later, when a wall needs a minor touch-up, the user simply removes the clear cap, opens the valve and applies the paint to the area with the built-in roller. When finished, the valve is closed to seal the bottle and the roller is either cleaned or replaced. Multiple bottles can be purchased to store different colors of paint. By combining paint storage with an applicator in a convenient, re-sealable package, Paint Buddy represents a paradigm shift for this type of paint application, not just an incremental improvement. Recently introduced, it has been well received by a wide range of major retailers. Paint Buddy is made by Shur-Line, a Newell Rubbermaid company and is forecast to be one of their top selling items for 2005.
February 20th, 2006
PUR has taken the charcoal filtering technology found in their refrigerator pitchers and placed it in a full-sized water cooler. The design offers tremendous user benefits. For instance, instead of unsightly five-gallon containers that are difficult to hoist onto the cooler, PUR’s three-gallon water reservoir (which is filled by the user with tap water) has a rectangular shape with handles on each side for easier lifting. And since the cooler sits lower than most units, the height to which the water needs to be lifted is significantly reduced. By integrating the water filtering technology directly into the dispenser, the designers have enabled consumers to eliminate monthly fees for water delivery. The unit is also owned, not rented, providing addition cost savings. The cooler’s appearance breaks away from traditional water coolers and attempts to blend with a home’s high-end appliances using a minimalist form and details and elegant proportions.
Silver 2005 Consumer Products
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February 20th, 2006
The GlowBuoy is a battery powered, floating swimming pool light powerful enough to illuminate an average size pool. It offers an affordable alternative to permanently installed pool lights and adds a warm ambient glow to nighttime swimming. Its uniform 360-degree design refracts light evenly throughout the pool, eliminating the shadows and dark spots inherent with wall pool lights. The design is also easy to use: just turn it on and throw it in the pool. The soft top, rounded shapes and color were drawn from aquatic plants and animals for a friendly appeal. Molded foam padding along the top will not damage pool liners and is gentle to the touch. Recharging is simple, intuitive and error-proof with a safety lock-out feature to ensure users cannot operate and charge the unit at the same time.
Silver 2005 Consumer Products
February 20th, 2006
This self-watering flowerpot assures plant lovers that their plants won’t die when they are on vacation or busy with their hectic lives. The design is aesthetic as well as functional. A wick is placed in the holes of a ceramic flowerpot. The plant is placed in the pot, which is then placed on top of a glass container filled with water. The wick dangles into the container and the plant can then take up the necessary amount of water through the wick. The glass container holds enough water for a week, on average. The design gives the user simple, straightforward feedback. One glance at the water lever will tell you if more water is needed.
Silver 2005 Consumer Products
February 20th, 2006
The BV2S Helmet addresses many of the problems that have plagued snowmobilers for decades. Fogging is prevented by the patented breath evac system that exhausts the rider’s exhale directly outside the helmet. A spring-loaded sun shield addresses the frequent changes in light conditions by means of an easily accessible external actuator that allows for rapid adjustments while moving at high speeds. The sizeable red back light and the side-mounted light beam increase visibility on the trail and make the rider clearly visible from a distance. The BV2S offers the comfort and thermal protection of a full-face helmet while the fully articulated jaw piece provides the freedom of a traditional open-face helmet.
Silver 2005 Consumer Products
February 20th, 2006
Timberland developed a new concept to address the common dilemma travelers face when deciding how many and which shoes to pack. Often, the shoes they bring with them are not adequate for all the activities they engage in; and what they do bring can consume a significant amount of valuable suitcase space. Timberland Travelgear is a revolutionary, modular approach to footwear. By separating the aesthetic (shell) and core function (chassis) of a shoe and making them interchangeable, wearers have access to many more style and function options that can fulfill a range of footwear needs, from hiking to business meetings and dining out to rainy weather. Three pairs of TravelGear shells, when combined in various ways with two chassis and one waterproof hydrosok, are equivalent to twelve pair of ordinary shoes. Plus, the components pack flat in about half the space of most ordinary shoes.
Silver 2005 Consumer Products
February 19th, 2006
This MP3 player integrates a high-end personal digital music player with a digital camera. The device’s design needed to maintain the identity and compactness of the client’s previous model (a digital music player only) and integrate the camera. The camera’s optics are housed inside a cylinder, which is able to slide into the body of the player when not in use. The cylinder also rotates 180 degrees for taking self-portraits. Its prism shape and the placement of the buttons allow users to handle the iRiver more comfortably. High-strength plastic casings and chrome-plated surfaces enhance its appeal and durability. It was designed for people attracted to the ability to be able to take digital photos anywhere and listen to music anytime. Since its release, company profits have doubled.
Silver 2005 Consumer Products
February 19th, 2006
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