Sunday, October 6, 2013
Paperglass: A Simple, Brilliant Design Innovation Enables Flat-Folding Eyeglasses
Reference: Core77
Posted by hipstomp / Rain Noe | 2 Oct 2013 | Comments (3)
If there is a flaw in the basic design of eyeglasses, it is in the hinge and stems. Because the stems of every pair of eyeglasses protrude from the hinges in the way they do, that means that when folding them shut, like this...
...the overall closed shape is a lot bulkier than the constituent parts. Which in turn makes eyeglass cases bulkier. As someone who doesn't like carrying things and did not require eyeglasses until later in life, I hate having to carry this extra blocky thing around, and I'll never get used to it.
Japanese manufacturer Nishimura Precision Co. has designed a brilliant solution with their Paperglass product. By designing the stems to curve upwards from the hinges, it enables them to clear the lenses while folded in.
This renders the glasses incredibly flat—so flat that if you're using them as reading glasses, the specs themselves (even inside the case) can be used as a bookmark.
The following video gives you a better sense of what the glasses look like from all angles. It's narrated completely in Japanese, but all you really need to see is the hand model manipulating the glasses in space:
And with the stems made from such thin wire, they do not appear visually odd (at least to me) when worn:
This is no mere concept, by the way; the glasses are in production and on the market (though currently it appears to be Japan-only), and they've even scooped up a Good Design Award.
This Aluminum Foil-Like Surface Reacts To Your Touch
Posted by erika rae | 1 Oct 2013 | Comments (0)
It might look like an innocent piece of foil just itching to be crumpled to you, but that's only half true. This metallic layer, titled @><#!!!, is the surface of a machine that's trying to interact with humans on an emotional level. As you approach the piece of material, it senses your distance and begins to curl inward when your hand gets too close. Touching the material will cause it to crumple and curl, almost like an invisible hand is forcing @><#!!! into a ball. But then as you retreat, the foil returns to its original, vegetative state to wait for its next playmate. Almost as if to say, "Give me a break." The piece is meant to get the user thinking about the way they interpret @><#!!! and what it has to say about their own character and conditions.
The science behind this hi-tech emotional tease? An arduino board acts as a controller for sensors located in an inner layer of foil. In response to these invisible sensors and the data they collect, the arduino board tells the top layer of foil how to react. The top layer of foil is connected to small wheels, making it easy to smoothly crumple and stretch its surface. Users have expressed many different thoughts over the project, from finding it cute to comparing it to a primitive animal.
Click on for more photos and a video showing how @><#!!! interacts with people.
Reference: Core77
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