Using the principles of Stigmergy (similar to the pheromone trail ants leave behind to attract other ants toward the best food source path), Umbrellium created a responsive road surface that configures itself in real time to ensure optimal pedestrian, vehicle, and cyclist safety.
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Honda Unveils Its Self-Balancing Electric Motorcycle
Designed to eliminate the somewhat intimidating learning curve for newbie motorcyclists, Honda combined low center-of-gravity design features with cutting-edge self-balancing technology. The end result: an electric vehicle that is super easy to maneuver and a full host of balancing features while riding at low speeds or at a standstill. In other words, Honda’s Assist-e keeps itself balanced at low speeds without rider input.
Couple Builds Fully Sustainable Garden Home in Sydney
Named Aqua Perma Solar Firma and built by Clinton Cole of CplusC Architectural Workshop, a sustainable design firm, the urban garden project transformed one Australian couple’s property into a garden utopia. CplusC could not have asked for a better project to tackle.
Aston Martin Designs Submersible Electric Submarine
Codenamed Project Neptune, Aston Martin is expanding its luxury line beyond high-performance sports cars and electric vehicles. The innovative automaker is collaborating with Triton Submarine, LLC to launch its first ever submersible vessel. As one would expect from Aston Martin, the three-person 1650/3 LP yellow pre-production model has been upgraded to a super-sleek, silver-bodied, aerodynamic water vessel capable of high speeds across the water’s surface and on land.
Set Up Your Prefab, Flatpacked Kiss House in Three Days
We love the concept of tiny houses, but they can’t be shipped everywhere in the world. Prefabricated homes are a great alternative to constructing a house pillar-by-pillar. The components are manufactured and put together as much as possible before it gets delivered to you. After that, the home is assembled like Legos. Kiss House is a new prefab home on the market that comes in up to four bedrooms and assembles in days.
3D Printed Medication Could Make Taking Multiple Pills a Day Obsolete
3D printing has helped make some of the most disruptive breakthroughs this year possible. A man recently had a 3D printed skull implanted through surgery. A company called Potent Rope is making 3D printed marijuana a reality. It’s now also possible to 3D print in space thanks to startup Made in Space.
BMW Making Wireless Charging Easier Than Refueling
BMW has done what no other car manufacturer has been able to do: engineer a wireless charging station for one of its electric vehicles. Designed for its BMW 5 Series iPerformance EV, the oversized charging pad connects to a 220-volt outlet and is capable of charging the 530e hybrid in 3.5 hours without a cable. This is the true definition of disruptive technology.
Finney: A New Smartphone For the Blockchain Revolution
Sirin Labs is known for creating the $14,000 Solarin smartphone. The super-secure mobile is one of the world’s most expensive. Now, the company announced another smartphone, called Finney, that costs $1,800. Sirin Labs also revealed an all-in-one PC for the “blockchain generation” and the “crypto crowd.”
Google’s ATAP Lab Unveils its ‘Connected’ Levi’s Jacket
All it takes is a split second and you could end up flying over your bike’s handlebars. No one can question the dangers around answering a call or looking at a text while riding a bike – especially while commuting alongside traffic. The only solution is to get rid of the temptation altogether. After about a year’s worth of anticipation, Google has introduced their ‘connected’ denim Levi’s jacket. Powered by Jacquard technology, Google’s smart jacket is fully equipped with gesture-based sensors – allowing bike commuters the ability to answer incoming calls/text messages hands-free – reducing the risk of roadside distractions. Always a good thing.
Australia’s First 10-Star Carbon-Positive Home
With an estimated energy cost of only $2.35 per year and an anticipated savings of 507 pounds of carbon emissions per occupant, Australian architectural firms The Sociable Weaver and Clare Cousins Architects have created a luxurious, cost-effective, yet modern 10-star sustainable home. This is Australia’s first 10-star carbon positive home and judging from the ending list of features, it’s rather impressive. iReviews has covered the recent uptick in smart homes extensively (Bert’s Box, The Coodo modular home, the solar-powered Koda micro home, and The Kasita Home) but none have been branded with a 10-Star rating.
