Defunct Ferris Wheel Envisioned as Giant Energy-Generating Windmill

Last year Melbourne’s iconic Southern Star Observation Wheel found a sad turn when it had to be shut down due to cracks and buckling caused by the intense summer heat. The $100 million wheel has since been decommissioned, but that hasn’t stopped designers from thinking about what to do next with the landmark. So why reinvent the wheel you ask? Because it could be transformed into an energy-generating windmill outfitted with solar sails!

Buro North, together with photographer Peter Bennetts and Fooch from Squint Opera, came up with a mind-bending way to re-adapt the wheel. They’ve transformed the simple observation deck into a futuristic windmill powered by solar-sail energy, complete with numerous, well-landscaped hubs for a new fleet of flying steam-powered trams. The base also features quite the garden, bringing nature back to the people with free roaming super flamingoes convening near street performers.

While this fantastical endeavor probably won’t be feasible anytime soon – we imagine flying trams are still some years away – the concept itself brings up key issues such as how to efficiently adapt, and re-function outdated infrastructure.

+ Buro North

visual voltage exhibition at design vlaanderen, brussels

energy aware clock by loove broms, karin ehrnberger, sara ilstedt hjelm, erika lundell, jin moen, 2006 – 2008

the energy aware clock is designed to make you aware of your energy consumption on a daily basis. the clock visualizes the daily energy rhythms of the household and reminds us of the ordinary kitchen clock in its form, place and use. the clock indicates electrical use of its environment in real time.

the device is hung on your wall like a normal clock, and can read the electricity being used in the space
where it is situated
image courtesy of interactive institute

power aware cord by anton gustafsson, magnus gyllenswärd, sara ilstedt hjelm, christina öhman
in collaboration with thinlight AB, 2004-2006

this power cord has been designed to visualize the energy of the current use of electricity of appliances connected with it through glowing pulses, flow and intensity of light.
it can be used as a tool for people to rediscover energy in their homes as well as having an ambient display of their consumption that they can see at any given time.

the power cord provides an ambient display of light

energy curtain by anders ernevi, margot jacobs, ramia mazé, carolin müller, johan redström, linda worbin, 2004-2006

the energy curtain reinterprets our familiar relation to curtains as a means of controlling light in a room. the curtain must be drawn shut in order to collect light, and the amount and duration in which it is drawn during the day determines how much light is collected for the night. it gives users the choice as to whether to open the curtain and enjoy the day light, or close it and save energy for later. even through the mundane act of opening or closing the curtain embodies the trade-off between consuming and conserving energy.

flower lamp by sofia lagerkvist, charlotte von der lancken, anna lindgren, katja sävström, göran nordahl
technical modifications by: anton gustafsson, fredrik kronqvist, 2004-2006

the shape of the flower lamp responds to the amount of electricity being used in the household. with a decrease in usage, the flower lamp slowly opens up and appears as if its ‘blooming’. on the contrary, if energy consumption increases, the lamp closes into a closed cylindrical form, which also effects the quality of light emitted. in order to make the flower lamp more beautiful, a collective change in behaviour is needed.

the flower lamp blooms when you decrease your household electrical use

Philips Biosphere Home Farming

This Philips non-spherical-biosphere is a self-contained farm for that produces hundreds of calories of various food sources a day. Its five-level design breaks down like this:

Levels 1 and 2: Plants
Level 3: Algae
Level 4: Fish and Shrimp
Level 5: Organic Waste

From what we can tell, the system is designed to cascade nutrients from the top to the bottom (back to the top). Optical fibers capture and redirect light to the plants during the day, while methane capture from organic waste can power lights at night. The algae create oxygen for the fish.

Robot Designed to Help Earth Plants Grow on Mars

Le Petit Prince or Little Prince is a robotic greenhouse concept that is specially designed to help the future exploration and expanding population in the Mars. This intelligent robot can carry and take well care of a plant inside its glass container, which is functionally mounted on its four-legged pod.

The robot is designed to learn the optimal process of searching for nutrients in order to keep the plant in a good condition. Moreover, it can send reports of its movements and developments to its fellow greenhouse robots through wireless communication, making it possible to learn from each other.

Google phone designers plot for “The End of Driving” with autonomobile

Mike and Maaike’s Autonomobile

In Possible Future Scenario #317-B, San Francisco industrial design firm Mike and Maaike presents the atnmbl ( “autonomobile”). Less a car than an autonomous, seven-person mobile living room, the atnmbl is billed as a complete redesign of the car for those who believe that the ideal driving experience is not driving.

Essentially an all-wheel-drive Internet sitting room, the solar and electric atnmbl asks you where you want to go and then takes you there. Speed and acceleration are “irrelevant considerations,” time savings is the key – that is, unless you ask the atnmbl to take the scenic route. Since you’re not driving, you’ll need something to do during the trip, hence the Internet browsing screen and open-source software architecture to download apps, social networking capabilities, and… a bar.

Mike and Maaike don’t predict seeing the atnmbl until 2040, which gives you some time to enjoy having to leave your couch to go camping. As for such a thing actually materializing, coming from the folks who designed the Google Phone.

Summary of Features:
– fully electric powered plus solar assist
– driverless navigation via GPS, Lidar, radar, stereo camera, accelerometers
– wrap-around seating for 7
– voice recognition and remote for real-time control/ input
– large display for info, searches, browsing, communication
– open-source software with downloadable apps for carpool and carshare through social networking, pre-loaded trips, city tours, virtual drivers, etc.
– live trip info on mini display
– electric door, standing height entryway
– all wheel drive with motors in each wheel
– very few mechanical parts (drive by wire)
– bar

Floating Garden Freshwater Aquarium Naturally Filters Fishwaste Into Fertilizer

Designed by Benjamin Graindorge and Duende Studio, this tank not only looks nice, but uses some simple ingenuity to accomplish the task of water filtration.

Here’s how it works: nitrate-heavy water from your fish tank is pulled up into the garden, where it is passed over a layer of river sand, which uses bacteria to convert impurities into nitrates. The water is then passed over some plant life, which naturally absorbs the nitrates as nutrients. Then the purified water is thrown back down into the fish tank, where your gilled friends can swim at ease.

Green Tech Upgrades That Boost Home Values and Reduce Bills

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NPR’s Interactive Power Grid Map

An interesting way to see where power is coming from and going to in the USA. There are a collection of ways to view this data.

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LightPot is a Simple and Elegant way to Grow Plants

LightPot uses LED lights, and can collapse down on itself when not in use. Created by designers Studio Shulab, LightPot still a prototype, but they have big plans to bring this thing to store shelves soon.

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A Treehouse Restaurant Built Around a Redwood

So modern treehouses aren’t new, but the designers of this project in New Zealand have crafted something that blends fantastically with its host redwood tree.

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