The BioHarness system uses patented smart-fabric technology in a diagnostic tool that measures heart rate and respiratory performance. Because the harness is textile based, it provides increased performance and comfort over traditional equipment. The device is small enough that it does not encumber or change the behavior of the monitored subject, and it can either log a week's worth of activity or provide real-time analysis over its built-in radio link.
The BioHarness software offers an array of real-time and trend-analysis tools. These options allow a coach or medical professional to monitor a subject's performance remotely between sessions. The software tools wirelessly connect to the harness and provide real time graphical display, wireless transmission to 100 m, and detailed records for comparisons and further analysis. [Contact:
Zephyr Technology, Auckland, NZ.]
Labels: 11, analysis, fabric, interfacial
The Bubble Screen is a dot-matrix display that uses air bubbles as pixels. Developed by Eyal Burstein at Beta Tank, this display can show images, text, and patterns and may be used as a low-resolution screen. The project required two years of development during which experts in the fields of automation, pneumatics, and academia were employed to solve a fluid dynamics challenge. The Bubble Screen is intended to reveal alternative methods of information display and consumption and is exemplary of Beta Tank's ongoing ambient information-design project. [Contact:
Beta Tank, London, UK.]
Labels: 11, digital, process, repurposed, screen, water
The Concrete Canvas Shelter is a rapidly deployable hardened shelter that requires only water and air for erection. It can be deployed by two people without any training in approximately thirty minutes and is ready to use in twelve hours. The shelter consists of a cement-impregnated fabric (Concrete Cloth) bonded to the outer surface of an inflatable plastic inner structure.
Prior to construction, the shelter is delivered folded in a sealed plastic sack. Once the sack is positioned and filled with water, the fiber matrix wicks water into the cement, naturally controlling the water-to-cement ratio. The sack is cut open after hydration, and a battery-driven fan inflates the inner plastic lining, causing the structure to lift. After a duration of twelve hours, the concrete will have set sufficiently for use.
The fibers of the Concrete Canvas fabric form a coherent matrix within the concrete, providing tensile reinforcement and helping prevent crack propagation. If desired, the shelter can be buried with over 0.5 meters of sand on the roof in order to provide increased insulation and protection. [Contact:
Peter Brewin, Northampton, UK.]
Labels: 13, concrete, shelter, ultraperforming
Accoya is a high performance solid wood that is modified by a proprietary process called acetylization. This technique increases the amount of acetyl molecules, which are naturally present in all species of wood, throughout the material (not just at the surface). Acetylization delivers exceptional performance attributes, including Class 1 durability, reduced swelling and shrinkage, mold and insect resistance, UV-degradation resistance, and reduced thermal conductivity. Because of these factors, Accoya is appropriate for use in more rigorous conditions, such as heavy-traffic road bridges. The product is also sourced from sustainable forests, is 100 percent recyclable, and is nontoxic. [Contact:
Titan Wood Limited, London, UK.]
Labels: 06, acetylization, ultraperforming, wood
The BioHarness system uses patented smart-fabric technology in a diagnostic tool that measures heart rate and respiratory performance. Because the harness is textile based, it provides increased performance and comfort over traditional equipment. The device is small enough that it does not encumber or change the behavior of the monitored subject, and it can either log a week's worth of activity or provide real-time analysis over its built-in radio link.
