The joy of chocolate

January 29, 2014  |  Out There

As if chocolate isn’t enough of a pleasure, now there’s a jacket that lights up when the wearer eats chocolate. In fact, it can sense a Cadbury chocolate bar in its pocket. London design firm Hirsch & Mann designed the jacket on behalf of Cadbury’s public relations company GolinHarris,…
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Interactive fabric brings bedtime stories to life

January 11, 2014  |  Out There

“Read it again, Daddy!” might become an easier task with the development of a new “interactive” textile. TexTales, the brainstorm of Dutch Ph.D. candidate Kristi Kuusk, weaves images into bed linens that interact through a kind of QR code with handheld tablets and smart phones to bring image…
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Desert sanctuary reflects local flora

January 11, 2014  |  Out There

Many head to the desert for reflection and mediation. Mexican architect Iván Juárez has created a one- or two-person structure that “interacts” with its surrounding habitat to facilitate just such introspection. Reflecting the geometry of the surrounding desert plants, Juárez’ enclosure “…
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Portable theater honored

December 27, 2013  |  Out There

“Striking the stage” usually means to clear the set and props. Now it can mean taking down and moving the entire assembly. At the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, Wales, the Willow Theater—winner of the 2013 World Stage Design award design competition to house the People, P…
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London’s giant snow globe

December 20, 2013  |  Out There

Nothing quite captures the Dickensian nature of a London Christmas like a newly shaken snow globe. And now the city’s Piccadilly Circus has been turned into the real thing. On Nov. 18, the switch was thrown on “the world’s largest snow globe” built around the iconic Shaftesbury Memorial, pop…
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Philips and Desso to develop light-transmissive carpets

December 10, 2013  |  Out There

.alignnone.size-thumbnail{margin:9px;} Dutch companies Philips Lighting and carpet manufacturer Desso have announced a partnership agreement to develop solutions that combine LED lighting with light-transmissive carpet. This innovation enhances the potential of LED integration into surfaces and adds…
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Tamicare offers 3D printed Cosyflex™

December 10, 2013  |  Out There

A new technology for feminine hygiene products has been announced by U.K.-based Tamicare. According to the company, its product Cosyflex™ is the world’s first technology developed to 3D print finished textile products. A radical departure from traditional textile manufacturing techniques, th…
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Morph into comfort in an economy airline seat

December 10, 2013  |  Out There

London-based design firm Seymourpowell has designed a concept economy seat for airline travel inspired by new materials and flexibility. Called “Morph,” the seat would offer passengers choices concerning the amount of space they pay for and provide a better fit for more people. Seymourpowell’s…
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To grow a chair

November 12, 2013  |  Out There

Can one grow furniture? A pair of Philadelphia University students says you can. In fact, they’ve done it. The students, Merjan Tara Sisman and Brian McClellan, launched an investigation of manufacturing objects from living materials in “The Living Room Project.” Their study of the potential…
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Robotic bird flies with solar power

November 12, 2013  |  Out There

“How can Robo Raven ‘feed’ itself in jungles?” asks SK Gupta, University of Maryland robotics expert, on his “Unorthodox Ideas” blog. The answer follows his question. The bird drone that researchers in the university’s Robotics Center created is the newest incarnation of their bird dro…
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