Cuttlefish inspires soft material turbines

January 13, 2020  |  Out There

Inspired by the cuttlefish’s undulating fin motion, startup company Undula Tech LLC has developed a turbine using soft material that can harvest the energy in flowing air and water. The goal, is to make renewable energy accessible and affordable worldwide.  Its Undula Generator is, by de…
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Wood pulp and algae T-shirt decomposes at end-of-life

November 25, 2019  |  Out There

Tech-based clothing startup Vollebak has launched a T-shirt made entirely from wood pulp and algae. The shirt will break down in soil or in a composter within three months. Vollebak sources wood from eucalyptus, beech and spruce trees, which are chipped and pulped before being turned into fiber, the…
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Artificial skin may provide a natural feel for smartphones.

November 7, 2019  |  Out There

Scientists have developed a new product called Skin-On that’s meant to look and feel like a human, as well as react to caressing, tickling and pinching. According to an article on designboom.com, the interfaces are sensitive cases that can be attached to mobile phones, wearable devices and laptop…
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“Sleep Robot” encourages restful sleep

October 25, 2019  |  Out There

The Somnox Sleep Robot is designed to help users fall asleep by mimicking breathing patterns.The device was developed by a team of engineers who met at the Robotics Institute of the Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. The soft robot is meant to be cuddled like a teddy bear, helping t…
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Walking again with a brain-controlled exoskeleton

October 21, 2019  |  Out There

A 65 kilogram robotic suit has helped a paralyzed man walk again. The suit uses advanced computer software and two brain implants that read and transmit information from the part of the patient’s brain that controls motor function. As reported on designboom.com, the patient had surgery to pla…
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YSL will launch Google Jacquard™ backpack

September 23, 2019  |  Out There

According to Google, Cit-e Backpack by Saint Laurent (YSL), featuring Jacquard™ by Google Technology, is “the first connected luxury backpack that can control music, drop pins on the go, take pictures, and do more with a simple gesture.” According to digitaltrends.com, the backpack comes with …
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Magnetics used to make “anti-gravity” shoes

September 3, 2019  |  Out There

Japanese artist and designer Yukako Hihara has created a pair of shoes that uses magnetic forces to create the physical sense of walking on the moon. The “anti-gravity” shoes were created as part of an experiment to offer consumers a product that made them feel like they were flying. To creat…
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Squid-inspired jacket reflects full color spectrum

August 26, 2019  |  Out There

Innovative sportswear and sports gear company, Vollebak, has launched a jacket that will reflect all colors of the visible light spectrum. The Black Squid Jacket is a fully waterproof and windproof outer shell that mimics one of nature’s most mesmerising innovations – the adaptive camouflage of …
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Robotic tail for humans developed

August 23, 2019  |  Out There

Researchers at Keio University in Japan have developed “Arque,” a robotic tail that humans can wear to improve balance. The device was informed by the ways animals passively use their tails to shift their center of gravity. Arque consists of interlocking plastic vertebrae that use a spring-bas…
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Touch-sensitive robotic e-skin developed

August 12, 2019  |  Out There

Robots and prosthetic devices may soon have a sense of touch equivalent to, or better than, the human skin with the Asynchronous Coded Electronic Skin (ACES), an artificial nervous system developed by a team of researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Sciencedaily.com reports that …
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