Design
T6 Volkswagen Concept Car is an Office on Wheels
Posted by Sean Fallon at 7:30 AM on August 21, 2008
Having easy access to your office 24 hours a day can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you will never miss a beat. On the other, it may seem like you are always stuck at work. With that in mind, check out the T6 concept workaholicmobile designer Alexander Zhukovsky has put together. It comes complete with all of the technology and space you and your co-workers need to get the job done--even when you are stuck in traffic. In other words, it is a boardroom on wheels.

This chandelier-ish lighting design, dubbed Kurage3, allows you to change its level of illumination by changing how curved a shape it makes. Simple science really: If you make it curve past the critical angle for the 1.5-mm fiber-optic, instead of shooting through the tube of glass, the light from an LED light source leaks out at the corners. It's a messy, organic-looking light fitting, which is how fibre-optic lighting should be, or so it feels to me... that way it'd fit into my organic-looking, messy home. It's from Schemata Studio, but there's no info on whether you'll be able to buy it for real. [
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Does one reach for a camera or a can of RAID when the Lexus Nuaero concept pulls into the driveway? Sure Jon Rådbrink's design looks incredibly cool, fast and futuristic; but then again I've also spent the last few minutes looking over my shoulder to see if Sigourney Weaver was about to burst from the wall in a load lifter to do battle with it in my office. As it turns out, there's a lot more to this design than just looks, and Rådbrink believes the car's "low weight and large presence" will be the way premium cars could be manufactured in the future. Oh, and it's loaded with tech, too.
First an alien mothership
Back when I was in college, one of my most frustrating experiences involved a roommate in my dormitory apartment who mistakenly believed that she would be able to wake up daily for her 8:30am lecture series. Said roommate could sleep through an elephant parade. Oh how I seethed in the mornings as I clutched my pillow to my head, begging for the noise to pleasepleaseplease just STOP. If only this alarm were available back then. The Silent Alarm Clock, designed by Johan Brengesjo, uses a wireless rubber ring that vibrates to wake you up in a tactile, noiseless fashion. Though it's just a concept device right now, somebody ought to make and market one right quick. Think of how many friendships it could save! [
As if you didn't already feel fat enough, how does sitting on a chair that doubles as a scale sound? Indeed, the Weighing Seat concept from the design team at Atypyk reminds you of how fat you are getting every time you sit down to eat. It could very well be the most effective diet you have ever been on. Either that, or it will force you to start eating your meals standing up. But look on the bright side, you can finally start weighing your farts. Ever been curious about that? What, just Jason and I? Come on guys, admit it. [
When you're born blind, there are a few things you probably don't expect to do: become an airline pilot, use a camera and type on the iPhone, to name a few. Chueh Lee, a designer at Samsung in China wants to remedy that second one with his Touch Sight camera design, which instantly creates a Braille-like relief image on a dynamic Braille display to be felt, saved and even traded with other Touch Sight users. In addition, the camera records three seconds of sound after the image is taken, which helps impaired-vision users navigate through libraries of saved pictures.
Planning an expedition to the uninhabitable continent soon? Didn't think so. But still, this biofuel-powered Concept Ice Vehicle is pretty cool, with a prop in the back and three ski feet to ride on; it even has a spiked front foot for braking action and an ice radar for navigation.