Gizmodo Australia » trees

The Most Epic Treehouse Ever Constructed

Adam Frucci — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

My childhood self just passed out from excitement. This thing is 11 storeys and 27 metres tall, and it’s growing ever-larger. Seriously, I want to live here so badly.

Be sure to follow the link for more pictures of this crazy thing. [ZuZu Top via Make]

Tree Electrocutes Itself On Power Lines

Adam Frucci — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:40:00 +0000

What happens when a tree rubs up against a power line too much? The power line asserts some authority, and the tree turns into a giant tower of flames. Neat! [CollegeHumor via Geekologie]

This Bridge Is Alive

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:00:00 +0000

In Cherrapunji, India, one of the wettest places on Earth, the locals mould the roots of the Ficus elastica tree into stretching across rivers and taking root on the other side, forming amazing natural, living bridges.

Locals use hollowed-out trunks of the betel tree to prop up the roots of the Ficus elastica (basically a rubber tree), pointing them across whatever body of water they want to cross, until the roots reach the other side and dig in. After a while (a long while — think 10-15 years), the bridge becomes strong and sturdy enough for people to comfortably walk across. Some of these bridges are hundreds of years old since they just get stronger over time being alive and all. Pretty amazing stuff. [Living Root Bridges via Reddit]

Synthetic Tree Will Hopefully Capture Tons Of Carbon Dioxide, Save The Planet

Dan Nosowitz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:30:00 +0000

Scientists at Columbia University are working on a sort of synthetic tree that aims to capture about 1,000 times as much carbon dioxide as more organic versions. They’re hoping to extend the technology even to heavy-emitting cars and planes.

The units, demo versions of which already exist (this is assuredly not a concept), take CO2 in from the air and turn it into liquid, which is easier to store and manage. Professor Klaus Lackner, lead developer, notes that the synthetic trees are not designed to replace, say, coal plants that reduce emissions from the inside, but this could be one very useful plastic plant if it sees mass production. [CNN]

Skybike Is the Closest You’ll Ever to Get Bicycling on Clouds

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Mario Diamantis spent a lot of his childhood hanging upside down from trees. But in a tree, you’re stuck. Skybike is the solution to his eternal childhood dilemma: Freedom.

Well, depending on how you define freedom. It is like riding a bike on the sky. But, um, harder. You’re actually peddling against your own weight while strapped in at a 45-degree angle, so while Mario’s taken the hand-built bike—which is made almost entirely out of scraps found in the streets of NYC—across bridges, he’s only been able to ride it for about 25 minutes continuously before freedom takes its toll.

But maybe a warp-drive-powered version is how we’ll reach the stars one day. [Skybike at ITP]

I’d Feel So Grounded Wearing These Electronic Root Boots

Brian Lam — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:40:31 +0000

I found a little glen amongst the cold glass and steel of the ITP projects. In it, a sprite or tree spirit or alanis morissette clonette was wearing these thrumming, bark-covered, tree-loving, meditation boots.

The girl who made them was peering inside the boots, which were covered with bark she said she collected over a semester in all the parks in NYC. Sensors inside the boots trigger a slow hum, as if the earth were purring, when a user simply stands in them. If the user picks feet up to move, the speakers inside make the disharmonious sound of roots ripping from the earth. The point is to encourage people to stop and connect with the mother gaia. Or something like that. The girl who made this project was super nice! At one point, she broke her project, and had to run and hot glue it back together. And later, she made sure to spray down the moss so it wasn’t thirsty. Ah hippies. I got homesick for California for a bit, there. [root boots at ITP]

Dutch Arcade Cabinet Carved From a Tree

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 02 May 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Looks like “boom” means “tree” in Dutch, rhyming with foam rather than broom, but this is still a pretty sweet art piece. Check out the “wiring” on the back after the jump. [Uitschot va BoingBoingGadgets]

CO2 Skyscraper Scrubs Away Smog With 400 Trees

Sean Fallon — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:40:00 +0000

The idea is actually very simple: construct a tower fitted with 200-400 trees in areas of high pollution. Basically, it works like a gigantic filter—scrubbing smog and converting CO2 into oxygen.

Furthermore, the trees inside the structure would be nourished using a windmill-powered pump system, so it would not significantly contribute to our energy consumption. Would something like this actually work? Maybe—that is until the wind kicks up and we have trees falling all over the streets of L.A. [Core77]

Invisible Tree House Is a Modern Multi-level Hideaway

Brian Lam — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:30:27 +0000

This camouflage treehouse is actually a two level modern abode with a deck, livingroom, kitchen and sleeping quarters. [Designboom]

Solar Tree Allows You to Power Your House

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:49:33 +0000

Here’s a great idea: A solar panel that you can take anywhere to be easily placed on a backyard with no installation. Too bad it makes your house look like a gas station when opened:

The Solar Tree was invented by Gurdeep Sandhu, and avoids the complicated process of having to install the a solar power system on your roof. You can move it too, so if you change house, you can take it with you. It doesn’t entirely solve the aesthetic problem of having such a thingamajig on your garden, but at least is better than having a roof full of panels and it can be folded at night. [Ecofriend]