Posted on June 23rd, 2010 by Marcela.
Categories: new, Technology, useful technology, not 24 hours, events.
Green Air Show in Paris to take a look at some of the eco-friendly aircraft currently available, as well those which may be just on the horizon.
Although representatives from the airship contingent were out in force at the event, electrically-powered planes and paragliders also put in a strong showing, along with some rather interesting ideas for tomorrow’s oil-free aircraft.
Although the almost regal presence of a couple of interconnected Concorde passenger jets dominated the exhibition hall which played host to this year’s Green Air Show at Le Bourget’s Musée de l’Air et l’Espace in Paris, they were not the main attraction. Spread around and underneath these mighty supersonic aircraft were the display booths of altogether gentler, kinder and much quieter technologies that are already in use today or hold the promise of providing our air transport needs for tomorrow.
Amongst the exhibitors preparing for the post-oil era were representatives from aircraft manufacturers and development concerns, sport and leisure interests, aerospace researchers, new material developers, independent inventors and visionary designers. Outside the main hall, organizers hosted the world’s first zero emission air show which saw a small number of electrically-powered aircraft brave the winds and cloud cover and triumphantly take to the skies.
A full list of attendees at the second Salon de l’Aviation Verte is available online and Gizmag will be detailing some of the exhibits in subsequent posts. But for now, here’s a sample of some of the technology on offer:
The e-FunFlyer from Adventure is an 85kg fully electric paraglide trike with a 15kW electric motor powered by a 60v battery which should give the pilot a good hour or so of mid-air fun. And if the short demonstration on the airfield was anything to by, fun is definitely the operative word!
A pedal-powered silver teardrop blimp, the Zeppy 3 from Stéphane Rousson is currently being prepared for a Toulon to Calvi crossing using a “Chien de mer” and the power of the wind.
On the subject of airships, the students from Projet Sol’r also attended the event and are now busy preparing for a crossing of the English Channel.
Although the news of an upcoming solar-powered two-seater from Eric Raymond was the focus for much discussion at the show, the huge wingspan of the solar-powered Sunseeker II still held sway over the exhibit and put in an inspiring performance up in the skies too.
If an eco-friendly version of the film Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines were ever to be made, then the successful blend of old and new that is the electric Demoichelle from APEV would surely have a starring role. The aircraft was on display in the main hall and made a brief appearance in the skies above Le Bourget during the zero emission air show.
Also on the airfield but doing little more than sit very still for photo opportunities, the undoubted star of the show was the four motor electric Green Cri from EADS Innovation Works and Aero Composites.
Visions of possible green futures were provided courtesy of Projet Dirisoft and Octuri.
Of course, the Musée also showcases green air transport of old too - such as this model of Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier’s balloon and various winged craft, including mock ups of famous visions from Leonardo da Vinci.
More Information:
www.aviationmuseum.eu/World/Europe/France/Paris-Le_Bourget/Musee_de_l_air.htm
Posted on June 4th, 2010 by Marcela.
Categories: corporative, events.
The AufRuhr 1225! exhibition, which runs in the LWL-Museum for Archaeology in Herne from 27 February to 28 November, promises an unusual look at the Ruhr. This project, conceived by ATELIER BRÜCKNER for the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 takes a look back at the Middle Ages, when the region between the rivers Ruhr and Emscher was one of those with the most castles in the German-speaking world.
With a floor space of around 1500 square metres, the exhibition brings together over 800 valuable objects, to include the famous Cappenberg head reliquary (dated around 1155) and a gold and silver-plated bust of Archbishop Engelbert of Cologne (dated around 1500). These exhibits are incorporated into a dramatically staged tour, illustrating everyday life in the Middle Ages. Ten individually designed exhibition cubes are dedicated to separate topics like the Church and the Pope, knights and castles but also to family and travelling. Historical characters, presented as life-size cut-outs, guide visitors towards these topics.
The central theme throughout the exhibition is formed by the events surrounding the death of Engelbert, Archbishop of Cologne. He was killed in 1225 in an ambush in what is today’s Ruhr region. This ambush, staged as a spectacular prologue to the exhibition, destabilized the entire region and resulted in more castles being built. Over 400 castles, which are presented in a separate installation, are still in evidence in the Ruhr of today.
One of the most impressive sites in today’s Ruhr are still the ruins of the castle that belonged to Count Friedrich von Isenberg, the alleged murderer of the archbishop. It is the focal point of another exhibition area which is concerned with the sensory perception of the Middle Ages. Museum visitors both young and old can immerse themselves in life in a castle around 1300 in the “White Hall” of the Herne Museum using interactive and explorative means. Here history is conveyed vividly and emotively.
Thematic Cube: Saint and Monastery. Photo: ATELIER BRÜCKNER
Thematic Cube: Travelling. Photo: ATELIER BRÜCKNER
AufRuhr Ritter artikel
Reiter Foto LWL-Museum fuer Archaeologie Herne
LWL-Museum für Archäologie, Herne
27 February - 28 November 2010
Tue, Wed, Fri: 9-17.00, Thur 9-19.00
Sat, Sun and public holidays 11-18.00
2-6 €, family ticket 12 €, group concessions
For more informations:
www.aufruhr1225.de
Posted on May 4th, 2010 by Marcela.
Categories: new, Products, Technology, useful technology, more, not 24 hours, Screens, 3 d, education, corporative, events, media, Markets.
MIT Technology Review names 10 technologies that will change the World
Here we are in the Information Age. Never before has the flow of ideas, innovation and new technologies been so strong, so much so that it’s hard to imagine what the world will be like in 10, 20 or 50 years time. So which of today’s fledgling technologies will have a fundamental impact on the way we live our lives in the future? MIT’s Technology Review has turned its attention to this question with the release of its annual list of 10 emerging technologies and it makes thought provoking reading.
Technology Review 2010 TR10 - technologies likely to change the world
Solar fuel. Joule Biotechnologies’ Noubar Afeyan has created genetically engineered microorganisms that can turn sunlight into ethanol or diesel — a feat that could allow biofuels to compete with fossil fuels on both cost and scale. http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=563
Mobile 3-D. Recent box-office hits like Avatar and Up have added to the growing popularity of 3-D movies. Julien Flack of Dynamic Digital Depth is leading the charge to take 3-D mainstream not only on TVs, but also smart phones and mobile devices, through a technology that can convert existing 2-D content to 3-D on the fly. http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=559
Dual action antibodies.Genentech’s Germaine Fuh has found a promising way to fight conditions like cancer and AIDs through dual-action antibodies that give patients two drugs for the price of one, offering the promise of drugs that work better and cost less. http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=560
Real-time search. Amit Singhal is leading Google’s quest to mine social networks for up-to-the-second search results that offer the same relevance and quality of traditional Web searches. http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=556
Light-trapping photovoltaics. By depositing nanoparticles of silver on the surface of a thin-film cell, Kylie Catchpole of the Australian National University has found a way to boost the cells’ efficiency — an advance that could help make solar power more competitive with fossil fuels. http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=558
Engineered stem cells. James Thomson of Cellular Dynamics and the University of Wisconsin has potentially revolutionized the way we screen drugs and study disease by providing a way to make — in the test tube — any kind of cell from patients with different diseases. http://www.technologyreview.com/article/25152/
Social TV. People are already trying to combine their social networks with TV, using laptops and smart phones to comment on live events like the Oscars or the Olympics. MIT’s Marie-José Montpetit is working on social TV — a way to seamlessly combine the active experience of social networks with the more passive experience of traditional TV viewing. http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=564
Green concrete. The production of cement is responsible for about 5 percent of global carbon emissions. Novacem’s Nikolaos Vlasopoulos has created a cement that is a carbon “sink” rather than a source. His innovation could greatly reduce the global carbon emissions that result from cement production. http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=562
Implantable electronics. Tufts University’s Fiorenzo Omenetto is developing implantable electronic devices that can be used to deliver drugs, stimulate nerves, monitor biomarkers, and more. And once they’ve done their job, they almost completely dissolve away. More info here or http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=557
Cloud programming. At the University of California, Berkeley, Joseph Hellerstein is creating better software for building cloud applications, and this could herald a new wave of applications for social media analysis, enterprise computing, or sensor networks monitoring for earthquake warning signs. http://www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=561
More info on each of the 2010 TR10 (and previous years) is now online and will be featured in the May/June edition of Technology Review.
Posted on April 23rd, 2010 by Marcela.
Categories: not 24 hours, Screens, plasma flat panel, rear projection, events.
Canon Neoreal ‘prism liquid’ by Akihisa Hirata and Kyota Takahashi
japanese artist kyota takahashi and architect akihisa hirata collaborated on ‘prism liquid’,
canon’s neoreal installation at milan design week 2010.
‘prism liquid’
image © designboom
the space is structured as a polyhedron, which glows in various prism-like colors.
the lights flicker and move just as if water was flowing, changing their shape several times.
two opposite concepts - static and dynamic, concrete and abstract, input and output -
coexist in one world. the polyhedral screens are arranged in a sprial that is connected three-dimensionally,
in which a world of new images comes to life through the colorful lights created by takahashi
which are projected onto the larger-than-life construction (almost 6 m high, 8 m wide, 40 m deep)
by akihisa hirata. the technical details behind the installation are possible through canon digital
imaging technologies. the images which are seen have been taken with a digital single lens reflex
camera and are projected in many colors, through 21 projectors on several polyhedral screens.
image © designboom
the idea behind the installation originated from the projectors themselves.
a bunch of light beams generated by these machines as the capacity to give birth to an ‘invisible’
pyramid-shaped space. the images break up into small pieces of bright color, similar to that of a puzzle,
becoming abstract visions. the pieces come together, assembled three-dimensionally, like an origami
sculpture, enhanced by the digital imaging technology and primitive color variations and dynamic
movement of the lights and images.
image © designboom
image © designboom
‘I wanted to express the idea of ‘input to output’ as simply and directly as possible.
without using any computer graphics, elaborating the images, the brightness, and the projection method,
I decided to try and extract the maximum appeal a picture can have. then I tried to express -
in a single world - concepts such as 2D / 3D, concrete / abstract, static / dynamic -
which are usually difficult to capture because of their binomial characteristics. these images begin
with horizontal wide screens found at the back of the space. the images in this section are projected
simultaneously with five single-lens reflect cameras which have animation shooting functions;
using these images I managed to create a panoramic world of extremely realistic, vivid, digital images,
just like an ‘emakimon’ (picture scrolls). then I installed the vision scroller* and created the conditions
for those visiting the booth to taste the sense of interactivity and liveliness by themselves,
by experiencing the images on their own.’ - KT
image © designboom
the light emitted by projectors is usually projected onto flat screen screens in which we experience them
as two-dimensional images. but actually, there is a cone-shaped light generated by the projector
in which the screen blocks the light and what we really see is the reflection. a single cord connects
the entire place while creating a spiral. this thick cord made by polyhedral range blends into the territory
of the three-dimensional lights generated by the projectors. the cord runs throughout the space,
changing in size. sometimes it creates a 6 m high space, and sometimes it cascades across,
stretching over the floor, almost resembling fines or other climbing plants intertwining with the lights.
image © designboom
‘I wanted to create a space which seems to play with the mass and the three-dimensionality of the light,
and to make it possible to experience an almost physical blending with light. the mass of these lights
is materialized and vivid color are generated, making one feel as if it is radiating. (…)
tangling… come to think of it, the living world is full of peaceful, emergent, intermingled forms of life.
from micro-proteins to forests where various plants and animals co-exist. the architectures and the
spaces created by people should also be able to connect to the peace of this intermingled life.
blending our own bodies with the world should generate a new reality, a new experience which is
realistic and original at the same time.’ - AH
image © designboom
image © designboom
image © designboom
* a vision scroller is a live image creation device made by kyota takahashi,
through the installation of a camcorder under an acrylic board which is used as a canvas.
when materials such as sand and feathers are placed on the board, the camcorder takes a picture
and the projectors connected to the camcorder project the image in real time. the materials can be
moved sideways by rolling the board’s transparent roll film, and the images can be rotated
and moved by installing the camcorder on a table. a new version of the vision scroller
was made specifically for this installation.
project details:
projector: XEED WUX10, XEED SX80 mark II, LV 7585
camera: EOS 7D
camcorder: LEGRIA HF S21
concept and composition: kyota takahashi, reiko kawaguchi
camera work: kohei matsumura
sound design: toru yamanaka
imaging system: LUFTZUG.corp
sound system: cabasse
Posted on January 18th, 2010 by Marcela.
Categories: new, Products, Technology, dlp, l c d, lcos, useful technology, education, corporative, events, media, Home Theatre.
Event horizon
In his annual round-up, Dr Geoff Archenhold looks back at a momentous year of developments in LED technology and suggests that this is the dawn of a new era.
The lighting community finds itself in interesting times lumbered with the challenges of the economic credit crunch on the one hand and the disruptive change that LED technology is forcing upon established lighting manufacturers on the other. Over the last few years I have listened to many statements from all parts of the lighting supply chain stating that LED technology is not yet mature enough to be considered as a mainstream lighting technology. However during 2009 the numbers of LED doubters have dwindled significantly which proves one thing - 2009 was the year that LED technology was adopted as the future lighting technology for the global lighting industry - it was an event horizon!
Figure : The high performance Cool, Neutral and Warm White LED array from Bridgelux
It is clear that 2009 has been a year of significant change for the lighting industry with many of the major lighting brands producing financial results to send shivers down the spine of most analysts.
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Figure 1: The Xicato module based on remote phosphor technology
Figure 2: Cree’s online Product Characterization Tool
Figure 3: The Sharp Zenigata 6.7W LED array
However the economic crisis has offered significant opportunities with large numbers of smaller companies focusing specifically on LED technology. These companies have taken advantage of the technology disruption and brought highly innovative solutions to end-users. I believe many of the smaller and more innovative lighting companies will develop the skills and understanding of the new technologies faster than traditional brands and the market will see competition that makes for an exciting time for end-users and the lighting market in general. Competition means both lower prices and higher innovation.
There are several reasons why LED lighting have become more readily accepted:
• Consumers are aware of the climate change issues with significant weather events that were supposed to happen once in a 1000 years happening within decades.
• Energy prices are high and set to go much higher so return on investment is key on customer priorities.
• LED performance has significantly improved in both efficiency and colour quality making them the light source of choice.
• LED fixtures are digital and the integration of controls is straightforward compared to traditional light sources.
• Standards for LEDs are now in place.
• The cost of LED emitters have dropped significantly during 2009 making LED fixtures more affordable.
• There is a greater choice of LED manufacturers and LED component suppliers.
others LED projects:
What to expect in 2010.
Steve Landau, Philips Lumileds suggests the following:
• Power LED products are still not generic and what’s true for one product is not necessarily true for those from other manufacturers. This means that there’s significant due dilligence that must be done by the engineers to understand how each product will perform in an application before making an LED selection. The LED manufacturers must continue to provide more, better information that allows this work to be done as easily and quickly as possible. Without that effort and understanding of the differences, it’s likely that some will make the wrong choice and the impact on their business success and customer perception could be impacted.
• Understanding system reliability will take centre stage. Without truly understanding system reliability, warranty, TCO and payback, assessments cannot be accurately calculated. System reliability does not equal lumen maintenance of the LED. It is actually a calculation that considers the following elements: electrical, connections, LEDs, optical, thermal, and mechanical. Strongly related to this is the notion that LEDs don’t fail. They do, as do all electronic components. In LED solutions, the typical approach is to use an array of LEDs. Understanding the lumen maintenance and catastrophic failure probabilities will become critical. Lastly, a clear understanding of these metrics allows systems to be optimised.
• From a product perspective we expect to see significant expansion of the product offerings available to the illumination markets where light output, CRI, and CCT are more finely defined, binning continues to improve and shrink and colour uniformity and quality get significantly better.
Conclusions
2009 has been a stunning year for Solid-State Lighting that has witnessed LED technology leapfrog CFL lighting in terms of performance and LED driver technology become even more sophisticated and flexible. LEDs have again increased the performance bar with a record 249 lumens per watt efficiency in the Nichia laboratories and CREE achieving over 132 lumens per watt for production LEDs.
2010 will be a significant growth year for LED lighting manufacturers, despite the economy, and we will see a major proportion of traditional lighting companies begin to adopt LED technologies as consumers decide to move to a greener lighting solution.
Next year will see a whole raft of colour tuneable white light products launched on the market enabling users to command the lighting environment. The use of LED technology will also see the incorporation of intelligent controls within fixture designs without significant cost surplus making the energy efficient gap between traditional light sources and LED based products extend significantly.
Of course, LED emitter technology will continue to be enhanced but this is now a secondary concern as focus shifts to high CRI LED products and lower cost systems.
Geoff Archenhold is an adviser to the UK Government on LED technology and helps LED companies raise investment from the finance community. He is an investor in an LED driver company and an LED fixture company, a Lighting Energy Consultancy and euroLEDs Events LLP.
