Category Archives: Technology

Transit Design: “Double-Decker Driverless Tram”

Italian Designer Andrea PontiIsland is a double-decker driverless tram designed for the city of Hong Kong in the post-Covid era. This highly innovative design concept incorporates industrial design, transportation design, public design, urban mobility and sustainability.

Andrea Ponti Driverless Tram interiorThe project includes exterior, interior and tram stop design. With the Coronavirus pandemic, people are shunning public transport and relying much more on private transport. 

The name Island references the innovative design of the interiors, where large circular benches facilitate social distancing and passengers sit facing outwards in a radial pattern. The exterior design is inspired by the Hong Kong urban landscape, which features vast surfaces of glass and rounded-corner buildings. Natural light floods the interiors during the day through the curved windows and a domed top, which also provide awe-inspiring views at night.

The driverless technology optimizes the interior space of the tram, making it easier to manage travel times and increase onboard safety. The tram has a retractable connector for rapid charging at tram stops. Large vertical LEDs enhance visibility in all weather conditions. The interior design contrasts with the exterior.

Andrea Ponti Driverless Tram interior seating
Large circular benches facilitate social distancing as passengers sit facing outwards in a radial pattern.

Minimalist design, charcoal black walls, soft circular seating, wooden floors and trims with natural finish all create a neutral and friendly environment. This chromatic diversity, in addition to the dark color palette, frames and accentuates the beauty of the Hong Kong urban landscape.

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Innovation: “QuenchSea” – Portable Seawater Desalination Device

QuenchSea is an innovative technology that combines a hydraulic system, triple pre-filtration and a small reverse osmosis membrane to desalinate seawater into freshwater using manual human power. At sea or on the coast, convert seawater into clean fresh drinking water instantly.

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New Healthcare Tech: “Consult Station” By H4D – First Telemedicine Booth

H4D facilitates access to healthcare by allowing patients to consult a doctor remotely in the Consult Station®, the first connected local telemedicine booth. This medical device allows quality healthcare to be delivered for primary care, occupational health, and general health promotion.

The Consult Station - First Connected Local Telemedicine Booth - H4D

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Future Of Home Offices: “Zen Work Pod” – “Simple, Monastically-Inspired Design” By Autonomous

Zen Work Pod - Interior LookMinimal, Zen Design

Keep things simple and stay focused. Monastically inspired design promotes a minimalist yet productive work lifestyle. All unnecessary details have been removed to keep every feature of the pod indispensable.

 

Open, Yet Private

The completely enclosed space gives you the privacy you need to focus at work. Minimal design aesthetic, tempered glass walls that allow for open views, & high vaulted ceilings give a feeling of openness, providing mental clarity & the space to breathe.

Zen Work Pod - Autonomous

Well-equipped

With built-in shelves and drawers to free up space and provide much-needed storage, a SmartDesk 2 – Home Office, and a Kinn Chair, the pod comes completely furnished with everything that you need to immediately start working more effectively from home.

Super affordable

Autonomous LogoYou won’t find a better price for a completely self-contained home office like the Zen Work Pod. With its gorgeous contemporary design and full installation included within the price, the decision is easy. PLUS, subscribe before Jun 15 for super early bird deals ($1500 off retail price)!

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Hi-Tech Mobile Housing: “The Space By IO House” – Self-Contained, Off-Grid

IO House InteriorThe SPACE by IO House is a modern living solution requiring absolutely nothing from the “grid.” All the utilities you need are integrated and completely autonomous, including water, electricity, heating and wifi. A smart device is all that is required to monitor and manage your living experience.

The SPACE comes fully equipped with furniture, appliances, and the necessary gadgets to control them.

IO House Exterior

This includes a built-in kitchen, bathroom, heating and cooling systems, as well as a smart air ventilation with oxygen level control. Incredibly, all this can be managed at your fingertips through your smartphone. All aspects of the smart home technology have been carefully thought through and the SPACE provides all necessities required for a comfortable, stress free living.

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Social Media Video: What’s Behind “The Rise Of TikTok”

 

TikTok is the most downloaded app of 2020, as quarantines have spurred more and more users to hop onboard and learn about the latest dance trends and memes. But the app also faces a slew of regulatory hurdles, privacy concerns, and allegations of censorship, issues experts say will be new CEO Kevin Mayer’s top priority.

Future Of Medicine: “The Rise Of Teledermatology”

From AMA.org (June 12, 2020):

Teledermatology“There’s an aging population, and there’s a lot of skin out there,” said Dr. Isaacs. “One in five people in the country develop skin cancer, but there is a plethora of benign skin conditions that also require the expertise of the dermatologist. So, you have increasing demand and a limited supply of dermatologists.”

A basic example of how the TPMG teledermatology program works involves a patient who is concerned about a suspicious lesion or mole on their body. The patient can take a picture of the location in question and send it to their primary care physician for review. The physician can request the patient come in for a more thorough evaluation, or if the physician determines that a dermatologist should be involved, they can send the photo to an on-call dermatologist to review.

If the patient does an in-person evaluation, the physician can also take a higher-quality image and forward that to a dermatologist. The dermatologist can then decide whether there is a problem, if a prescription is needed, or if there should be an in-person evaluation and potential biopsy.

A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in 2019 found that when TPMG dermatologists had the chance to look at well-photographed skin lesions, they were able to identify nearly 10% more cancers with almost 40% fewer referrals to the dermatology department.

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Future Of Healthcare: A Look At “Telemedicine” Growth In Next 5-10 Years

From McKinsey & Company (June 11, 2020)

For the past 10 to 15 years, virtual health has been heralded as the next disrupter in the delivery of care, but there has been minimal uptick in adoption. The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing against structural barriers that had previously slowed health system investment in integrated virtual health applications.

Telehealth Adoption Pre-Covid and in 5-10 years - McKinsey & Company

Virtual Health Segments - McKinsey & Company - June 2020

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Video Profiles: British Artist Jonathan Yeo – “FaceTime Portraits”

Since lockdown started in the UK, British artist Jonathan Yeo began a ‘FaceTime Portraits’ series where sittings have been filmed by his household, offering viewers a live glimpse into his portrait painting process.

Here he tells us about the pros and cons of painting faces by digital means and how he sees the future of portraiture as technologies continue to evolve.

Jonathan Yeo is a British artist who rose to international prominence in his early 20s as a contemporary portraitist, having painted Kevin Spacey, Dennis Hopper, Cara Delevingne, Damien Hirst, Prince Philip, Erin O’Connor, Tony Blair, and David Cameron among others.