Category: concept

Dive Fins

CiamilloTed Ciamillo knows a thing or two about cycling, but he also has a passion for the water. He has designed a special water propulsion system that basically puts flippers on the feet! The 2014 Lunocet is the next best thing to turning into a mermaid, and can help humans swim better underwater.

The unique part of the Lunocet flipper is that it attaches to the human foot via cycling shoes – which are already pretty aerodynamic. Now the idea of wearing expensive shoes might seem odd, but then again the Lunocet will set you back nearly $600. But can you really put a price on being able to swim more like a fish?

Ciamillo 2014 Lunocet Official Website

Signal Talenthouse Design Challenge

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WqnZQNH5T0&feature=share&list=UUPUzPuHVn1rrUW7p1REfUhg

Signal Snowboards has teamed up with the very creative community over at Talenthouse.com to come up with the most impressive snowboard design contest to date. We’re excited to see what people might come up!

Signal Talenthouse Design Contest Official Website

 

Shoes to Shelter

Walking-ShelterYou can walk to the camp site, or you can decide that you’ve reached it when you are wearing the Walking Shelter shoes. Australian design collective Sibling has devised these new shoes that transform from shoes to a tent in just minutes.

In truth this is currently just a prototype and it is as much a shapeless bag as an actual tent, but does make us wonder about the possibilities of “wearing” our shelter when off hiking.

Sibling Walking Shelter Official Website

Board to Tent

Coreban-BG-Ultimate-AdventuWe’re seeing a trend in fitness and outdoor equipment that can transform from item A into item B. Sometimes this doesn’t always make sense, but the Coreban BG Ultimate Adventure Tent might be a serious space saver for those who want to do some paddle boarding and not sleep on the cold hard ground.

Paddleboard maker Coreban has partnered with British adventurer Edward Michael “Bear” Grylls to create a board that can be used on the water all day and double as an air mattress at night. This is still very much in development and thus issues likely remain. We’d worry this would be a soggy bed, and is questionable whether sleeping on an air mattress might be an easier option. However, this dual purpose idea could be one worth exploring.

Coreban Official Website
[Via GizMag: Bear Grylls’ stand-up paddleboard tent turns board into air mattress]

Semester in Class

SemesterThe Semester is one classy looking bike and something that could be ridden to school or work. Currently the designers of the Semester Bicycle are looking to Kickstarter to get this thing rolling. The idea is to merge materials to create proprietary “Hextubes” that will make a unique design but provide strength and rigidity. Each tube is a structural stressed skin composite of bamboo and carbon fiber, that is covered with a durable glass/epoxy lamination.

The bamboo fibers run parallel along the length of the tube while the carbon fiber and FRP skins are laid at a 45 degree angle giving added rigidity while further protecting the bamboo. The rear triangle of the bike is made of powder coated steel. The idea is that no other bike will look like or ride like the Semester. Continue reading Semester in Class

Skater’s Car Rack

Skateboard-RackThere are plenty of racks for skis, bikes and even snowboards, but skaters are typically left to toss the board in the trunk and go. Lacey Carlson of Provo, Utah had another idea and is looking to Kickstarter to help produce the Longboard/Skateboard car rack, which can help organize two or three boards and reduce the clutter. Video after the jump

Kinetic(Mis)Shift: Paper Boy Game

PaperboyWe like the idea of technology that combines video games and fitness, and we’ve heard about a few efforts that are under way, but the PaperDude VR has us scratching our heads. Yes, it is a game combined with a bicycle and it even utilizes virtual reality.

But it is sort of the like an old episode of The Simpsons where Bart plays a virtual yard work simulation after doing everything he could to get out of actual yard work. What’s the point in other words? Aren’t video games about saving the world or at least the princess, and with all due respect to those who wake up early to deliver the paper – is this really that compelling of an “adventure?”

So perhaps this isn’t really a full-blown Kinetic(Mis)Shift but we somehow think this technology could be used for so much more. Video after the jump

Biosensor in a Tattoo

biosensorMany athletes sport tattoos these days, and other than looking good (or stupid depending on your point of view) that “art” only goes skin deep and truly doesn’t do much. However, a new study conducted by a team led by the University of California, San Diego’s Prof. Joseph Wang has created a flexible electrochemical biosensor that looks much like a “tat.”

Unlike other tattoos that merely are ink, this one is actually a flexible electrochemical biosensor, and when applied to the skin the sensor can be used to continuously measure lactate levels in the athlete’s sweat. It can thus tell when an athlete is about to “hit the wall.”

That’s a lot more than most tattoos can do, and best of all it can be removed post-workout or game.

[Via American Chemical Society: First human tests of new biosensor that warns when athletes are about to ‘hit the wall’]

Rebel Yell

Repair-RebelKickstarter is full of multi-tool projects, and some will take off and some will just remain concepts. We have a good feeling about the Repair Rebel, a titanium multi-tool that can attach under a bike seat. It offers 24 various tools, include a dozen or so hex heads, a T25 tork head, Phillips screw driver and even some spoke keys. It is larger than some of the ultra compact tools we’ve seen, but this provides all the tools in a single piece so that there is nothing to lose and no moving parts.

The disc style design also provides more grip than those too-compact tools. This Repair Rebel could just about start a revolution. Video after the jump

Kite Has You Covered

KiteSummer is a great time except for the mosquitoes that can bite and worse cause illnesses. For those who are looking to head out to the great outdoors there are plenty of sprays to apply, but another option is the KitePatch, which is designed to render people invisible to the tiny menace. These small stickers adhere to clothing, and reportedly disrupt the bug’s ability to detect carbon dioxide that is exhaled.

And while the insect is mostly a nuisance to those of us in America in the developing world it is a far greater problem. To that end the company will sent 10 Kite Patches to Uganda for each 10 bought by a user in America. Video after the jump

Add Some Juice and Go

RubbeeThere are times when an electric bike can come in handy, but for those who prefer simple pedal power buying an electric bike might seem a waste. Not only is there the added cost, but also the weight. However, the Rubbee could be just the thing.

This add on gizmo is being developed through a Kickstarter project, can turn (almost) any regular bike into an electric bike. This unique conversion kit features an integrated clamp mechanism that can be mounted on a bike in just a few seconds, while the innovative drive motor with an internal battery can help propel the bike for more than 25 miles without pedaling. Unlike other kits that can add as much as 15kg to the bike, this one weighs just 6.5kg (14 pounds), and it can fully recharge in just two hours. Video after the jump

Anti Shark Suit

SAMSDespite what movies such as Jaws or Discovery Channel’s Shark Week might suggest, shark attacks are actually not all that common. However, about 100 people are attacked by sharks each year and this isn’t all that comforting to surfers and divers.

Researchers have suggested that black wetsuits could make wearers look like seals, which just happen to be a shark’s favorite snack. Australian based Shark Attack Mitigation Systems (SAMS) has developed a line of wetsuits that are designed to look a little less appetizing to sharks. These feature a disruptive pattern that sharks may have trouble seeing, or even make them think otherwise about taking a bite.

While sharks can reportedly detect small amounts of blood in the water from miles away and can detect electric currents in the water for the kill – or rather bite – the shark depends on vision. This is where the SAMS suit comes in as it could provide enough to confuse the shark, and give the wearer time not to be the catch of the day. Video after the jump