Category: concept

Bia Sports Introduces Women Specific Sports Watch

Many sports watches can do it all – except provide a bit of women friendly style. Now Bia has introduced a sprots watch designed for women, and is designed by women. It provides a sleek form factor that can monitor heart rate (from a third party strap), calories burned, intervals and even provide a stop watch. With the external GPS-GSM based Go Stick, users can track distance, speed and pace as well.

Video after the jump

Velodrome Concept Design Has Riding on the Roof

The Dutch love their bicycles and they also know how to make excellent use of space. So much so that the the NL Architects have come up with an interesting bicycle club building that will put a velodrome on the roof. This solves a space problem, but also makes excellent use of the space. One catch is that you won’t head to the Netherlands to ride this track, as it is being designed for use in South China. The building with the velodrome roof could actually see construction in the next year.

NL Architects Official Website

 

Solar Power Backpack Coming to the Military

The soldier on the modern battlefield is loaded down with a lot of equipment, but more and more of it is digital, and to power it the military is working on a way to use solar power. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has created a prototype of a solar power pack that could help recharge lithium-ion battery packs.

“One of the most significant challenges currently facing the Marine Corps is the need to supply sufficient electricity to individual Marines in forward operating bases,” said Robert Walters of the NRL Solid State Devices Branch. “Mobile photovoltaics are a technology that can address these needs by leveraging emerging, flexible, high efficiency photovoltaic technology.” Continue reading Solar Power Backpack Coming to the Military

Fold Up Paddle Boat

We’ve seen some interesting watercraft of late, including a fold up row boat and now there is the Origami Paddler – a stand up and fold up raft! The idea here is to provide a solid paddle board that is more stable than the inflatable type but is still easy enough to transport. Unlike the FoldBoat we profiled recently, the Origami Paddler won’t exactly fit in a backpack, but it is small enough to fit in most car trunks.

Designed by Tim Niemier, who invented the sit-on-top kayak, the Origami Paddler is still in concept and he’s working to raise funding for what could be a bit of a game changer for those looking to paddle up stream. The version that Niemier has designed can be carried like an over-sized suitcase and weights in at about 50 pounds. It can be unfolded quickly with locking hinges, providing an 11.5 foot board that is basically ready to go. Video after the jump

Bike Park of Dreams Goes With Flow(Form)

If you build it they will come. This isn’t just about fictional ballparks in the movies, but playgrounds, skate parks and bike trails. And leading the way is Alpine Bike Parks, which now has announced a new way to go with the flow.

The FlowForm features are specially engineered playground structures that will allow bike parks to create even more professional designs that are popular with riders. These can be designed to accommodate a new facility or added into an existing trail system to either enhance the flow or even provide durability that might not exist in nature. Continue reading Bike Park of Dreams Goes With Flow(Form)

Laser Spoke Track Pedal Power

While many cyclists watch distance, heart rate and calories burned another number to watch is the power output. This is a harder number to track however, but now the Laser Spoke might make it just a bit easier – and best of all this third-party device can work on virtually any bicycle.

It can measure the power generated by the rider’s legs at the spokes of the wheel through a laser-based optical system, which consists of a laser and position-sensitive detector that can be mounted on the hub. This laser fires a beam at a prism attached to the rim, and this determines the deflection and the applied torque. Continue reading Laser Spoke Track Pedal Power

Boat That Folds

Fold up boats aren’t really that new. The military devised folding bikes for more than 100 years, and these broke fairly small. But the Foldboat takes folding to a new level as it offers a boat that can fit in a backpack and yet be assembled into one-man row boat. So while we’re sure why a hiker might need a boat, now there is boat for those who think they might need to cross a stream or river! Continue reading Boat That Folds

Growing a Wave to Catch in the Backyard

Some people like to garden, some people might also like a beer garden, but now comes a new type of garden – a Wavegarden. This allows for home-grown waves for surfing right in the backyard.  This could be a godsend to those who want to hit the surf but live far from the beach.

Basically Spanish engineering firm Instant Sport has created a prototype in Northern Spain that produces consistently rideable waves of all shapes and sizes – just like the ocean. These can be dialed up or down to suit a range of riders. Continue reading Growing a Wave to Catch in the Backyard

Garment to Monitor Your Movements

How do you know if you are moving correctly when it comes to specific exercises? We’ve seen various motion tracking devices and even suits. Now comes the Move from Electric Foxy, which features a special tank top wit sensors at the hips and shoulders that can monitor movements during exercise and offer feedback if the wearer isn’t doing something correctly. While still in the concept stage this could be Move towards the future of exercise. Video after the jump

Clever Ski Pole

Winter is finally over – in fact it never arrived for much of the country – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t too early to think about next year. Actually it is Neva too early, as in Anthony Griesel’s Neva microprocessor-equipped ski poles that will bring “smart” technology to skiing and back wood snowshoeing and hiking.

Each pole features a waterproof grip with a mini-computer that can be linked via Bluetooth to an app on a user’s iPhone or Android device, and this could allow for flashes for incoming calls and even the ability to take calls without taking off the gloves. Other possibilities include text messages, and basic (but very useful data) such as temperature and elevation, as well as time. GPS could of course be a future possibility. Video after the jump

Heatstick Boils Water

As we’ve often noted hot water in the wilderness is something that is close to priceless. We’ve seen numerous methods to heat the water in a pot or other cooking vessel, but there is another way – by heating the water from the water from inside out.

Heatstick takes the old concept of heating a rock and putting it in water, and applies it to a lightweight stick that draws on a propane and butane mix to heat up water in a singled container. It is able to turn cold water hot through the use of an aluminum Fuelstick cylinder. This can boil around two gallons of water, and the Heatsticks are available in different temperature ranges for varying conditions and uses. Video after the jump

Bike Light is Ready and Steady to Go

Not a week seems to pass when we don’t hear about a bike light of some sort, and this week comes the Blink/Steady, a bike light that features a small unobtrusive design and yet seems to be secure enough that it would be a hassle to try stealing. It attaches through a set post to deter would-be thieves.

It also takes the concept of simplicity to a new level. It has no buttons and instead a built-in accelerometer rsponds to the 1.5G of acceleration. When the rider stops for more than 30 seconds it shuts off – plus a photosensor is included to tell whether it is night or day and turn on only when it is needed. The Blink/Steady is currently a Kickstarter project but this one could hopefully see the light of day or better yet the dark of night and light the way. Video after the jump