http://www.glorytrade.com.tw B2B - Manufacture of OEM and ODM + Industry Designers en-us Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:56:23 GMT http://www.liteonaward.com/en/index.aspx Lite-On Award, the largest-scale industrial design competition in Greater China Community, has launched the 9th annual competition. The main theme of 2009 Lite-On Award is “The Green Miracle”, which is to encourage young designers to think greener. With the brighter ideas, the world will be greener and better again!


All young designers are invited to submit entries before May 15, 2009 via online application. The total cash awards are amounted over NTD$1M. New and promising designers are all invited to participate as individuals or as teams.


For complete competition guidelines, and online registration and entry submission, please visit Lite-On Award website: www.liteonaward.com. 2009-04-08 14:33:14 http://braunpreis.de/international/braunprize_2.html 2009-01-20 19:16:56 http://www.trendhunter.com/photos/27732 2008-10-20 16:19:37 http://www.square-mag.co.uk/2008/10/13/neimain-marcus-offers-first-ever-confederate-fighter-motorcycle/ 2008-10-20 16:16:52 http://www.wallpaper.com/technology/motorlight-lamp-by-jake-dyson/1535 2008-10-20 16:16:29 http://www.asylum.com/2008/09/30/get-a-mini-motel-for-airport-sleepovers-or-other-leisure/ 2008-10-20 16:15:52 http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/10/10/trashing-batteries-for-brighter-sidewalks/ 2008-10-20 16:15:09 http://www.square-mag.co.uk/2008/10/12/elettronico-faucet-when-water-meets-technology/ 2008-10-14 10:28:54 http://www.dexigner.com/design_news/toyota-inspired-designs-to-debut-at-fashion-focus-chicago.html 2008-10-14 10:27:35 http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/gooddesign/source/15.htm 2008-10-14 10:27:02 http://www.luxist.com/2008/10/06/harmon-karmon-cut-glass-speakers/ 2008-10-14 10:26:17 http://www.dexigner.com/design_news/royal-college-of-art-student-wins-automotive-interior-award.html 2008-10-08 10:37:30 http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hdd-hang-it-on 2008-10-08 10:36:50 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080730.wgtkaplab0730/BNStory/PersonalTech 2008-10-08 10:09:19 http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/jul/31/viewmaster.design.classic 2008-10-08 10:08:38 http://www.square-mag.co.uk/2008/10/06/palazzettis-ultra-modern-collection/ 2008-10-08 10:06:48 http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/10/altec-lansing-rolls-out-new-look-speakers-aplenty/ 2008-09-11 16:58:06 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_82.html FuChat

Bronze
Communication Tools - Concepts
Client: D-Link (Taiwan)
Design: D-Link (Taiwan)

The FuChat is a cordless phone that can make both internet calls and regular calls. When FuChat detects a change in the user's tone of voice or body temperature, it alters the display, text, sound, lights, and color on the phone. Its goal is to make interaction with the phone a more personal experience, improving communication by associating human emotions with an electronic device. The FuChat is made from renewable plastic to reduce its impact on the environment. Online account management and support is also included, allowing people to easily configure and manage their phone through the internet.


Data and images provided by IDSA



Data Source ：BusinessWeek (http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/07/0717_idea_winners/32.htm) 2008-09-10 18:29:40 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_81.html Subtitle: A kitchen accessory and planting system for convenient planting at home

Design concept: Kitchen Garden aims to create a planting system that helps people water their plants. It makes use of the water remaining on the dishes after washing. Plants can be watered conveniently and it gives people an interesting experience in planting. Meanwhile people do not need to dry the dishes themselves.



Data Source ：Youth.gov.hk (http://www.youth.gov.hk/) 2008-09-10 18:27:28 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_80.html Taiwan Design, Global Honor
The red dot design award is also becoming more and more influential as an achievement barometer in Asia where it has gained the highest reputation. Taiwan is a perfect example of this development: in the red dot design award 2006 submissions from Taiwan rose by almost 50 percent in comparison to the previous year. As initiator of the red dot design award, Professor Dr. Peter Zec had therefore been invited to Taiwan at the end of the year to take part on stage as a guest in a very special design event.

In order to honour the achievements of Taiwanese manufacturers and to strengthen them in their endeavour to invest in innovative design, the Taiwan Design Center staged a design event to honour the manufacturers whose products won awards in the four most important international design competitions, the g-Mark Award, the IDEA Award, the IF Award, and the red dot design award. “Taiwan Design, Global Honor” – under this motto these award-winning products were again paid special tribute to at the end of the year. The honour of giving the welcome speech was bestowed upon the initiator of the red dot design award, Professor Dr. Peter Zec.

The award-winning products were again introduced to the audience: models presented the winning products together with their designer or a representative of the manufacturer on stage, before putting the products in their honorary places in brightly lit display cabinets. The event was hosted by a famous Taiwanese TV presenter.

“The number of entries from Taiwanese companies in the red dot award has again increased considerably in 2006. During the last three years the number of products submitted has risen by almost 200 percent. This clearly shows that above all the globally operating companies in Taiwan are realising more and more that in the long run they cannot survive the international competition with low prices alone. Instead, quality, branding, and a brand-related pop culture are becoming increasingly important in order to also create lasting loyalty in western customers,” resumes Professor Dr. Zec. Thus the number of red dot awards which went to Taiwan is impressive: 31 products received an award in the red dot design award: product design 2006, mostly in the categories ‘Media and Home Electronics’. Zec explained, “this means that Western competitors have to prepare for tougher times: they have to become more innovative and act with more creativity.”

The manufacturers and designers present were very interested in exchanging ideas with the design and business expert Professor Dr. Zec. Hence they were delighted about the opportunity to talk immediately after the event with the man who as president of the International umbrella organisation of design Icsid and IDA chair holds the highest office in the world of design.

Taiwan is one of the internationally leading locations of the information technology industry, and for some years Taiwanese companies have been trying to establish their brands on the international markets. In this endeavour they have been supported by the government: design promotion plays a very important role in the national development plan ‘Challenge 2008.’ The measures of this plan are proving effective; in 2006, a total of 146 Taiwanese products received awards in international design competitions – in contrast to the previous year this means an increase of almost 50 percent.



Data Source ：red dot (http://en.red-dot.org/design.html) 2008-09-10 18:26:32 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_79.html The items on display at Taiwan Designers’ Week are what some of the country’s best designers would
make if they didn’t have to please the mass market


By Ho Yi
STAFF REPORTER
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008, Page 13

A man tests a set of radio frequency-triggered, color-changing light bulbs. A woman adjusts a small clock that looks like three electric sockets. Another man puts the finishing touches on a roach trap made from traditional paper cutting techniques to resemble the miniature houses used in ceremonies to comfort the spirits of the dead. These three were among several dozen designers putting the finishing touches on their displays for the second annual Taiwan Designers’ Week (台灣設計師週), which opened last Saturday and runs through Friday.

This year’s main exhibition is divided into eight sections at the Xinyi Public Assembly Hall (信義公民會館). There are also one exhibition section each at Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村) and at the XueXue Institute (學學文創志業) in Neihu.

The all-volunteer event was initiated last year by Taiwan Designers’ Web (台灣設計師連線, TWDW), a network of designers from across the country, many of whom work as industrial designers making products for large business and feel their creativity is stifled at work.



With more than 250 participating groups and individual designers and 10 exhibition sections this year, compared to 100 entrants and seven sections last year, Taiwan Designers’ Week is clearly expanding. Last year’s fair only featured works by industrial and lifestyle product designers, but this year’s includes fashion and jewelry designers and film directors, as well as visual and graphic designers. Each of the 10 sections is curated by a loosely organized group and organized around concepts such as “On and Off,” “The Wall,” and “The Scholar’s Study.”



Some [of this year’s] designs cost NT$100,000 or NT$300,000 [to make],” said Joyce Chou (周湘雲) the event’s executive director and a design researcher for Pega Design & Engineering. Many designers keep their participation a secret from their employers, she noted. Some took time off from work to prepare; others have bosses who would rather not see their employees’ energies divided between work and side projects.



One of last year’s products, a collection of benches created under the aegis of the design collective Dian Shin Refreshment (點心設計), received an iF product design award and has since been featured at the prestigious International Furniture Fair of Milan.

This year, Dian Shin Refreshment (點心設計) has invited 50 designers to make stationary inspired by the aesthetics of China’s Song and Qing dynasties. The results include a pen holder-cum-sundial that also tells your fortune for the day, and a bookshelf that looks like a window frame from a pre-modern wooden house.

The On and Off concept was conceived of as an attempt to get participating designers thinking out of the box, as it were.

“We try to answer the question of whether or not we can escape from binary logic and create designs that are more in tune with the nuanced changes in human emotions and senses,” explained Harry Wu (吳佳勳), the On and Off section’s curator and a designer for Pega Design and Engineering.



Items in this section include Tech Tap, a faucet-shaped device that pours light instead of water into two “cups” and emits music that sounds like trickling water. The glasses are rigged with LED lights and “receive” the music and light as if they were tangible materials. Another interesting invention is a keyboard bearing the unintelligible characters of a “Martian language” (火星文). Visitors can type messages that are displayed on a monitor and can be printed out as a sticker.



The Wall section — the underlying concept of which was to get designers into the habit of thinking not in terms of discrete designs but relationships with space and the environment — includes a project titled Hang Up, which is a phone that only hangs up when it’s hung on a wall, and a selection of stickers that transform ugly cracks on a wall into works of art.

For exhibit curator Alan Huang (黃偉倫), Taiwan Designers’ Week offers a much-needed chance for local designers to develop their own individual identities.

“The world of design needs stars — stars with strong personal viewpoints,” said Huang, adding that the design industry in Taiwan is still immature but will hopefully explode onto the international stage in the near future.

From July 7 to July 9, guided tours will be available for the eight sections at the Xinyi Public Assembly Hall. These include Xrange (十 一事務所), Asus and Opening United (打開聯合).

For those who want to take one of the designs home, several popular items from last year’s exhibition are available for purchases at 7-Eleven stores. For more information, go to the event’s bilingual site at www.designersweek.tw.
This story has been viewed 1514 times.


Data Source ：Taipei Times(http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2008/07/02/2003416255) 2008-09-10 18:25:53 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_78.html

General Motors has sponsored an MIT Media Lab project to address “the last mile” of public transportation. The carbon-free, stackable, electric rental car will debut next week at the EICMA Motorcycle show in Milan.

“The MIT group sees the vehicles as the linchpin in a strategy that aims to mitigate pollution with electric power, expand limited public space by folding and stacking vehicles like shopping carts, and alleviate congestion by letting people rent and return the vehicles to racks located near transportation hubs, such as train stations, airports, and bus depots,” Technology Review said.

The issue with public transportation is that it’s great for getting you from point A, to point B, it just so happens to no one lives at either end. It’s that last mile that’s the tricky part. How do you get from the train station to your house when there’s no bus? That’s the problem GM is looking to tackle.


The Smart Cities group at the MIT Media Lab is working on two low-cost electric vehicles that it hopes will revolutionize mass transit and help alleviate pollution. Next week, the group will unveil a prototype of its foldable electric scooter at the EICMA Motorcycle Show, in Milan. A prototype for the team's foldable electric car, called the City Car, is slated to follow next year. (technologyreview)



Data Source ：TREND HUNTER(http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gm-mit-city-car-stack-rent-ev-last-mile) 2008-09-10 17:26:20 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_77.html Posted by: Allan Chochinov on Wednesday, June 25 2008



If you've been following the turmoil over at Art Center for the past couple of months, last night provided some resolution: Richard Koshalek, Art Center's president for the past 9 years, will not have his contract renewed. (Yup, that's a nice way of saying exactly what you think that's saying.)

All of this is a culmination of a grassroots movement demanding that school officials put more money into students and education than into what some considered to be less productive projects, namely, Koshalek's push for a 50 million dollar design research complex designed by Frank Gehry.

The whole thing was set off by a blog post from Nathan Cooke, an industrial design student, on May 14th, complaining about the lack of recycling consistency post-Art Center Conference. (We were actually nearby as he was circling the trash cans filled with vinyl conference posters, scratching his head in disbelief.) Beyond the green critique, Cooke went on to the other issues of tuition, compensation, and the Gehry initiative:

Student tuition has been raised 5%% consistently over these past two years so that Art Center can "remain competitive," or so the little letter I receive in the mail states. Well, I'm glad someone in Art Center was able to find the $385,068 in 2005 to pay Gehry Partners to design our new "advanced technical center." A facility that has yet to break ground, and will not be finished before any attending student graduates.

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Well, the blogpost caught fire (comments now number over 1200), was moved to a new blog entitled Future of Art Center, and on the debate raged. Meanwhile, Art Center set up its own blog in a presumed attempt to get ahead of the conversation, addressing some of the issues head-on. (FAQs range from the insanely-broad "Where does my tuition go?" to the particular "Why does the College spend money on conferences and events?")

K. So then chief academic officer Nate Young and two chief financial officers resign or were fired, and people wondered how far this might go? (Actually, there's an unsavory step in the middle here: Nate Young's photo was (poorly) photoshopped out of Art Center's Legacy Circle page, then put back in, along with an apology. Yikes.)

An online petition called Education First gathered over 1400 signatories and was sent to the trustees demanding that the Gehry project be stopped. Another petition--this one called Honesty First (youch!)--gathered 400 signatures defending Koshalek and the Ghery project.

After some presumed all-nighters (the trustees, not the students), word came down last night from John Puerner, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, as well as from Richard Koshalekin. (No permalinks on these; guess there won't be too many more statements.)

So ya, blogs rule, or they're destabilizing, or make sure you put your trash away quietly, or be careful what you earmark 50 million bucks for. Or mostly take good care of your students and your faculty, don't underestimate the power of architecture or fundraising, and increase transparency all over the place. Now, can we get back to that "Where does my tuition go" question? That's a doozy for any college!

Alissa Walker's got a great writeup of the story at ArchPaper, and you can find earlier stories in the LA Times, and LA Weekly.



Data Source ：Core77 Design Blog (http://www.core77.com/blog/business/art_center_decision_gehry_on_hold_koshalek_not_so_much_10292.asp) 2008-09-10 17:17:03 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_76.html Taipei (Taiwan) - Since its inception in 2002, the Taiwan International Design Competition has become one of the most prestigious and authoritative design competitions in Asia. Incorporating with the essence of Oriental philosophy, this year the Taiwan Design Center would like to invite you to explore contradictions that arise from the word "In/Out出入". When exploring this concept, you are advised not to look for truth, and instead seek inspiration in the beauty of uncertainty.

On-line Registration Deadline: July 01, 2008

For further information:

Taiwan Design Center
http://tidc.boco.com.tw


Data Source ：icsid IDA (http://www.icsid.org/news/year/2008_news/articles556.htm) 2008-09-10 17:13:46 http://www.easier.com/view/UK_Property_News/Suffolk/article-186805.html David Wilson Homes recently launched a new executive showhome at its Duchess Park development in Newmarket, which has been stunningly dressed by interior designer Derek Taylor.

Derek, who has been working with ITV's 60 Minute Makeover for over four years, owns his own interior design company called Ishoka and has also created interiors for a number of celebrities homes including Patsy Palmer, Claire Sweeney and Phil Tuffnell and has been brought on board to design the interior of the five bedroom, three-storey Carmargue showhome.

Sales and marketing director, Rebecca Littler, comments: "Our Duchess Park development is an exclusive development which comprises a select number of five bedroom detached private residences, so when it came to designing our new showhome we wanted to really add ‘wow' factor to complement the stunning housetypes on offer and idyllic location.

"Derek has added a really vibrant yet contemporary scheme in the Carmargue showhome by combining metallic's and a selection of different blues. Whether you are looking for interior design ideas or you are interested in our popular part-exchange scheme, come and visit this fantastic home."

Carmargue

The five bedroom, three-storey Carmargue detached home is over 2532 square foot and features a spacious sitting room, separate dining room, a private study, cloakroom and a fully fitted kitchen with integral breakfast room and utility room.

On the first floor is the master bedroom with en-suite and dressing area, the family bathroom and two further bedrooms. The second floor plays host to two more bedrooms and an en-suite bathroom which could be converted into a guest area or work studio.

Derek comments: "The new Carmargue showhome interior has been designed straight from the catwalk where metallic's are the latest fashion trend to move into home interiors. We have used bronze and silver as our basic colour palette throughout this three-storey home, however we have combined them with a selection of baby blue and duck egg blue accessories and soft furnishings, to create a desirable family home."

Prices start from £579,995 for a five bedroom detached home.

Part-Exchange

Our part-exchange scheme, which is available at Duchess Drive, has been designed to remove all of the uncertainty and stress from selling your existing home, part-exchange saves both time and anxiety; rather like trading in your old car for a new model, part-exchange works in much the same way. Once the sale has been agreed purchasers can remain comfortably in their own property until their new home is ready, providing peace of mind of a guaranteed sale.

Idyllic Location

The development has been carefully planned and includes over 26 acres of meadow and due to the important ecological value of the land the company will only be building a select number of private residences there. This will ensure the protection of the land and the wildlife, and ensure that each and every home enjoys maximum privacy and views over the Gallops which Newmarket is renowned for.

For further information on the luxury homes available from Duchess Park, visit the development open daily from 10am to 6pm. Alternatively visit the website at Dwh.co.uk for more general information.



Data Source ：Easier
(http://www.easier.com/view/UK_Property_News/Suffolk/article-186805.html) 2008-09-10 17:10:30 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_74.html Some 20 years ago, Nova Design Co., Ltd., spun off from the local Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd. (maker of SYM branded PTWs in Taiwan) had begun trying to wean itself from the technical dominance wielded by its Japanese partner-aiming to set up its own brand. Nova has since been the major vehicle-styling design studio for SYM and its affiliates.

SYM is today one of the top-two globalized PTW brands based in Taiwan with manufacturing bases worldwide that are capable of annual production volume of 600,000-plus PTWs. In addition, SYM and its affiliates also produce own-brand mini commercial vehicles in Vietnam and coaches in mainland China, most of which are designed by Nova.

Rapidly diversifying its production, Nova has grown into a world-class player-engaging in an increasingly wider range of design work as consumer electronics, information and communication technology (ICT), fitness equipment, medical devices, home appliances etc. Currently, the design studio is the largest of its kind in Asia with around 230 associates in its Taipei headquarters and five other branch offices in Shanghai and Xiamen, China; San Jose, California; Sondrio, Italy; and Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam.

After considerable upgrading over the past two decades, Nova is now the leading design studio specializing in transportation vehicle styling in Taiwan-having proven its prowess by winning globally-renowned design awards as iF, reddot, IDEA, EID etc. covering all major product categories.

Maturing Know-how

"Nova has seen its design capability steadily upgraded through adopting new techniques, knowledge, and management system," claims Roger Lin, assistant vice president and design director of Nova`s research lab. "We have matured considerably-having started with designing two-wheelers to completing many multi-wheeled design projects, including three, four-wheeled passenger cars and commercial vehicles, and 10 wheeled buses."

Roger Lin, assistant vice president and design director of Nova Design, the largest design studio in Asia.


About 15 years ago Nova began taking on non-vehicle design projects-tapping its wealth of design approaches, know-how and core strength sharpened through years of design work. "I think Nova is a very successful example of a studio designing both transportation vehicles and a variety of other products," Lin claims confidently. "Our core strength is based mainly on our technical specialization, resource integration, and knowledge of added-value. That`s why we are the fastest among peers: we take a PTW project from design to volume production within one year, while global counterparts need 18 to 24 months. And a point that outsiders are unaware is that the slowest stage in design is often decision making, not product development."

Going Global

Nova has been gradually working with SYM to steadily expand markets-going from Taiwan to Vietnam, Europe and the United States. Succeeding in Vietnam, SYM-branded vehicles are the second-biggest market share holders in the long term; while SYM has been eagerly tapping the European and U.S. markets-launching a series of top-end models designed by Nova.





The SYM Mio, a very successful scooter developed by Nova.


"Nova has benefited from SYM`s market shifts from Taiwan, Vietnam, to Europe-gaining precious experience through the partnership," Lin points out, "the more we learned, the more precise we can hone our positioning."

The design studio has developed an ingenious high-precision product positioning tool able to analyze two major parameters for a new vehicle design project: application range-transportation to recreation, and accommodation-personal to family, with the results of analysis factoring in criteria as road and economic conditions of a target market.

Market Trends

"In Vietnam, for example, PTWs were and are important personal assets," Lin points out, "but as road conditions and gross domestic product (GDP) improve, the people`s attitude toward such vehicles will also change, with the applications of PTWs further widening. Nova can accurately tell mainstream and future star products by tapping its considerable experience and know-how in PTW design."

Lin sees the "crossover PTW," which combines characteristics of scooter and cub or light commercial motorcycle-particularly cubs designed for riding comfort and scooter convenience, or scooters with larger-diameter wheels-will emerge as an interim vehicle in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market, one that would be designed to handle imperfect road conditions and meet demand for riding comfort.

"Asian PTW consumers tend to be more superficial," Lin continues to share insights, "cubs with scooter characteristics cannot truly display the advantages of a real scooter. Another intriguing phenomenon is that riders in Europe, especially those in more industrially advanced nations, pursue individualism, soul in a PTW, meaning look-alike models rarely sell well."

Another strengthening development in the global PTW market, according to Lin, is the so-called "green" trend-models designed to be eco-friendly typically feature simplified styling, hence reducing energy consumption during manufacturing, and longer durability, hence reduced need for replacement.






The company`s other transportation vehicle designs.


"But such simplified PTW design trend also brings problems," Lin explains, "the first is the `false simplicity` that might actually require more manufacturing steps or consume more energy than traditional designs, as well as the likelihood of many look-alikes in the market. Then, brand identity and product DNA become critical."

Another trend of particular importance for Taiwan is the emergence of electric scooters globally: "Taiwan definitely has potentially a major role in this rising segment," Lin says, "because the island can create wide ranging possibilities by integrating its sizable expertise in PTW building and electrical-machinery systems. In addition, the market potential is enormous considering that an electric and gasoline-powered scooter can be made for similar costs."

Lin admits that Nova has been winning increasingly more contracts to design electric scooters in recent years, and thinks that an electric scooter boom is just around the corner.

Me-too Phenomenon

When asked why many Taiwan PTW makers often come up with "me-too" products in the global market, Lin says that he would rather believe such condition a transition before changing in the future.

"Me-too products is the play-safe strategy adopted by local PTW makers," Lin explains, "and we have to admit that only profitable companies dare to be bold and dream. Over the last decade, local PTW makers have managed to sharpen technical strengths via selling between 800,000 to one million units annually in the big-enough domestic market, with many having also developed global sales and brands in major markets as the U.S. and Europe. Now, I think, a gradual change is taking place with the local PTW makers, who can make quality vehicles and dare to design, build products that differ from the rest."

Optimistic about the gradual changes happening among the local PTW makers, Lin says that the market determines product popularity and a maker`s conceptual changes.

Vital Role

Nova plays a vital role to help local PTW makers build both brand and product identities, which European players skillfully exploit in marketing, Lin says. "Unfortunately not a widely spread phenomenon, some Taiwan-based PTW brands have actually succeeded in launching PTWs with distinctive product identity, such as SYM`s classically-styled Mio scooter," the design director comments.

The reason for the ambiguous brand identity among local PTW makers, according to Lin, is due mainly to a problem in systems allocation: Taiwan makers do not reside in an industrial structure with integrated access to various systems of a PTW. European makers work with design studios to think `integrated allocation` of engine, frame, suspension systems.

(by Quincy Liang)



Data Source ：CENS (http://news.cens.com/cens/html/en/news/news_inner_23764.html) 2008-09-10 17:05:46 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_73.html Last week, we were secondly visit Director of “Bod Design”, Mr. Wang Shi-Jun, for a long chatting. In general, we have talked about our current working status, and expecting that the future cooperate mode between “Bod Design” and “DESIGN in TAIWAN” attains with “Design SO Cool” will work more closely. In regarding the service concept of product innovation, we emphasized that the professional should be returned to professionals, so that we invite the talented designers to work together for creating business opportunities.

The Director of “Bod Design” agrees the implementation of our Innovative Trade Service, and he also pointed out that sometimes the difficulties between OEM manufacturing and design companies are not easy to overcome, he also suggests that if there is a platform provide the group of designers and consumers the trade exchange opportunities, let designers be the more active role which possibly will attract larger amount of designers, not only the design industry field professionals, but also the field of arts, culture, education, media, information industry, etc. which to the modern and art appreciated general public will form the consuming power.

Under such circumstances, “Design SO Cool” will then be not only help ODM manufacturers for improving their innovative ability, but also can help designers to create their stage, thereby creating the win-win status.

With such respectful designer’s instruction, we might make breakthrough the existing mode of trade opportunities platform, and furthermore, we will be able to improve our philosophy of "Innovative R&D Platform for business opportunities". The bigger vision must rely on the strength of more people.


We look forward to throwing bricks for attracting more talents to work together for building an international business channel through the cooperation of designers and ODM manufacturers.



Data Source: “DESIGN in TAIWAN” attains with “Design SO Cool”, Lannie SUN 2008-09-10 17:01:17 http://www.businesswire.fr/portal/site/fr/copyright/ Winner of ‘red dot design award 2008’

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WOW Technology, Inc., a global manufacturer of ergonomic computer input devices, announced today that they have launched a global distribution of their recently developed product named ‘WOW-PEN Joy’, an innovative ergonomic mouse device that can significantly reduce the pressure on the wrist during long hours of computer usage.

In 2007, WOW Technology won the recognition of TCO Development in Sweden for their previous invention, WOW-PEN Traveler, for its superb design, performance, and quality. In addition to WOW Technology’s reputation, the new product ‘WOW-PEN Joy’ has won the computer accessories category of ‘red dot design award 2008’, which is one of the three major awards in industrial design industry. Also, it was nominated for RetailVision Award by Gartner event in two consecutive years from 2007 to 2008.

WOW-PEN Joy is developed based on the innovative technology developed by WOW Technology for the first time in the world. It significantly reduces soreness of wrist during long hours of mouse usage such as computer design and CAD, reducing the effects of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Also, WOW-PEN Joy has been evolved from WOW-PEN Eco/Traveler, which was chosen by Microsoft as ‘Top 5 innovative product’ during CES international 2006 in Las Vegas, with higher performance, enhanced design, and affordable price.

Compared to other ordinary mice, WOW-PEN Joy is the first to use a vertical trajectory and horizontal structure to achieve its innovative ergonomic design, which allows the users to have the natural feeling of grabbing a Joystick. As a result, graphic/CAD designers, gamers, office users for web surfing and creating documents can have the maximum amount of comfort on their wrists during long hours of mouse usage and prevent the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

WOW-PEN Joy is based on USB, has product dimension of 72(W) x 102(D) x 85mm(H), and weighs 130g. It provides full function with 5 default buttons, resolution of 800 dpi, and operates on all OS including Windows 98/Me/2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS X+, and Linux.

WOW Technology has already launched WOW-PEN Joy in the Korea domestic market in June, and also plans to distribute globally by the end of July. WOW-PEN Joy will be sold through electronic retailers in the U.S. for $30 and Europe for $45, which is 40% less expensive than the previous model, WOW-PEN Eco.

WOW-PEN Eco/Traveler was previously chosen by Microsoft as one of ‘Top 5 Innovative products’ during CES International 2006, introduced by Washington Post, and broadcasted by NBC during ‘Digital Edge’.

Brian H Joe, CEO of WOW Technology, said, “Beginning with our new product, we will be launching other variety of products such as wireless type, children’s mouse, and left-handed mouse. We are also planning to work with major PC manufacturers such as HP, Dell, and Samsung Electronics for ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) distribution agreement in order to introduce our product and technology to the consumers.”

About WOW Technology, Inc.

WOW Technology, Inc. is a global manufacturer of ergonomic mouse named ‘WOW-PEN’. In 2002, WOW Technology introduced ‘Digital Pen’ with data storage ability, earning recognition from consumers and media around the world. WOW Technology currently holds more than 10 Korean domestic and international patents and has patents pending for its optical pen mouse in 24 countries including the U.S., Britain, and Sweden. WOW Technology’s latest invention, WOW-PEN Traveler, was recognized by TCO Development of Sweden and now is exhibited as prime example of ergonomic design in TCO Development. WOW Technology was also selected as one of 100 Promising Companies in Asia by IT magazine ‘RED Herring’ for two consecutive years in 2006.

For more information, please visit www.wow-pen.com.

Data Source ：Business Wire (http://www.businesswire.fr/portal/site/fr/copyright/) 2008-09-10 16:57:39 http://www.sbb-bienalebrno.cz/english.htm Taiwan Image / 40 posters from Taiwan
20 contemporary graphic designers from Taiwan
(the 47th exhibition of the Brno Biennale Association from the Brno ?the Capital of Graphic design cycle).
15. 6. ?9. 10. 2008,
HaDivadlo Gallery Brno,
Alfa-passage, 8d Postovska Str., Brno, Czech Republic
Exhibition curators: For BBA Doc. Jan Rajlich, for NTNU Prof. Apex Lin Pang-Soong

Echo of graphic design Taiwan/Czech Republic (TW/CZ)
posters and graphic design by 15 Taiwanese and 15 Czech graphic designers
(the 48th exhibition of the Brno Biennale Association from the Brno ?the Capital of Graphic design cycle).
The exhibition is endorsed by Icograda.
17. 6.?8. 8. 2008
BKC ?Brno Cultural Centre, U Dobr嶭o pastyre Gallery, 4 Radnicka Str., Brno, Czech Republic
Exhibition curators: For BBA Doc. Jan Rajlich, for NTNU Prof. Apex Lin Pang-Soong, for BKC Marika Kupkova Ceremonial opening of the exhibitions on Thursday 19 June, 2008 at 5 pm in the Fresco Hall of the Old Town Hall in Brno, 8 Radnicka Str. Organizators of the exhibitions: Brno Biennale Association, Dpt. of Industrial design UK FSI VUT Brno University , National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, Cultural & Creative Industries Center Taipei. With support of the statutory city of Brno.



Data Source ：http://www.sbb-bienalebrno.cz/english.htm 2008-09-10 16:56:13 http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jun2008/id20080616_955452.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5 Backed by U.S. venture capital, Norwegian company Think is betting its Ox concept vehicle can prove the electric car's time has finally arrived

Roughly the size of a Prius, the Ox can travel between 125 and 155 miles before needing a recharge. Think

by Matt Vella

View Slide Show

Clean, quiet, and relatively profitable to produce, electric vehicles have had a rough start in the U.S.: Five years after General Motors (GM) nixed its innovative EV1 electric car program, just a handful of automakers have committed to making and selling electric vehicles on a mass scale any time soon.

Enter Think Global, a Norwegian upstart plotting a U.S. invasion via pint-size, affordable electric cars. Think has been selling gas-free, Lilliputian city cars in Europe and will start peddling them to fuel-crunched Americans in 2009. The company's newly formed North American division has high hopes for Think's existing models—and even higher ones for the upcoming Th!nk Ox, a concept unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show earlier this year.

An electrified people's car for the 21st century, the Ox is a preview of Think's next-generation production vehicle, due out in 2011. Roughly the size of a Toyota (TM) Prius, the Ox can travel between 125 and 155 miles before needing a recharge, and zips from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 8.5 seconds. Its lithium-ion batteries can be charged to 80% capacity in less than an hour, and slender solar panels integrated into the roof power the onboard electronics. Inside, the hatchback includes a bevy of high-tech gizmos such as GPS navigation, a mobile Internet connection, and a key fob that lets drivers customize the car's all-digital dashboard. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the company's current vehicles cost less than $25,000.

Although little-known, Think North America is backed by an undisclosed amount from Silicon Valley venture capital firms RockPort Capital Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which famously invested early in companies such as Amazon.com (AMZN) and Google (GOOG). General Electric (GE) made an unrelated $4 million investment in March to support the company's battery research and development operations.

Distinguished Design
Even more than its well-funded sponsors or cutting-edge technology, the Ox's killer app could be its design. To date, most electric cars available in the U.S.—small, unsafe, and underpowered—have been intended strictly for the earliest early adopters and the most faithful green believers. In contrast, Think's senior vice-president for design, Katinka von der Lippe, says the Ox is a "real car, a big step away from the cuteness of [other] electric vehicles." All that distinguishes the Ox from name-brand, fuel-sipping compact cars, in fact, is its silent hum and zero emissions.

The Ox also embodies the characteristic simplicity of Scandinavian design, featuring uncomplicated lines and clean, uncluttered surfaces. A band of unpainted metal stretches from the front of the vehicle to its rear, revealing the Ox's interior architecture, an aluminum frame. An unassuming grille is tucked between sophisticated sloping headlamps. "The Ox is a leap forward for the design of electric cars," says von der Lippe, "and, we think, the product of a mature company."

Still, the American market for electric vehicles "is virtually nonexistent," says John O'Dell, a senior editor specializing in green vehicles for car-buying site Edmunds.com. Even well-established gas-electric hybrids such as the Prius and Honda's (HMC) Civic account for barely 3% of U.S. auto sales. "Until you've got a compelling product, you won't have a market," adds O'Dell. Aside from the sleek Tesla Motors Roadster, which carries a price tag of nearly $100,000, there are almost no fully functional electric vehicles that meet average drivers' requirements. The Ox could fill that gap.

"It'll take a lot of time," Wilber James, RockPort's managing general partner and acting president of Think North America, says of the challenge of selling electric vehicles to American drivers, who still overwhelmingly prefer trucks to thriftier small cars. "We're going to focus at first on niche markets—cities, universities, and fleets."

Innovative Manufacturing
The company's business model, says James, is similar to that of PC maker Dell (DELL), which fueled its rise by ruthlessly optimizing its manufacturing and supply chain. Think's ultralean manufacturing system lets it build production facilities for about $10 million, compared with the billions invested in new plants by old-line manufacturers. That means more factories closer to customers, further cutting costs.

In addition, factories "could also be the retailers," says James, which would add a unique element to Think's branding. The company, he says, will be profitable if it can sell 10,000 vehicles a year. At 20,000 to 30,000 units in annual sales, Think can cut its component costs in half.

That focus on innovative manufacturing, in addition to the high-tech Ox itself, may ultimately set the company apart from previous attempts—and, Think is betting, finally help jump-start the U.S. market for electric cars.

For a look at an alternative approach to electric vehicles aimed at commercial city fleet-cars, see Duracar Delivers with Eco-Trucking (BusinessWeek.com, 6/16/08).

Vella is a writer for BusinessWeek.com in New York.



Data Source ：BusinessWeek
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jun2008/id20080616_955452.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5 2008-09-10 16:47:08 http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/37960/113/

Most of us are very familiar with the concept of napkin sketches and in a way, it is actually somewhat surprising no one has ever thought about a computer that takes advantage of this usage scenario. Avery Holleman has and developed a PC design that, at least in our opinion, could make a very useful tool on conference tables.

The Napkin PC design closely resembles a Napkin holder, combining multiple touchscreen devices within a collaborative network. Digital pens allow users to draw on these touchscreens just like they would on a napkin.

“I had an idea about a system where the user would be able to interact with any number of interfaces connected to the same network, Holleman said. “I felt I had good ideas. But they needed a package.”

While contemplating a square he’d drawn out as the display for his device, the form it should take suddenly took shape before his eyes. “I realized it looked like a napkin.”

The idea struck a chord with the judges of the competition and apparently with Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, which landed Holleman the first prize as well as the Chairman’s Award and $20,000 in cash.

The second prize and $5000 went to the Withus drawing pad, the third prize and Public Choice Award to the Backpacker’s Diary, which is imagined to be a digital book for travelers, with different pages that offer different functions such as media recording, solar recharging and electric light illuminant.





Data Source ：TG Daily ( http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/37960/113/) 2008-09-10 16:36:34 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_68.html By JAYNE HULBERT jayne.hulbert@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki Daily News | Monday, 16 June 2008

BRADLEY AMBROSE / TARANAKI DAILY NEWS
The massage table designed by Alexander Wastney.

BRADLEY AMBROSE /TARANAKI DAILY NEWS
Alexander Wastney works as an industrial designer for New Plymouth manufacturing company Howard Wright.

A New Plymouth basketballer's portable sports massage table has been named a finalist in a national product design award.

Alexander Wastney (22) is one of four finalists in the annual Dyson Product Design Award, a competition that recognises emerging Kiwi designers with product design ideas that best demonstrate innovative and inspiring solutions to everyday problems.

Mr Wastney, who plays basketball for the Taranaki Devon Dynamos, has designed a sports therapy table for professional teams that can be compacted into a durable suitcase on wheels.

A frequent recipient of sports massage, Mr Wastney said the inspiration for the table's design came as a result of feedback from his physiotherapist, who had complained about existing designs being heavy, cumbersome and uncomfortable to carry and lie on.

"Also, my design was motivated by an experience of being treated for a calf tear. And while I was lying on top of the massage table, which wasn't customised for sports massage because it was a beauty massage table, I found myself sliding across the basketball court's wooden floor because there was no stability," he says.

The design awards are open to final year tertiary students studying in the areas of design, technology or engineering and to graduates in these areas who are in their first five years of work.

Mr Wastney works in New Plymouth as an industrial designer.

The 2008 winner, to be announced on June 26, will be named a British Council of New Zealand Design Ambassador, travel to the United Kingdom with $3000 prize money and will tour Dyson's research, design and development centre. There is also a range of other prizes.

Award head judge David Lovegrove said all entries must reflect the Dyson philosophy - demonstrating a commitment to intelligent design thinking.

"When assessing each entry, we asked whether each new product solves a problem. Then we asked whether it goes beyond this to show innovative thinking," said Mr Lovegrove.

The other finalists' designs are a harness for hunters to carry wild game out of the bush, a mobile sheep testing station for farmers to scan pregnant ewes and a cooler to chill beer in moments. 2008-09-10 16:33:30 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_67.html There's only five more sleeps until the Australian snow season kicks off, and even though a quick check of the NSW resort's snow cams shows that there isn't too much of the powdery white stuff on the ground at the moment, it's still shaping up to be an awesome year in the "alps". Why, you ask? Because this year, there's an awesome new gadget to track your runs using a combination of GPS and GPRS technology.

It's called Flaik, and last Friday it walked away with the top prize at the Australian International Design Awards.



Flaik consists of two main components. The first is the tag, a stylish red pod that straps to your arm. Inside there's a GPS chip that accurately tacks your movement around the ski resort, measuring speed, distance, altitude and airtime. The unit transmits this information every few seconds to its servers, which you can then review at your leisure either via mobile phone or online.

And that's the second component - Flaik isn't just a gadget, it's a community. You can pair the Flaik with your mobile phone and use it to track your mates on the slopes, send your own location to friends and receive detailed analysis of your runs.

There's even a safety element involved - it can warn you via SMS when you go out of the resort's boundaries. And because it's a GPS tracking device, if you do happen to get lost, your location can be tracked by the authorities, meaning a swift rescue and ongoing ridicule from your mates.

The Flaik is designed to withstand temperatures up to -60 degrees celcius, and has a 15 hour battery life in GPS mode. It has an impact resistant design that can withstand the bumps and knocks you get from falling down the slopes, crashing into people and trees and falling over at the end of a long night's drinking.

The online community offers even more functionality, including competitions and forums as well as performance tracking.

Hopefully we'll see it rolled out to all the Australian resorts this year. For more info, hit up the Flaik website.

[Flaik via Australian Design Awards] 2008-09-10 14:49:54 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_65.html

RKS announced that the Zyliss "Smart Touch" Salad Spinner has been honored with a 2008 red dot award for outstanding product design.

"We're delighted to have earned another of the prestigious red dot awards recognizing the RKS design team's hard work," said Ravi Sawhney, founder and CEO of RKS.



With origins that go back to 1955, the red dot award for product design is one of the largest and most renowned international design competitions. The 2008 red dot product design competition received a record number of 3,203 entries from a total of 51 countries. Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator of the red dot design award, notes that more and more companies are realizing, "they have to pursue a premium strategy in order to be internationally competitive in the long run. Design awareness appears to be changing. Apple has successfully led the way, but now other interested companies follow suit."



Introduced in January 2008, the Smart Touch Salad Spinner combines eye-catching design with market-leading innovation. RKS innovated a new, patent-pending drive mechanism which ensures that just one press of the "Smart Touch" lever sets the basket spinning at optimal speed to dry greens quickly and efficiently. One-button engages a disc brake that brings the basket to a quick, sure stop. The Smart Touch lever locks into place to make the best possible use of precious storage space in the refrigerator and kitchen cabinet. The customer gets great design and great utility, and Zyliss gets a salad spinner designed to put them in the back in the lead of the hotly contested Salad Spinner category.



Data Source : http://www.dexigner.com/design_news/smart-touch-salad-spinnner-wins-2008-red-dot-award.html 2008-09-10 14:44:01 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_64.html The biggest draws at Festo’s Hannover Fair exhibits have been biologically inspired robotic creatures that show off cutting-edge automation technologies. Turning once again to nature for inspiration, the company’s engineers this year came up with robotic jellyfish that either swim or fly.

They may look whimsical, but the waterborne AquaJelly and airborne AirJelly make use of mechatronic design practices, control strategies and actuation methods that could have serious engineering implications. According to Markus Fischer, Festo’s head of corporate design, these robots have a degree of autonomy and adaptive behavior that “will be very useful in the factory of the future.”

Both the AquaJelly and AirJelly share a basic construction that consists of a sphere-shaped body with eight electrically driven tentacles for propulsion. Both run off rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and are powered by 3V coreless motors. Given the differing mediums in which they travel, the two robots do have different bodies — a laser-sintered pressure vessel for the AquaJelly and a helium balloon measuring 1.35m across for the AirJelly.

Their tentacle construction takes its cues from the functional anatomy of some fish fins. These bio-inspired tentacles consist of two flexible external surfaces connected by a series of internal ribs. When one of the surfaces is put under tension, the entire tentacle bends in the direction of the applied force — a phenomenon that Festo calls the “fin ray effect.”

Festo uses an electric drive, geared power transmission and linkages to actuate the tentacles. Alternating tension between the two external surfaces creates a wave-like motion that propels the robots through the water or air. Fischer describes the resulting movement as “peristaltic” since the waving tentacles seem to move by something like muscle contractions.

Whether they swim or fly, these two types of jellyfish steer themselves by carefully controlled weight shifts. As Fischer explains, their bodies contain a servo-driven swash plate connected to a four-armed pendulum that changes their center of gravity. “The pendulum shifts their weight, and they move in a new direction,” he says.

And for the AquaJelly in particular, that new direction is determined autonomously. This underwater robot guides itself with the help of a sensor array, communications systems and control software based on robotic swarm-intelligence. Fischer notes, for example, multiple AquaJelly robots can avoid each other in the water, using light sensors to pick up the presence of their tank mates. They also have pressure sensors that allow them to gauge their depth within a few mm.

AquaJelly robots also manage their own battery-charging behavior. They communicate with an in-tank charging dock wirelessly via ZigBee, for example, to make sure the dock isn’t occupied when they need to charge.

According to Fischer, giving these robots such a high degree of autonomy required a mechatronic approach in which the mechanical design, sensor engineering and control software were all developed concurrently. “Even simple autonomy is not so simple,” he says.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 14:35:09 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_63.html Emissions requirements haven’t just tightened up for cars and trucks. Off-road construction and agricultural equipment will soon face a new federal Clean Air standard that slashes allowable exhaust emissions by more than 90 percent. And that prospect has left the makers of off-road engines scrambling to meet deadlines that start as early as next year.

The standard, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency refers to as Tier 4, calls for 90 percent reductions to both particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). It will also reduce the sulfur levels in non-road diesel fuel by more than 99 percent. The standard phases in from 2008 to 2015.

From a public health standpoint, Tier 4 looks like a no-brainer. According to EPA estimates, it will, by 2030, prevent about 12,000 premature deaths, 8,900 hospitalizations, one million lost work days, 15,000 heart attacks, 6,000 children’s asthma-related emergency room visits, 280,000 cased of respiratory problems in children, 200,000 cases of asthma symptoms in children and 5.8 million days of restricted adult activity every year.

From an engineering standpoint, however, the rule requires some brainpower.

“Tier 4 may well be the biggest engineering challenge the industry has faced,” says Joe Loughrey, president and chief operating officer of Cummins Inc.

At last month’s Con Expo-Con/Agg show in Las Vegas, prominent engine makers like Cummins, John Deere Power Systems and Caterpillar displayed new engines or discussed their plans for meeting the emissions challenge.

Cummins, to take one example, rolled out a 6.7-§¤ next-generation engine that showcases some of the existing on-highway emissions reduction technologies that will be leveraged to reduce emissions off-road. Called the QSB6.7, the engine features a cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), a high-pressure common rail (HPCR) fuel system, integrated particulate filter aftertreatment, a variable-geometry turbocharger and a brand-new air filtration system with integrated air flow management capabilities.

Together these technologies not only promise to reduce emissions but also improve performance a bit. According to Ric Kleine, vice president of Cummins’ off-highway business, the QSB6.7 engine offers 90 percent PM reduction and a 45 percent NOx reduction, yet increases power output from 275 hp for the previous generation to 300 hp — in essence giving the new engine a power output more typical of a larger displacement engine.

Other engine makers are taking similar steps to integrate emissions reduction technologies that have been necessary on the highways. Bill Haushalter, vice president of transportation business development at Custom Sensors & Technologies (CST), says he’s seen an across-the-board interest from the engine maker in the pressure sensors used for EGR and diesel particulate filter (DPR) applications. “The engine makers are all following the same path taken by heavy-duty on-road vehicles,” he says.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 14:34:00 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_62.html Congrats to IKEA Japan for generating some powerful buzz through one of the best "train jacking" ad campaigns I've seen in a quite a long time.

In Japanese advertising parlance, a "jacking" occurs when an advertiser purchases a substantial portion of all of the ad space available in a particular medium or within a geographic area (the term "jacking" is derived from the English word "hijack"). Most commonly it's seen on trains, when advertisers buy out the entirety of ad slots inside the cars, and often have tailor-made graphics or billboard-like posters placed on the exteriors too.

In this case, however, IKEA has really outdone itself by thinking outside the box. Why not leverage its expertise in interior design to deliver a genuine brand experience, rather than a mere barrage of posters and such? The company recently train-jacked Kobe' Port Liner Loop Line to celebrate the opening of its latest mega store in the city.

Take a close look (here, here, and here) and you'll see that IKEA has not only filled some of the standard ad frames with its own messages, it has replaced the train's standard window shades with those from its own stores, converted the seats to sofas with IKEA brand upholstery, and has added wall coverings in some cases, as well.

Naturally this approach is generating plenty of interest amongst those who've ridden this train. But better yet is the fact that this approach is new, and thus newsworthy, making it fodder for a number of traditional Japanese news outlets and plenty of blogs, as well.

Many thanks to Sue Sato and John Cathcart for tipping us off to this campaign (via the IKEA blog and Pink Tentacle).



Data Source ：http://www.japanmarketingnews.com/2008/04/great-japanese.html 2008-09-10 14:32:12 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_61.html Here's a little reminder to those of you out there who hope to sell household products in Japan: Japanese residences are small, so your product had better fit smoothly into Japanese homes—or it doesn't have a chance of succeeding.

By way of an extreme example, consider a typical American product—the kitchen dishwasher. Many Japanese kitchens don't have enough room for stove, let alone a dishwasher. So, until about five or six years ago dishwashers were rare in Japan—there just wasn't any place to put them.

But things change. These days, Japanese home appliance manufacturers have made quite a few models available. What's eye-opening about them is that they're nothing like an American-style dishwasher. Designed to address the Japanese space issue, almost all are meant to sit atop kitchen counters.

The item shown here is the Sharp QW-SC1 which is just 46 cm (18 inches) tall, weighs about 55 kg (121 pounds) and costs about ¥40,000 (about $330). As you can see, its holds the number of dishes and utensils that two people might use in consuming two typical Japanese-style meals. Granted, this is on the small side, even for Japanese dishwashers—but even the larger models are still only a few inches taller (some can fit twice as many items as this model thanks to greater depth, but they're still designed to fit on countertops).

Obviously, this issue of size extends to washing machines, furniture, household fixtures, and even packaged goods. If it's "American size" it will be nearly impossible to sell in Japan.

* Need more information on this subject? Click here.



Data Source ：http://www.japanmarketingnews.com/2008/04/great-japanese.html 2008-09-10 14:23:21 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_60.html

London designers Peter Marigold and Beta Tank have created a chair that uses sensory substitution technology to transmit moving imagery to the sitter’s brain.



The model of the Mind Chair is a standard polypropylene chair fitted with an electronic device that turns pixelated video imagery into physical sensations that are “read” by the sitter’s skin and transmitted to the brain.



The chair will be on display at the forthcoming Design and the Elastic Mind exhibition at MoMA in New York.



The information below is from Peter Marigold:

–

Mind Chair - a collaborative interactive furniture design with Beta Tank

The Mind Chair describes a possible application of the sensory substitution technique developed by Dr Paul Bach-y-Rita in the late 1960s in which moving imagery is perceived in the mind via nerves in the skin rather than the eyes.



The aperture in an existing polypropylene chair is fitted with an electronic unit that relays video imagery as dynamic pixelated physical information onto the back of the sitter. The effect is for the viewer to visualise moving image in their mind.



The electronic unit sits as a retrofitted parasite within an existing and very familiar design describing how a technology that is both simple yet astonishing in its effect, could be incorporated into something as ubiquitous as a piece of institutional furniture. The familiarity of the assemblage leads to a guessing game as to how the device might be used in a simple alternative teaching environment.



Update 07/02/08: the text in this story has been updated at the request of the designers



Data Source ：Design T3 ( http://www.designttt.com/drupal/ ) 2008-09-10 14:20:38 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_59.html Dezeenjobs: architects SMC Alsop Asia are recruiting people at all levels to run projects in Asia, the Middle East and India from their Asia offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore.

SMC Alsop Asia

We are recruiting people across our 3 offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore, for all levels from interns to senior staff. In particular we are looking for:

●Senior project architects, 5+ years experience
●Part 2 equivalent, 1-2 years experience
●Year out students
●Interior designers for retail and residential projects

Skills base: Microstation, Sketch up, Photoshop, rendering abilities.

To contact us or to send a portfolio or c.v, please email spimbley@smcalsop.sg, addressing Mr Stephen Pimbley.

Please mention that you saw this position on Dezeenjobs.

Browse more jobs on Dezeen

Are you recruiting? Dezeen is read by over 350,000 500,000 architects and designers a month.
Introductory rate: £100 per job ad, per month. More info



Data Source ：Design T3 ( http://www.designttt.com/drupal/ ) 2008-09-10 13:07:37 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_58.html Aluminum house by Atelier Tekuto



Tokyo architects Atelier Tekuto have developed a prefabricated aluminium house with walls that act as both structure and thermal radiators.



The house makes use of geothermal heat, which is pumped through the aluminium structure.



The heat exchange system is powered by a wind turbine and photovoltaics.



The aluminium components are currently being fabricated in a factory.



The hollow construction of the components allows hot and cold water pipes and electrical cables to be channeled through the walls.



A small room was built to test the system and the house is due to be constructed later in 2008.



Here is some more information from Atelier Tekuto:

Aluminum Project

Prefabrication System Using Aluminum as a structure and a thermal radiator device (heat control system)



In 1997, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has passed. Most industrialized nations agreed to legally binding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to certain levels in order to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

In Japan, the revised building standard law approved use of aluminum as structure in 2002. Although the manufacture of aluminum requires enormous amounts of electricity when being manufactured, the quality of metal stays stable and it’s perfect for practicing the ‘3R’s’: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Recycling aluminum requires only 3% of the energy to produce it. Changing the great amount of architectural waste into aluminum and recycling it results in reduction of environmental damage in a long run.
Aluminum is also low weight and high strength. Moreover, it’s easy to manufacture during plasticity processing and enables us to create flexible sections. This is why using aluminum as a construction material provides high efficiency not only in manufacturing and designing details and texture, but in unifying them with structure and finishing.

This remarkable feature of aluminum led us to start the Aluminum Project in the northern part of Japan called Kanazawa (Ishikawa prefecture), famous for cloudy sky, heavy snowfall, high humidity, and one of the major industrial districts for manufacturing aluminum. It is our task to provide a comfortable residential environment for those who live in this severe northern climate under the five principles of the aluminum project. The joint project has been carried out with about 10 university-industry-government collaborators.


We propose this project as an attempt to introduce an aluminum structure which also works as a thermal radiator device and reduces the running costs zero, using natural resources. For thousands of years, we have been building architecture with passive thinking in Japan. Now is the time to consider again from the beginning and let the world know how we could create architecture with a mutual prosperity with nature, while applying new technologies so that architecture could raise global awareness of environmental issues. We propose this project as one of the ways to approach ecology, which we believe will play a significant role in the future potential of prefabricated architectures.



The Five Principles of Aluminum Project.


1. aluminum structure

Having done many studies on the aspects of unit strength, economy, execution of work, we came to a transformed deck plate which makes columns, walls, beams and slabs with one simple mould. This ring-like structure, consisting of the extruded aluminum, becomes a basic structure of the aluminum house. The joint is fairly easy to assemble for most carpenters and engineering builders.


2. alumimum structure, isolated from the external environment

The thermal conductivity of aluminum is about three times higher than that of steel and it’s likely to stimulate condensation and heat loss. Usually this occurs when aluminum is exposed to the severe gap between outside/inside temperature, meaning that if we could isolate the aluminum structure from the outside air this problem can be solved.


3. aluminum structure as a thermal radiator device

Following the rules listed above results in better thermal conductivity and better thermal radiation and reflection conditions. Pipes inside the hollowed-out aluminum molds allow hot water or cold water to circulate within the ring-formed structure.


4. keeping the original texture of aluminum

Aluminum has a dull glow and allows a rich silvery look when not anodic oxide coated and has a decent thickness. This distinguished feel as a material can not be achieved with other materials such as wood, steel, nor concrete.


5. structure functioning as an equipment space

The hollowed-out aluminum moulds not only work as a radiator which circulate hot and cold water but also as a pipe for the electric equipment system. After the construction of the pipe arrangement and track layout, removable aluminum flat bars get installed allowing continuous aluminum surfaces to appear and making it easy to maintain.


Aluminum Project Mock-up in KANAZAWA

In the courtyard of governmental office building of Nonoichi-city, we made a temporary space about a size of an eight-mat room and installed aluminum rings　2.1m×2.1m×2.1m.



Thermal Radiation Device Experiment

The biggest reason for building a mock-up was to physically experience the thermal radiation. In fact it was important to actually test the aluminum-made thermal radiation device and see if most people would accept the idea. During the two weeks we had exhibited the aluminum-made rings in a space about a size of an eight-mat room, about 200 people visited and physically experienced the device and they liked it very much. This time we activated the device as a heater because it was in winter and obtained a good result with radiated heat, performing the slow rise in temperature inside the room, and stability of temperature with aluminum surfaces.


Posted by Rose Etherington



Data Source ：Design T3 ( http://www.designttt.com/drupal/ ) 2008-09-10 11:57:19 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_57.html Time is a concept that's much debated amongst cosmologists. Some claim there's no such thing as time, others claim time began when the universe started with the Big Bang. According to my bosses time definitely exists when I show up at the office at 9:15AM. I tell them lateness is all relative. This clock, though hard to read first thing in the morning, is a striking representation of the tyranny of the tick-tock. Every minute is exploded onto powder-coated steel stems of varying length. |via Watchismo Times|


By: anh ta



Data Source ：Design T3 ( http://www.designttt.com/drupal/ ) 2008-09-10 11:54:36 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_56.html We love the photographic work of Chicago-based Daniel Everett. His work captures desolate environments but with a sense of hope and optimism. His work-in-progress series, "Departure," deals with the "dislocation and alienation of modern utilitarian landscape. Sort of a study of these ubiquitous transitory spaces (or non-spaces) and our relationship to them."



Data Source ：Design T3 ( http://www.designttt.com/drupal/ ) 2008-09-10 11:52:33 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_55.html

We were fortunate enough to get a sneak preview of the latest edition of AnOther Magazine, which as per usual is chock full of the stunning photography and clever editorial that always makes the book our go-to resource to find out what's happening across the pond. From the stunning cover featuring Uma Thurman bedecked with a dramatic butterfly wing to an interview with cheeky YBAs the Chapman Brothers, there's a lot to love. But we're always particularly drawn to the people working on the fringes and milliner Justin Smith, accessories designer Letitia Crahay and shoe-maker Andrea Lonn, all in this month's "Insiders" feature well, are worth noting.

Adding mops of hair, architectural details and other sculptural elements to footwear, Swedish designer Andreas Lonn's shoes effortlessly straddle the divide between streetwear and high fashion. Unabashadly now, the tribal heels look like a mix between "Bladerunner" and "Elephant Man."



Channeling the current neo-Edwardian vibe and elevating it to new heights of theatricality and whimsy, Justin Smith's hats continue in fellow Brit Philip Treacy's well-trodden footsteps. The spectacular hats in his graduation show—"feathered headresses that turned into burlesque fans, stiff hand-painted 'tattooed' pigskin berets" and more—were only rivalled by the "gothic circus" of jugglers, midgets and acrobats that made up the event.



Having cut her teeth studying architecture and art directing Olivier Theyskens (and as a consequence dressing Madonna), Laetitia Cahay made the leap into designing by joining ranks at Chanel. "The more you create, the more creative you become," she says.




Data Source ：Design T3 ( http://www.designttt.com/drupal/ ) 2008-09-10 11:06:46 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_54.html Carly Allen-Fletcher is a freelance Illustrator from the U.K. Her illustrations are created using a "mixture of pencil and pixels." Of her work, she notes: "my first love is my sketchbook, my second is my computer! I enjoy creating texture and movement in my work, and beautiful colors inspire me."



Data Source ：Design T3 ( http://www.designttt.com/drupal/ ) 2008-09-10 10:57:28 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_53.html Clippard recently released an aluminum in-line manifold for fluid or air applications. This is a new product for Clippard with the closest existing product targeting a smaller scale. This new in-line manifold features a center passageway that can be supplied at either end or supplied at one end and plugged at the other. It also features an inlet size of 1/4 inch NPT or 3/8 inch NPT.

The manifolds feature 4, 6, 8 or 10 stations for grouping valves, fittings or other pneumatics and range in size from 1/8-inch NPT to 1/4-inch NPT and have a T-slot for mounting and fastening. Pricing for these in-line manifolds have not yet been determined. 2008-09-10 10:56:01 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_52.html Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a method for creating uniform porous copper structures at the micron and nanometer scale. These tiny structures are being developed for the Indian Head Division of Naval Surface Warfare Center to be combined with integrated circuits and chemically changed into tiny MEMS detonators.

“We are creating the porous metallic precursor, which is the main source of the detonation; the actual detonator is the MEMS device, which is a little bigger, maybe less than a square centimeter,” says Jason Nadler, a research scientist with the Georgia Tech Research Institute. “I am basically setting up architectures, basically trying to customize or tailor the porous architecture.”

Using templates including woven fabrics and microspheres, Nadler creates predictable and replicable structures with a copper oxide paste. He then removes the template through a thermochemical process and after this process he converts the paste, which has a viscosity controlled through the introduction of polymers, into a solid copper structure.

“Basically you define the structure of the pores before you make the material and you use those as a kind of sacrificial scaffolding,” says Nadler.

Through this process, Nadler can tailor the copper structures to the exact requirements of Indian Head for implementation into the MEMS detonators and then repeat the process. “The precise porous structure is basically part of a larger design process to facilitate the best chemical reaction,” he says. “You need a tailored structure to optimize the conversion, so you have to know a lot about what the stuff is turning into and how it’s changing to accommodate the actual previous structure.”

Nadler says the process will be suitable for various applications. “Any time you need to control some sort of two-phase structure (in this case it’s porous, so there’s air and solid) with inorganic materials,” he says, “and you want to do it on a mezzo scale, a micro scale, and potentially a nano scale, now you can actually tailor it and control exactly what that negative structure is going to look like.” 2008-09-10 10:53:54 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_51.html OLPC President of Software and Content Walter Bender talks about Intel’s decision to withdraw from the affordable laptop program and where OLPC stands in light of this news. 4:37 2008-09-10 10:52:29 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_50.html Navigation visualization company Making Virtual Solid, LLC recently announced its Virtual Cable navigation system, based on Heads Up Display (HUD) technology at the Navigation & Location 2007 conference in San Jose, CA. The Virtual Cable system displays a rendering of a cable that looks like it is suspended in front of and outside the car but is in fact just a small projection on the inside of the windshield.

“Imagine that you paint a vector graphic with a laser beam on a flat surface,” says Tom Zamojdo, COO of Making Virtual Solid. “If you start moving the surface at the same time as you are moving the laser point, then you can paint a line in 3-D.”

The virtual cable is made up of a volumetric display that consists of a laser and a series of optics. The laser draws the image of the virtual cable at 60 times/sec in order for it to appear as though there is a solid image. The image is projected onto a small screen made of a modified acoustic speaker, which moves in and out to create the illusion of 3-D. The optics magnify and project the adjusting image of the cable on the windshield of the car.

“Basically the core components are what we call primary volumetric display, which is the unit that builds a very small three dimensional image; the image is only 70mm wide and 2mm deep,” says Zamojdo.

The Virtual Cable relies on the use of GPS. “We need GPS in our units to ascertain the exact position of the car at a given time. We also have some inertial sensors that augment that GPS, but we get map data from the outside,” says Zamojdo, who also indicates the Virtual Cable can interface with any device capable of providing GPS data, through various wireless methods including Bluetooth.

“The root planning is going to be third party; what we provide is just a monitor,” he says. “Using a PC monitor analogy, we basically just provide a monitor with a standard interface and we would expect to receive map data to tell us where that line should be displayed.”

In regard to bandwidth, one advantage of the Virtual Cable over more traditional GPS units is it doesn’t require all the mapping data associated with the other devices. “All we need is a simple mathematical equation for the line that needs to be drawn. We don’t need streets, names, nothing, just the mathematical equation for a line at a given moment,” says Myra Schullman, CEO of Making Virtual Solid, LLC. 2008-09-10 10:51:11 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_49.html FLEXcon recently released its V-483 pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive. Unlike regular acrylic adhesives, the V-483 can handle temperature spikes up to 450 degrees.

“This product is an acrylic adhesive but it has elements that have been added so when things spike really high for a fairly short period of time the adhesive doesn’t degrade,” says Shirley Monte, business development manager for FLEXcon.

V-483 was developed for consumer goods and electrical components, which might experience periods of high temperature, but not constantly.

V-483 is an alternative for applications that might otherwise require a silicon adhesive, which is more expensive than acrylic. “This adhesive is developed so that even at high temperatures, when a lot of adhesives want to start liquefying, this holds its form,” says Monte. “It won’t hold it for extremely long periods of time like a silicone adhesive would, but it holds it so that the label or the foam pad that it’s attached to won’t fall off or slide.”

FLEXcon’s labs are ISO 17025-certified and in the case of the V-483 use a proprietary blend of additives to achieve its heat resistance. “We’ll take components and mix and match them to develop an adhesive that works for a specific application; a lot of what we do is custom,” says Monte. “In this particular case we had customers that were looking to develop something that would take a really high temp spike.”

V-483 is often sold as rolls for manufacturers to cut to their needs. “We produce these adhesives so they are very easy to die cut,” says Monte, “so they have elements that don’t make them run all over the place onto the products they are trying to cut.”

Pricing information was not available for the V-483. 2008-09-10 10:50:12 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_48.html Touting new software development quality processes and a continued emphasis on improving usability, PTC took the wraps off Wildfire 4.0, a major upgrade to its Pro/ENGINEER 3-D CAD/CAE/CAM package, stocked with over 300 functional enhancements.

Wildfire 4.0, available immediately, introduces four new modules in the areas of digital rights management, tolerance analysis, electromechanical design and interfaces to the popular JT file format. The upgrade is also the first PTC release to receive Capability Maturity Model (CMMI) Level 2 status, a software development methodology based on manufacturing process quality and operational principles, which PTC officials say ensures more consistency in the software quality.

One of the key design themes for 2008 is electromechanical engineering or mechatronics, an area addressed in the Wildfire 4.0 upgrade. The new Pro/ENGINEER ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Extension, sold as a separate Wildfire 4.0 module, improves real-time collaboration between mechanical and electrical engineers, automatically identifying incremental changes between MCAD and ECAD versions of a PCB board design and creating tighter interfaces between the previously disconnected systems. “We’re providing a mechanism for these different domains to collaborate more effectively,” says Mike Campbell, PTC’s senior vice president of product management of desktop products. “That means less rework and less unknowns, which means faster time to market.”

To help companies deal with intellectual property concerns in this day and age of design and manufacturing outsourcing, PTC is offering the Pro/ENGINEER Rights Management Extension module for Wildfire 4.0, which is based on the Adobe Livecycle Rights Management server. This new module puts policies and security levels into place to provide additional protection when sharing key designs with suppliers and outsource partners who are outside of the enterprise.

Along with the new modules, the 4.0 release ushers in an array of features designed to improve engineers’ ability to create detailed designs. One standout new feature, Auto Round, automates the time-consuming process of rounding edges in a model. In addition, large assembly performance has been improved through optimized file management procedures that reduce memory consumption by 40 percent and up model retrieval times by as much as 60 percent, PTC officials say. An improved Import DataDoctor feature also bolsters engineers’ ability to reuse legacy and third-party CAD data, and 4.0 delivers new surfacing enhancements, which allow engineers to work directly on a model simply by pushing and pulling on the surface. 2008-09-10 10:49:27 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_47.html More than 100 manufactured products including cars, airplanes, snowboards, widgets and toys are featured on the floor at SolidWorks 2008, held this week in San Diego, CA.

SolidWorks representatives say the company is always proud of its users and views the event as an opportunity to showcase the wide variety of products created and manufactured using the software.

One of those products, the Big Belly solar-powered trash can, was demonstrated during Monday morning’s keynote address. The Big Belly uses solar panels to automatically compact trash and litter and can hold six to eight times more trash than a standard can. SolidWorks CEO Jeff Ray says it can save up to 1 billion gallons of diesel a year simply by cutting down on trash pickups.

A surprise keynote presenter was Danny Forster, host of the Discovery Channel’s “Extreme Engineering.” Forster, a trained architect, focuses his TV shows on understanding how big buildings are built, but also on how engineering and architecture have to link together to create buildings successfully.

The final presenter at the keynote was Theo Jansen. Described as an artist and kinetic sculptor, Jansen uses genetic algorithms to create mechanical “beasts” that propel themselves along his local beach powered by wind. The machines are built from inexpensive cable piping. Jansen tests the designs by limiting them to the wet sand area on the beach between the water and the soft, dry sand. 2008-09-10 10:48:51 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_46.html The world of electronics, solar cells and sensors are approaching a serious change through advancements in the production of graphene.

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms joined together in a perfect hexagonal bond. “Imagine chicken wire made from carbon atoms and their bonds; that’s it, that’s graphene,” says Andre Geim, professor of condensed matter physics at the University of Manchester, U.K.

“We are surrounded by three-dimensional matter and until three years ago we only knew of three-dimensional materials, even carbon nanotubes; it looks very thin, but it’s still a cylinder rolled up,” says Geim. “We encountered a sort of paradigm of two-dimensional matter, absolutely single layer of atoms in a very high-quality lattice; this is the thinnest possible material in our universe. Nothing thinner can exist.”

Using a process known as micromechanical cleavage, Geim and researchers at the University of Manchester have been able to sliver fragments of graphite into these two-dimensional fragments of graphene. Other methods for producing graphene are through epitaxial growth and the process of grinding graphite into powder and turning it into composites like graphene paper.

The downside to epitaxial graphene is it remains at five-to-seven layers of atoms as opposed to a single layer, and the downside of creating powder is there is a lack of electronic properties.

Graphene, which was only discovered in 2004, is already positioning itself within real-world applications. “Chemical sensors are already in assessment of where they could be used; it’s the most sensitive solid,” says Geim, who identified Fuji Electronics’ interest in graphene for sensors.

Under Geim’s predictions, after sensors, the next industry to adopt graphene will be the solar cell and LCD display industries through the production of transparent films. “That is the next step and probably will come within the next three-to-five years. Very, very high chance that we will be there in three-to-five years,” he says.

Geim is less optimistic, however, about graphene replacing silicon in future electronic applications. “What everyone is talking about, replacement of silicone — 20 years at best,” he says. “It’s not realistic at the moment because silicon is too big to compete with, but it seems to be the only alternative.”

Graphene has the highest electronic quality of any other material and is stronger than any other material. “On the nanoscale it’s tougher than any other material we know; its bond is stronger than diamonds, so if you make a thin layer of diamond it wouldn’t be as strong as graphene.” 2008-09-10 10:48:13 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_45.html Boeing today announced a delay in production of its 787 Dreamliner, pushing the first flight originally scheduled for the end of the first quarter 2008 closer to the end of the second quarter 2008. The scheduled date for delivery of the first planes, which was set for late 2008, has been shifted to early 2009 in order to maintain a realistic production schedule.

“We simply have not burned through the jobs at the rate required to keep our previous schedule,” said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, during a conference call this morning regarding current production delays.

Boeing’s process for final assembly took into consideration the completion of work from all of its suppliers, but in the case of plane number one, the work has delayed production.

“If there is anything we have learned over the past three months, it’s that we underestimated how long it would take to complete someone else’s work,” said 787 Vice President and General Manager Pat Shanahan.

As a result of this and previous delays, Boeing assembled a management team which will be deployed to work on-site with suppliers and in the final assembly facility of the 787. “These additional operational experts will improve our ability to plan, execute, measure and react in a timely way to changing circumstances,” said Carson.

Though the supply and production of parts have caused delays in the past, “parts are not the pacing item,” said Shanahan, who thought Boeing would be able to modify its production process to account for incomplete work provided by suppliers.

“The process to reconcile partner engineering with our production records, with our production process, is very onerous and time consuming.” Shanahan said. “That has proven to be the pacing item in completing structural work in the critical fuselage area where we would install the systems and the wiring to put power onto the airplane.”

Boeing officials said the company intends to work with suppliers and customers to determine the impact this delay has had, how it will effect production and deployment and reassess the timeline. Boeing will also assess the abilities of its suppliers to deliver completed assemblies with future airplanes. 2008-09-10 10:44:47 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_44.html As SolidWorks Labs, the launch pad for the research and development arm of Dassault Systemès’ SolidWorks, approaches its year anniversary, it attributes an increase in visitor growth to new applications, some of which will soon be graduating to full software development.

Labs has been a way for the research and development team at Solidworks to test out new products by letting users explore them. “It’s our way of putting out some new ideas that we’ve been working on for our users to take a look at and give us their feedback on,” says Brian Harrison, director of SolidWorks Labs.

SolidWorks Labs started off with four applications: Drawings Now (which now enables users to view CAD files on their iPhone), ZoomIn, DWGnavigator and COSMOSXpress. Labs now boasts ten applications and has had nearly 100,000 visitors since its beginning. Among the new applications are two based off of Yahoo Widgets, the WatchIt Widget and the Showcase Widget. The WatchIt Widget allows users to keep track of their files on their computer or over the network and know when changes have been made. “It’s a nice way to keep track of perhaps a folder or two that maybe you are sharing in a group environment, so you know when changes have been made,” says Harrison.

The Showcase Widget on the other hand, which is similar to ZoomIn, is a picture viewer where a user can drop CAD files into the widget and they will cycle through in a slide-show fashion. “ZoomIn is used to create presentations, and showcase is used to walk through and show the designs you’ve already created,” says Harrison. According to Harrison, SolidWorks will be taking certain elements from ZoomIn and incorporating them into a future product release.

DWGnavigator, which is a downloaded file management system for CAD files, may also soon graduate from Labs. This software allows users to save files from newer versions of AutoCAD to older formats for machines not yet equipped with the latest software.

Also new to Labs is an island on the popular digital universe Second Life that allows users an arena to view and explore their own and other designs. “Our educational users seem to have a pretty strong presence out there, so we’re putting things out there to show them what SolidWorks is and what we do,” says Harrison, “but also what other universities are doing with SolidWorks and trying to create more of a sense of community for them, a place to go.”

Other Labs applications include the Supplier Source, a Web application that helps users get what they need from suppliers, 3D Content Central Search, an add-on to a user’s Web browser that provides a 3D Content Central search bar and CB Model Pro, software featuring a pull-and-pinch method for building CAD files. 2008-09-10 10:43:49 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_43.html A new knee brace developed by researchers at the University of Michigan and Simon Fraser University generates electricity when a user is walking.

“The trick we were after was really to copy the idea of regenerative braking in cars, where instead of just throwing energy away when you’re braking, we tried to use a generator to get power out of that — electrical power,” says Arthur Kuo, associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan. The knee generator uses the motion of the knee braking itself before the next stride begins to capture that expended energy.

The 3.5-lb device looks similar to a knee brace with a housing attached at the joint. It is made of an aluminum chasse and uses steel gears with plastic bushings and steel shafts; any parts that were unavailable for purchase were CNC machined. The generator uses a three-phase permanent-magnet motor made for robotics as well as a mechanical clutch to engage and disengage the power-generation system.

Besides using the mechanical clutch, the knee generator uses a real-time control system built in the Mathworks’ Simulink and run in Real-Time Windows Target, which opens and closes a switch on the power-generating circuit to engage and disengage power generation. “So you can imagine if the switch is open then there’s a resistance caused by the friction in the gear train and the generator, but not as much resistance because there is no back EMF,” says Max Donelan, assistant professor of kinesiology at Simon Fraser University.

Tests were recently conducted to determine the efficiency of the device. According to a University of Michigan release, the device requires less than 1W of metabolic energy to generate 1W of electricity and was tested at a rate of 2.2 mph. According to Kuo, the research team is looking into using a cable-driven system in order to place the device closer to the hips where the user would not notice the weight as much.

Kuo says the research team has already started partnering up with medical device companies. Potential applications include use in powered prosthetic knees, pacemakers and insulin pumps. “Essentially what we’re interested in doing for any implantable device is to try to decrease the number of times you have to replace the batteries,” he says.

Other uses could be for the military to help supplement the batteries used by soldiers in the field and to provide some power source to people in developing countries without any electricity. “About 1.6 billion people don’t have an electricity supply. Also, for those people, a lot of times they spend a lot of effort going to get water every day; that’s a big chore,” says Kuo. “So what if you could generate some electricity while you are going to get the water and then that could power the LED head lamp, the radio, the water purifier or a variety of devices.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:42:54 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_42.html A few weeks ago, I went to visit Roasting Plant Coffee (http://rbi.ims.ca/5698-513), a new kind of automated coffee shop in New York. At the heart of the store is a patent-pending system that automatically roasts, grinds, brews and handles the coffee beans.

Operating under the control of an industrial PC and a handful of Wago PLCs, this JavaBot system (http://rbi.ims.ca/5698-514) pneumatically conveys green coffee beans from bins to an automated roasting station, roasts the beans and sends them back to short-term storage bins. When customers place an order, JavaBot carefully meters the roasted beans and sends them, again in overhead pneumatic tubes, to an automated brewing machine that can make just about any kind of coffee drink you want.

A human operator does take your money, push a button to place your order and hand you the finished drink. But that's about it. JavaBot bids “arrivederci” to bad baristas.

What struck me about the JavaBot — other than the fact it makes very good, noticeably fresh coffee — is that the system points in the direction much of design engineering is heading. Like so many custom machinery projects today, the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of creating JavaBot involved software development rather than classical mechanical design work.

Don't get me wrong. The JavaBot's mechanical design works really well, judging from its speed (typically less than 30 seconds) and coffee quality. Its designers and builders did an impressive job at transforming industrial automation technologies and mechanical components into a compact, retail-friendly system whose overhead air tubes would turn Willy Wonka green with envy. JavaBot's mechanical systems, which were built by Dave Phillips of Advanced Design Solutions, performed as expected right out of the box, according to Mike Hodor, Roasting Plant's technology vice president.

With the mechanical design work going smoothly, the bulk of the development time involved fine-tuning the system's distributed control software — which controls the precision metering of the beans, the thermal profile of the roasting process, grinding consistency and more. Combine all the different varieties and blends of coffee and the types of drinks with all the individualized brewing, metering, grinding and roasting parameters and you wind up with a control system that has to account for “many thousands of variables,” says Matt Youney, principal of Youney Automation, the company that developed JavaBot's controls.

The JavaBot is just one case in which the difficulty associated with the software and algorithm development has surpassed that of the mechanical design. Design News' pages are full of other examples. For a recent one, consider Tartan Racing's Boss (http://rbi.ims.ca/5698-515), the winner of DARPA's Urban Challenge fully automated car competition. According to Tartan's technology director, Chris Urmson, the engineers on that project wrote more than 300,000 lines of code and focused on algorithm development in their successful bid to create a fully autonomous car. The car's mechanical systems, while not easy to design and build, “were better understood” and therefore more straightforward, Urmson says.

The growing role of software and algorithm development in custom machines, robots and other complex products raises an important question about what it means to be a design engineer. Is it enough to have a flair for mechanical design or will you increasingly be judged on your ability to write good code?



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:41:57 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_41.html Additive fabrication machines have already started down the evolutionary path from prototype production to the direct digital manufacturing of finished parts. And motion control plays an increasingly important part in that evolution. Consider, for example, the latest machine from Stratasys Corp.

Called the 900 mc, this fused deposition modeling (FDM) builds up parts from layers of selectively extruded thermoplastics — including variants of ABS, PC/ABS and PC. Designed with direct digital manufacturing in mind, this new machine is shaping up to be the company’s fastest, most accurate and most repeatable model to date. “As we move into manufacturing environment, we’re asking our machines to perform more like the CNC machines that manufacturing engineers are used to,” says Fred Fischer, product manager for FDM machines.

One obvious part of that move into manufacturing involves size, and the 900 mc doesn’t disappoint on that score with a build envelope of 3 x 2 x 3 ft. “In the past we measured our build envelopes in inches, not feet,” Fischer says.

Becoming more CNC-like also triggered sweeping changes to 900 mc’s motion control system. From a mechanical standpoint, Stratasys switched to ball screws on all three axes of the gantry that moves the system’s extrusion head into place. Previous FDM machines used a belt-and-pulley actuation on the x-y axis. “But we found that the belts and pulleys didn’t provide the accuracy we wanted, especially as we scaled up to the larger platform,” says Jim Comb, a Stratasys systems engineer who helped design the new machine. He estimates that the ball screws offer about 0.002-inch positioning accuracy improvement given the size of the 900 mc’s large build platform.

Stratasys also changed its motion control system to allow its gantry and its extrusion pump to operate in parallel. In the past, FDM’s prototyping machines made mostly sequentially. Their z-axis moves and pump would operate in tandem but separately from the x-y moves. With the 900 mc, Stratasys moved to a new custom motion card and made software changes that coordinate three-axis gantry moves with the pump operation.

“That’s an important change for the sake of accuracy and throughput,” says Comb. He explains that the new motion system allowed Stratasys to implement a proprietary method for smoothing gantry trajectories and eliminate some of the accuracy-reducing disturbances that would occur during gantry direction changes. As for throughput, the new motion system allows the system to move faster, particularly during moves that require no material deposition. Combs says these “glueless” moves have become about 1.5 times faster than on previous Stratasys systems. “That really helps improve throughput because glueless moves can make up a big part of the build cycle,” he says.

With the 900 mc so new, it’s too soon to tell exactly what the pay-off from the motion upgrade will be. Stratasys’ machine capability tests, which involve running hundreds of parts on multiple machines and measuring the results, take months and haven’t yet been completed for the 900 mc.
Fischer, however, says the partial test results show significant improvements over the company’s previous direct-digital-manufacturing machine, the 400 mc, whose accuracy Stratasys gives as the greater of +/-0.005 inch or +/-0.0015 inch/inch. As part of its move into true manufacturing environoments, Stratasys now characterizes its machine repeatability in terms of a statistical confidence level. Fischer reports that the measured results from the 400 mc tests fall within its accuracy specifications just over 95 percent of the time. “Our initial tests are showing that both the accuracy and repeatability on the 900 mc will also go above and beyond what we achieved with the 400 mc,” he says.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:41:02 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_40.html The Slocum Glider, developed by Webb Research Corp. (WRC) can propel itself through water using only the differential temperatures of varying depths and a thermal engine.

The glider's thermal engine uses stored thermal energy in the form of pressure to change the buoyancy of the glider to dive and surface. As the glider moves into the cooler, lower-depth water, a proprietary type of wax, which is housed inside a cylinder with oil, freezes at 10C. As the wax freezes, it expands and forces the oil into another chamber of the glider referred to as the bladder.

“All materials expand and contract with temperature, so it’s just finding the right temperature, what’s normally called the phase change, when a material goes from a liquid to a solid,” says Tod Patterson, engineer for WRC.

When the glider needs to redirect itself back to the surface, the nose is readjusted by moving a mass within the glider controlled by a motor and a lead screw, and then the volume is changed to be more buoyant.

When the glider is on the rise back to the surface, it heats the wax with warmer-temperature water and the oil is then forced into a nitrogen-backed hydraulic accumulator running between 2 and 3,000 psi. The forced oil creates a pressure that is stored until the glider uses the pressure to change its volume and sink again.

“What you’re doing is changing the actual volume of the unit,” says Patterson. “It’s generally neutrally buoyant, so if you change the volume of it, if you shrank it, it would become more dense and would sink.”

The glider directs itself using a rudder that is moved by a stepper motor and uses a Hall effect sensor to determine the exact position of the rudder. Even though the propulsion of the glider is entirely driven by the thermal engine, it still requires a number of batteries to operate a GPS system, an iridium phone, the motors and sensing equipment.

“Each time it comes to the surface, it first gets its GPS location and then it makes the iridium phone call, calling into a computer network that you can access anywhere in the world through the internet,” says Patterson. “At the same time you can set it up to call your cell phone and give you a text message of the health and well being of the instrument.”

The glider most recently has been used by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and has traveled thousands of kilometers in the Caribbean. The glider currently dives to depths of 1,200m in a sawtooth pattern. It takes about four hours to complete one dive/surface cycle and it weighs approximately 52 kg.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:39:14 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_39.html In competitive swimming, where hundredths of a second can separate winners from losers, hydrodynamic drag really is a drag. So the world’s top swimmers now take to the water in drag-reducing suits that cover more skin, leaving the skimpy swimsuits to the sunbathers. Speedo yesterday launched the latest of these sleek racing suits, the FASTSKIN LZR Racer.

Speedo made a splash with its first FASTSKIN swimwear at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Made from a knitted biomemetic fabric designed to emulate the hydrodynamic characteristics of shark skin, these suits were worn in 80 percent of Sydney’s medal-winning performances. The technology in the LZR Racer, which will be worn by members of the U.S. Swim Team in the upcoming Beijing Olympics, makes FASTSKIN even faster.

“We believe the LZR Racer truly is the world’s fastest swimsuit,” says Jason Rance, head of Aqualab, Speedo’s R&D group. And the company’s extensive testing of the new suit backs up that claim. In flume tests conducted at New Zealand’s University of Otago during the development process, the LZR Racer offered a five-percent reduction in passive drag compared to the FASTSKIN FS-Pro suit that debuted last year and has since been worn in more than 20 world-record performances. The same tests showed the suit produces ten percent less passive drag than the FASTSKIN FSII suit that came out in 2004, and Rance adds the suit has about 38 percent less drag than ordinary Lycra.

Those drag reductions translate to speed in the pool. Speedo worked with the Australian Institute of Sport to test the LZR Racer in the pool. According to Rance, swimmers saw a four-percent increase in speed when wearing the new suit, compared to runs in their training swimwear. The new suit also contributed to a five-percent improvement in the swimmer’s oxygen utilization versus runs in the training swimwear.

Seven elite U.S. swimmers, current or former world-record holders all, attested to the suit’s speed during a launch event in New York yesterday. Among them was Michael Phelps, who won a record eight medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Phelps says he “literally felt like a rocket coming off the wall” when he first tried the LZR Racer.

It’s no coincidence Phelps brings up rockets when he talks about the suit. The LZR Racer came out of a development program that seemingly has more in common with aerospace engineering than swimwear design. In fact, NASA Langley researchers had a hand in the suit’s development. So did engineers using ANSYS Inc. computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software.

Those engineering efforts paid off in materials and construction breakthroughs that together improved the suit’s ability to help swimmers slice through the water more efficiently.

One of these breakthroughs involves the development of a new low-drag, water-repellent polyurethane membrane. Speedo laminates panels of this low-drag material onto the suit’s base layer at strategic drag-reducing locations. Rance says Speedo looked at about 100 different fabrics before picking the panel material.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:37:45 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_38.html Phoenix Contact’s new PLC-RELAY high-current terminal block features a nominal current rating of 10A. The boost in current is to accommodate for equipment that might require more than the standard rating of 6A and it provides a higher level of security for uncertain load conditions.

“If your device requires more than 6 amps and you use a relay rated for 6 amps you’re going to damage it; the contacts would weld together and you would no longer have the ability to open and close them,” says Mike Garrick, product marketing lead specialist for relays at Phoenix Contact.

At 14 mm, the PLC-RELAY is more than twice the size of standard relays, which are typically 6 mm. This additional size is one of the tradeoffs for upgrading to a larger block; the other is they cost more than 6-mm relays.

By virtue of its size, the new relay helps improve the electrical life of the blocks and allows for a longer switching life. “Bigger contacts are going to last longer, and that’s just a property of the contact,” says Garrick. “The surface area of the relay contact is physically bigger in the 10-amp model, so they do it for electrical reliability, which means you can turn it on and off more times than you would be able to with a 6-amp.”

The PLC-RELAY is an alternative to ice cube relays and features a patented plug-in bridging system, which eliminates daisy-chain wiring and can reduce installation time. The PLC-RELAY uses plug-in SPDT contacts and comes with either spring terminals or screw terminals. Also, the high-current terminal block relays can connect to other 6- and 14-mm PLC-RELAYs using a press fit bridge.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:36:40 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_37.html Researchers at MIT in coordination with Texas Instruments (TI) have developed a new energy-efficient microchip for low-power portable devices. The microchip, which is still a proof of concept, was demonstrated on the TI MSP430 and operates at 0.3V, which according to an MIT release is up to 10 times more energy-efficient than current technology.

MIT researchers Anantha Chandrakasan, professor of electrical engineering and graduate students Joyce Kwong, Yogesh Ramadass and Naveen Verma of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) faced two challenges in getting the chip to operate at a low voltage.

“One challenge is that some forms of logic just don’t work at low voltage,” says Dr. Dennis Buss, chief scientist at TI. “You either have to eliminate those kinds of logic or modify them so they do work.” When the logic is changed to allow for lower power consumption, the circuit doesn’t operate at ultra-high speed anymore. “I should point out at low voltage these parts don’t operate at 1 GHz; they operate at 10 MHz or even 1 MHz at ultra, ultra-low voltage,” he says.

The second challenge in designing the energy-efficient microchip, according to Buss, was controlling the range of variance present in these chips, because imperfections in the silicon chip present more problems at lower voltage levels. “When you're operating in some thresholds, the drive current is exponential in the voltage, so then very small change ratios in the threshold voltage can give you very large fluctuations in drive current and in delay,” says Buss.

According to Buss, in order to optimize the design of these microprocessors new techniques using statistical timing analysis (SSTA) need to be developed. “People are starting to use SSTA in normal designs but since the variance in delay is so much larger at low voltage I’m not sure and the students aren’t sure whether the tools being developed today will be adequate for this more demanding challenge,” he says.

The microchip will most likely only have applications in portable devices — specifically portable network devices, military devices, communication devices and especially implantable or battery-operated medical devices. “In the same way electronics revolutionized computing 30 years ago and the same way it revolutionized communication 10 years ago, my guess is in the next 10 years electronics will revolutionize medical electronics,” says Buss.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:35:08 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_36.html Littlefuse Inc. has redesigned its website with a new focus on providing users with an easier navigation as well as a new section called the Application Design Center where users can access reference designs when implementing circuit protection into circuit designs. “All these designs we have up here are designs we’ve taken from our experience with industry-leading companies,” says Tom Hovey, e marketing manager for Littlefuse Inc. “You could be a small telecom guy in California or Idaho or somewhere, but you know what, you could get exactly what the big guys are using here and kind of get an idea for the type of products we recommend for them.”
The new site also provides users with data sheets, electrical characteristics, environmental data and ICP test reports. The site points out potential problems with designing circuit protection into circuits, as well as what users might do or shouldn’t do. “A lot of times, the customers wish they had better online access to application information on how to apply circuit protection products,” says Hovey. The Application Design Center also provides a service for checking distributors’ inventories, ordering samples and the ability to cross reference Littlefuse part numbers with part numbers of competing manufacturers. Users can search the site by navigating different options, including by product, part and specific function, in order to narrow down their results. The site also features upgraded keyword-search capabilities.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:34:25 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_35.html IC Corp., a subsidiary of Navistar, recently built and delivered 13 out of 19 hybrid school buses across the U.S. as part of an initiative prompted by Advanced Energy Corp. The buses use a parallel hybrid system where the diesel engine and hybrid electric motor work together in tandem. Because of this, the hybrid aspect of the design can be shut off and the bus can run purely on the diesel engine.

With the parallel hybrid system, “if for some reason the electrical system shuts down, the diesel engine keeps driving the bus, just like it would on a standard non-hybrid bus,” says Keith Kladder, manager of school bus marketing for IC Corp.

The buses use a post-transmission system, where the electric motor is positioned after an Allison Transmission, which is placed after an International MaxxForce diesel engine. The diesel engine is always running, at least at a low idle because certain functions of the bus like heat, air conditioning and the air suspension are not run on the electric motor. The electric motor, which runs off of a battery pack, uses the engine and regenerative braking to recharge the battery pack.

The bus comes with two options for a hybrid system that a user can determine when an order is placed. The first option is a charge sustaining system where the bus will run back and forth off the electric motor and the diesel engine with an approximate 1:1 relationship of engine to motor use. Depending on the route, the bus using a sustaining system has between 20-50 percent fuel economy.

The charge depleting system has more options and runs off of the electric motor most of the time for about 40-45 miles, until it reaches a certain level of battery depletion and switches modes. Under optimal conditions, the bus using a depleting system features up to 70 percent fuel economy.

“With the depleting system, for the first, call it the first 45 miles, you’re going to run heavily off of the battery pack and then once you get that battery charge down to the 25 percent level or so, it switches to a sustaining mode, where it goes 50/50,” says Kladder.

Right now the bus costs about twice as much as a non-hybrid school bus but according to Kladder, IC Corp. expects this price point to drop over time as more buses are placed into the market and there are higher production quantities. Remaining states in line to receive buses include New York, Virginia, Washington, Texas and Washington D.C.

As far as the longevity of the buses is concerned, “you’re getting fuel economy savings, you’re getting the emissions reduction, but you’re also seeing less wear on the engine, less wear on the transmission and because of the regenerative braking you’re getting less wear on your brakes,” he says, “which should extend the life of all three of those items.”



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:33:52 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_34.html Calling it an architecture rather than product announcement, Dassault Systèmes outlined the high points of its upcoming V6 PLM platform, including new Web 2.0 capabilities for sharing 3D data across the enterprise along with a full service-oriented architecture (SOA).

Dassault V6 fully incorporates the MatrixOne technology, which Dassault officials say better position it to be the single PLM platform for IP management across all engineering disciplines and for enabling collaborative business processes. This single repository will merge what previously constituted the separate data models of Enovia, MatrixOne and SmartTeam into a single physical platform, officials say, and Dassault will follow up with availability in May of a common set of business processes that spans all engineering and enterprise users, including those for BOM management, sourcing, regulatory compliance, program and portfolio management and requirements management.

IBM, Dassault’s partner on PLM for over 20 years, called V6 a key development in bringing together the data and tools used between the design world and the manufacturing world. “The current working between design and manufacturing has been limited — it’s been connected but not together,” says Peter Markey, solution and product marketing for PLM worldwide at IBM. “When you’re talking about a global manufacturing enterprise where business processes and suppliers span different parts of the world, those things start to become a bottleneck in terms of maxing time to market. “V6 is a major step forward for providing a single platform to drive that collaboration to the next level.”

In addition to the integration benefits, V6’s SOA also positions Dassault to provide PLM offerings under the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery model, where customers pay a monthly fee to access the software over the Internet. “We’re not announcing any SaaS products yet, but we see a need for it in our portfolio as a deployment option for customers on the low end to get up and running without major hardware and administration costs and on the higher end for large OEMs with a lot of suppliers,” says John Squire, Dassault’s vice president of marketing, Enovia.

The other major piece of the V6 architecture announcement is the Web 2.0 angle. The software will be enabled for real-time, current collaboration across multiple locations via a Web connection and all modules will sport Dassault’s 3DLive interface so non-traditional CAD users can easily search for, collaborate on and share 3D models and data. In addition, V6 will also encompass elements of 3DVIA, Dassault’s community for sharing and creating 3D experiences aimed at the average consumer, the intent being to allow all constituents — from developers to consumers — to be involved in the product design process, from gathering requirements to testing and providing feedback on virtual prototypes prior to production.

“We’re hanging this off the Web 2.0 concept of social design, viewing it as PLM online for all,” Squire says. “This allows an online community to participate in product design throughout all stages of the lifecycle.”

The addition of the 3DLive interface to the Dassault PLM suite in particular will go a long way in opening up access to non-traditional CAD users, according to Ed Miller, president of CIMdata Inc.“Leveraging the 3DLive program across their entire suite is a nice step forward,” Miller says. “They’re using it as a vehicle to enable simplification of processes and that’s a big deal.”

Squire said V6 solutions of CATIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA and ENOVIA are slated for delivery in May.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:32:43 http://www.glorytrade.com.tw/news/design_news_33.html Car makers in the UK and Japan are starting to design vehicles using a new battery technology originally developed by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). The UltraBattery, manufactured by CSIRO’s Japanese partner Furukawa Battery Company, combines a lead-acid battery with a supercapacitor to create a cheaper, longer lasting and more powerful battery for hybrid electric vehicles.

“The exciting thing about our UltraBattery is that it uses the familiar and low-cost lead-acid battery as a starting point but with our technology it takes on the characteristics that make it suitable for full hybrid and PHEV applications,” says David Lamb, low emissions transport theme leader for CSIRO.

Over a 12-month period the UltraBattery was tested in a hybrid electric test car on a track at the Millbrook Proving Ground in the UK where it surpassed 100,000 miles. The UltraBattery has a fast output for acceleration and when used with regenerative breaking can rapidly absorb energy normally wasted through the brakes.

The UltraBattery is currently only available for hybrid electric vehicles and has not yet been tested on pure electric vehicles. “The battery is not intended to go on sale as a replacement for regular car batteries, at least not for some time,” says Lamb. “The real opportunity is to ‘design-in’ to new vehicle designs.”

One compromise in the use of these batteries is their weight; it is much greater than conventional NiMH or Li-ion batteries. For the case of the test drive in the UK, the battery used weighs 45 kg versus a NiMH pack at 28 kg. The choice, according to Lamb, is between a 3-percent loss in fuel economy with the CSIRO battery and an added cost of approximately $2000 for traditional batteries.



Data Source ：Design News ( http://www.designnews.com/ ) 2008-09-10 10:32:10