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Australian Design Awards
Squad positioning system helps fight fires and save lives
23:22 June 10, 2009 PDT
Student designer Roy Hareguina's "Squad" is a compact indoor positioning system that enables fire fighters, even in dense smoke, to know their exact location and that of their colleagues at all times. Using a dual-mapping system, the tough polyetheretherketone (PEEK) units reduce the danger of separation and disorientation in high-rise buildings, and increase a fire fighter’s ability to save lives. Read More
Boomer: Multi-functional mobility aid makes stairs safer
By David Greig
08:21 June 1, 2009 PDT
With the post-war baby boomer population moving closer to retirement, devices that enable the elderly to remain mobile not only have a critical role to play in improving quality of life, they have a lucrative market to access. Student designer Daniel Molloy's Boomer mobility aid is well placed to do both. The shape-shifting Boomer can be a shopping cart, a comfy seat or a walking frame which can be used to maneuver safely up and down stairs. Read More
UGO brings strollers to safe stop
By David Greig
00:17 May 29, 2009 PDT
With an estimated value of USD$6.02 billion, the kids market can be lucrative, if you can crack it. The UGO automatic safety brake for strollers and prams is one of those good design ideas that could find a baby toehold in the market – one day. Read More
The next small thing in public transport: Fold-up electric scooters
By David Greig
01:56 March 17, 2009 PDT
With an ever increasing load on the public transport system we need to look for smarter and more environmentally friendly ways of getting from A to B in built up areas. The public bike systems that have been successful in several European cities (Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm and soon London) are one way of achieving this, but the Link scooter system, designed by Anton Grimes of University of New South Wales in Australia, may provide an alternative to bikes that is a little easier for the less energetic. The Link is basically a modular transport solution concept, which allows users to hire an electric lightweight scooter from a hub. When the user has reached their destination, they simply return the scooter to another hub for recharging. Read More
The inflatable window - 50% insulation improvement
By Mike Hanlon
00:40 January 23, 2009 PST
January 23, 2009 The inflatable window is a secondary glazing system that uses an inflatable rubber tube to seal into the window reveal to provide better insulation for the windows. The Australian Building Codes Board has published data showing that 87% of heat loss and 48% of heat gain is through the 8% of windows in the average building . The inflatable system is proven to offer up to 50% improvement on insulation resulting in a 68% improvement on the energy use for heating and cooling. Read More
matthew.rings
- November 24, 2009 @ 06:31 UTC
