Citizen Proximity Bluetooth watch for iPhone

Most Bluetooth watches look like something you don’t want to wear. Citizen wants to correct that problem with their upcoming Eco-Drive Proximity watch. It looks good on your wrist while also quietly syncing to an iPhone 4S or newer through Bluetooth 4.0.

If you miss a call, or get a message, the seconds hand will point to a word on the dial showing you what needs your attention. The iPhone syncs its time with the watch if you want too. A search mode will also ping the handset if it’s lost.

It will cost $550 when it goes on sale in the fall. At least it won’t make you look like a nerd.

Source: Geeky-gadgets

Tokyoflash Cobra LED Concept Watch

The guys over at Tokyoflash are at it again with their cool watch concepts,  the latest one if the Cobra LED watch,this design was actually submitted by one of their readers.

As you can see from the photos the watch numbers are engraved on the outside of the watch, with minutes and numbers separate by different ‘decks’.

This reptilian concept has sharp lines on the case and strap creating the appearance of scales. We like this concept as it’s really different from anything else submitted so far – quite an original theme.

You can find out more about this cool LED watch concept over at Tokyoflash.

Source: Geeky-gadgets

Futuristic SeaOrbiter vessel set for October construction

What once seemed science fiction may be becoming a reality. The futuristic SeaOrbiter ocean explorer, a concept conceived by French architect Jacques Rougerie, has been trying to reach fruition for the past twelve years. However recent developments suggest that the vessel is set to start construction this October, with possible completion in 2013.

The SeaOrbiter, if it goes ahead, will be the world’s first vertical ship to measure 51 meters (170 ft) in height. To realize this achievement more than 50 percent of the vessel will remain underwater. The project is expected to cost around US$52.7 million, with ambitions to observe and explore vast cross sections of oceanic life. Furthermore the SeaOrbiter hopes to implement a new standard of scientific communication that allows researchers to track and monitor marine life in real time. In doing so, a team of 18 marine scientists will live on board of the vessel. “This vertical vessel drifts in the currents hosting 18 oceanauts who will observe the life of the oceans on a permanent basis,” says Rougerie. “Marine life will naturally aggregate ... under its hull.”

The semi-submersible vessel will include an underwater chamber that delves 31 meters (102 ft) deep. Above deck is equipped with an open-air observation terrace, allowing the occupants to document migrating bird life, as well as enjoying some fresh air. The submerged sections will feature large portholes and panoramic windows, creating a state of the art underwater observatory.

The vessel will be installed with oceanographic observational and sonic equipment that will be linked to satellite facilities, while a multi-level atmospheric pressure module and a pressurized module will allow the “oceanauts” to live permanently in previously unexplored oceans. It is also anticipated that the vessel's design will include renewable energy initiatives such as solar, wind and wave power.

The SeaOrbiter project will be presenting a 1:20 scale model of the ship to the public this month during the 2012 International Expo in Yeosu, South Korea.

Source: Gizmag

Sub Biosphere 2: designs for a self-sustainable underwater world

Phil Pauley, a London-based concept designer, has unveiled his vision for Sub-Biosphere 2 – a self-sustainable underwater habitat designed for aquanauts, tourism and oceanographic life sciences as well as long-term human, plant and animal habitation. If this sounds like a strangely familiar concept, it’s because Pauley’s system is based on the successes of the Biosphere 2 project – a man-made closed-ecological system in Arizona that was used by researchers to explore the possibility of sustainable living in a closely-monitored environment.

Sub-Biosphere 2

Unlike Biosphere 2 – which features above-ground biomes including a rainforest, an ocean complete with coral reef and wetlands, grasslands desert, Pauley’s vision focuses on developing self-sustainable living under the water. The Sub-Biosphere 2 (SBS2) will have a central supporting biome powering and controlling eight interactive living biomes – each representing a different eco system. According to Pauley, all life-support systems for air, water, food, electricity, and other resources will be sustained by the innovative control of variant atmospheric pressures that occur at depth. The SBS2 will also act as a seed bank supporting the human, animal and plant life in the biomes.

The SBS2 will be able to float or submerge and as it dives, the pressure at depth against the forces of air would act like a heart and lungs, sustaining the life within the biomes. The central support biome will monitor the life systems from within its own operations facility.

Pauley developed this underwater habitat concept way back in 1998, and his current work continues to focus on sustainable and innovative design. He hopes to generate enough investment and support globally to establish a team that could take the SBS2 project through the research, testing and construction phases. This would allow him to focus and consult on how best to promote its development.

The Biosphere 2 Project

Biosphere 2 was constructed between 1987 and 1991 to develop self-sustaining technology that could eventually be used for space colonization. Set over three acres, it was a totally sealed environment (i.e. nothing went in or out), it had a steel and glass top and contained all the humans, plants, animals and bacteria required to live a sustainable life. Between 1991 and 1994, two missions with crew members known as "Biospherians" entered the Biosphere where they lived in the enclosed and isolated artificial environment. In the first mission, the inhabitants suffered from oxygen depletion but eventually discovered the scientific reasons and proved (to some extent) that this sort of living was viable. The project was a highly public exercise but valuable research came out of it that helped to further ecological understanding. The second mission was terminated in 1994 and the site is now managed by the University of Arizona where it serves as a center for research, teaching and learning about Earth and its living systems.

Some put the eventual failure of the Biosphere 2 project down to human nature – caused by either factional splits within the group of Biospherians, feelings of isolation or problems with the management team. So time will tell whether Pauley will be able to overcome the problems associated with confining human beings into his SBS2...

Read more about Pauley’s design ideas at his personal and business websites. For information about the Biosphere 2 see the University of Arizona's website about the research centre.

Source: Gizmag

UKP20,000 robotic fish to act as water pollution police

March 20, 2009 A number of robotic fish are to be trialled into the port of Gijon in Spain to evaluate how effectively and cost-efficiently they can detect water pollution. The 1.5 meter carp-shaped robots are part of a three-year research project funded by the European Commission and if successful, the fish could be used in rivers, lakes and seas across the world. The life-like creatures, which will mimic the undulating movement of real fish, will be equipped with tiny chemical sensors to find the source of potentially hazardous pollutants in the water, such as leaks from vessels in the port or underwater pipelines.

Thanks to Wi-Fi technology, they will then be able to transmit the information to the port’s control centre via a “charging hub” when the fish recharge their batteries. This will enable the authorities to map in real time the source and scale of the pollution.

Unlike previous robotic fish that work with remote controls, these will have autonomous navigation capabilities, enabling them to swim independently around the port without any human interaction. This will also enable them to return automatically to their hub to be recharged when battery life (approximately eight hours) is low.

The project is being co-ordinated by BMT Group Ltd, an independent engineering and risk management consultancy. Rory Doyle, senior research scientist at BMT Group, described the project as a “world first”, adding that scientists involved in designing the fish were using “cutting-edge” methods to detect and reduce water pollution.

“While using shoals of robotic fish for pollution detection in harbours might appear like something straight out of science fiction, there are very practical reasons for choosing this form,” he said.

“In using robotic fish we are building on a design created by hundreds of millions of years’ worth of evolution which is incredibly energy efficient. This efficiency is something we need to ensure that our pollution detection sensors can navigate in the underwater environment for hours on end.”

He added: “We will produce a system that allows the fish to search underwater, meaning that we will be able to analyse not only chemicals on the surface of the water (e.g.. oil) but also those that are dissolved in the water.”

The five fish are being built by Professor Huosheng Hu and his robotics team at the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex. He hopes to release them into the water by the end of next year.

The fish, which cost around UKP20,000 to make, will measure 1.5 metres (1.6 yards) in length (roughly the size of a seal) and swim at a maximum speed of about one metre (1.1 yards) per second.

He said: “I am incredibly excited about this project. We are designing these fish very carefully to ensure that they will be able to detect changes in environmental conditions in the port and pick up on early signs of pollution spreading, for example by locating a small leak in a vessel.

“The hope is that this will prevent potentially hazardous discharges at sea, as the leak would undoubtedly get worse over time if not located.”

Source: Gizmag

The Streets of Monaco Themed Superyacht Concept

If you want a superyacht that really stands out at the next annual billionaires meeting then why not give it a theme? Yacht Island Design thinks there’s a market for such vessels and has set about developing several themed yacht concepts. The first is "The Streets of Monaco," a 155 m (508.5 ft) long yacht that looks to “reflect the style and sophistication of the principality” and includes a fully functional go kart circuit that recreates the famous Monaco Grand Prix circuit along with other Monaco landmarks.

"The Streets of Monaco" is based on the SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) platform, which is a hull form used for vessels that require a ship of a certain size to handle in rough seas as well as a much larger vessel. This platform also offers wide beam length for its length to allow for as much Monaco-themed goodness as possible. The yacht would be built predominantly from steel with aluminum in the superstructure. Using diesel electric propulsion it would transport its 70 crew and 16 guests (which seems like a recipe for mutiny to me) at a maximum speed of 15 knots.

The Monaco-themed yacht centers around three main communal areas: The Streets of Monaco, The Oasis and The Grand Atrium.

Streets of Monaco

As you might guess, the Streets of Monaco area is where you'll find the scaled down Monaco Grand Prix circuit, whose route takes in other Monaco locations such as The Casino, Hotel de Paris, Café de Paris, La Rascasse and the Loews hotel. The roof of the Loews hotel extends to the bow on the upper deck in the "Casino Square" area, which also features a large glass bottomed fountain in the garden setting. Here you’ll also find a small swimming pool, large jacuzzi and sun decks with BBQ facilities.

The main swimming pool with a maximum depth of 3 m (9.8 ft) and incorporating a swim-in jacuzzi/bar, represents the Port Hercule harbor and can be found aft along with a multi-use court that can be configured for a variety of activities including tennis and basketball, or used as a heli-pad.

The Oasis

The Oasis area, also located aft, acts as the main boarding point for the yacht. It is modeled on the gardens just outside the Monaco Casino and features a central waterfall feature consisting of upper level pools cascading down into the lower pool and yet another Jacuzzi. On the lower level is the Spa, with manicure and hair salon, private massage suites, sauna/steam rooms and a relaxation lounge featuring a spa pool and bar.

The Grand Atrium

The Grand Atrium is the central hub of the yacht and links the lower and upper living areas. It is dominated by a large central spiral staircase, which surrounds a waterfall feature that is supplied by the glass bottomed fountain found in the Casino Square area.

The seven guest suites are located off the lower atrium level and range in size from 135 m2 (1,453 sq ft) to the grand 356 m2 (3,832 sq ft) VIP suites. All include their own reception room, bathroom, dressing room, bedroom and balcony, while the VIP suites also include a private office. Located centrally to the guest suites are the library, communal office, communal balcony and cinema. The upper level of the Atrium leads to the entertainment areas, which includes the Main Saloon with separate Havana room and adjoining wine cellar, the dining room, casino and dance hall.

The Owner’s suite is located at the farthest end of the Atrium and connects to all decks via a private lift. It spreads over three floors covering a total 1,460 m2 (15,715 sq ft) of floor space and includes a lounge with feature fireplace and double height ceiling, office, bedroom, bathroom, his/hers dressing rooms, listening room, private courtyard, sunroom, numerous balconies and private sundeck with a Jacuzzi/swimming pool.

Other features include two large tender garages, dive dock and submarine, and sea level "beach" decks located aft in both struts.

Yacht Island Design’s next theme-yacht concept is for an 85 m (279 ft) yacht based around a "Pacific Island" theme, which the company has teased with an illustration showing what appears to be a volcanic mountain rising from the aft and palm trees located on the forward deck.

Although the theme-yacht concepts are completely over-the-top, Yacht Island Design is only proposing them as a showcase of what is possible and would consult extensively during the design process with any client interested in created their own themed yacht.

Source: Gizmag

The Solar-Powered Self-Sustaining Floating Island Resort Concept (Video)

Have you ever wanted to have your own private tropical island, but you couldn’t be bothered to buy the land? What if you want to be eco-friendly while on your sunny vacation too? Apparently, you can with this floating island.

To be fair, it’s not really an island. It’s probably more appropriate to call it an island-shaped boat that’ll work as a self-enclosed resort. Designed by Michele Puzzolante, the Solar Floating Resort (SFR) concept is large enough to accommodate six people with plenty of room to spare. There’s a Jacuzzi on deck and you can go underneath for an underwater observation room.

The biggest feature, though, is the use of a photovoltaic thin-film skin all along the round roof. These solar panels can collect sunlight throughout the day, generating enough clean electricity to power you through the night. And inside, the same photovoltaic skin is used to capture power from your artificial interior lights.

Aside from the obvious hurdles associated with manufacturing such a seafaring mobile resort, there’s one other issue: there doesn’t appear to be any closets. Where are you going to put your eco clothing? That’s not very luxurious at all.

Source: Mobilemag