Text from the website:
The engine that used is a rotary air engine. It is the invention of the Melbourne engineer Angelo Di Pietro. The engine is compact, lightweight and powerful and runs on compressed air from two compressed air tanks on the bike. It revs up to 3,000 RPM, and because of this, the inventors didn’t need any gear box on the bike. There is only one gear, which is just a sprocket bolted directly to the axis of the engine and chained to the rear wheel.

Compressed air is stored in the bike’s on-board carbon fiber tanks. Once mass produced, the bike will have solar panels that will generate enough energy to compress air and store it in the bike’s tanks, which will increase its range indefinitely.

As the bike was designed as a speed record setter, there is no headlight, brake light or indicator lights on the bike. Instead, there were three little cameras fitted at the front and tail on the bike that are used to record the run. The body works were designed to be aerodynamic and lightweight, and it will be made of fiber glass or carbon fiber.

Designer : Edwin Conan

Designer : Alek Shnayder

Interview with Nico :

What was the inspiration for your concept?
The inspiration was the experimental approach to molecular cooking. Even after several decades of molecular cuisine, it still seems to be an exclusive game for specialists. So it became my main goal to bring some of the fantastic possibilities and ideas of molecular cooking to all ambitious cooks with an easy to use, affordable appliance.

How does your concept fit into this year’s competition theme “Designs for the next 90 years”?
I think the idea of molecular cooking is forward-looking, but the procedures and methods of preparing molecular dishes are still conventional. I would like to change this with my concept. At first, the idea of printing food seems to be something straight out of a science-fiction movie, but on second thought it is not unrealistic at all. I even think that Moléculaire could be the future kitchen tool that opens up possibilities for food-makers interested in molecular cooking.

What are the main consumer benefits of your concept?
Moléculaire is a futuristic kitchen appliance that offers several new possibilities to professional chefs as well as home users. It’s based on a layer-by-layer printing technique that arranges small particles from a set of ingredients. Within minutes, it prints out three-dimensional desserts, complex structures, shapes for molecular dishes, and patterns for decorating a meal. In addition, it’s easy to use. You simply insert a blister pack into the reservoir, place Moléculaire on top of a plate, and press the start button. Users can also create their own recipes with special software and their own ingredients. Ambitious users can download recipes and share them with other users in an online community.

Describe the consumer research behind your concept.
I conducted interviews with chefs and did a lot of research on the Internet. These approaches helped me to understand users’ interests, concerns, wishes, needs and desires. The outcome shaped my initial ideas and helped them grow. The most difficult thing about designing for the future is predicting the possible social and technological developments (their direction and speed). Therefore, it was very useful to read reports like sociological studies about cooking and future scenarios about the development of new technologies.

What kind of materials would you use to build your concept?
For my concept, I would use polycarbonate as the main material. I plan on applying this material in three different variations, each providing the right characteristics for the different parts of my design. Transparent polycarbonate can be used for the window, black tinted for the lid/display, and white for the body. The robotic printer arm and head could be made from aluminum. A blue (O)LED backlight accentuates the processes inside the printer.

Who is your favorite designer?
I don‘t have a favorite designer.

What are your career goals?
After I graduate in 2010, I want to gain more professional experience in a product-design company. In the long term, I want to further develop my conceptual and strategic skills and step into product-related design management.

Designer : Nico Kläber

Designer : Christopher Moulder

Designer : Joshua Saling

More information about crescendo from Jessica:
This is a flashlight designed for those in public service. (police / emt’s) I spent a great deal of time researching the environment which this would be used along with the individuals it is designed for.

The flared head elegantly opens the lens for an elliptical beam of light. This profile is easily removed and placed into the holster without being snagged or stuck on the form. The elliptical pattern of the light matches human peripheral vision. By utilizing this shape, the user can be more aware of their surroundings with a smaller light. It takes full advantage of the natural night vision of the user and enhances it.

The flashlight has 2 power switches. One on the tailcap- and a 3-way on the barrel. The 3-way switch is used to select the light mode- Green, Red and super bright white. The green light is very useful in chaotic / emergency situations such as a car accident. The green light prevents night blindness while still permitting the user to identify colors which can be extremely important ( blood vs oil). The red light is less visible to others and used for a low profile stealth situation. The red light- and elliptical beam simply enhances the users natural night vision to give them more feedback on their surroundings and more control. The super bright white light is for common use of the flashlight- as well as situation control by creating night blindness for a person that may be a threat.

The 3-way power switch allows for immediate selection of the color mode without cycling. The switch on the tailcap controls the white light as a constant-on (press to click) or a ‘blink’ on for quick flashes controlled by the user.

The rubber grips are very important. They 1 keep the users hand off the metal which could be cold especially in the winter. The grip has a cut-away shape filled with thin strips. This shape makes less cumbersome for female users with smaller hands to have complete control of the tool. Also- at the end of the cut-away, there is a tapered lip. This lip provides a great security during the ‘cigar hold’ by providing the user a stop.

Due to the nature of limited advertising to these groups, the logo and name are permanently molded on the flashlight itself through the grip features. This creates a strong brand identity. The rubber is also receded from the very tip of the lens area, revealing more metal. This is so it may still be used as a weapon in emergencies, causing enough damage- or creating enough time so the user (police) can access a better more sophisticated weapon for the situation.

Designer : Jessica LoVerso

Designer : Brook Banham

Clemens’ words :
DENTRIS offers new chances for people in home-care and dentistry. Society is aging, more and more bed-ridden / people are in need of care and because of the improved hygiene of last decades more and more elderly people keep their own teeth. DENTRIS helps the prevention / avoiding of expensive follow-up therapies as well as reducing costs of outgoing transport / return transport
+ ongoing services. For dentistry, DENTRIS offers the development of new fields of activity, more potential patients, the professionalization of mobile do-it-yourself equipment that dentists currently often have to deal with as the products on the market are un-sufficient and force the dentists to pimp their rides.

Dentists now can go exclusively mobile saving practice / overheads / facilities etc. But the most important actor is the patient. He/She benefits from stopping the physical decay because the health of teeth have an enormous and in public eyes often underestimated impact on the welfare and life expectancy of elderly people (formula: teeth ok >> body ok). DENTRIS helps
overriding the patient?s fear of the dentist as well as overcoming one?s inhibitions towards rentability in seniority (’I won’t live any longer..’).

DENTRIS helps avoiding strenuous transport (bed-ridden people often with tattered cardiovascular system) from home to practice and finally avoids possibly degrading situations for patients (while moving, in practice).

Designer : Clemens Auer

Designer : Pouyan Mokhtarani via [Dvice]

[Press Release]
Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster – trainees build a car of the future

* Young people unite high tech and tradition

* Alternative drive systems as a training topic

In a hitherto unique project bridging various fields of profession, the trainees of Daimler AG at the Sindelfingen Mercedes-Benz plant have built a Roadster with fuel cell drive. For about a year, more than 150 trainees and dual education system students worked on the overall concept, development, assembly, and completion of the F-CELL Roadster. This project involved junior employees from the fields of automotive mechatronics, model-building, electronics, coating technology, manufacturing mechanics, product design, and interior appointments. The prime objective of the project was to integrate the topic of alternative drive systems into training with hands-on experience.

“This project impressively demonstrates that the topic of sustainable mobility has become an integral part of our vocational training,” said Human Resources Board member and Labor Relations Manager Günther Fleig. “I am delighted to see how much initiative and creativity the young people have put into this project.”

Tradition meets the future

The F-CELL Roadster uniquely combines state-of-the-art technologies with the history of vehicle construction. As an allusion to the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886, the vehicle is fitted with large spoked wheels. Moreover, the F-CELL Roadster incorporates stylistic elements from diverse eras of automotive history, such as the carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and the distinctively styled fiberglass front section, based on the component from the Formula One racing bolides.

The F-CELL Roadster is controlled with drive-by-wire technology, and a joystick takes the place of a conventional steering wheel. The vehicle is powered by the emission-free fuel cell system located at the rear. With a power rating of 1.2 kW the F-CELL Roadster reaches a top speed of 25 km/h and has an operating range of up to 350 km.

Designer : Mercedes Benz via [Jalopnik]