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Dubai’s Burj Al Arab gets Redesigned by 10 Iconic Architects using AI

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Before its younger (and taller) sibling stole its thunder, the Burj Al Arab was the jewel of Dubai’s skyline. Sitting on its own private island right beside the Palm Jumeirah, the Burj Al Arab is recognizable by its unique ship-inspired design. The design directly borrows from the sail seen on J-class yachts, standing at a staggering 321 meters tall (that’s just 60m shorter than the Empire State Building in New York). Completed in 1999, the seven-star hotel was designed by Tom Wright of WS Atkins, boasting the world’s tallest atrium which occupies more than half of the building’s height.

As iconic as the Burj Al Arab is, it’s worth wondering what it would look like if designed by other legendary architects. This collection, put together by Imagined Architecture, shows what the boat-shaped hotel would look like in the vision of 10 of the greatest architects of our time. Ranging from the unique Art Noveau styles of Gaudi to the cutting-edge aesthetic of Bjarke Ingels, this collection transforms the Burj Al Arab into a veritable catalog of global architecture movements across a span of roughly 100 years!

Image Credits: Imagined Architecture

1. Frank Gehry

A titan of contemporary architecture, Frank Gehry is lauded for his avant-garde approach that challenges the very fabric of architectural norms. His work is often associated with deconstructivism, characterized by a sculptural technique that involves fragmented and dynamic forms. Gehry’s masterpieces, such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, often feature undulating shapes and use unconventional materials that give his structures an almost animate presence.

In this reimagined Burj Al Arab, one can observe the echoes of Gehry’s distinctive style. The building retains its original, sail-like silhouette but is infused with Gehry’s signature element of movement. The facade seems to undulate with a life of its own, giving the impression of a fabric caught in a gentle sea breeze. The asymmetric windows and the disjointed placement of structural elements offer a sense of controlled chaos, a hallmark of Gehry’s design ethos. There’s also a playful use of form in the balconies and the building’s apex that adds to the whimsical, yet sophisticated character typical of a Gehry design.

2. Zaha Hadid

The late Zaha Hadid, a visionary architect known for her radical deconstructivist designs, left an indelible mark on contemporary architecture with her dynamic and innovative approach. Her style was characterized by sweeping fluid forms, often resembling waves or wings, that defy conventional architectural norms. Hadid’s buildings are frequently described as futuristic, emphasizing movement and complexity with an eloquent yet powerful use of curvilinear geometries.

This conceptual rendition of the Burj Al Arab reimagined by Zaha Hadid captures her essence perfectly. The building’s iconic sail-like structure has been transformed into a sinuous form that seems to flow and twist upwards, looking more fluid than the original and harking to the fabric nature of a boat sail. Hadid’s signature style of fluidity is present in the smooth, uninterrupted lines that wrap around the building’s facade, giving the impression of a structure in motion. The blend of glass and white elements pays homage to her frequent use of stark contrasts and reflective surfaces, which create a dynamic interplay with the surrounding environment. This interpretation of the Burj Al Arab retains the original’s bold statement of luxury while infusing it with Hadid’s distinctive futuristic language, suggesting a seamless merge of form and function in a way only she could envision.

3. Le Corbusier

One of the most visionary pioneers of modern architecture, Le Corbusier (born Charles Edouard Jeanneret-Gris) was renowned for his belief in the house as a “machine for living,” favoring functionality and a stark aesthetic that emphasized plain surfaces and the use of materials such as steel and reinforced concrete. His designs often featured an open floor plan, pilotis (supportive columns), horizontal windows, and roof gardens, all elements that signified a break from traditional architectural designs and a step towards a new, modernist ethos.

The image presents a striking interpretation of the Burj Al Arab, as if reimagined through Le Corbusier’s vision. The iconic sail-like structure of the building maintains its sweeping curvature, a bold departure from Le Corbusier’s penchant for rigid geometric forms. However, the influence of Le Corbusier is discernible in the stark white facade, a hallmark of his palette, which speaks to his minimalist approach. This hybrid design could be seen as a nod to both the building’s symbolic status and Le Corbusier’s principles, blending the luxury and symbolism of the Burj Al Arab with the functionalism and simplicity characteristic of Le Corbusier’s work.

4. Oscar Niemeyer

Oscar Niemeyer was a celebrated Brazilian architect who loved to use curves in his designs, often drawing inspiration from the beauty of nature. He was famous for using concrete to create bold, fluid shapes that made his buildings look smooth and organic, much like the curves of a wave or a hill.

Looking at the Burj Al Arab imagined by Niemeyer, we see this love for curves come to life. The building sweeps up into the sky with a graceful bend, like a wave that’s reaching for the clouds. It’s painted in a crisp white, standing out against the blue sky, a favorite approach of Niemeyer to make his designs pop. The curves seem to play with the light and the building almost looks like it’s moving, capturing the essence of the ocean it overlooks. The windows and balconies interrupt the curves just enough to draw your eye without disrupting the overall flow. This version of the Burj Al Arab combines Niemeyer’s vision of blending architecture with nature, creating a structure that’s both a piece of art and a part of the landscape.

5. Walter Gropius

A trailblazer in modern architecture and one of the biggest proponents of the Bauhaus movement, Walter Gropius emphasized simplicity, rationality, and functionality in design. His architectural philosophy was rooted in the absence of ornament, the use of industrial materials, and the integration of technology and art. Gropius’s style often featured clean lines, glass facades, and an aesthetic that underscored the purpose of each building.

In this creative interpretation of the Burj Al Arab as designed by Gropius, we see the hotel’s silhouette simplified. The sail-like form is reimagined with a cleaner, more geometric shape, embodying Gropius’s less-is-more approach. The facade showcases large, unadorned glass panels that invite natural light, a nod to Gropius’s use of transparency to dissolve boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. While the original structure’s exuberance is toned down, this design retains a sense of elegance through its unembellished form and clear lines. It speaks to Gropius’s belief in the beauty of function and the potential of modern materials to redefine luxury. This conceptual Burj Al Arab marries the building’s iconic status with the Bauhaus ideals of simplicity and practical beauty, transforming it into a beacon of modernist design.

6. Frank Lloyd Wright

With over 1000 structures and a 70-year career under his belt, Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy precedes him. Wright was an iconic American architect whose designs were groundbreaking for their integration with the natural environment and their organic architecture philosophy. He believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and their surroundings. Wright’s work often featured strong horizontal lines, overhanging eaves, a central hearth, and a deep connection with the landscape, all meant to promote a sense of calm and organic simplicity.

In the image, the Burj Al Arab reenvisioned by Wright maintains its towering presence but adopts a more pronounced integration with its environment. The building’s profile, while still sleek and soaring, includes Wright’s signature horizontal lines that echo the horizon where sea meets sky. The tiers of the building resemble the stratified layers of earth, a subtle nod to Wright’s practice of drawing inspiration from the land. The terraces and balconies extend outward, reminiscent of Wright’s overhanging eaves, suggesting shelter and openness simultaneously. The organic architecture of Wright is reflected in the building’s gentle curvature, which seems to rise naturally, like a formation shaped by wind and water rather than by humans. This conceptual design marries Wright’s philosophy with modern luxury, offering a unique interpretation of the Burj Al Arab as a serene yet grandiose dwelling place in harmony with the vast seascape.

7. Antoni Gaudi

Renowned Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi left an indelible mark on the world of architecture through his profound connection to the Catalan Modernisme movement. Gaudí’s architectural masterpieces are celebrated for their vibrant hues, rich textures, and organic designs inspired by the beauty of nature. His creations frequently feature the incorporation of mosaic tiles, intricately twisted iron sculptures, and innovative, sinuous stonework, boldly departing from conventional lines and forms.

The image of the Burj Al Arab reimagined by Gaudí shows a playful and imaginative twist on the iconic structure. The hotel’s sail-like facade is transformed with Gaudí’s distinctive style – it features the whimsical curves and organic motifs that are signature to his work. The incorporation of intricate patterns and textures adds depth and a tactile quality that invites close inspection, a stark contrast to the building’s original smooth facade. The use of white for the exterior is a modern touch that aligns with Gaudí’s love for light and reflection, which often played a significant role in his creations. This conceptual design brings together the elegance of the Burj Al Arab with the fantastical and nature-inspired elements of Gaudí’s work, resulting in a building that could be both a functional hotel and a piece of living art.

8. Tadao Ando

Tadao Ando, a self-taught Japanese architect, is celebrated for his minimalist designs that blend physical and metaphysical elements. His work is distinguished by the creative use of natural light and the incorporation of natural elements into his structures. Ando’s buildings often feature clean lines, large expanses of unadorned concrete walls, and elements of water, which harmonize the structures with their surroundings.

The image illustrates the Burj Al Arab as envisioned by Ando. It reflects his minimalist approach, stripping away the original structure’s ornateness to reveal clean, unembellished surfaces. The stark white facade, a departure from Ando’s characteristic concrete, still conveys his preference for simplicity and geometric clarity. The building’s sweeping form is accentuated by the strategic placement of windows that allow for a play of light and shadow, a tribute to Ando’s mastery of illumination. The result is a unique reinterpretation of the Burj Al Arab that mirrors Ando’s ethos of serene simplicity and thoughtful integration with the environment, culminating in an architectural statement that is both contemplative and bold.

9. Bjarke Ingels

Bjarke Ingels, the founder of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), is acclaimed for his architecture that challenges convention with a focus on sustainability and sociability. His notable works, like the Mountain residences in Copenhagen and VIA 57 West in New York, merge functionality with a unique aesthetic that often incorporates elements of nature and futuristic design.

This AI-generated image reinvents the Burj Al Arab through Ingels’ lens, transforming the building into a structure that speaks to modernity and playfulness. The building’s form is mildly undulating, with a lean that suggests movement and a sense of whimsy. This is aligned with Ingels’ preference for architecture that surprises and delights. The façade includes large glass windows, maximizing natural light and offering expansive views, a common feature in Ingels’ designs to bring the outdoors in. The sleek white exterior and clean lines maintain the luxury feel of the original structure but with a modern twist that’s both striking and playful. The overall design captures a balance between the building’s iconic status and the innovative, people-focused approach that Ingels is celebrated for, creating an inviting and sustainable architectural landmark.

10. Jeanne Gang

Jeanne Gang, the founding principal of Studio Gang, is renowned for her innovative approach that interweaves architecture with ecological and social issues. Her work often emphasizes sustainability and community, with projects like Aqua Tower in Chicago showcasing her use of distinctive organic forms and responsive design that creates a dialogue with the environment.

The image envisions the Burj Al Arab with the architectural sensibilities of Jeanne Gang. It embodies a sleek elegance while adopting new, flowing lines that suggest a seamless connection with the surrounding seascape. The building’s form appears more integrated with its environment, reflecting Gang’s commitment to creating structures that enhance their settings. The design emphasizes transparency and light, with broad expanses of glass that echo the striated exteriors of Aqua Tower, allowing for natural light to penetrate the building while offering panoramic views. This reimagined Burj Al Arab maintains the iconic silhouette of the original but introduces a fluidity and grace that speaks to Gang’s architectural ethos of harmonizing with nature.

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This ChatGPT-powered smart notebook can understand and summarize handwritten notes

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The pen is mightier than the sword, especially given how it has withstood the test of time, even in our current digital age. But while writing things down by hand has plenty of cited benefits, from psychological to practical, handwritten notes also miss out on a lot of conveniences and potential, especially when it comes time to search through dozens of pages of scribbles. For years, smart notebooks have tried to bridge this gap between analog and digital with some measure of success, but the majority of them stop at turning handwritten notes into digital text you can easily search. This innovative smart notebook, however, upgrades that experience by harnessing the power of AI to make the best out of your scribbles and sketches, turning them into summaries, tasks, appointments, and even translations that will take your productivity to the next level.

Designer: XNote

Click Here to Buy Now: $179 $249 ($70 off). Hurry, only 7/210 left! Raised over $230,000.

AI has been a hot topic for the past years, impressing many while scaring off others. The power that artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural networks can bring to seemingly ordinary products can really be mind-blowing, especially when you consider the new experiences they enable. ChatGPT, for example, is quite a famous large language model (LLM) application that is being used for things like conversations, searches, and other text-related processing that makes it feel like you’re talking with an actual human person. The XNote smart notebook utilizes this amazing AI to bring together the joy of writing on paper and the convenience of digital technology in an intuitive and seamless way.

The magic of the XNote starts, of course, with pen and paper, specifically a beautiful invisibly coded notebook and a revolutionary smart pen. The notebook itself bears a Moleskine-like design, complete with an elastic band to keep it from opening accidentally. The smart pen looks like it’s simply leaving ink marks on paper, but it’s also detecting invisible patterns so that every stroke is accurately sent and mirrored to the XNote app via Bluetooth in real-time. You don’t have to take pictures of your notes and you don’t even have to wait for your scribbles to sync with the app. You can see your scribbles and drawings recreated inside the app instantly, almost like magic. With a built-in 265mAh rechargeable battery, you can write for 7 to 8 hours of use without having to worry about a forced break.

While other smart notebooks stop there, XNote transforms your ink marks into text, formulas, or diagrams, all kinds of digital objects that can later be searched or even shared with others online. XNote, however, goes beyond handwriting recognition and uses ChatGPT to create contextual recognition, smartly identifying the kind of text so that you can simply ask XNote when you need to look for a note. Can’t remember where you stored a friend’s suggestion for your next binge reading? Just ask in the XNote app to look for the book recommendation you wrote last week. Need a quick recap of the meeting notes you took earlier? Ask XNote to summarize those for you in easy-to-digest pieces. You can even have those notes translated for easier communication beyond geographical boundaries. And since the notes are digitized, you can easily search across different notebooks and access your data on platforms, ensuring that your analog notes remain accessible long after the paper notebooks go away.

XNote not only cares about your notes but also about your privacy as well. It uses advanced end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, and top-tier cloud security protocols to ensure no unauthorized person ever lays eyes on your notes. And while the basic package has the core features you need, XNote offers a $9/month ($59/year launch special) Premium subscription that brings all the power of AI to your fingertips, including Smart Task Alerts and AI-driven Tags and Categories. Even better, now that it has reached its $200,000 funding milestone, every backer who has selected either the 1-Year Subscription or the Combo Bundle will be automatically upgraded to a Free Lifetime AI Membership! With the ChatGPT-powered XNote smart notebook, you can employ that powerful AI to do the heavy lifting of making sense of your notes while you continue to enjoy the benefits of writing with pen and paper.

Click Here to Buy Now: $179 $249 ($70 off). Hurry, only 7/210 left! Raised over $230,000.

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AI-powered rooms in malls and offices can give you a checkup without a doctor present

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Some of the hesitation in seeing a doctor regularly for checkups comes from embarrassment and fear, often because of people who are physically present during the consultation. The recent pandemic has made virtual consultations popular, but you still have to visit a clinic or hospital to actually perform tests like blood work or biometric scans. With today’s technologies, however, that shouldn’t even be necessary, at least for the most basic tests and diagnostics. Putting that theory into practice, this forward-looking cubical room combines advanced tools and everyone’s favorite special sauce, AI, to offer a “self-serve” clinic that can be set up almost anywhere so that people can have easier and less stressful access to healthcare.

Designer: Forward

We’re all advised to get regular checkups, especially when we start to feel something’s amiss. Unfortunately, access to healthcare services isn’t always easy or convenient. Clinics might be far away or doctors might have very long waiting times. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just walk into a room, use a few gadgets and gizmos, receive a quick diagnosis of your health, and maybe even get a legit prescription, all without even having to even physically meet with the physician? That’s the kind of quick and stress-free experience that the Forward CarePod is promising as the world’s first “AI Doctor’s Office.”

CarePod puts you in the driver’s seat of your health, almost literally considering the comfy chair inside the single-person room. You walk inside, answer a few tests to determine the kind of clinical test that needs to be done, and you use the provided tools to perform those tests, like drawing blood, swabbing your throat, taking your blood pressure, and the like. These are frontline clinical diagnostics that most nurses and doctors perform but can now also be done by yourself with the right tools, which means there will be no doctors or nurses inside CarePods. At least not human ones.

Of course, it isn’t enough to just get your diagnostic results. You’ll need a professional to interpret those results for you, which is also the job of physicians. With the CarePod system, however, that diagnosis is made by a proprietary AI that has learned from clinical expertise and the latest medical research. In addition to providing a diagnosis, that AI also formulates care plans called “Health Apps” that will guide the patient with programs and advice to address various diseases and disorders, including diabetes, hypertension, and even depression. CarePod doesn’t eliminate human doctors from the equation completely, as they are still needed for writing prescriptions or more in-depth consultations.

Impressive as all these technologies may sound, the most important aspect of CarePod is probably the fact that it can be installed almost anywhere. It is already being deployed in malls, gyms, and offices, places where clinical services are often unavailable, but it’s not hard to imagine these rooms being installed in every street corner in the future. This would give people access to healthcare that would otherwise be out of reach, which increases their chances of living healthier and longer lives.

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This AI-powered dog bark collar safely trains your furry friend to bark only when necessary

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Having pets is fun and rewarding, but as our parents warned us, it’s also a big responsibility. In addition to feeding them and cleaning after them, it’s also our job to make sure they behave properly, both in private and in public. The latter can be especially problematic when it comes to dogs with bad barking habits, making a lot of noise almost incessantly. There are many ways to teach a dog to keep quiet, but most of them end up being ineffective. Manual training is stressful for both dog and owner, while some tools or gadgets turn out to be harmful to the pet’s physical and mental well-being. With this innovative dog bark collar, however, your dog can gradually learn when to bark and when to keep quiet safely and humanely, all thanks to the power of AI.

Designers: 66 Studio, Zhe Sun & Bin Hu

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $109 (45% off). Hurry, only 247/500 left!

HushPuppy – The world’s first AI dog bark collar.

HushPuppy can help you train your dogs to learn to be quiet at the correct times and locations.

Dogs can be a person’s best friend, but just like humans, they can have different temperaments and behaviors. Unfortunately, some dogs develop what people call nuisance or excessive barking, which can sometimes be triggered by random everyday sounds or objects. Bark collars are growing in popularity as a way to train dogs not to bark at certain times, but they aren’t always effective and can even be excessive, defeating the purpose of training and causing the poor dog more stress and anxiety. By utilizing cutting-edge AI, the HushPuppy bark collar can be smart in detecting your dog’s barking and safely guide your faithful companion to better behavior.

AI soundprint detection accurately recognizes dog bark, leading to an interruption of barking behavior.

Through repeated interruption, the dog learns to quiet down so you can enjoy a peaceful life once more.

NFSF technology ensures that the collar won’t easily capture a dog’s bark more than 5 feet away.

Unlike most bark collars in the market, HushPuppy uses tiny AI models installed right onto the collar’s chip to detect sounds and differentiate a dog’s bark from other indoor and outdoor sounds such as alarms, car horns, doors, and even people laughing. This prevents a “false alarm” that would have otherwise triggered the collar’s conditioning effect incorrectly. HushPuppy boasts 99.1% accuracy and, thanks to Adaptive Sound Detection (ASD) and High Precision Computational Audio (HPCA) technology, it can even identify your dog’s bark in a noisy environment. Even better, a state-of-the-art Near-Field Sound Filter (NFSF) ignores barking that is more than 5 feet away, which means a nearby dog’s barking won’t incorrectly trigger the collar either.

Warning mode (white LED) and training mode (blue LED).

When HushPuppy does detect your dog barking, it will send a safe “reminder” to tell your dog not to bark, applying the principles of Pavlovian behavioral conditioning to discourage dogs from this kind of behavior. In training mode, this comes as a vibration and a beep. In warning mode, however, a mild static stimulus is also added to the response. This static stimulus is delivered by a single AAA battery at a fixed electricity level to ensure the safety of the dog while still delivering a memorable nudge to help develop good behavior. Over time, this repetition will help the dogs form a positive association so that they will quiet down when they hear or feel the stimulus.

In addition to a safe training method, HushPuppy is also designed to be completely safe and comfortable to wear. No metal parts are exposed and a conductive soft silicone gel is used instead, ensuring that the collar is soft on the skin and free of potential allergic reactions and unsafe edges. It’s so easy to use, there isn’t even a manual power button! The collar immediately springs into action once it detects a bark, and then goes into a low-energy standby mode when no more barks are heard. Thanks to this smart operation, it can last up to 300 days on standby or 21 days of regular daily use, all on a single AAA battery. With the AI-driven HushPuppy, your canine companion will be able to learn good barking habits in a smart and safe way, saving both you and your precious pet from embarrassment and stress.

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $109 (45% off). Hurry, only 247/500 left!

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How Robots Are Expanding Their Fields of Work By Attaining Emotional Designs

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Robots have long captured our imaginations, from the helpful household robots of science fiction to the industrial machines that streamline manufacturing processes. However, the integration of robots into our daily lives has often been hampered by the challenges they face when navigating complex human environments. These limitations have confined their utility to controlled spaces in industries such as logistics and manufacturing. But now, a groundbreaking design concept known as “Turing” is poised to change the game, bringing a fresh perspective on robotic technology.

Designer: Cambridge Consultants (Tom Shirley, Anya Pivčuka)

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Turing is not just another robot; it’s a robotic platform with an emotional design at its core. It was developed by a team of multi-disciplinary experts, including designers, engineers, and researchers, to address a significant challenge in robotics: enabling robots to work in complex human environments while fostering collaboration between humans and machines. Turing’s approach seeks to unlock the untapped potential of human-robot interaction, one of the last remaining barriers to a future where robots become our everyday companions.

In the early stages of UX testing, the team behind Turing discovered that mimicking human emotion was a highly effective means of communicating the robot’s movements and intentions. They employed journey mapping to craft a coherent set of thoughts and emotions for the robot, resulting in a personality and behavior that users could relate to and engage with. By drawing inspiration from well-known characters in animation and film, they could identify the most appropriate personality for a given environment. This adaptability allows Turing to modify its behavior based on the specific context, ensuring it doesn’t seem out of place in various settings.

Turing is designed to work in collaboration with people, capable of navigating through crowded environments using body language, gestures, and emotional cues to communicate with our subconscious. This non-verbal, intuitive communication is significantly faster than traditional speech, enabling the sub-second reaction times necessary to avoid collisions in crowded areas. Moreover, Turing’s modular nature allows it to be adapted to a wide range of industries and customized to address diverse business needs.

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The versatility of Turing makes it a game-changer in various industries:

1. Retail: In retail, Turing can assist shoppers with tasks ranging from providing general information to guiding them through the store and even carrying their shopping bags. The emotional and charming personality it displays creates a memorable shopping experience that can be tailored to each venue’s ambiance.

2. Service Industry: Turing comes to the rescue of businesses in the service industry, such as bars and restaurants, which often struggle to recruit enough staff. It can efficiently take orders and deliver food and drinks to customers, enhancing their overall experience. Its adaptability ensures it can seamlessly blend into different restaurant environments, from casual to fine dining.

3. Medical Environments: Turing plays a crucial role in medical settings by reducing the burden on healthcare professionals. It can perform repetitive, time-consuming tasks, such as dispensing medication in low-risk hospital wards. This not only frees up staff to focus on patient care but also helps maintain consistent medication schedules. However, the acceptance of robots like Turing in healthcare settings may take time, as people need to build trust in the accuracy of the tasks performed.

Turing is a groundbreaking development in the world of robotics. By embracing emotional design and a highly adaptable, modular nature, it is pushing the boundaries of human-robot interaction and addressing the limitations that have confined robots to specific industries. With Turing, the future of robotics looks promising, as it promises to bring robots out of controlled environments and into our everyday lives, as social, collaborative, and empathetic companions.

The post How Robots Are Expanding Their Fields of Work By Attaining Emotional Designs first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Nordic Hotel’s Architecture Blends Beautifully into the Organic Snow-Capped Mountain Slopes

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Combining luxurious architecture and natural camouflage together, Mertcan Güldilek’s Nordic Breeze hotel is easy to miss when viewed from above. As you descend into the valley, however, the gorgeous hotel becomes more apparent with its unique blend of the snow-white facade and wrap-around glass. Created using AI, Güldilek’s architectural concept shows how organic design can blend beautifully into a landscape, complementing it rather than contrasting it.

Designer: Mertcan Güldilek

The AI experimentations take on a rather organic design reminiscent of Ross Lovegrove’s work. The hotel’s facade is difficult to really describe as it flows quite like the mountain slope. In the negative areas created by the facade, Güldilek adds running edge-to-edge windows that help residents/patrons get a sprawling panoramic view of the landscape ahead of them.

“The hotel emerges in the heart of the Swedish valley, inviting guests to a refuge that seamlessly blends with its breathtaking surroundings,” says Güldilek. “The organic approach to design ensures that the hotel becomes an extension of the surrounding nature, creating a sense of unity that calms and inspires.”

Envisioned for Storglaciären, Sweden, these hotels are located in the valleys of a snowcapped mountain range, alongside a glacial river that adds to the hotel’s charm. Multiple iterations of the hotel’s design see it nestled on top of the glacial river, giving patrons a stunning shimmering view of the snowcapped landscape along with its reflection. Sunrises and sunsets would look amazing here for 6 months in the year!

“As the sun descends, casting its golden rays across the land, the hotel radiates a warm and inviting aura that draws guests in,” adds Güldilek. “The golden hour lighting envelops the building, illuminating every detail and infusing the surroundings with a magical quality.”

Different iterations also play with volumes, adding multiple wings and levels to the architecture for a dynamic appeal. Each hotel room therefore has a unique view of what’s around them, creating a bespoke experience for everyone who comes to visit the conceptual Nordic Breeze hotel!

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Introducing Your New Kitchen Buddy To Help And Accompany You Through Your Cooking Time

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In the fast-paced world of today, where time is a precious commodity, the desire to cook wholesome meals at home often takes a backseat. Many millennials express the wish to cook more frequently, but their busy lifestyles and lack of culinary expertise frequently obstruct their path. The availability of pre-prepared convenience foods and the allure of dining out as a social experience often leaves little motivation to change one’s cooking habits. However, a revolutionary solution is on the horizon: Chao, an AI-powered social cooking platform designed to minimize the hassle of meal planning and eliminate the uncertainty of cooking, making the experience more accessible and enjoyable.

Designer: Tom Shirley (Cambridge Consultants)

Chao recognizes the struggle that many millennials face when attempting to embrace home cooking. The product acknowledges that the pain points of cooking commence long before one even steps foot in the kitchen. As someone who lived through the trials of university life, I can personally relate to this challenge. The lack of culinary instincts and the tedious, often boring nature of cooking made it difficult to muster the motivation to prepare meals at home, especially when you’re a student on a budget. Chao’s mission is to change this narrative.

Chao is not just another recipe app; it’s a comprehensive solution that redefines home cooking in the modern era. Here are some key features that make Chao unique:

1. Machine Vision:

Chao employs intelligent machine vision to ensure the correct usage of all utensils, making it the perfect companion for novice cooks.

2. Social Collaboration:

Chao fosters user interaction, promoting social collaboration around a common goal – preparing and enjoying delicious meals together.

3. Remote Participation:

Chao breaks geographical boundaries, allowing users from all corners of the globe to actively participate in the creation of meals, thereby creating a global culinary community.

Chao has been meticulously designed to address the genuine concerns of its target users. The team behind this innovation took the time to understand and empathize with users, pinpointing and resolving key pain points to ensure that the final product seamlessly integrates into their daily lives. Co-creating the concept with users at various stages of development ensured that the user experience (UX) and feature set remained perfectly aligned with their needs and expectations.

How Chao Works

Chao simplifies the entire cooking process with a seamless user experience:

1. Planning: Chao recommends tailored recipes. Once a recipe is selected, the necessary ingredients are ordered and delivered right to your door, saving you the hassle of grocery shopping.

2. Prep: Chao divides the preparation into manageable tasks, whether for one person or a group, offering advice and time management tips.

3. Cooking: The AI chef utilizes computer vision and various sensors to provide context-based advice, making it easy to tackle advanced cooking techniques in a fun and approachable way.

4. Eat & Enjoy: Chao helps capture and share meal times and dinner parties with friends and family, turning every meal into a memorable experience.

Chao guides users through the cooking process, sharing their progress and key statistics on a dedicated social media platform. With a deep understanding of user behavior, Chao provides easy-to-follow recipe steps along with tailored tips, thereby eliminating the uncertainty that often plagues home cooking.

Chao seamlessly blends the physical and digital worlds of cooking. The charging dock also serves as a home for the physical components of the system, seamlessly fitting into the kitchen environment.

A collaborative approach played a pivotal role in bringing Chao to life. Designers worked hand-in-hand with software engineers, electronic experts, and culinary enthusiasts. They tackled technical challenges such as person identification through computer vision, constructing a robust cloud-based infrastructure, and tracking utensils, whether actively or passively tagged.

In conclusion, Chao represents a pivotal step towards redefining the way we cook at home. It empowers millennials and anyone with a desire to cook healthier, more delicious meals, providing a solution to the time and knowledge constraints that often get in the way. With its innovative features and user-centric design, Chao promises to make home cooking more accessible, enjoyable, and social. It’s a product that’s not just about food; it’s about creating experiences and memories around the dinner table.

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Apple needs to solve its overheating problem before it can introduce Siri AI

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You may read the title of this article and think to yourself, “wait a second, isn’t Siri already an AI?” Well, yes and no. Back in the early 2010s, “AI” was a popular buzzword among big tech companies, who described their virtual assistant services as AI companions – which was technically true, due to their reliance on natural language processing to interpret voice commands and output rote responses.

When tech corps talk about AI today, they’re primarily referring to chatbots using generative AI models like ChatGPT, which are vastly more advanced – and costly to operate. These have far more agency to “guess” correct information – even if you only provide limited input – thanks to sweeping advancements in machine learning. If you’re used to talking to Siri, Alexa, Cortana, or Google Assistant, you probably know there’s only so much these assistants can do… without a reasonable amount of extra programming to make them speak to far more advanced AI software like ChatGPT.

Throughout 2023, generative AI has dominated the entire conversation about artificial intelligence, and for that reason, a large chunk of software has been retrofitted to include some form of generative AI to help users navigate faster. Now, according to a Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman, Apple is racing to implement a similar model into Siri in iOS devices as soon as next year – with the release of iOS 18. That’s exciting on paper, if not for the fact it feels like Apple is putting the cart before the horse; chasing flashy new features while letting its most loyal users deal with quality control issues.

iPhone 15 Pro models are still overheating

You can’t really escape the fact that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating issue happened. Period. More importantly, it’s still happening. The iOS 17.1 update that Apple promised would fix the overheating issue – which caused everything from periods of system instability to OLED burn-in – isn’t even fully released yet, as of the writing of this article. What it does include, however, is a large number of fixes that should have launched with the $999+ iPhone 15 Pro and $1,199+ iPhone 15 Pro Max to begin with, nearly one month ago.

On one hand, this whole situation feels like it was caused by a simple quality control error. The fact it’s evidently simple enough to fix over a couple of smaller software updates and one larger update, one month on, still raises questions on an organizational level. But in any case, adding a generative AI layer on the OS level is likely to make any existing issues worse, for reasons I’ll explain later on.

Overheating seems to be a software issue

As I previously mentioned, the overheating issue in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max seems like it comes from an interaction between iOS 17 and the iPhone 15 Pro itself. It’s easy to speculate what’s going on under the hood without delving deeper into the inner workings of the iPhone 15 Pro/Max or the massive interlocking systems of code powering it.

But again, purely from a software standpoint, Apple won’t easily escape the potential quality control issues that could come up by making its existing code exponentially more complex and demanding with advanced AI features. That follows the logic of why Apple is introducing more fixes than features with iOS 17.1 – it sorely needs to, in order to satisfy the disappointed iPhone 15 Pro owners – but the fact it’s apparently dropping “$1 billion per year” on integrating AI at this exact moment feels like an example of over-eagerness to catch up with a trend it doesn’t already have its thumb on.

Running generative AI models locally is system-intensive

A sizeable number of programs that use generative AI, do so by outsourcing their AI processing to external providers (like ChatGPT) via API calls, or just by telling a less intelligent program to manually send a command to an AI chatbot through a web interface. This is because the amount of computational power it takes to run an LLM locally is rather high. Some AI processes can work well locally, even on phones, thanks to specialized chips that are optimized for those purposes. For instance, the Google Pixel 8 is inherently built to run a wide number of AI-powered services, like Zoom Enhance, without using any external API.

On an indirectly related note, I can use my NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti to double the framerates in video games with DLSS 3 and Frame Generation, both of which use an AI model to (locally) enhance the image of my games before they reach my display. That’s the sort of thing you can generally do with specialized chips, without pushing your CPU or other internals beyond their limitations.

Running an LLM locally, which the current iPhone generation isn’t equipped to do, is a whole different thing. And yet, it’s the only conceivable improvement to Siri that would make sense when Apple talks about “upgrading” Siri with AI features. As an Apple user: yes, I want the functionality of generative AI in Siri, but I’d like to not have to worry about it tanking my system performance or rely on an always-on internet connection to work.

Siri likely won’t win the generative AI race

An LLM-based Siri would be behind the times, even if it came out in 2024 as a local function within the next generation of iPhones. That’s already highly unlikely for the reasons I described above. And since we already have so many powerful web-based LLM chatbots like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft Bing, it’s not like the addition of a Siri-based AI chatbot would provide a ton of additional value – except to diehard Apple users who wouldn’t ever dip outside of Apple’s ecosystem anyhow.

At this point in the race, it feels like Apple is chasing the hype train rather than defining it. Once again, it’s the cart placed before the horse.

Improved Siri AI is still coming, inevitably

Everyone is adding some form of generative AI bot to their software, so why not also do the same thing to iOS 18? It would add sorely-needed functionality to Siri, making it a true AI assistant with the ability to – for instance – fully manage an iPhone or iPad’s calendar. It could also help iPhone users learn how to use the system more efficiently, and take care of other menial tasks. If Apple is putting as much effort and capital into the project as is evident by the Bloomberg report, it’s definitely coming at some point.

Now, with all that said and done, I’m not knocking a hypothetical generative AI-based Siri upgrade – if we were talking solely about utility. If it can work well, it will be a greatly-welcomed addition to the iOS 18 feature set. However, it’s still questionable about how well it will work. For now, I’ll be more impressed when Apple fixes the iPhone 15 Pro’s overheating issues.

The post Apple needs to solve its overheating problem before it can introduce Siri AI first appeared on Yanko Design.

An AI Was Told To Design The Next Bugatti Supercar… Here’s What It Came Up With.

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In just about a year since AI technology’s gone mainstream, it’s gotten shockingly good. The amount of realism they’re capable of is mesmerizing, especially with tools like Midjourney doing an incredible job at creating even minute details. Gone are the days when AI botched up faces, fingers, and other aspects of the human body or even the real world. It’s reached a level where to an untrained eye, we’re way past that uncanny valley. In fact, if I hadn’t mentioned it in the title, it’s entirely conceivable that some people would think the image above (or even the ones below) were concept renders either by Bugatti or by a transportation design enthusiast. They are, however, an exploration of Bugatti’s aesthetic using Midjourney and Photoshop’s AI tools. The results help us understand and appreciate two things – not only do they remind us of how spectacular AI is at understanding design cues, these images are also a reinforcement of Bugatti’s own design language, showing how the company’s cars are all a part of the same visual DNA. Let’s dive into that DNA a bit further…

Designer: Cole Kessel (Via Midjourney)

The AI still has a tendency to mess up certain elements like logos, which is why it’s possible that these were edited to put the actual Bugatti logo in place. That aside, they almost look like they were created by the French marque’s automotive design division. Look at them long enough and you see hints of the Centodieci, Divo, La Voiture Noire, and even the Bolide.

Bugatti’s visual language pretty much was defined after the Veyron was first announced. Designed by Jozef Kabaň, the Veyron eventually become the starting point off of which the company’s entire fleet was based, as following cars emulated the same elements of Veyron’s design. The silhouette became a common element as did things like a softer front profile around the front fenders. Bugatti cars always had a horseshoe-shaped grill on the front and this further went on to becoming a strong element in future cars, as did the C-cut window which can’t really be seen in the front view, but is highly recognizable once observed from the side.

With newer models, as carbon fiber outer shells became more of the norm, the cars started experimenting with more aggressive designs that eschewed the Veyron’s otherwise ‘bubbly’ aesthetic. The headlights began evolving too, with the Divo first breaking apart from the Veyron and Chiron’s headlight aesthetic. Finally we began seeing headlights like the one in the Bolide, which the AI image above mimics rather well, with its X-shaped pattern hinting at the car’s extreme capabilities.

All these AI explorations play rather well within the parameters of the ‘constraints’ set by Bugatti’s design team. You’ve got hyper-aggressive forms like the one below, but relatively smoother ones like the image above. All the cars opt for a classy bubble cockpit with a line cutting through quite similar to the Bolide concept. The AI also does a great job of sticking to Bugatti’s brand colors of black and shades of blue, interspersed with small carbon fiber trims in between. It’s remarkable that despite how hyper-realistic they are, none of these cars are real… but they still feel unapologetically like they were designed by the French luxury supercar brand. Which carmaking brand do you want to see AI take over next??

The post An AI Was Told To Design The Next Bugatti Supercar… Here’s What It Came Up With. first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Ethereal Wood-Wrapped House Looks Like Something From a Fairytale

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Designed with the whimsical beauty one can only find in fiction, this literal tree-house features an entire wooden outer facade made of pieces of wood wrapping around each in an organic style almost like the roots of a tree. Dubbed the ‘Wooden Egg’, this wondrous home takes inspiration from nests and how birds have an innate ability to turn wooden twigs into a concave vessel for their eggs to rest in. Playing on that theme, designer Shoaib Sha decided to make a nest-like home with an overall egg shape… with the residents being the baby hatchlings!

Designer: Shoaib Sha

The gentle curves of this elevated residence guide your eyes, revealing the fluidity of its interior spaces. But it’s not just about visual allure; the choice of timber as the primary material serves a dual purpose. Not only does it infuse the residence with a warm and inviting ambiance, but it also rekindles our love for traditional materials like wood in architecture, rejecting the logical, mechanical brutalist approach of concrete and steel.

“Each curve and angle is meticulously crafted to optimize natural light, ventilation, and energy efficiency, enhancing the overall living experience while minimizing environmental impact,” says designer Shoaib Sha. “This residence stands as an abstractive art form of architecture’s potential to elevate the human experience while celebrating the beauty and resilience of the natural world.”

The post This Ethereal Wood-Wrapped House Looks Like Something From a Fairytale first appeared on Yanko Design.