The inspiration behind the form of the Wild Chair is pretty unique. Imagine leaving a chair out in a forest and having nature take over it, with moss, vines, and trellises. Its solid form, being covered by interweaving branches and stems. Now remove the chair from the equation and what are you left with?
The Wild Chair is the answer to that question. Designed with an organic form that highlights the intricate stylings of cane furniture, Eugeni Quitllet’s Wild Chair feels like a wild material domesticated. The chair, which was created during the lockdown, came from Quitllet often pondering what would happen if he left his chair in the wild and let nature absolutely take over. “I’m seeing at this moment how nature is taking its place back everywhere, in the sea, in the air, in the ground, in the city… and now in design! And why not… We will grow chairs like vegetables and modify seeds genetically to grow new designs”, said the Catalan designer.
Did I miss the memo stating that all cordless vacuum cleaners must now look as though they’ve just stepped off a gay pride parade float?! They’ve literally come out of the appliance closet, rainbowing in full force! (No offense to my LGBT friends.) It seems like everyone from Dyson to Black+Decker is spitting out new models that only get more flashy than the ones before. For those of us who care about how things look, even if they rest behind closed doors, there’s CANE.
It’s a modern, minimalist approach to the cordless vacuum cleaner designed for the discerning user. No obtrusive hues, no superfluous shapes that mimic flexed muscles, just the bare essentials presented in a demure design with pure sucking power. Don’t worry, the less-is-more approach doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing features… like the U-shaped handle that provides a simple fix to reaching remote areas or convenient organization stand for keeping specialized pieces together. So, unless you’re planning on taking your vacuum as a date to Mardis Gras in New Orleans, consider a CANE!
Designers: Hyunsoo Choi, Junho Shin, & Joongho Choi
The action arcade RPG game Super Cane Magic Zero will be arriving on the Switch soon. PC, PS4 and Xbox will be getting the game as was previously declared by the studio responsible for its inception....
We’ve been very vocal about how much respect we have for designers who take up challenges in the medical domain. There’s always a lot at stake and with such a small margin for error, Design for Medicine or Design for Special Needs may just be one of the most challenging (and if done right, rewarding) design disciplines out there. Fast.Co lists Inclusive Design as a trend that will shape 2018, and our favorite posts from 2017 have only been a testament to the rise of that trend.
Whether it’s technological advancements to make better and more accessible medical products, or just redesigning medical and special-need products look more fashionable and inclusive, our top Medical Design posts for the year 2017 are pretty indicative of how big health care in 2018 is going to be!
This hospital bed can be folded and transformed into a wheelchair in a matter of minutes without disturbing the individual.
This wheelchair enhances mobility thanks to its scissor-inspired structure. It sports an innovative adjustable seat-height feature for better ergonomics. It also has two distinct riding positions: one that is ideal for cruising and maneuvering and the other for putting the user at eye level with standing individuals.
OH is at once a hearing aid and a fashion accessory. It allows the user to customize the product by changing the external ring’s range of textures and colors. It can also be used as an earring or attached hearing pin.
This smart thermometer is the embodiment of portability and compact design being just 5cm long and weighing a total of only 13g. The thermometer simply plugs into one’s smartphone audio jack.
Clevu is a wearable system that can not only work as traditional reading glasses but is capable of enhancing a variety of other sight situations. Enjoying the outdoors? There’s a setting for that. Watching TV? There’s a setting for that too.
This ergonomic smart cane comes as just a joystick handle with an automatic telescoping stick that shoots out when switched on. However, the walking stick doesn’t stop there. It connects to an app on the smartphone, actually guiding the user to destinations they set.
Simple and desirable, these black and white inhalers don’t just break the stigma of carrying an inhaler, they also look striking enough that you’d instantly spot it on the shelves (helping the brand reach customers).
This new EpiPen design, called Epipi, really makes things as simple as unscrew, press, and go! Just twist to arm it, hold against the skin, and press the button to release. A clear window into the medication reservoir will indicate that the contents have been emptied which enhances the confidence of the user that they performed the function correctly.
The Hue inhaler is completely 3D printed (note the transition from mottled color to transparent) and comes with a dazzling set of color combinations that are bound to break the monotony of medical product design. There’s even a woven paracord for easy access, or clipping/strapping to your bag/pants.
The Kardia is a tiny ECG (or EKG) reader that works in conjunction with your iPhone to give you heart-rate readings. Simple in its design, with just two textured sensor-pads for your fingers, the device takes readings and its partner-app guides you through the process, showing you your current heart rate.
Meddsy isn’t as much a first aid kit as much as it’s an emergency aid kit. It contains dedicated units for everything from medical goods to any instruments one may need to treat themselves.
We can’t all regenerate like the Doctor. We humans get old and sometimes injured to the point where we need a cane. Well this Doctor Who cane is perfect for aging or limping Whovians.
This stylish blue cane is made of aluminum and collapses for travel. It can support up to 250 lbs of weight and has a TARDIS design with Gallifreyan symbols that are all over the whole cane.
You know it’s almost time to regenerate when you need a cane. You might as well use a geeky one. The Doctor would approve. It’s only $40(USD).
Last year we saw a robot cane for visually impaired people that warns its user of obstacles with an audible alert. The Virtual Aid for the Visually Impaired or VAVI by grade 10 student Roman Kozak is an even more convenient prototype for a high tech cane. It lets the user search Google Maps and be guided towards his or her destination by voice prompts.
VAVI is not actually a cane but just a short cylinder; instead of direct contact it uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect objects in the user’s path. A vibration motor and a buzzer alerts the user if there’s an obstacle in his way. As for the location search, Roman wrote an Android app that taps into Google Maps. When the app is open, the user can order it to search for a location by saying “go to _____.” The app will look for the destination and will then provide voice prompts to guide the user as he walks.
The app also accepts voice commands for placing a phone call, sending the user’s current location to someone else and for finding VAVI. For that last feature, the app will reach out to VAVI through Bluetooth and activate its motor and buzzer to make it easier to find. Roman also made it so VAVI can be charged wirelessly via induction so the user won’t have to bother finding an adapter and an outlet.
For all its capabilities, Roman estimates that VAVI only costs about $70(USD) to produce. Check out Roman’s website for more on his invention.
One major concern for cane users is where exactly they’ll be able to rest their can when not using it. Whether they’re sitting, laying down, in the kitchen or outside, it’s important that it always be handy. Thanks to its manual opening tripod attachment, the Tricane ensures that the walking aid is always within reach and won’t fall to the ground. In anodized aluminum, it’s just as lightweight, compact and good-looking as a classic cane.
This robotic cane is the possible future of canes for blind people and the elderly who are not blind, but just have trouble seeing everything.
This navigational canes isthe work of Dr. Cang Ye, a roboticist at the University at Arkansas at Little Rock and the engineering team that developed it. It is called the Co-Robotic Cane (CRC for short). It has a camera and laser detection as well as a ranging system that can spot objects in its user’s path. If something is in the way, it warns the user through the earpiece. One of the most innovative features is the roller tip on the end, which moves, guiding you toward a useful direction and out of the way of objstacles.
Dr. Ye thinks that the cane will be a great advance in navigational aids for the visually impaired. It certainly beats using an ordinary cane.
We usually hear about new tablets and smartphones at the Mobile World Congress, but this year Fujitsu also showed off a different mobile device. The Japanese company had a working prototype of a cane that downloads routes wirelessly and then guides its user using large arrows on its LED screen.
The next generation cane is obviously intended for the elderly. I’m just guessing here, but I think the prototype is based on the grand prize winner of a design contest that Fujitsu held in 2011. The idea is for someone – hopefully not a prankster – to make a route on a computer using the cane’s companion program. The cane will then download the route via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or 3G. With this information at hand, the cane will now tell the user which way to go using large green arrows. Should the user stray from the route, the cane will vibrate and reprimand the user with a red exclamation point. Then it shows the green arrows again.
What do you think this is grandpa, a leisurely stroll?! Make your way around the park in a predetermined, optimized and orderly manner!
I don’t see much point in just having a heart rate monitor. What’s an old person supposed to do with the data if he’s already having a heart attack or trying to run away from a thief? The cane does send its location back to the companion app so other people can track the user, but it would be more awesome if the cane could automatically call for help based on the user’s heart rate. It would be even more awesome if the cane could transform into a laser cannon. Yeah Fujitsu, screw the heart monitor. Just go with the laser cannon.
Need a way to carry around your favorite booze without raising suspicion? As long as you’re not planning to use it to transport illegal substances, I think you’ll find the Brandy Smuggler Walking Cane perfect for your needs.
Obviously you don’t need to fill it with brandy. Pour in beer, ginger ale, shots of Patron, or even Diet Coke…. it’s up to you, although keep in mind that you won’t be able to keep your drinks at the desired temperature since you can’t exactly stuff your cane into the fridge – though you might be able to freeze a couple of the flasks to help keep the others cold.
Hidden within the cane are five 2-oz. flasks that are stacked one upon another on the inside. Just unscrew the top to gain access to your hidden chamber of drinks.
Of course, you’ll have to develop a sudden limp and practice so that you can successfully convince everyone around you that you need a cane to walk upright. But hey, anything to sneak your drinks in, right?
