Hydration vest concept combines computational design and human intuition

AI is a hot and messy topic these days, with many vocal people on both sides of the fence. There’s no denying that this technology is challenging many of our long-held traditions and practices, and it will inevitably change the way we do things, for better or for worse. AI is affecting all industries, including ones that you’d least associate with something related to computers, data, and statistics, industries such as art, and, well, design. For all the buzz around it, AI is really just a tool like any other else. It can be used for ill, or it can be used to enhance our quality of life or our effectiveness, as demonstrated by this design concept that combines the computational power of AI with the creativity and judgment of the human mind.

Designer: Tea Vignoli

If you’ve seen impressive yet controversial art produced by AI, it isn’t because artificial intelligence and neural networks suddenly got creative, at least not in the same sense as humans. Those are the results of analyzing hundreds or thousands of sources and applying trial-and-error processes at the speed of milliseconds rather than hours. In other words, AI is great at working with large quantities of data in short amounts of time, something that even the smartest humans pale in comparison.

Aliqua is a design research project that utilizes this strength to create a design that, at the end of the day, benefits the target audience. In this case, it is a hydration vest aimed at medium to long-distance runners that need one to two liters of water for a single run. Of course, this isn’t a new device category, but typical hydration vests have plenty of flaws. The position of the single water bladder is often close to where the body keeps the most heat, letting the water lose its cool quickly. The vests also either bounce a lot or are too tight to be comfortable.

Computational design used data gathered from hundreds of sources to determine the best shapes and locations for the water receptacle and straw to minimize the effect of heat, both from the body and from the environment. The bladders, for example, were separated into two and placed away from the hottest area in the center of the back. It also generated ideas for perforated patterns to make the vest more breathable and comfortable, even when moving around.

Of course, the creative process didn’t end there, and the designer still has to separate good results from unusable ones. Details also have to be added and materials are chosen, so it isn’t as if AI just delivered a final design on a silver platter. More than producing a more efficient and more comfortable hydration vest, this project’s biggest achievement is the creative process that demonstrates the effective use of AI in design while also reaffirming the critical role that humans still need to play in order to produce something usable, elegant, and well-designed.

The post Hydration vest concept combines computational design and human intuition first appeared on Yanko Design.

This seemingly simple arm patch lets you know how much water to drink and when

It isn’t just our planet that’s mostly made up of water. Our bodies, too, have large quantities of water and require a regular intake of fluids to keep them functioning properly. We all know this for a fact, yet few of us take the advice to heart. Those with more active lifestyles are often more conscious of this and hydrate more regularly, but they might not always know the most optimal strategy for the time and amount of water or other fluids to drink. Without sophisticated equipment to monitor your body’s fluid output, you might not know how much to take in. That’s the kind of information that this sensor offers, and it involves nothing more than just slapping a patch on your arm before your run or exercise.

Designer: Nix

The common advice is to drink eight glasses or two liters of water a day, which is fine for most cases and individuals. When you live a more active lifestyle, though, especially if you work out often, when and how you hydrate involves more than that simple metric. Making it a bit more complicated is that different people have different hydration needs and rates of dehydration depending on their activity.

Rather than leaving that important health factor up to guesswork or generic figures, the Nix Hydration Biosensor uses science and technology to actually give you a better picture of your body’s hydration state. It’s almost similar to how our smartwatches constantly keep track of our heart rate, except that it uses a different biomarker and part of your body. This simple device sticks to your skin and tracks your fluid and electrolyte loss through the sweat you produce during activities.

There is already equipment that can measure that data, but these are often bulky machines that can only be used inside labs and involve connecting multiple sensors to your body. This Hydration Biosensor, in contrast, whittles it down to just a hexagon-shaped pod that clips onto a sweat patch that you stick to your arm. Because of the sensor’s lightweight construction and the absence of any wires, the Hydration Biosensor won’t get in the way of any kind of workout or activity you might engage in.

Similar to a smartwatch, the sensor sends its data to a companion device, usually a smartphone, which does the heavy work of analyzing that data to notify you when it’s time to drink up and how much. This might sound like micromanaging, but it’s the kind of efficiency that many athletes live by in order to get the best out of their workout as well as their recovery. At the very least, it will get people more aware of just how important hydration is to our well-being, especially when you start to notice how you get dehydrated more often than not.

The post This seemingly simple arm patch lets you know how much water to drink and when first appeared on Yanko Design.

Collapsable Grenade Water Bottle: Fire Water in the Hole!

Because who doesn’t want to draw a bunch of unwanted attention to themselves when they’re just trying to stay hydrated, this is a collapsable silicone water bottle available on Amazon (affiliate link) that looks like a grenade when completely collapsed, and much less like one when it’s not. Interesting.

Available in red or grey and four different styles of camouflage to suit your particular special ops needs (including red/white for ice-lava warfare), the bottle holds approximately 20 oz. expanded, and 8 oz. collapsed. So it doesn’t carry a ton of water, but you don’t need a ton of water anyways, otherwise, you’ll have to pee in the middle of your mission and blow your cover. Get to the chopper!

The craziest part about this is I don’t think they intended for the product to look like a grenade, since there’s not a single mention of its shape in the entire product description, which is wild because that’s totally a grenade. I mean it even comes in camouflage colors! Despite my wife’s insistence that I am, I can’t be the only one losing my mind over this.

[via The Awesomer]

This fastest triathlon bike by design comes with a built-in hydration system and adjustable parts!

The Plasma 6 is the latest triathlon bike from Scott Sports was designed to be the fastest triathlon bike ever built. Equipped with a built-in hydration system, optimized aerodynamics, adjustable parts, and integrated storage compartments, the Plasma 6 just needs to bring you over the finish line.

Different bikes call for different designs. While an electric city bike might boast hubless wheels and smart control panels, off-road bikes lean into an ergonomic build and keep a tight focus on horsepower. Triathlon bikes are all about aerodynamics and a lightweight frame, prioritizing function over aesthetics. The Scott Plasma 6, the next-generation triathlon bike from Scott Sports, was built for one reason and one reason alone: to be the fastest triathlon bike ever built.

Following the Plasma 5’s debut, Scott Sports started work on its successor, the Plasma 6. Four years later, the newest triathlon bike from Scott Sports touts a versatile and optimal shape for aerodynamics and a fully integrated design complete with hidden storage compartments and a built-in hydration system.

The designers behind Plasma 6 mention how they took into account the aerodynamics of the moving rider from day one, designing and fine-tuning the bike in a wind tunnel to ensure practical improvements are made in real conditions.

Constructing the Plasma 6 to perform at top speeds required a lot of conceptual planning on the design team’s end. Recognizing that the down tube’s prime position is just behind the front tire, the Scott Sports designers also confirmed that when the wheel is that close to the down tube, turbulence is much more frequent.

Adjusting the positioning only slightly to avoid that close of contact between the down tube and front wheel, Scott Sports left a wide gap between the two parts, giving the bike enough room to make turns without prompting any turbulence.

Since the closer the rear wheel is to the seat tube, the more aerodynamic Plasma 6 is, the designers at Scott Sports designed the rear wheel so that it could be adjusted to six different positions before the rider reaches the ideal distance between their seat tube and rear wheel.

Then, riders can rest assured the Plasma 6 doesn’t hold out on any of the integrated storage compartments the Plasma 5 was known for. In fact, the built-in storage system is even more advanced on the Plasma 6. Describing the new storage system, Scott Sports notes,

“It allows all spare parts, drinks, and nutritious snacks to be integrated into the frame. The new hydration system allows you to quench your thirst and have a snack while staying in an aerodynamic position, and even refuel without getting off the bike.”

In building the Plasma 6, Scott Sports hoped to build a fast bike for any type of rider, even outside of racing. From the rear wheel adjustment system to the integrated storage compartments, it seems the designers have thought of everything to ensure a smooth ride. Taking it a notch further, the pedals also run on an adjusting track that riders can change as they see fit. The cockpit and forearm skates are also adjustable for riders to find their most comfortable position.

Designer: Scott Sports

Easy to remove and attach to the bike, the gel canister can hold 400ml and is made from antibacterial polypropylene.

When tucked away, the gel canister is out of sight. 

The Plasma 6’s adjustable seat comes with an attached holder for water bottles. 

The simple frame reveals integrated storage compartments and adjustable features that give Plasma 6 an aerodynamic performance.

Aura squeezes its fitness band into an Apple Watch ‘Smart Strap’

In May Aura closed a relatively modest $109,000 Kickstarter for its Band, a fitness tracker that it says uses biompedance analysis to monitor "fat, muscle mass, minerals, and body water." We spoke to the people behind the Band, who said it is availab...

The Aquabook Is A Water Bottle That Fits In With Your School Books

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Most water bottles are sold to sports enthusiasts who like to stay hydrated during their workouts. Or to regular people who simply want to have some H2O handy. But the Aquabook is a little different. Shaped a little bit like a book, flat and rectangular and the size on an A5 sheet, it is meant to fit perfectly in a backpack or carrying case already full of books and papers. Cylindrical bottles will obviously take up a whole bunch of room and leave empty, inefficient spaces in your bag. The Aquabook carries 25 ounces of water, is made of BPA-free plastic, comes in 5 colors, and ships with cleaning tabs and brushes to ward off bacteria. It’s a €20 ($22USD) pledge to get your own, and you’ll have to wait until February 2016 to get yours.

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