FGadgets » Travel Gadgets

UNDERABOVE Dual Lens Under Water Camera By Han In Kyung

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:26:54 +0000

Regardless of their propinquity, the environments both above and below the water surface remain separate ever. It is difficult to grasp a visual view of both simultaneously. However, with Underabove dual lens camera, it is now possible to visually grasp both the surfaces simultaneously. It is a dual-lens camera, which floats at the surface of the water, capable of capturing 2 scenes – the environments above and below the water surface.In comparison to other seawater, Underabove is lightweight in nature primarily because of its symmetrical camera body being made with polypropylene and it floats easily as well. It is equipped with an LCD screen that allows the user to check the surface both above and below the water surface simultaneously. The camera also features a flash with a time, which can be employed to set up a self-portrait.

Designer: Han In Kyung
Source: TUVIE.com

Hostel Kiosk By Sebastian Pandolfi

admin — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:34:57 +0000

One of the best ways to know a country is to backpack through its little known towns and off-map destinations. For backpackers, hostels and similar lodges are the staple accommodation that allows travelers to meet many people and share common experiences. But more often than not, information sharing between different travelers (or groups of travelers) becomes limited to orally shared details and anyone looking to visit a place that someone back at their hostel raved about, has to rely on whatever information a stranger has given them. This kiosk concept by Argentinean designer Sebastian Pandolfi looks to bridge that very gap in the information sharing process.

The design looks to cater specifically to alternative tourism and would be ideally placed in common rooms in hostels. The device would allow guests staying in different rooms to upload the photographs, videos and other information that they have collected in their travel across a certain area into the device. This information would then be accessible to other guests staying in the hostel and they would be able to use the information in their own travels.

The information stored in the kiosk would be customizable by users and would contain profiles of other users as well. This would allow travelers to join each other if they share a common travel route and hence enrich their travel experience.

The kiosk provides strangers a way to form an informal network without having to invite a stranger to their personal social network. This would allow users to maintain their privacy and still be able to connect to others with the same convenience as using a social profile.

The design is also created with a viewpoint of being easy to install and maintain in unprotected environments like a hostel. The designer suggests that a resin shell reinforced with fiberglass mold would make it a sturdy and feasible idea with larger kiosks being crafted out of injected plastic.

Designer: Sebastian Pandolfi
Source: Design BUZZ

3D Interactive Campus Guide

admin — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:51:02 +0000

Have you ever been on campus, lost and forlorn, wishing you had a cute Oriental girl with a comforting voice to guide you and tell you where to go next? Wow, you have? Okay, that’s messed up. But either way, you’ll love Mei-Chan, the interactive 3D guide developed by the Nagoya Institute of Technology to aid students and visitors on campus, give them directions and answer their queries.

Mei-Chan herself (or itself, whichever way you’d like to put it) is an anime girl who answers queries with realistic gestures. You wouldn’t expect less from a Japanese college now, would you? A lot of work has been put into making Mei-Chan as life-like as possible. The basic premise of the system is simple. There are two screens, with the girl on the right, and all the information she’s offering you on the left. Voice recognition and speech-synthesis systems make communication easy, and the graphics have been programmed using OpenGL.

It’s awesome to see virtual 3-D guides replacing the simple “You-are-here” billboards at the likes of the Nagoya Institute of Technology, and Mei-Chan is a concept that could easily be extended further, not just to campuses, but even malls and museums, to name a few. Let’s just hope things don’t get too lifelike, because we might have social outcasts hogging the virtual guide-booths thinking they finally have a girlfriend.

Source: GizmoWatch.com

Electrolux Totem Modular Cooking System By Nick Morris

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 23:36:01 +0000

With rising population all around the world and with land price increasing at a faster rate, people now opt for small houses or even lofts. With houses getting small, its obvious that kitchens too are getting smaller and more compact and so does the cooking range. So here is Totem designed by Nick Morris. The system is a modular food system you could have only thought of in your dreams.

This easy to stack multi-functional cooking range is meant for people who love the space-saving concept. So whether you live in a loft, whether you love to travel or whether you can’t afford to buy a cooking range, this is the perfect solution for you. The solar cell powered equipment makes life easier by aiding you to cook your food and also to chill or freeze it. It even cleans. So what more would you need? And all you have to do is stack it up and build it according to its space requirement. The sun does its job of providing the required UV rays the tool needs so that the cooking system is fully charged.

This efficient cooking range is coated with EnSol, spray-on solar cell technology, thus enabling it to trap and store solar energy. Without necessarily using power, it can be used at any location. With its simple yet unique cooking capabilities, along with touch screen symbol selections, it no longer makes cooking a chore, but a hobby! Just follow the information provided and fry or bake or make your favorite dish anytime and anywhere you wish. Just remember to assemble the units as suggested and be the chef on the move.

Designer: Nick Morris
Source: EcoFriend.com

Mountaineer Digital Compass Wrist Watch By Milad Taleghani

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:01:31 +0000

A compass is normally used to calculate right direction by many. However, with technological advancements, this piece of instrument went electronic in the form of magnetometers. Designer Milad Taleghani, who earlier designed the Mountaineer DWC (digital wrist compass) wrist watch, has now come up with a gadget that clubs the features of a magnetometer, a watch and GPS system.

The multi-functional gadget can be easily tied around the wrist. The strap has been crafted from rubber and further enveloped with leather, which gives it an elegant look. It will be of utmost help for mountaineers who usually face unavoidable weather conditions like fog. Such a situation may unknowingly make them take a wrong way and they can feel lost. With this device, one can make good use of map and navigation tools while traveling. This is accurate than a traditional compass and will give flawless directions.

The watch comes embedded with a receiver, which can be used to feed important information via Bluetooth. This will give proper directions with the help of a pointer that has been shaped like a compass needle. A user can switch off the compass mode when not in use to save battery life. After this, it can be used as a smart time piece that will decorate your wrist. It will be crafted from polyamide or Kevlar that will make it face adverse weather conditions. The pointer of mountaineer DWC comes fitted with an LED, which will make it glow in the dark as well.

Designer: Milad Taleghani
Source: DesignBuzz.com

Subcom Underwater Radio By Nichola Trudgen

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:30:47 +0000

Underwater divers face problems communicating from below the surface of water. They make use of gestures, which can be misread many times. This may lead to some serious problems in case of an emergency. Keeping all these factors in mind, Nichola Trudgen has designed the Subcom underwater radio.

The device has been specially designed for Marine Biologists for Tait Radio Communications. It comes draped in easy-to-use technology that has been clubbed with attractive features. Subcom Radio is strapped around the wrist before the diver goes under water. If someone sends a message, he will be informed with a vibration. The communication gadget will ingeniously exploit text and voice recognition technology. A message will flash on the wide screen that the diver will be able to read clearly. The gadget has Yes or No buttons plus digits from 0-9, which the diver can use to send a response.

The underwater radio communication gadget is light in weight and comes wrapped with latest features. Subcom is an ingenious device that has made technology dive in water as well.

Designer: Nichola Trudgen
Source: DesignBuzz.ocm

Scratch And Track Map By Yuree Lim

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:26:40 +0000

This will be a joy for everybody who likes traveling by foot or bike (here is where that mobile rain bike shelter could come in handy). Yuree S. Lim just invented the Scratch & Track.

This is a concept that enables you to mark your travels on printable papers that are placed on a scratchable surface. The process is very simple: you print a map of the desired travel location and when you reach a targeted destination you scratch it away keeping a “bookmark” of where you’ve been.

Designer: Yuree Lim
Source: SoftSailor.com

Survival Hiking Device

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:31:47 +0000

The Survival Hiking Bag creates a protective barrier in the form of an air bag which envelopes the body when a hiker falls. It releases automatically due to acceleration via CO2 compressed air. The bag extends the survival chances by reducing the level of injury when one falls off a cliff. The polyester material is waterproof and brightly colored to make it easier for rescuers to spot.

Designers: Wong Hok Pan Sam, Lo Man Chun
Source: Yankodesign.com

Samsung Real Translator

admin — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:50:49 +0000

Whether it is Chinese, German or Spanish or any other language, it will take years of time to learn them. But electronic device maker Samsung is working on the real-time translation device that will resolve the language barrier issues. That means, during a conservation the device would interpret the voice and evaluate what has been said. The translated words then would be displayed on the screen of the device. It will be a very spontaneous mechanism in which the translated words would be instantly displayed on the screen. In the coming days we might see a full fledged technology which can be used for intelligent communication between different geographies.

This language translator will be an advantage to the strangers in a foreign land by letting them know what exactly is happening around them. All a user has to do is to hold the transparent AMOLED Screen facing the subject. By the time, you will start the conservation the device would automatically display the rough translation on the screen. As the device is still in the development stage, it is not clear that with how much precision it would work. From a users point of view there would be some other considerations, like accent, speed of speech, etc. Still, Samsung Mobile Display is claiming that the device can be put to use in just matter of months.

So for the question that, would I be able to communicate with aliens too? We would have to wait for some more time. But still everybody including me is eagerly waiting for this device to come.

Source: gizmowatch.com

na:vi: GPS Navigating System For The Visually Impaired

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:49:22 +0000

Life becomes difficult for the visually impaired, as they have to rely on others as soon as they steps out from their places. Developed by a group of designers, including Pia Weitgasser, Kristina Chudikova, Joe Müller, the “na:vi” is a GPS navigating system that allows the visually impaired to move freely without any help or assistance from others. Featuring guiding gyroscopes, the navigation system also integrates laser range finder, together with the GPS navigation with 3D user interface to ensure a safe and accurate direction finding. Moreover, the wearable device features a stylish, elegant design.

Designers: Pia Weitgasser, Kristina Chudikova, Joe Müller
Source: Thedesignblog.org