We're all aglow this week with tech that glows.
1. Glowing Car
Why didn't we think of this? Nissan has demonstrated that its electric car, the Leaf, could glow in the dark. They applied a special paint than contains strontium aluminate, an odourless and inert chemical that absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun during the day and then glows night. The glow lasts for eight to ten hours. Although the vehicle is just a concept for now, I think we can all agree that glowing cars are a good idea.
2. Clothes that Flash Back
What about glowing clothes? A new line of clothing from San Francisco-based Betabrand, an online clothing site that crowd-funds its lines, is made from material covered in microscopic glass beads that reflect light. Great for nights when you want to give the paparazzi a taste of their own medicine.
3. Glowing Headphone
Glow, a Kickstarter project that has already achieved its goal, touts its gadget as the first pair of smart headphones with a laser light. The light pulsates to the beat of the music you're listening to. Or, if you prefer, the embedded heart rate monitor can pulse to the beat of your heart.
4. HeartBeat Sculpture
Speaking of hearts, if you happen to find yourself in NYC's Times Square before March, check out the HeartBeat sculpture. Its outfitted with reflector lights, drum pads and other percussive instruments that invite people to tap along to a low-frequency beat emanating from inside. What could be better than the combo of love and music?
5. Cloud Cast
This misting system cools you off, and only you. Cloud Cast, designed by Carlo Ratti and his team at MIT’s SENSEable City Lab, is made from an array of thin aluminium rods outfitted with sensors that track the people below and instead of misting an entire area, only mists the places where a person stands or walks. Cool idea.
6. Telescopic Contact Lens
These contact lenses help people with macular degeneration, which can eventually lead to blindness. Each lens has a thin, reflective telescope inside that magnifies the view, giving those with age-related sight issues new hope for better vision.
7. Driverless Cars for London
Driverless vehicles are popping up everywhere. This one, called the Lutz Pathfinder, was unveiled this week in the U.K. Powered by a lithium-ion phosphate battery pack that provides a range of around 40 miles, this pod will eventually be used to transport people around the city of Milton Keynes at a top speed of 15 mph.
8. Solar-Powered Family Car
We've seen Stella before, the world's first solar-powered family car. But this week, the car, which comes from the Dutch Solar Team Eindhoven, won the Best Technological Achievement award at the Crunchies ceremony in San Francisco. Keep shining!
9. Spot, the Robot Dog
See Spot. See Spot run. See Spot the robotic dog tramp through a patch of trees, trot over a pile of rocks and sticks and climb a set of stairs. See Spot and his friend, Other Spot, haul military equipment onto the battlefield and scare the living crap out of enemy combatants. Hey, we're all a little afraid, too. See a video here.
10. Cupid Drone
What don't drones do? This one, called CupidDrone, dropped roses on people in Italy, the U.K., France, Germany, and the Netherlands. It was part of a stunt to promote Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk, one of the Flower Council of Holland’s brands. Although it's not entirely real - people knew they were going to be in a video, although they were not sure about what - it does give a glimpse at what the future of Valentine's Day might mean for us. You can see a video here.
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