Abdolhadi Mirhejazi’s Naturmobil: A New Way to Think About Horsepower!

No, you’re eyes are not deceiving you. This vehicle really runs on genuine horsepower, and it even has a patent! Whoever thought mankind would return to the horse as inspiration for transportation alternatives, in the effort to free us from oil dependency? Well, Dubai-based Iranian inventor Abdolhadi Mirhejazi has done just that with his DIY Naturmobil from Fleethorse, LLC, which has been getting some press over the past year, for its shall we say, innovative approach to transportation design. With top speeds of up to 80 km/h the vehicle operates with a horse walking on a slightly inclined conveyor belt, which moves the gears serving six motorcycle wheels, with enough energy left over, to power a small battery for headlights and to act as backup power when the horse gets fatigued and needs to rest (the horse is constantly monitored to keep track of body temperature and heart rate). This process can even maintain enough power to run two LCD monitors on the side of the vehicle, for video advertisements. As you can imagine, a project like this needs constant funding for development, so Mirhejazi and his marketing manager are seeking investors, and planning to exhibit the Naturmobil at the upcoming Invention and New Product Exhibition in Pittsburg, California this coming June.

Although this may not be the most practical solution to oil dependency and auto-based pollution, it certainly offers a unique take on how we could design our modes of transportation to have less negative environmental impact, rather than sticking with the status quo. You never know, by implementing some rigorous lateral thinking, concepts like this may lead the R&D teams at Toyota, Honda and GM, to come up with radical new technologies for the cars of the future. Probably without the horses though…

Via XPRESS of Dubai

Who Needs Batteries? (The Simple Genius of Solar Flashlights)

It’s hard to imagine a more complete and practical “green gadget” than a solar-powered LED flashlight made from recycled plastic. Well, at least manufacturers have the solar and LED part down, with the the recycled plastic part hopefully not too far behind, as some company out there incorporates this added benefit to their product line (think Recycline’s toothbrushes and razor handles).

As columnist Thomas Friedman has suggested, for so long, the United States had been considered the leader in technological ingenuity and development, but when it comes to clean technology and its related offspring - including something as straightforward and logical as a solar-powered flashlight - the nation lags behind others. For example, even China, which has recently matched or surpassed the U.S. in terms of its negative environmental impact, is manufacturing solar-powered flashlights and other related energy saving products, and may ironically be poised to surpass the U.S. in the rapid development of green consumer goods. However, once local, State, and Federal governments finally comprehend the enormous benefit that would come from creating a massive green manufacturing sector, including wind, solar, hydrogen (and beyond), these products may be manufactured here, and Friedman will have his wish of the U.S. living up to its potential. With problems ranging from water and food scarcity, to inadequate or non existent energy generation infrastructure, a new wave of designers and social activists are being inspired to develop a range of environmentally progressive products and services to serve various populations, and the solar-powered flashlight represents just the beginning.

BoGo Light

Earthtorch

Eclipse Solar Powered Flashlights

Tanya Aguiñiga Talks About Her Design Inspiration

Tanya Aguiñiga is a furniture designer who earned an MFA in furniture design from Rhode Island School of Design in 2005. Originally from Tijuana, she’s now based in LA. Spending most of her life living between Tijuana and San Diego, she has found inspiration from both locations and the differences have informed her work drastically.

“In Tijuana, everyone made trash into something beautiful and useful, nothing went to waste. Having grown up in a place where trash is used to construct houses, furniture making has provided me an outlet to create something that is functional while translating emotions into a three-dimensional object.”

In 2006 Tanya was awarded with the United States Artists, Target Fellow Award. “United States Artists (USA) is a grant-making arts organization dedicated to supporting America’s finest living artists working in a diverse array of disciplines. After decades of dwindling public support, artists now have a home where they may find significant private funding—unrestricted cash grants—to ignite the creativity that makes this country great.” Their motivation for continuing to grow the organization stems from a study they conducted, concluding that America is “a country that loves art, not artists.” In their survey, the organization found that 96% of Americans said they were “greatly inspired by various kinds of art and highly value art in their lives and communities.” Only 27% of people that they interviewed however said that they believe “artists contribute a lot to the good of society.”