Kinetic Architecture

This is quite possibly one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. Seriously. The good people over at Yanko Design introduced the Kinetower, a new build for skyscrapers that utilizes sunlight to transform a building from a traditional straight-up structure to something of a flower. The Kinetower uses a material that is rigid as high grade steel when taut, but flexible when loose. The result is a building that can open itself up to sunlight and wind, meaning a much more energy-sustainable structure. Rather than using man-made electricity, solar and wind energy can be utilized for a building that essentially powers itself. The applications for this design are endless, and with a premium being placed on 'green', I wouldn't be surprised to see the Kinetower in the works somewhere soon. Hopefully the US will get its head on straight and order a bunch of these. Check out some more renderings of the Kinetower after the jump...

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The Transforming Motorcycle

Yes, yes people!! The 'Future' is coming, complete with laser vision, dehydrated food and transforming vehicles!! Okay... So the first two are nowhere near fruition, but the last one is shown in the above video. The Uno Transformer made its debut at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, and features the capacity to transform from a triple-wheeled unicycle to a sleek two-wheeled motorcycle. The Uno uses a gyroscope to balance itself and does its transformation while accelerating for maximum stability and speed for its small frame. It's completely electric-powered, meaning you won't have to break your bank, and lets out zero-emissions, meaning it's 'green' by default. The only thing that the Uno's design sacrifices is horsepower, clocking in at a top speed of 35 MPH. You won't blow by the Ducatti's and Kawasaki's, but you'll definitely look cool doing it. Check out the BPG Uno III in action.

WEWOOD Timepieces

 

With the recent trend of rocking wooden chains and jewelry, why not just add watches to the equation and send us right back to the tribal days. That's the idea environmentalists at Italian brand WEWOOD have come up with to extend the trend, using different kinds of timber to craft timepieces. The result is a completely sustainable watch, made with scrap wood and only needing a watch battery to operate. The kicker for WEWOOD, though, is that for every watch sold, they'll plant a tree. Not that I'm a tree-hugger, but the prospect makes the product's purchase that much better. WEWOOD has a lot more colorways for their CRONO and DATE. Check their website or hit the jump to see them...

Revolving Door = Electricity??

I love ideas like this because they're so simple, but can make such a huge difference if installed on a wide scale. The GOOD people at FluxLab, all working out of Brooklyn Tech, have created the NYC Revolution Door. The invention uses the revolutions from a revolving door to generate electricity. The fact that revolving doors are a staple of damn near every Manhattan office building makes this idea invaluable. The incentive-based electronic board connected to the door is all the more reason for people to want to use revolving doors. At this juncture in human history, we'd be stupid not to explore every avenue of energy and energy creation possible; even the little things. Check the video out...

The Twirling Battery

If everyone had batteries like this, then no one would need to bring chargers ANYWHERE. This battery, designed by Yanko Design has it's own recharging feature. As you can tell from the picture, all you have to do is twirl the thing around your finger. While the designers say the battery isn't meant to be 'eco-friendly' or a 'green' concept, you have to see how this could segue into a whole new sector of power. Too bad they only make it in Japan and for that specific phone. Check out some specs and the quickie tutorial...