Twist Kettle: A Sustainable Water Boiler

Water scarcity, global warming and decreasing resources make it a necessity for a product to be sustainable and resource saving. With water kettles, water efficiency is a problem where %25 of the water is lost during boiling. Twist is a sustainable water boiler/kettle with zero water loss designed by Hakan Gürsu for Designnobis. It preserves water by inner circulation, therefore provides water, energy and time efficiency. Unlike conventional kettles, Twist does not waste water, while it also saves energy by reducing process time. Besides being eco-friendly, it also makes water-heating process more economic, safe and practical. With its innovative water cycle system, water and steam are preserved in body and circulated.

Coming in various colors, Twist kettle designed in a line to fit modern kitchens. Body is made of colored stainless steel whereas upper part is made out of heat resistant plastic such as Ultra ABS. Grip is covered with elastomer material that makes it easy to handle when hot. With its 1.5 liters capacity, it is suitable for both single living persons and families. Also aiming to reduce used water amount, it encourages using less water by eliminating the risk of burning out the kettle by leaving on the stovetop. As there is always water preserved inside, Twist works fine with little amounts. Therefore the users need to put only enough water for a use that in turn reduces the spent energy in comparison with a full kettle. It also saves energy by working like a thermos, keeping the water hot in its closed system after it is removed from stove. Thus energy spent for reheating is also reduced.

Twist kettle traps water inside and prevents it boiling away through a closed system where water is cycled inside. The handle is flipped and locked into spout, creating an inner funnel that enables the circulation of water. With applied heat and increased inner pressure within enclosed body, water reaches boiling point and starts to vaporize. Turning to steam, water vapor rises and goes across the funnel where it condensates into liquid. Funnel is kept cool with micro holes under the handle. Water drops cumulate on funnel wall and drip back to main reservoir. This repeating cycle maintains continuous water circulation. There is also a safety micro valve on the top that relieves in case of high pressure. If pressure or temperature reaches a high level, valve pops up and releases excess steam, ensuring product safety. [via]

USB Flash Drive Collector Hub

People often have three or four USB flash drives that they don’t frequently use buried in a drawer or some other place. This is a waste of resources. The Outdated USB Collector was designed by Lee Seungmin and Jin Juhyun in response. The Outdated USB Collector is a physical case that has multiple input slots where you can plug in a multitude of flash drives. The device aggregates the storage space of all the flash drives connected to it. It can be considered an external hard disk of variable storage capacity; the final memory depends on the storage space of each pen drive connected to it and the amount of flash drives connected. The front display shows the individual space of the flash drives and the sum of all the connected thumb drives.

The Outdated USB Collector is a green device; apart from its body being made of eco-friendly plastic, the device also helps you recycle your old flash drives that are not in use. Instead of letting them rot in some corner of your desk, they can become active components of storage. High-capacity 512GB USB flash drives were recently released. One might expect that in the foreseeable future, the value of high-capacity USB flash drives will drop to that of today’s low-capacity 1GB and 2GB ones. Thus, the Outdated USB Collector could be of unlimited use. [via]

Gyroscopically-Stabilized Electric Motorcycle

The C-1 by Lit Motors, Inc is the world’s first gyroscopically-stabilized electric motorcycle. This vehicle combines the efficiency and freedom of a motorcycle with the safety and convenience of a car. Influenced by Scandinavian design, the exterior of the C-1 is both approachable and simple, enveloping the human in subtle curves, softened volumes, and lots of glass. The overall design foundation is based on its waist line, which wraps around the vehicle’s circumference, and is grounded by the swooping rocker panel, highlighting its unique gyroscopic components. Offering the “alternative to alternatives” on an exciting and safe platform, the C-1 transforms your daily commute into something to look forward to.

Due to its numerous layers of connectivity, you can think of the C-1 as a “rolling smart phone”. The device will employ H2V, H2C, V2I, and V2V connectivity. As a small example: traffic, construction, and adverse weather conditions will be transmitted to the vehicle, thus informing both you and the C-1 about the current situation and advising different routes.

Using electronically-controlled gyroscopes located under the floor – generating over 1,300 ft.-lb. of torque – the C-1 balances at a stop and stays upright, even in a collision. In-hub, direct-drive electric motors (20 kW) provide power and regeneration, while center-hub steering keeps you pointed in the right direction. With a top speed of 100+ MPH and battery packs providing up to 200 miles per charge, the C-1 is perfect for commuters. [via]

db0 7: Electric Bike with Iconic V Shape

The db0 (divided by nothing) 7 is an electric bike with a rear mounted motor designed by Rob Brady and team. The main focus was to design purposely for universal usage - male and female riders – and this dictated the purpose of the down-tube and the overall structure. The frame needed to allow for ease of mount and dismount for all riders. Designing around this universal purpose, the basic V shape becomes an iconic element of the design – using the central hub as the focal point of the bike. The center hub houses all of the electronics. The designers of db0 7 kept the overall read simplified – the design remains clean and not fussy. This clean focal point allows bike to stand out in the crowd.

The db0 7 equipped with the hub with stylized lights to show battery strength and power assist strength. These lights are not meant to be visible to the rider, they are more to highlight to the onlookers that this bike is something more than a traditional bike. Riders will gain information on their bike’s performance through a Bluetooth unit that will relay information to a db0 application on the rider’s smart phone. The rider can place their smart phone into a mount in the handlebar area for ease of use. The circular hub is the iconic element of the db0 7, in this case highlighting not only the technology but the overall lightness and simplicity of the bike by focusing on the empty space of the circle. This also stays within the db0 family aesthetic of elevating the electronic hub as the design focus.

The db0 7 has a distinct boldness to the tubing design. The tube design is purposeful in its cross-sections. While maintaining the bold aesthetic of the bike, they are functional in that the rear tube is much wider to allow for the housing the 36v battery pack and also as a structural support for the seat, while the front tube is much more slender, allowing for ease of entry onto the bike while still allowing room for necessary cabling through the tube. The seat adjustment is also unique. The seat support travels on the support tube within a rail, allowing for unique articulation points. As shorter riders lower the seat, the design also brings them closer to the handlebars. Rob Brady and team addressed structural concerns of seat support with concentric support components that complement the central hub and also strengthen the arrangement of the main V shape. The bike was designed to be as light as possible for an electric bike while maintaining consideration for manufacturing efficiency, i.e. a traditional bike assembly method of welded extruded aluminum tubing. The stylized cast aluminum wheels echo the simplistic design and mirror the play on empty space at the focal point of the bike. [via]

Self Generating Drinking Water Resource

Leaf is a self generating drinking water resource designed by Anurag Sarda. This solar-powered device collects usable water out of thin air. According to the designer, the product is named as 'Leaf' since a natural leaf inspires the mechanism of this product. Entire structure is around 12 feet tall and easy to deal with. It works in the same way as dewdrops are formed on natural leaves.

Basically, there are 4 major components in this equipment – solar panel, charge controller, lead acid battery and a thermoelectric module. All these parts work well in conjunction to create water. There is a huge metallic surface in the shape of a leaf on the top of this apparatus. The process of condensation forms dewdrops. This process takes place when the aluminum plate cools down its temperature with the help of the thermoelectric module. The thermoelectric module gets power from the battery, which is charged with the help of the attached solar panel. The water passing through the sand filter gets purified and minerals are added to it. Further passes through carbon filter and the drops then get collected in the attached earthen pot, which cools down the water. The entire system is hassle free and it doesn't require high maintenance. The filter needs to be cleaned time to time so that it does not get clogged with dirt and sand. Through this process, one unit can collect up to 15 liters of water per day when humidity is relatively high. [via]