Week 27 β 01 July 2022
#01 ππ·π | blue print-less bridge.
A 634-meter-long bridge just outside Oslo, Norway, was designed and constructed without any drawings. Welcome to the world end-to-end Building Information Modeling (BMI) workflows.
The Randselva Bridge is an example of infrastructure projects that have digital-first workflows: the team is in four cities and four different countries. 70% of the design is parametric β it can adjust automatically to changes in other areas (and inform of such changes and conflicts).
The project owner, Statens vegvesen has seen a significant reduction in change orders when using BIM models as a basis for producing drawings. Eliminating drawings predictively means reducing the number even further.
π·: Oystein Ulvestad
On a typical construction project there are plenty of chances for things to go awry. Ulvestad says the bridge has more than 250,000 individual pieces of reinforcing bars, and about 250 long-span steel cables that serve to keep the bridge at the right tension. βWhen you would traditionally work to build this with drawings, youβd need about 200 of these drawings. And when you would revise every one of those about five or six times, so you would end up with about 1,000 drawings,β he says. Regular 3D scans of the project help keep the model updated and point out where changes are needed.
The advantages of digital workflows that use parametric and generative design are speed of development, comprehensive analysis of issues and conflicts from engineering perspectives, cost reduction, materials cost estimates and massive complexity is free.
As more organizations utilize BMI and software that can enhance parametric and generative inputs, it will lead to better modeling and solutions that can enhance the quality of life as a result of the built environment.
#02 π€ΌββοΈπ€ΎποΈββοΈ | sports bras robots.
π·: Nike
Sports apparel giant Nike has developed robots to inform and improve the design of sports bras. Two robots have been developed by Nike: βHaleyβ can sweat (i.e. it is a thermoregulating mannequin) & βBrabotβ simulates soft tissue.
Brabotβs intelligent torso can stretch and move over and over in a way that might tire out a human model, and provides testing consistency. Nike says, βBrabot can reliably and repeatedly assess the support offered by a bra.β
Haley & Brabot are also informed by thousands of 3D scans of women from around the world, the scans become a large data training set that informs Nikeβs Data Science team to craft and run machine learning algorithms and improve fit, durability, thermodynamics and ergonomics. Such approach also enables access communities to have perfect fit clothing.
βThe real breakthrough in better-fitting apparel for more body types has been the proliferation of digital tools,β Schirripa said. βWeβre using data visualization and avatars to more accurately match the wide range of curves, heights, and weights we all have. Weβre not just grading up, weβre creating specific designs for a much larger percentage of our population to reinforce that sport will never be defined by size.β
[Via Rachel Kraus at Well+Good]
π·: Nike
Large corporates are realizing that they can profit from roughly one billion people who are on the accessibility spectrum. Moving accessibility as a key strategy component means that R&D budgets can also help reimagine the business and not just have a tick box approach to community involvement.
#03 πππͺ« | the grid is your backup.
π·: EcoFlow
Combining an AC/DC inverter, MPPT solar charger, DC-DC converter, and DC-DC charger, EcoFlowΒ΄s PowerHub and PowerKits are a compelling new product for remote cabins, accessible dwelling units and campervan conversions.
π·: EcoFlow
Up to 15kWh of power can be connected to the system⦠enough power to take care of you overnight with all-electric appliances running for your cooking and heating needs. A maximum of 4800V of power input via solar panels is supported and the whole system can be charged in as little as 3 hours with solar energy.
Integrated power solutions that take out the complexity and guess work for consumers also removes barriers to entry for solar energy installations with the high cost of contractors or technicians that need certifications or specialized training to install and handle such equipment. Such installation costs can double the expense for the consumer. With every home battery integration, we create distributed and decentralized grid resilience that is necessary in a changing climate and legacy βand strainedβ infrastructure.
#04 βοΈπ₯΅π§ | Chomolungma base camp is melting.
π·: TASHI LAKPA SHERPA/AFP via Getty Images
Khumbu glacier is melting faster than expected. Above it, the basecamp to Chomolungma, Goddess Mother of the World (the historic local Tibetan name for Mount Everest), is located and it is no longer safe to keep it there. It will be moved by 2024.
Sagarmatha, Goddess of the Sky, is the Nepali name for Mount Everest.
The current base camp location is becoming destabilized by the ice melt and is no longer safe. Climbers say cracks appear in the ground overnight, and guides say they expect more avalanches and ice falls at the current location going forward. The new base camp will be around 200 to 400 meters lower in altitude β and in a spot where there isnβt year-round ice.
#05 π§π½ββοΈπ§ββοΈπ§ββοΈ | TV shows themed meals & cloud kitchens
π·: Penguin Random House
An interesting twist for marketing an advertising has been the development of restaurant menus tied to TV shows. Penguin Random House recently released The Witcher Cookbook with over 80 recipes for fans to try out and enjoy. When media conglomerates think beyond companion games or audiovisual content, interesting experiences can be crafted.
π·: Penguin Random House
Reality TV shows have also jumped on the wagon of crafted meals that you can experience. MasterChef has recently created temporary menus on a weekly basis that are available only from temporary ghost restaurants in apps such as GrubHub or Uber Eats.
π·: MasterChef & Grubhub
In 2021, TikTok launched TikTok Kitchen to make some of the most viral recipes shared by TikTok creators to specific markets around the world. This approach allows them to flex their eCommerce strategy without any capital investment in restaurants.
π·: TikTok Kitchen
Could Apple Fitness+ eventually tie-in cloud kitchens for nutritious meals crafted for your metabolic state and metabolic needs anywhere you happen to be?
Analogue to a singer and songwriter whoβd have to have a band, a label and a distribution network, we are at the dawn of new entrepreneurship opportunities for chefs and foodies to monetize their recipes. They can license their recipe to cloud kitchens and receive royalties for their intellectual property.
#06 π¨πΎβπ»π§°π | Tampa Bay DAO.
π·: Tampa Bay DAO (TBD)
While physically located in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, the Tampa Bay DAO is an interesting community driven project serving Floridians.
Tampa Bay DAO (TBD) is a place for free agents such as creatives, entrepreneurs, artists, freelancers, innovators, developers, problem solvers, and enthusiasts to share knowledge and skills in a supportive, educational, and collaborative environment.
Our goal is to shape Tampa Bayβs free agentsβ future while building a healthy community committed to helping others.
Removing any web3, blockchain and crypto-bro conversation, the fact that people are trying to develop new ways to asynchronously coordinate, build consensus and support emerging talent is commendable. The group has an aim to inform members of web3 technologies and some projects do develop with the web3 layer as a baseline.
Before DAOs gained popularity, there have existed hundreds of permutations of blueprint structures for communities. Scalability, engagement, attrition and consensus have been ongoing factors that bring them to fruition or to a close. An ongoing example of such organizations that have remained is New Zealand-based (Wellington), espiral Network.
π·: Enspiral Foundation
The Enspiral Foundation is a charitable company co-owned by the Enspiral Members. Its mission is to support the network as a whole, facilitate collaboration between the people and ventures,Β and further the overall social mission of Enspiral.
How Humans relate to one another forms the basis of civilization. We have evolved to live in the company of humans. We have only evolved by relating to others, being safeguarded, feeding each other, being raised, being cared for by a collective, building shelters, defending them, expanding them and reimagining our surroundings to the point of terraforming the planet and pushing it to the brink of making it uninhabitable for us in a deep an ironic twist.
We must continue to learn to relate to each other and above all to heal the relationship with our planet of origin as we move beyond Earth and create new identities of what it means to be Human beyond Humans of Earth.
#07 π©πΎβπ³π₯π€ | robotic wok.
π·: Panda Express
120 out of 2,316 βfast casualβ stores of Asian food maker, Panda Express, have installed a new robotic wok. The device, dubbed the Panda Auto Wok (PAW), has been in development since 2015.
PAW automates parts of the wok-handling process, including mixing ingredients and cooking large batches of starches for dishes like chow mein and fried rice. It can do this 25% faster than a manual wok and eliminates multiple steps for staff, which the chain said has improved retention.
Process Analytics for restaurants can be a powerful tool to ensure consistency and to spot potential improvements in worker safety and team development.
#08 πΆπΎπ¦΄ | restaurant kitchen scrap dog food.
USA-based (Austin-TX), DoggieBag, has launched a new product made from restaurant kitchen scraps, thus divesting from landfill waste. As it is already cooked at a high-standard of hygiene (city council permits of operation and inspections are assumed), the notion that it might have bad ingredients is sidestepped completely.
Enabling mechanisms for the reduction of harmful greenhouse gases is a planetary imperative. Food waste in a landfill is a recipe for methane gas and has the potential to also become a fire hazard.
#09 π§βπΎπ±π« | meat the vegan deli.
In big box store Costco, you will soon be able to grab more alternative protein options for your meals. Unreal Deli, a SharkTank alumni, will sell options for vegan roast turkey, corn beef, and steak deli.
βItβs now going to be easier than ever to stay stocked up on delicious and nutritious deli slices to satisfy those Reuben, Cheesesteak, and Turkey Club cravings with our biggest and most Unreal Costco-sized combo pack,β said Jenny Goldfarb, founder of Unreal Deli.
Big box stores donβt provide market validation for alt-proteins. We are way beyond that. There is heavy demand for such foods and alternative protein choices for consumers. Costco, Samβs Club and big box stores become a vast delivery platform for products across broad markets. The success of brands can be made or broken when retailers take on their products and their ability to scale.
#10 π΄ππ΄ | swappable 1kwh batteries.
A near 1kWh swappable battery is being integrated to the fleet of bikes and scooters of micrimobility provider Lime. A larger battery will reduce the recharge times (and emissions of the fleet of vehicles that scout the scattered scooters and bikes). It will also enable riders to use them for longer and for longer trips.
As older batteries move off that service chain, it is interesting to see secondary uses as Do It Yourself Powerwalls for home use. Self-taught maker, Jehu Garcia, has pioneered the reuse of such batteries from unsold toys, overstock, and -dangerously- ending up in a landfill.
Jehu has done several electric retrofits for vehicles and has extensively posted in his YouTube channel how-to do such DIY batteries. A community rallied around the efforts (he is not an Engineer by Degree) and many experts lend a hand to improve and design PCBs, testing of systems, etc. Jehu has also been reusing scooter batteries for DIY power walls. 12 batteries can become 1 home battery. Excellent for power outages and assurance.
In June 2022, Audi announced the development of retrofit kits of eTron batteries for conversions of iconic rickshaws. The batteries are sourced from old EVs or recovered from EV crashes when a vehicle is deemed as totaled but the battery pack remains intact.
Electric micro-mobility is having a high uptake around the world with the rise of petrol prices. More people opt for mass transit or using an eBike to work as to keep their expenses in check. As people become comfortable with the benefits of electric vehicles, they can also potentially be a force for change in local city councils to support sustainable methods of transport and the associated infrastructure. The network effects of such infrastructure can lead to resilience in the electric grid by enabling a distributed and decentralized virtual power plant.