Gizmodo: oobject

12 Eye-Popping Flight Helmets

Elaine Chow — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:15:00 EDT

Oobject's list of flying helmets proves that pilots never need to look far for absolutely terrifying Halloween costumes. Like that f-35 joint strike fighter helmet - those terrible green eyes will haunt me forever. [Oobject]

12 Jet Engine Test Videos Will Have You Yelling "More Power!"

Kit Eaton — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Good ol' Frank Whittle: he dreamed up a device that can both deafen and thrill you at the same time. And you don't even have to be an aircraft fanatic to enjoy these jet engine test videos put together by OObject...the engineering, the noise and general "but what if it blows up?" bonkersness of running a chained-down jet engine to maximum power while it's inside a test shed will get you. Best watched from the comfort of your net surfin' armchair. Wait... what am I saying? That's clearly not true, but if you're unable to get close to a jet test site, you'll just have to make do. [OObject]

15 Objects More Monocoque Than a MacBook

Sean Fallon — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:10:00 EDT

The latest list from OObject plays well with my brief history of unibody construction as it relates to Apple's new MacBook manufacturing process. Keep in mind that the new MacBooks are not technically monocoque. To put things into perspective, OObject's list illustrates 15 different structures described as monocoque—from aircraft to soda cans. [OObject]

16 Drawing Contraptions That Are More Artistic Than You

Sean Fallon — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:20:00 EDT

Drawing doesn't come easy to all of us. I worked as a professional artist on and off for years and God knows I have seen some horrible stuff. Like someone put a pencil between their butt-cheeks horrible. Like other tasks, we have turned to robotics in an effort to make the process a little easier. OObject has compiled 16 of these contraptions—everything from devices that draw intricate geometric patterns to a crazy boot contraption that pushes around dirt from a nuclear test site. It may not technically be drawing, but I am partial to the 1100 barrel paintball gun built by the Mythbusters that paints the Mona Lisa instantly. [OObject]

20 of the Biggest, Baddest Boring Machines (the Right Kind of Boring)

John Mahoney — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Sometimes, you just need a huge fucking hole dug. Enter the world's most interesting boring machines—all big enough to Chunnel their way under vast bodies of water, massive gem mines, that kind of thing. Huge well-ventilated rotating digging heads are the name of the game here—good to ogle from the safety of the internet, because if you're hanging out in a cave with Sly Stallone and you see one of these coming, you'll be too busy runing. [OObject]

21 Real-Life Space Cars

Sean Fallon — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Everything is cooler when it is designed for space travel—from ice cream to cars. Speaking of cars, OObject has put together a list of 21 space vehicles that includes prototypes, retro creations like Wernher von Braun's MTA from 1966 and modern unmanned rovers. [OObject]

17 Classic Car User Interfaces, Otherwise Known as Dashboards

Sean Fallon — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:40:00 EDT

Sure, your car dashboard may have a lot of cool buttons and computer displays, but chances are it lacks something that many classic cars have in abundance. A little something I like to call "style." OObject has put together a list of 17 classic cars (and even one new classic in the Audi TT) that fall into this classy category—cars like the 1906 Stanely Steamer (which looks like a friggin' time machine), the '58 Chevy Impala and the '57 Porsche 356 Speedster. [OObject]

10 Ejection Seat Tests in Sloooowww Moooootion

Sean Fallon — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EDT

From lighting strikes, to Mentos explosions, the bottom line is that everything is cooler in slow motion. In this case OObject has collected 10 ejection seat tests that are enjoyable to watch at any speed—but in slo-mo it's like watching a nerdy ballet of planes, fire and rockets. [OObject]

14 Build-Them-Yourself Modular Gadgets

Sean Fallon — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:50:00 EDT

Modular gadgets are great because they are part toy and part serious technology. In other words, when we reconfigure a device, it reminds us of how much fun we had (and still have) with Legos and other building toys. The folks at OObject have put together a list of 14 modular gadgets and concepts—like Bug Labs, the Modu cellphone and, of course, the International Space Station. Hit the link to check out the rest of the list. [OObject]

16 Circuit-Bent Toys: The Track List to Your Nightmares

Sean Fallon — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:30:00 EDT

From toy guitars to the Furby Gurdy, modders have been taking cute, cuddly kids' toys and transforming them into the demented, terrifying instruments of your nightmares for years now. The folks at OObject have collected a whole album's worth of these twisted circuit-bent toy tunes for your listening displeasure. [OObject]

12 Examples of Abandoned Space Technology

Sean Fallon — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Looking for a space shuttle to convert into a funky dwelling? Believe it or not, there are quite a few pieces of once cutting edge space technology that have been left to rot. For example: there is a Russian Buran space shuttle lying abandoned in the Arabian desert, a NASA Jet Propulsion Lab sitting in a dusty lot, and the infamous launch pad 34 where the three astronauts aboard Apollo 1 died in a fire that broke out during a test exercise. The folks at OObject have put together a list of these relics along with 9 others that you may find surprising. [OObject]

15 Wall Climbing Robots: The Future of Voyeurism

Sean Fallon — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:40:00 EDT

Wall climbing robots have all kinds of potential uses, from inspecting damage on ships to catering to voyeurs and perverts with a taste for gadgetry. OObject has put together a comprehensive list of these creations including a version that climbs with static electricity and another freaky looking bot dubbed the "Ninja II". Definitely not the kind of thing you want peeking into your window when you do those embarrassing things that you do when you think no one is looking. [OObject]

15 Blade Runner Style Animated Buildings

Sean Fallon — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:50:00 EDT

A few months ago an LA real estate mogul revealed his plans to light up the LA skyline with giant animated bilboards. Love it or hate it, that was not the first time someone had the idea of creating building facades like those found in Blade Runner. OObect has put together a list of 15 of these architectural marvels—and the best part is that there are plenty of designs that are not all about advertising. [OObject]

18 Super Small Projectors

Sean Fallon — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EDT

We have been hearing about mini /pico projectors for a long time now but so far, nothing has made it to store shelves. However, there is no doubt that this technology will be an important part of many of our mobile devices in the near future—which is why there is no shortage of concepts out there. OObject has collected 18 of these potential products, including our own look at Microvision's Pico Projector at CES. [OObject]

Cutting Edge Algorithmic Architecture

Sean Fallon — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:50:00 EDT

Architecture has always been a mixture of art and engineering, but as we press on through the 21st century, the role of computers in the design process is becoming more and more integral. Algorithmic architecture is on the cutting edge of this movement, and the complex, rhythmic designs can be truly breathtaking. With that in mind, OObject has collected a list of 15 schemes that portray this emerging field at its best. [OObject]

10 Extremely Unusual Burglar Alarms

Sean Fallon — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EDT

The quest to protect ourselves and our property from thieves has given rise to some of the most bizarre and deadly devices ever conceived by man. OObject has compiled 10 burglar alarms that fit neatly in this category with devices that range from a mousetrap alarm that managed to capture a couple of schoolyard criminals "green handed," to a gramaphone alarm from 1939 that dials a telephone number and plays a message from the record when tripped. Ingenious. [OObject]

A Look Inside Futuristic German Car Factories

Sean Fallon — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Today's list from OObject features a collection of 10 videos focusing on German car factories. Why? Because they are gadgety, first and foremost—but the architecture of the factories is significant as well. In other words, German car manufacturers are realizing a vision where both the product and the factory are an integrated work of art. Examples include the VW factory in Wolfsburg that features 200-foot-tall robotic silos at the end of the production line and an eco-friendly VW assembly plant in Dresden that is transparent and sits right center of the city. German engineering at its finest folks. [OObject]

Medical Manikins Freak Us Out

Matt Hickey — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:45:00 EDT

Meet the manikins (not to be confused with mankinis), medical dummies (spelled "manikin", apparently) used to train future doctors on how to do the bare minimum to keep you alive that the HMO will pay for. There are all types, from the sexy Overweight CPR manikin to the Deluxe Child Crisis manikin. My favorite is the Multi Man CPR manikin, because it reminds me of last weekend. Vote on your favorite, then report back here and we'll compare notes. Next week we'll feature Manikin II: On The Move. [Medical Mainikins on Oobject]