Gizmodo: yanko design

Firefighting ATV Concept: Twin Water Cannons, Gull Wing Doors

Danny Allen — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:40:00 EST

Dubbed the Amatoya, this concept recon buggy would allow a two-person crew to zip around hotspots and fire fronts to collect intel faster, and more safely than the modified Toyota Landcruisers and light tankers that are typically used today.

Existing scout vehicles aren't engineered for wild fire burn overs, and have a limited water supply of around 130 gallons. By contrast, the Amatoya's remotely-operated water cannons would access the vehicle's 475 gallon water supply (and 105 gallon auxiliary water tank). It's also designed from the ground up to improve cabin temperatures and survivability:

State of the art clear aerogel laminated insulation in the windows and bodywork, a dedicated auxiliary water supply to operate a highly efficient, intelligent temperature controlled spray down system, military grade sacrificial thermo ceramic intumescent paints, and a mechanically injected large displacement diesel engine specifically engineered for the unique conditions experienced on the fire ground.

The Amatoya is designed by Liam Ferguson, and if built, could not only help save more lives, but would also just flat-out look cool. [PopSci via Yanko Design]

Yanko Design's Online Store is Retail Therapy for Fans of Beautiful Gadgets

Danny Allen — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:26:38 EDT

Yanko loves to tease us with all manner of nonexistent cool concepts, but now they'll sell you the ones that are real products. Gadgets so far include the d°light Huggable Pillow (pictured), and the magnetic spice rack. [Yanko Design]

Silent Alarm Clock Wakes You Up With Good Vibrations, Smooths Roommate Relations

Elaine Chow — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EDT

Back when I was in college, one of my most frustrating experiences involved a roommate in my dormitory apartment who mistakenly believed that she would be able to wake up daily for her 8:30am lecture series. Said roommate could sleep through an elephant parade. Oh how I seethed in the mornings as I clutched my pillow to my head, begging for the noise to pleasepleaseplease just STOP. If only this alarm were available back then. The Silent Alarm Clock, designed by Johan Brengesjo, uses a wireless rubber ring that vibrates to wake you up in a tactile, noiseless fashion. Though it's just a concept device right now, somebody ought to make and market one right quick. Think of how many friendships it could save! [Yanko Design]

Cryptex Phone Concept Makes Calls a Puzzling Experience

Elaine Chow — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EDT

Sometimes I pick up my phone and say to myself “Gee, this communication device just isn't cryptic enough. It's too user friendly and not enough like a puzzle out of the Da Vinci Code.” Apparently designer Marc Schömann was listening in, because he's now created a baton style mobile that forces you to twist sections of it to make calls.

The phone has no display and no buttons, and uses haptic feedback—though it's not really clear for what. Line up the number you're trying to dial on twelve numbered sections and then twist the top until an LED turns green to make the call. Par for the course with its cryptic design, the phone is unnamed. I can't wait to show this to my buddies at the Secret Society of Utterly Useless Gadgets. [Yanko Design]

Twist Chair Will Corkscrew Giant Holes into Your Lawn

Elaine Chow — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EDT

Here's a great product to ensure that you'll never be invited to somebody's backyard ever again—the “Easy Install Twist Chair.” Instead of having four legs like regular chairs, the Twist uses a corkscrew base that you plug into the ground and spin until it's solidly placed. Bring the chair along the next time you go to a garden party and see if your hosts appreciate you aerating their lawn. [Yanko Design]

Concept Phone Charges Self With The Rays Of The Sun

Elaine Chow — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Another day, another concept phone. This Eclipse Intuit, by Eddie Goh, features a touch keypad with tactile feedback, 5 megapixel camera with built-in photo editing software, a giant touchscreen and a chemical-based thin solar skin that will charge the battery when exposed to light.

It sounds all well and good, except how often does anyone keep their phone out in the open gathering sunlight? Usually if I'm out and about, my cell stays firmly in the depths of my handbag or in my back pocket and, last time I checked, sunlight doesn't reach there. I guess this phone is going to stay a concept. [Yanko Design]

T-Phone Concept For the Elderly, Lazy

Sean Fallon — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:10:38 EDT

Nine digits, that's a hell of a lot of numbers to remember—especially if you suffer from what many of my elderly relatives call "senior moments." And forget about trying to explain contact lists and voice dialing, it's all witchcraft as far as they are concerned. This T-Phone concept from designer Jeong-Kyun Nam aims to make things a little easier with its unique RFID badge dialing system. Each badge can be programed to remember someone's number, and a picture slot makes identifying the correct badge easy. To make a call, all Grandma has to do is place the correct badge onto the call button and press. The phone will read the info and then dial the number.

If this phone were ever put into production, the easy to read buttons and large badges would make it easy for anyone with impaired vision to operate the device. Still, I can't help but envision old folks leaving these badges at every Denny's restaurant in town. [Yanko Design]

Unique Alarm Clock Turns Your MP3 Player Into a Joystick Controller

Sean Fallon — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:40:33 EDT

MP3 player alarm clocks are nothing new—but MP3 alarm clocks that allow you to use the player as a joystick toggle control definitely are. If this concept design titled YOM by Philipp Goeder ever sees the light of day, you would be able to do just that. When the MP3 player is inserted into the USB port on top, it can be used as a joystick that can be shifted right, left and forward to toggle through playlists. It seems that the YOM would work best with a player with a narrow form factor, and there would be a little hand-eye coordination challenge in the morning, but it is an interesting design nonetheless. [Yanko Design]

Electric Band-Aids for Fast Relief

Sean Fallon — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:20:06 EDT

Our future cuts and scrapes could heal a lot faster if this HealFast electric Band-Aid concept ever enters the marketplace. Actually, HealFast is specifically designed for patients with diabetes in an attempt to address the chronic ulcers and pressure sores that they often experience. Once applied, an electric charge would generate a very weak field that prevents infection in the surrounding tissue. A far cry from those crappy Pokemon Band-Aids I use now. [Yanko Design]

Portable DVD Player with Sexy-Flexy Display Transforms Into Mini-Theater

Charlie White — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:20:23 EDT

Here's a wild-ass looking portable DVD player (PDP) that reminds us a lot of that player we showed you last month that looks like a butterfly knife. This concept takes that design a few years into the future, looking like it's about the size and unpocketable shape of that crazy iPhone clone Intel was flaunting the other day. Like a Transformer, it twists around and gives you a turntable on which to spin the DVD while you unravel its sexy flexible OLED screen to feast your eyes.

Designer Yeon-shin Seung says he plans to use Sony's full-color flexible organic electroluminescent display on this device because of the screen's thin and lightweight form factor. Here's hoping that he doesn't use the ancient DVD format is a playback medium, eschewing that old fossil for a dual-format Blu-ray and HD DVD player.

Hey, this looks like it would be a perfect companion on a transpacific flight, that is, if the batteries can hold out for at least three movies' worth. But wait a second. By the time this actually comes to market, if ever, you'll be able to stream Internet video from your airplane seat and everywhere else, so physical media will be irrelevant. Oh well, timing is everything. [Yanko Design]

Disposable Video Cam Concept is Slimmer, Easier to Use Than the Real Thing

Louis Ramirez — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:52:45 EDT

Tired of shooting with CVS' fugly disposable video camera? Then check this one out. It's a prototype for a new breed of disposable vid camera, one that would save you money by letting you keep the camera once you're done shooting. All you need to replace is the DVD. This would be a great option for newbies who just shoot video once in a blue moon. Design-wise, it's also nicer than some real video cams. This is one concept I'd like to see become a reality. – Louis Ramirez

Low Cost Disposable Video Camera [Yanko Design]