April 4, 2016

Dutch robots on top again in Eindhoven

Filed under: Technology by Orangemaster @ 10:34 am

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The Eindhoven University of Technology that keeps on winning prestigious prizes with their football-playing robots took first place in the Robocup European Open held in Eindhoven last week.

According to team coach Lotte de Koning, they made a tactical switch to shoot at the goal faster and more often in the second half to make it a 2-0 victory against Portugal.

And that’s not all. Amigo the robot that usually helps with household chores won some sort of chore competition that consisted of taking orders and fulfilling them. Some 15,000 spectators came and checked out the robots, including 2,000 just to catch the football final.

Team Eindhoven is now in a good spot to come into the Robocup 2016 this June in Leipzig, Germany.

(Link: nu.nl, Photo of RoboCup2013 in Eindhoven by RoboCup2013, some rights reserved)

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March 21, 2016

Drones take your order and bring you drinks

Filed under: Food & Drink,Technology by Orangemaster @ 10:20 am

During the Dream and Dare festival on April 22 through 24 at the Eindhoven University of Technology to celebrate their 60th anniversary, they’ll be tech, innovation and debates as well as art, music and food. The food part will have drones acting as waiters, happily combining tech and drinks.

At the drone café, visitors will be able to order drinks from one drone while its drone colleague brings the drinks to you. It sounds way easier than it is to have drones flying indoors instead of outdoors. They need to fly much more accurately, they need to make way less noise and they need to not clip off any fingers when you grab your drinks from their talons. As well, the drones can only handle 300 grams of weight at a time.

Tessie Hartjes, of the student workgroup Blue Jay Eindhoven, says the combination of navigating and grasping is a big deal. She explains that although the drones use speech recognition software (and I’m assuming it only understands Dutch), the café is too noisy for that to work properly so you can order from the bar, old school. The drones also fly a certain route that you cannot walk into for fear of causing an accident. You can also pay to the drone, and tipping them might actually make them tip. I’m kidding.

(Link: www.tue.nl, www.bright.nl, Photo of Drone by Karen Axelrad, some rights reserved)

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February 19, 2016

A solar-powered bike with endless battery power

Filed under: Bicycles,Sustainability by Orangemaster @ 4:21 pm

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Dutch start-up Solar Application Lab (SAL) has developed a solar-powered bicycle in collaboration with the Eindhoven University of Technology, Segula from Eindhoven and E-Bike Nederland from Cuijk. The prototype, nicknamed ‘Sally One’, will be presented next week at the university after which it will be thoroughly tested to see if it holds up in different weather conditions and against vandalism.

“The Dutch Solar Cycle is our flagship application, an electrical bicycle with endless battery power. By applying custom built solar discs to the universal component of a bicycle, the wheels, we enhance the personal freedom of all cyclists. Founder Marc Peters explains that they have developed a technique that is 20 times more effective than current solar cells, making it possible to generate enough energy using smaller surfaces like on bikes.”

(Links and photo: www.bright.nl, www.tue.nl)

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October 26, 2015

Solar-powered family car wins again in Australia

Filed under: Automobiles by Orangemaster @ 11:55 am

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The Eindhoven University of Technology has taken the win in the Cruiser class at the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia on 18 October 2015 for its solar-powered four-person car, the Stella Lux. It’s the second time in a row that the team from Eindhoven has won in a category that’s only existed for two editions, meaning the Dutch team is still undefeated. Here’s a quick video in English of the Dutch taking the win.

Besides speed, other things such as being environmentally friendly and having comfortable seats also count, which explains the Cruiser class win for the Stella Lux. It consistently had two people driving in the car, which the others did not. Oh, and the car has cup holders.

(Link: www.bright.nl, Photo by Bart van Overbeeke/phys.org)

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September 25, 2015

Around the world in 80 days on an electric motorbike

Filed under: Automobiles,Sustainability by Orangemaster @ 12:20 pm

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In a race inspired by French author Jules Verne’s book ‘Around the World in 80 days’, students of the Eindhoven University of Technology are getting ready to go around the world in 80 days on an electric motorbike. On October 1st, the students will unveil their new design featuring a battery that can last twice as long as existing electric motorbike batteries.

The entire point of the trip is to prove that sustainability is an option for the future. Find out more about the the 80 day race here. As explained by team member Texas van Leeuwenstein, electric mobility sometimes has a dull image and they really want to kick that out.

Here’s an interview with Van Leeuwenstein, explaining the work on the prototype leading up to the race:

(Link: www.omroepbrabant.nl, Screenshot: 80dr.com)

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August 24, 2015

Den Bosch tests noise barrier made of solar panels

Filed under: Automobiles,Sustainability by Orangemaster @ 11:06 am

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Boffins at the Eindhoven University of Technology have designed motorway noise barriers that are colourful instead of dingy and that also collect solar energy instead of just cutting down on noise and being dingy. Sonobs (Solar Noise Barriers) can be made cheaply, made resistant to vandalism and come in many colours.

The special panels built to make the barriers are made of luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), coloured panels that receive light and direct it to the edges of the panels where traditional solar cells collect the solar energy.

“A year-long test project was launched on June 18 on two sections of noise barriers, each 5 metres wide and 4.5 metres high. The barriers are partially covered in the LSCs and partially covered in semi-transparent panels holding conventional solar cells, so that they can compare the performances of the two technologies.”

Initial research shows that a kilometre of the solar noise barriers can generate enough electricity to power 50 Dutch homes.

(Links and photo: www.treehugger.com, www.tue.nl)

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July 7, 2015

Solar-powered family car to debut in race

Filed under: Automobiles by Orangemaster @ 10:25 am

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The Solar Team Eindhoven from Eindhoven University of Technology presented its new solar-powered car this week, the Stella Lux, an ‘intelligent, solar-powered family car that generates more power than it uses’. The car will participate in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia on 18 October 2015.

By combining the aerodynamic design with lightweight materials like carbon and aluminium, the Eindhoven student team has once again come up with a very energy-efficient design. Stella Lux can reach a range of 1,000 km on a sunny day in the Netherlands [yes, we get more sun than we let on]. On balance the car generates more energy than it uses, which makes it energy-positive.

In 2013 Eindhoven took first place in the Cruiser Class title with its first car, Stella, in Australia. This year’s race is more about speed, which is why Solar Team Eindhoven decided to build a new and lighter car with fewer seats, although still a true family car that seats four and is fitted with a specially designed navigation system.

(Link: phys.org, Photo by Bart van Overbeeke/phys.org)

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April 28, 2015

Magnetic suspension makes for levitating lamp

Filed under: Design by Orangemaster @ 2:11 pm

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The Lunaluxx lamp is an atmospheric lamp that is sure to replace any centrepiece or help start any dinner conversation. “By combining both magnetic suspension and remote-phosphor lightning technologies, a light emitting disc is freely suspended in mid air.”

The levitating disc looks like a little spaceship, and once it’s in place, the light comes on. The Lunaluxx is easy to turn on and off, although I don’t know what one does with the disc when the light is turned off, as that requires making sure a human or animal doesn’t make off with it or misplace it.

It does look great and original, designed by Elivatix in Eindhoven, a hotbed of Dutch design and lamps.

(Link: nieuws.nl, Screenshot: Kickstarter)

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February 28, 2015

Unique clothing made with 3D scans

Filed under: Design,Fashion by Orangemaster @ 4:49 pm

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Dutch industrial designer Leonie Tenthof van Noorden, who uses 3D scanning to produce unique custom-made dresses, calls the technique she uses ‘digital tailoring’. She also claims that going to a shop that will scan you and make clothes for you is probably not that far off, either.

Her Master’s graduation project at the Eindhoven University of Technology ‘This Fits Me’ is called the way it is because the clothing is fitted specifically to someone’s body using 3D scanning techniques and generative design, explained in the video which was filmed in Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week 2014.

(Link and screenshot: www.dezeen.com)

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February 19, 2015

A cardigan that helps with patient rehabilitation

Filed under: Design,Science by Orangemaster @ 11:20 am

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The Vigour cardigan is a collaboration between Pauline van Dongen, the TextielMuseum in Tillburg, and fellow PhD candidate at Eindhoven University of Technology, Martijn ten Bhömer. Van Dongen is also known for her long-lasting bioluminescent lamp.

Vigour has integrated stretch sensors that monitor upper body movement. The garment enables geriatric patients, physiotherapists and family to gain more insight into the exercises and progress of a patient’s rehabilitation. The sensors collect data that is then sent to an application installed on a tablet, so it can be analysed to help provide feedback from professionals.

The video is in English.

Vigour from STS CRISP on Vimeo.

(Link: www.dezeen.com, Photo by Frank Mayne, some rights reserved)

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