Hippo Rollers!

H is for Humanity, Habitats, Health, Habitats, and HIPPO! Project H, an organization that promotes, inspires, and delivers humanitarian product design, is funding 50 Hippo Rollers for a series of 17 villages in Kgautswane in Northeastern South Africa. Hippo Rollers, if you haven’t seen them before, they are amazing barrel devices that allow the millions whose livelihoods depend on the daily fetching of water to more safely and efficiently access and transport water. The roller holds 3-4 days worth of water for a family of 7, about 5 times the amount of water that can be moved using traditional methods, which frees up time for more productive economic and educational activities. It’s an amazing product and an amazing story of good design enabling communities.
For $100 you can sponsor the manufacturing and delivery of one roller in your name, which will be personally delivered to a family in Kgautswane this April by Project H Design. If you believe in the power of good design, here’s your chance to show it! Check out the Hippometer to see how many rollers have been funded to date.
SPONSOR A HIPPO ROLLER NOW via Project H Design >>>>>
The rollers will be delivered to the community this April, as a gesture of support and a catalyst for more collaboration on larger water systems projects within Kgautswane. Here are the details:
What Project H is funding: 50 Hippo Rollers for a group of 17 villages in the Kgautswane community of Northeast South Africa- total population 120,000
Deadline: April 13, 2008
Total amount needed: $5000 (50 rollers, $100 each for production and delivery)
Levels of Donation:$100- one roller for one household$500- five rollers for a small micro-community$1000- ten rollers for a village
ABOUT PROJECT H DESIGN:Founded by Emily Pilloton (Inhabitat’s Managing Editor), Project H Design is a charitable organization that supports, inspires, and delivers life-improving humanitarian product design solutions to global communities in need. Project H champions industrial design as a tool to address social issues, a vehicle for global life improvement, and a catalyst for individual and community empowerment.
+ Project H Design

Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin |太阳能净化水袋

这是 2008 Metropolis 杂志 Next Generation 设计竞赛的获奖作品，设计来自 Eric Olsen，Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin（太阳能净化水袋），一个为缺水地区提供健康饮用水，方便简洁的设计。Solar Water Disinfecting (太阳能水净化系统)即 SODIS 是一个简洁有效的水净化方法，简单说就是通过阳光照射（通常只需要一个PET塑料瓶），利用温度和紫外线来杀死里面的细菌，一般照射6小时就可以饮用，作为一种家庭用的水净化的储存方法，这个消毒净化系统得到了世界卫生组织的推荐，并且在很多发展中地区广泛应用。也有很多设计采用这种方法，比如我们介绍过的 INDEX:2007 HOME 类的获奖作品 Alberto Meda 和 Francisco Gomez Paz 设计的 SOLAR BOTTLE。
Eric Olsen 的 Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin 采用了激光切割的LDPE（塑料）和涂胶尼龙做成，和雨布一样，褶皱的几何结构来自于saguaro（巨形仙人掌）储水结构的启发，这种结构使它可以很方便的卷起来，运输也更方便（可以像披肩一样），能容下20升的水，简单快捷有效。

Move Over Tonka

Tipper trucks haven’t change much in the last century so designer Haishan Deng took it upon himself to create the Super Tipper Truck. Current tipper trucks can only unload their cargo one way. This usually requires the driver to maneuver ever so carefully. With the Super Tipper, door access on all four sides allow it to dump its junk in any direction.
Of course it wouldn’t be an improved construction vehicle without more power and the Super Tipper leaves non disappointed. Each set of wheels has its own motor and independent suspension - you know, for those awkward incline angles.
I can’t wait for the UltraMega Tipper Truck!
Designer: Haishan Deng

The Bionic Chameleon Truck

Nature didn’t make many mistakes with organic forms and wise designers like Haishang Deng understand solves for our problems can often be found just by studying what nature has already done. Enter the Chameleon Truck.
This bionic cargo transport uses an innovative segmented body remarkably like that of a centipede. This enables the truck to adjust its size to the cargo load. The resilient soft tarpaulin shelled body is strong enough to protect its cargo but also absorbs impacts in case of accidents. As an added benefit fuel savings abound since the truck’s weight is slashed in half.
Another innovative design feature is the drive cockpit which cranes over its cargo instead of being built into the frame like most vehicles today. This enables automated front loading without the need for additional support.
Designer: Haishan Deng

Soap Bank

A bar of soap is probably one of the most efficient product designs ever created. Rub it where you want to be clean and eventually the bar just fades away…mostly. Not many things in life are more physically challenging than attempting to hold on to that little sliver of sudsy salvation. Dropping the soap can sometimes have lethal results, whether by slip-or-fall or for our “legally challenged” citizens, that fate worse than death. Enter the “Soap Bank” by DesigNoDoubt, a brilliantly conceived idea that serves to efficiently wrangle that unruly soap. Simply slip the soap into the supplied slot and see how safe and squeaky clean savings can surely be. Simple.

Designer: Wooteik Lim, Yeonha Jo, Sungwoo Park & Yoonha Paick

Disposable Soles

Some people like it barefoot, some like house slippers. For those that fall in the latter check out these Disposable Soles by Jun-Soo Choi. They come in a stand premade sticky. Just step on it and you’re off. Supposedly it’s a good way of maintaining hygiene and protects your feet.
No mention whether it’s a one size fits all type deal but it’s an interesting concept nonetheless.
Designer: Jun-Soo Choi
http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/disposable-soles/

Ulo chair by Ian Walton

Ian Walton, a recent ID grad from the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, goes out with a bang thanks do his awesome Ulo chair design. To accommodate compact living spaces, Walton designed Ulo to be a truly adaptable piece, effortlessly converting from an upright to lounging configuration with one smooth motion, made possible by a flexible frame. Gotta see it to believe it--check out the video below.

ulo chair

Riot Wheel

The Riot Wheel

http://hackedgadgets.com/2007/05/26/the-riot-wheel/