Monthly Archives: July 2013

Mushroom stuffed houses

blog pix16

In Green Island NY, a company called Ecovative Design, has developed building materials derived from mushrooms. The company makes mycelium-based bioplastics and hopes to one day replace the world’s plastics with natural organisms such as fungi. There are a number of advantages to using the mushrooms over the conventional insulation. These  advantages include resistance to fire and settling, air-tight seal formation and no toxins.

What sparks our fire: A green and edible alternative to inefficient and toxic building material.

Will this trend catch on?

Enjoy!

-Canopy Team

Shockingly creative

blog pix 15

There are shocking new developments in neurological creative stimulation. Dr. Sharon Thompson-Schill, director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, has concluded that sending very low doses of electric current into our brain’s prefrontal cortex can actually increase our creativity.  As an example, Dr Thompson-Schill shows people tennis balls and asks their first thought. Those participants not hooked up to electrodes typically answer, playing tennis, but those hooked up to electrodes might be more creative, proposing to cut the tennis balls in half and put them on the ends of chairs to make the chairs slide easier. The boost in creativity lasted the length of time someone was hooked up to the electrodes, and did not last more than an hour after.

What sparked our fire: Physical stimulation used to fire creative neurons.

Does this discovery shock you?

Enjoy!

-Canopy Team

The talking window

sky-go-talking-window

Recently a UK based mobile streaming services provider, Sky Go, started targeting tired people on there way home from work, specifically  those that leaned up against the window. Sky Go and BBDo Dusseldorf developed an advertisement called the “Bone Conduction”. What is does is transmit a high frequency vibration through a small device that is interpreted by the train, so you would hear something like: “Are you bored? Get SkyGo for your mobile, best entertainment for live sports”. Only the person with their head on the window can hear it.

What sparks our fire: Touch sensitive advertising engagement.

Has this ad gone too far?

Enjoy!

-Canopy Team

 

 

The evolution of smart cities

london

In Bristol UK between July 15 and September 8, people will be able to communicate with urban objects like lampposts, mailboxes and bus stops via text message by using numbers found on these objects. The project is called Hello Lamppost. It works by allowing people to text the central server as they walk by, triggering the object to “wake up” and respond  with a series of messages. The messages will be sharing content about that specific location left by other people who have messaged before.

What sparks our fire: The evolution of “smart cities”.

How far will this go?

Enjoy!

-Canopy Team

3D exoskeleton

blog pix 14

Designer Jake Evill has developed a 3D-printed cast for people with fractured and broken bones that is longer lasting than traditional plaster casts. The design, dubbed the Cortex Exoskeleton, provides more structured support as well as a higher resistance to wear and tear than traditional casts. In addition to a lighter and stronger body, the cast is  waterproof. The process of creating the cast has also been simplified. An X-ray of the break is now combined with a 3D scan of the limb, then a custom sleeve is printed.

What sparks our fire: We remember the tried and true cast waterproofing technique. Showering with a garbage bag.

What medical advancements will 3D printing contribute to next?

Enjoy!

-Canopy Team