MoreInspiration
Newsletter September 2008
Dear CREAX newsreader,
This month we have 6 fascinating innovations for you: |
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Innovation Highlights
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| How do you board a constantly moving train? Well, you could leap off a bridge and land on top of it like in the movies, hop off a horse and grab a rail like in a Western, or you could use this passenger delivery system called the "non-stop MRT system" by its Taiwanese inventor Peng Yu-lun, thought up last year. It involves a main track with trains that never stops moving, and a smaller shuttle which ferries passengers to and from the trains. The shuttle attaches itself to the train once it reaches it, swaps bodies, and then returns to the station.
http://dvice.com/
http://www.youtube.com/
filed under:
energy,
machines & engines,
travel
Property spectrum: Coordination
This principle describes the coordination between components, systems, and their environments towards a common goal. The separate compartment allows passengers to get on and
off, while the train keeps travelling.
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Zetix is a fabric so strong it will resist multiple car bomb blasts without breaking. It absorbs and disperses the energy from explosions thanks to an inner structure so adamantiumtastic it can be used in body
armour, window covering, military tents and hurricane
defences. When not shielding from explosions, it can be used as medical sutures that won't damage body tissue. All of this is thanks to a property that apparently defies the laws of physics: Zetix is built around the principle of auxetic
materials: objects that actually get fatter the more you stretch them.
http://gizmodo.com/
filed under:
materials,
military & defence,
physics
Property spectrum: Activity
Materials
increasingly evolve from passive to full adaptive materials.
E.g. shape memory alloys and thermo chromic materials. Zetix
is based on the principle of auxetic materials, which get
fatter when stretched.
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The process of healing a wound isn't a short one, and it isn't a fun one, especially if it's a more serious wound. You've got to keep it clean and bandaged, and it'll hurt for a while and take a good amount of time to actually heal. That's no fun. We're living in the 21st century, we shouldn't have to put up with that sort of crap.
Scientists are working on a gun that sprays new, stem-cell infused skin onto a wound, essentially speeding up the healing process to a matter of hours. The Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine just invested $250 million in researching advancements such as these that'll make healing and fixing damaged body parts a snap, so hopefully it'll only be a matter of time before losing a few inches of skin will only be a minor inconvenience.
http://dvice.com/
filed under:
chemistry,
healthcare,
materials
Property spectrum: Segmented liquid to Spray
Changing the state of a product is one of the most prominent properties in Directed Variation. It describes an evolution of products and processes starting with solid matter and then moving to liquids, gases, sprays and finally fields. Each step in this direction can deliver significant benefits.
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Resembling a field of wind-swept reeds swaying on the horizon, these floating wind spires boast an ultra-efficient design that flexes with the wind, taking advantage of air currents along the length of their shaft to generate electricity. Selsam's prototypes produce 6000 watts in 32.5 mph winds - six times more power than a similarly sized seven foot single-rotor turbine can produce. The turbines can be easily deployed by land and by sea, and their effectiveness can be amplified even further via an air-born blimp.
http://www.coolbusinessideas.com/
filed under:
energy,
environment,
machines & engines
Property spectrum: Flexibility
Increasing flexibility is one of the most applied
properties. Many products evolve from rigid to completely
flexible. The main benefits that can be gained from making a
similar evolution are better damage protection, more compact
folding and the ability to bend with the wind and take
advantage of air currents.
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Cathy Campbell did a double-take and tapped the brakes when she spotted what appeared to be a pointy-edged box lying in the road just ahead.
She got fooled. It was a fake speed bump, a flat piece of blue, white and orange plastic that is designed to look like a 3-D pyramid from afar when applied to the pavement. The optical illusion is one of the latest innovations being tested around the country to discourage speeding.
"It cautions you to slow down because you don't know what you are facing," Campbell said.
http://edition.cnn.com/
filed under:
automotive,
optics,
safety
Property spectrum: State
The principal here is that of another dimension. If an
object contains or moves in a plane, consider the use of
dimensions outside the current plane. A flat piece of
plastic helps create an illusion of a 3D pyramid.
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Until today, I had no idea that Intel was working on "claytronics", the name for materials that can be controlled remotely. The idea? Eventually, clothes or objects could be manipulated, so that their form and function could be shifted dynamically. Imagine a PDA that could transform itself into a marble or bracelet when not in use.
Essentially, catoms are tiny silicon spheres or tubes, small enough that they could be manipulated by electrostatic or electromagnetic forces. The demonstration by Jason Campbell of Intel Research Pittsburgh showed an array of a few spheres just a few
millimetres wide - smaller than a penny - where orientation could be slightly, slowly manipulated.
http://www.extremetech.com/
http://www.youtube.com/
filed under:
materials,
nanotechnology,
technologies
Property spectrum: Information
Systems and subsystems tend to evolve from requiring external input to becoming self-controlling through the use of feedback mechanisms.
These catoms are able to change shape and function when
required by the user.
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| Please do not hesitate to
send
us a great innovation you have spotted. We might include it in our
next month issue. |
CREAX company news
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MoreInspiration course
 If you enjoy
CREAX newsletters, you will enjoy our hands-on MoreInspiration course. Our next 2-day
course is scheduled for the
24th &
25th
of September 2008 (full) and the following course for the 29th & 30th of
October 2008. The next French course will be given on
17th & 18th
of September 2008.
CREAX also offers exclusive company specific courses. Participants
learn how to apply the CREAX Methodology in their day-to-day job.
(more info)
See the other dates for the 2008
courses.
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3000 Registered users
The MoreInspiration.com community is constantly growing. At this
point, the community counts 3000 registered users.
Registering allows you to:
see what's happening in your industrytransfer knowledge from other sectors to yoursrank and comment on innovationsreceive customized email alerts
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European Research & Innovation Exhibition in Paris
Last June, CREAX participated at the European Research & Innovation Exhibition in Paris, France, gathering the top actors of the world in research and innovation. During 3 days, 25 248 visitors came to check out all the market trends and innovations showcased by 360 exhibitors. During this event, CREAX established a lot of new high level contacts in the domain of innovation and R&D, extending the CREAX network.
On the following
link, you will find an online interview from the exhibition in French with Mathieu Mottrie, Operations Director. |
Upcoming events
The following events have been planned for the coming months:
| 10-11 September 2008 |
Intrafood Expo (Kortrijk, Belgium)
Intrafood:08 is a unique expo for producers of foods and drinks in the Benelux and the Northern region of France. Intrafood offers numerous ideas and inspiration for the development and production of new, tasty, safe and successful products. |
| 18-19
September 2008 |
Innovation Excellence Conference (Stockholm,
Sweden)
A global forum for all organisations to strengthen their research and development strategies and new innovation processes to generate a brand that is a reality. This conference will enlighten how to achieve excellence in innovation by using innovative and out-of-the-box strategies. |
| 23
September 2008 |
Job expo of the Eurometropool (Kortrijk,
Belgium)
Meet companies from Flanders, Northern France and West Hainaut and inquire about job opportunities and modality in the Eurometropool. |
| 5
October 2008 |
Open company day (Belgium)
During this event, companies open their doors to the public, giving them a sampling of the economical activities in their region. The participating companies provide demonstrations, tours and samples. |
| 9
October 2008 |
Vokafé @ CREAX (Ieper,
Belgium)
Meet companies from Flanders, Northern France and West Hainaut and inquire about job opportunities and modality in the Eurometropool. |
| 5-9
November 2008 |
UICB General Assembly (Istanbul, Turkey)
The UICB is an international network of local building centres in 14 countries. All its members are national focal points in the field of building information; they are experts especially in product information.
CREAX is invited by the Belgian Building Research Institute to present the CREAX Innovation method on 06 November. |
| 27-28
November 2008 |
Future of Europe Summit (Andorra,
Spain)
The Future of Europe Summit 2008 will focus on how Europe can leverage its strengths in the face of the challenges presented by issues of Economic Sustainability - and how to transform these challenges into opportunities. |
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Miscellaneous
- You missed one of the previous CREAX newsletters? Get an
overview of all
our issues.
- Please send all suggestions & remarks to us at
newsletter@creax.com.
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CREAX
n.v. Mlk.Plumerlaan 113 8900 Ieper Belgium
info@creax.com
www.creax.com
Tel +32 57 229480 Fax +32 57 229481
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