Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

If you weren’t amped on Formula E before, take a look at these concept images of what the 2018 cars look like and you just might be! They’re from Spark Racing Technologies – the company chosen by the FIA for building the second-generation Formula E cars. Sparks says their wicked looking green racer promises improved aerodynamics, weight reduction, and more efficient battery use than the current cars. Of course, this all equates to more speed which calls for enhanced driver safety. A few images even show an enclosed shield-style cockpit. With or without, this thing is outrageous!

Designer: Spark Racing Technologies

Touted as the world’s smallest Power Bank, the CulCharge may not boast of a slick design language… if anything, it looks rather un-designed, but it’s incredibly handy and will become so integral to your life, you won’t be able to imagine a day without it.

This small key-fob sized gadget is a power-bank, charging cable, and data transfer cable, all wrapped into one small black plastic gadget, no bigger than your Airpods case. It slips easily into your pocket, fits in your palm, integrates into your keychain, and can even be left plugged into your phone while in use without being a hindrance.

The CulCharge, given its size, comes with a 1000mAh battery that serves its purpose of being an emergency charger. In fact it could power your phone for an extra few hours, allowing you to make those last-minute important calls, take selfies on low battery, or navigate back home when your phone’s about to die. The CulCharge even works as a data transfer cable, allowing you to charge as well as transfer data between your laptop/desktop and your phone. Depending on which phone you have, you can pick up an MFI Lightning Connector or an Android MicroUSB Connector variant. Coming with a handy carabiner clip and weighing in at just 2 ounces, you won’t even realize you’re carrying a portable power solution. Until your life depends on it!

Designer: CulCharge

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I love my partner’s cute little electric Fiat, but it’s honestly a total nightmare keeping it charged enough to get around our sprawling city! Just today, we ran out of juice and had to camp out at a Whole Food Market just to make it home! If only we had the Wheel Battery. Forget regenerative braking, this harnesses energy created by the turning wheels during operation.

This means you’re less likely to get stranded and won’t be in a bind if you just happen to forget to plug in one night! Better yet, you can see exactly how much charge each in-wheel battery has directly on the face so you’ll always be able to tell how much supplemental power you have available in case you need to make a longer than average journey.

Designers: Kim Kun Hyung, Hwang Ki Nam, Hong Ji Hee & Park Yonghwa

What if you could have sonar like a dolphin?! You could map the world around you all while keeping your eyes closed. Designed for those with visual impairments, Music Bond works similarly but not necessarily with sonar. The headset device uses a system of delicate 3D sensors and cameras to detect surrounding objects and obstacles. Once detected, it uses predefined sound frequencies and varying volumes to indicate size, direction and distance. With enhanced object recognition capability, it can even indicate specific object types around the user whether it’s a chair, car, or pet. Over time, users can quickly navigate and interact with objects as they build associations between object and sound. It offers individuals newfound independence and an entirely new way to perceive the world!

Music Bond uses sound transmission through the bone so the ears stay free. The higher the obstacle, the higher the sound it emits – the nearer the object, the louder the sound. A special algorithm combines notes into tonal chords in the same way computers help contemporary musicians turn algorithms into music.

Designers: Danil Tsytkin & Alexandra Postnikova

Named after the verb, the Chuck drone is literally designed to be chucked! Made to be your floating photographer, the drone instantly switches on and stabilizes in mid air when thrown. The UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) has an inbuilt camera, and an algorithm that allows it to catch its subjects at the best angles from its unique aerial perspective. Once done, you can summon the Chuck to come and land on your palm.

The Chuck looks different from all drones, given its integrated design. Made for moderately rough use, the Chuck creates a framework that encloses propellers inside a perforated aluminum cage of sorts, making sure it doesn’t collide with anything. The dual camera on the front along with a dual flash give it the power and versatility of a floating smartphone camera that grabs videos and images hands-free, at virtually any angle you choose. You can even use your phone’s screen as a viewfinder for Chuck’s on-board cameras to get the desired angle for that perfect photo!

Plus, with its enclosed propeller design, it won’t be so powerless to confetti cannon attacks…

Designer: Joba Design

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You know what blows up? Lithium Ion Batteries. You know what doesn’t? A Solar Panel. Safer, much more eco-friendly, and a whole lot more cheaper than an external battery, a solar panel may take slightly longer to charge your gadgets, but it does so with clean energy that’s free of cost.

The Solar Paper by Yolk literally fits two high-efficiency solar panels into a product the size of your phone, but just a dazzling fraction of the thickness. Thin enough to be used as a bookmark (although it comes with a rather beautiful leather pouch of its own), the Solar Paper can harness the sun’s energy to charge your devices. The two-fold design can even be made to expand by magnetically plugging in more panels. The Solar Paper comes with a hub on the top with a seven-segment LCD panel that measures electrical current. The device even comes with its own auto-shut and auto-resume feature in case the sunlight gets temporarily obstructed by a cloud or any other object.

The Solar Paper charger is clean, conscientious, and card-thin. It also doesn’t need periodic charging, like that clunky old power bank of yours.

Designer: Yolk

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Who wouldn’t want to attend a university as deliciously Wes Andersonian as this? Designed by french architecture group Périphériques and photographed by Ludwig Favre, the atrium of the Jussieu University of Paris is literally a splash of colors. With each floor being color coded with pastel shades, the colors end up serving as guidelines, becoming not just interior decoration, but also a solid way-finding system to guide students as well as outsiders. Not to mention with a school building looking this uniquely attractive, its beauty would probably help boost the attendance of students!

For a university of science and medicine, this place sure looks the opposite of intimidating!

Designer: Périphériques architectes

Image Credits: Ludwig Favre