Yanko Design - Form Beyond Function

Hanging Monorails are Here to Stay

Posted: 05 Jan 2018 11:33 PM PST

You might remember suspended monorails from the Batman movies, but they’re now up and running in select cities! They’re a fascinating sight from the inside and out. Few and far between, they’re perplexing and new to observe swinging about. Inside, they provide unmatched views of the passing city. This suspended monorail vehicle concept presents additional functionality in the form of harnessed wind energy.

Most noticeably, a large wind turbine at the front transfers air at the nose under the train while also pushing it upward. Other smaller turbines placed throughout the body generate supplemental energy to power internal electronics, wi-fi, power outlets for riders, as well as interior/exterior lighting. Where weather permits, certain cities may opt for the addition of solar panels to further supplement green power and reduce reliance on the primary grid.

Designers: Zbanca Andrei, Zbanca Ion & Martiniuc Victor

What hoverboards were meant to be

Posted: 05 Jan 2018 03:19 PM PST

Oftentimes life-changing products are first releases as products of entertainment, to test the waters. Take for instance the VR headset, which was marketed heavily as a gaming device of the future. Now VR and even AR stand to change how humanity functions today. Similarly, the hoverboard was never initially released as a commute vehicle. It was touted as a toy with state-of-the-art tech that helped it stay balanced and let minute changes in one’s center of gravity act as controls for movement. Now that the human race is acclimatized to the idea of hoverboards, it’s here to change how we get from point A to B.

It’s for this precise reason the product above isn’t called a hoverboard (more synonymous with skateboards), but rather an Electric Balance Car. Designed to become your new mode of transportation (now that the time is right), the Electric Balance Car comes with a carbon fiber body and a foldable design that would put most hoverboards to shame. The Electric Balance Car is also poised to be the one electric commute vehicle most people will own, regardless of whether their car is electric or runs on fuel, since the purpose of the Balance Car is to be your last-mile-commute solution. Designed to be easily carried around, and small/convenient enough to fit into most cars or perhaps even strap onto your back, the Balance Car is what hoverboards intended to be… your new way to locomote.

The Electric Balance Car is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2017.

Designers: Huang Lin, Lu Heng, Mu Tong, Wang Ruihua & Zhang Bowen.

Fuseproject’s home camera upgrades your security and taste

Posted: 05 Jan 2018 12:46 PM PST

You’ve got products that were designed to fulfill their purpose, and you’ve got products that were designed with soul. There’s little to no difference between their functionality, but one product connects emotionally with users more than another.

Hive’s View security camera seems a lot like the latter kind of product. Designed by Yves Behar and Fuseproject, the Hive View looks like a GoPro on a throne that swivels 360° on both vertical and horizontal axes, allowing it to point any which way you choose. The aluminum arm that holds the camera even transfers power to the cube-shaped camera that can be detached from its base, extending the functionality of the security camera in a way that lets it be your home security as well as your personal security device.

The camera comes with sound as well as motion detection, and captures everything within a 130° viewing angle in stunning 1080p HD, allowing you to play back your security tapes on your phone via the cloud. Its classy ‘throne’ can be placed on any surface or even wall mounted, allowing you to virtually put the camera anywhere you please. Want to place the camera in a more remote location, the cube magnetically snaps right off its base and can be carried and placed anywhere. While the cube itself has an unsuspecting design that gives it a sort of camoflage when used independently, the Hive View along with its base is the complete opposite, adding a bit of style to tech inside the house. With the ability to choose from a white and champagne combination to a black and rose gold blend, the Hive View is all poised to become your capable home-cam with a touch of class!

Designer: Yves Behar (Fuseproject) for Hive

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