The Inspirations Collection.
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Welcome to designbivouac’s inspiration collection.
Exploring design and innovation.
Over 30 years of collaboration, designbivouac has uncovered lasting insights. Inspirations is a curated collection of inspirational objects and ideas shaping a continuous journey of creative exploration.
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Flying Through Giga Berlin
Take a dynamic fly-through of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory. It is remarkable to see all that goes into making some of today’s most advanced vehicles at one of the most impressive factories in the world.
Take a dynamic fly-through of Tesla’s Giga Berlin—a striking showcase of cutting-edge manufacturing in motion. From the moment you enter, you're immersed in a meticulously choreographed ecosystem where robotic arms, automated conveyors, and human technicians work in seamless harmony. It's remarkable to witness the scale, precision, and innovation that power one of the world’s most advanced vehicle production facilities.
Every stage of the process, from gigacasting massive body components to battery pack integration and final assembly, reflects Tesla’s drive toward efficiency, speed, and sustainability. Giga Berlin isn’t just a factory—it’s a glimpse into the future of industrial automation and a testament to what's required to bring today’s most modern electric vehicles to life. Giga Berlin is designed to be an advanced electric vehicle (EV) production hub capable of producing a wide range of Tesla vehicles, including the Model 3, Model Y, and future models.
The factory is expected to incorporate cutting-edge manufacturing techniques and technologies, with a strong focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has emphasized that the facility will include many innovations, particularly in battery and powertrain technology. One notable aspect of Giga Berlin is its commitment to environmental sustainability. The facility was designed with a strong emphasis on renewable energy sources, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint significantly. Tesla intends to make the factory a green and environmentally responsible operation, aligning with its broader goal of advancing sustainable transportation.
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Visual History of the iPhone
Well, it’s that time of year again—the second week of September. And, true to form, Apple has revealed the iPhone 13 in a special event. As the company continues advancing its iPhone offering, perhaps some of you feel nostalgic about your older iPhones.
Ah, Fall. A crispness in the air. Colorful leaves in the trees. And, yes, the launch of a new Apple iPhone. As the company continues advancing its iPhone offering, perhaps some feel nostalgia for older iPhones. Since models are revised yearly like clockwork, recalling the complete iPhone lineage can also be challenging. Thankfully, the folks at Apple Explained have captured this lineage up to a point in a crisp, well-designed video. It is great to see the evolution so beautifully represented.
Going Big with Sea Dragon
The Apollo program was appropriately scaled to match America’s grand ambitions for putting the first human being on the moon. But there was an alternative rocket proposed to the mighty Saturn V.
The NASA Sea Dragon concept represents a visionary and audacious approach to space launch systems that was proposed in the late 1960s but never realized. Designed by engineer Robert Truax, the Sea Dragon was envisioned as a colossal, single-stage-to-orbit rocket, among the largest ever conceived. What set the Sea Dragon apart was its unique launch method—submersion in the ocean.
This massive rocket would be constructed as a semi-submersible platform at sea, where it would be assembled and fueled and then floated to the launch site. The rocket's enormous payload capacity could have revolutionized space travel, potentially ferrying entire space stations or lunar habitats into orbit in a single launch. While the Sea Dragon concept was never built due to budget constraints and changing priorities, it remains a symbol of bold thinking in space exploration and the innovative ideas that have driven NASA's research and development efforts over the years.
Approach for launching Sea Dragon rocket at sea
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Where There's Smoke, There Should be a Dyson
The bivouac’s northern HQ was recently allocated a Dyson TPO4 Pure Cool Tower capable of clearing the air in an 800-square-foot space. While testing continues through the latest California wildfire season, preliminary results are impressive.
The bivouac’s northern HQ was recently allocated a Dyson TPO4 Pure Cool Tower capable of clearing the air in an 800-square-foot space. While testing continues through the latest California wildfire season, preliminary results are impressive. With outdoor air quality indices coming in lately at upwards of 180, interior bivouac spaces are averaging a measurement of just 12 on the PM 2.5 scale.
These include microscopic particles smaller than 2.5 microns, including smoke, bacteria, and allergens. With its handy remote and a Wi-Fi connection that lets you control the unit and get deeper trending information through Dyson’s link app, the Dyson Pure Cool Tower is a clear winner.
Note: As an Amazon Associate designbivouac may benefit/earn from qualifying purchases.
Pro AirPod Pro
The bivouac has had a pair of Apple Pod Pro headphones for over a week. Performance has been impressive.
The Apple Air Pod Pros have come along at a time when one would think that performance was pretty much at its apogee. The bivouac has been fortunate to use in-ear and on-ear noise-canceling headphones from manufacturers, including Bose, Sony, Bang, and Olufsen. Apple’s newest Air Pod Pro represents a genuine change in comfort and performance over the competition.
Apple’s noise-canceling technology does an excellent job of providing a private sanctuary, regardless of where you are. The technology works surprisingly well in busy open-plan offices, commuter trains, or airplane flights with fussy infants. The audio quality is excellent. New nuances of songs can be heard when listening to favorite tracks. This is the case at the high end and low in the bass range, allowing you to enjoy your music collection anew.
Long-term wearability has been an issue with other in-ear headphones, with some causing chaffing, but there are no signs of that with Apple’s new iPod Pros. Fit is remarkably comfortable. The shape of the ear covering is “squircular”, or rectangular with rounded corners, which, depending upon the shape of your ear, aids in seamless sealing. This provides the first line of defense from unwanted ambient noise. Aesthetics are better with these headphones as well. The earphones are a bit more subtle. The descending microphone elements are shorter, and angle slightly inward to more naturally follow the profile of the outer ear.
Apple has fit an impressive amount of technology into these tiny but powerful headphones. With the Air Pod Pros, Apple has pushed the packaging envelope even further to accommodate the active noise-canceling technology. Controls are well thought out, providing an intuitive haptic sensation associated with clicking the headphones. One-click pauses playback. Two clicks advance a track. A long hold toggles through “active noise canceling,” “transparency,” and “off” modes.
While familiar, the case takes a bit of getting used to. Grasping the Air Pod Pros to take them out of the case can be tricky, and placing them back into their recesses is more involved. Thankfully, there are still magnets assisting the Airpods in finding their place. That said, if the case is dropped, they are not strong enough to keep the AirPods anchored, and they will most likely launch out of the case. Another nice touch is the subtle but distinctively pleasant scent of the Air Pod Pro ear pads. There is no funky plastic or rubber scent here. It smells more like how one might imagine a desirable blue-sky future smelling.
Charge levels seem fine for use throughout the day, and topping up the charge in the case and is quick and straightforward. Pairing is also straightforward and similar to the method used with the original Air Pod case.
Transparency mode gives one a sense of almost having superhuman powers. Reminiscent of The Bionic Man, conversations or announcements around you come through clearly. They made presenters at a conference compromised by ambient noise easier to hear. In summary, Apple’s Air Pod Pros are much more than an incremental innovation.
Note: Since this original post was published, Apple has improved the Airpods, offering a second-generation version available from Amazon via the link below.
As an Amazon Associate, designbivouac may benefit/earn from qualifying purchases.
Stålenhag’s Extraordinary Visual Storytelling
With a long-standing interest in future visualizations at the bivouac, the style and substance of Simon Stålenhag’s illustrations have left quite the impression. Stålenhag’s masterful illustrative technique is remarkable in and of itself. Still, his unique ability to seamlessly blend the world we know today with new and unfamiliar future technologies makes his work genuinely distinct.
Stålenhag’s command of visualizations portrays powerful story arcs without needing the written word. He is exceptionally skilled at capturing a sense of expansive scale. He does this by placing huge, futuristic objects into what would otherwise be commonplace landscapes. This juxtaposition, accompanied by a remarkable lighting command and a clarity of focus applied to some regions of the composition, further enhances a dramatic sense of expansiveness.
Another device Stålenhag uses is placing human beings in vulnerable situations with new forms of technology. Children or parents with children are seen navigating a landscape strewn with disused “old future” technologies or avoiding those who seem to be searching for them. Placing today’s emergent technology in such matter-of-fact settings and often applying an aged patina to technologies we have yet to know is powerful. Work like this can help encourage us to ask important questions about the technology we are bringing into the world at an increasing pace and why we might want to think more carefully about doing so.
To view more of Stålenhag’s work, visit: https://www.simonstalenhag.se/
Atlas Up and Running
Boston Dynamics continues to make impressive strides forward with its Atlas robot seen here untethered and on the go.
Boston Dynamics continues to make impressive strides forward with its Atlas robot seen here untethered and on the go. Interesting to see how Atlas mimics human performance in clearing obstacles regardless of whether counterbalancing as we do is actually needed or not.
The Boston Dynamics Atlas robot is a remarkable and highly advanced humanoid robot designed to push the boundaries of robotics technology and mobility. Developed by the Massachusetts-based robotics company Boston Dynamics, Atlas has undergone several iterations, each demonstrating substantial improvements in terms of agility, dexterity, and overall capabilities.
Atlas is known for its extraordinary bipedal locomotion skills. It can navigate challenging terrains, perform acrobatic movements, and recover its balance when pushed or knocked. This mobility is made possible by combining sensors, including LIDAR and stereo vision, which enable it to perceive and interact with its environment effectively.
One of the notable features of Atlas is its impressive range of movements, which include walking, running, jumping, and even backflips. Its dynamic movements and lifelike balance make it an exceptional platform for research in both robotics and artificial intelligence. Researchers and engineers use Atlas to explore various applications, from disaster response and search and rescue missions to logistics and manufacturing. The robot's versatility and dexterity make it a key player in developing solutions for complex real-world problems. As Boston Dynamics continues to refine and enhance the Atlas robot, it remains at the forefront of humanoid robotics, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the field.
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