Architecture: Sri Lankan apartment block to be world's tallest vertical garden

Clearpoint Residencies, based in Kotte just outside Colombo, will be the first sustainable high-rise apartment complex in the country, with solar panels for electricity generation, a waste water recycling system and planted facades. Building began last year and is expected to be complete by 2016, at which time it is claimed that the building will be, "the tallest residential vertical garden in the world, with planted terraces circling the entire structure."

The completed construction will rise to 46 stories and a planned height of 186 m (610 ft), although Clearpoint Residencies told Gizmag that the final height may yet be increased. Either way, it will surpass that of One Central Park in Sydney when it is complete.

Clearpoint will contain 164 apartments, each with 2300 square-feet (213.68 sq m) of floor space. The apartments are designed to give the residents a sense of ground-level living, as well as privacy and tranquility despite being located in a bustling city.

The planted terraces for each apartment will help to absorb sound, provide shade and cleanse the air by absorbing carbon dioxide. They will be automatically watered using a drip-irrigation system. The water used for the irrigation will be harvested rainwater, recycled bathroom sink and shower water. It will also be used for toilet flushing. These methods of ensuring water usage efficiency will help to reduce intake from the national water supply by an estimated 45 percent.

By increasing the size of the covered terraces and using plants for extra shade, it has been possible to ensure that none of the building's windows will be exposed to direct sunlight, which would have been one of the main causes of heat gain. This means that the size and energy requirements of the air conditioning units are reduced. All of the apartments are also cross-ventilated to provide further cooling.

Solar panels will be installed on the roof of the building and are expected to provide enough energy to power the shared facilities, such as lobby lighting, elevators, the water recycling system and an on-site sewage recycling/treatment system. Any excess electricity that is generated will be sold to the national grid.

"Ultimately, the aim is to create a living space where you can not only feel at one with the environment, but actively contribute towards safeguarding and sustainable use of its resources," says architect Milroy Perera. "The main focus of the apartment will be to provide an atmosphere and sentiment of ground level living."

Source: Clearpoint Residencies 

Architecture: World-class architecture joins high-level sustainability at new Vienna university

The new campus of the WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business) is a like a smorgasbord of 21st century architecture, with signature buildings by Zaha Hadid Hitoshi Abe and Estudio Carme Pinós, among others. But the world-class campus has equally high standards for energy efficiency and sustainability.
Though the buildings of the 100,000 square-meter (1 million sq-ft) campus were created by a roster of international talent, the master plan was conceived by the Viennese office of BUSarchitektur in partnership with BOA (büro für offensive aleatorik, or "Studio for Offensive Randomness"). BUS also designed the Teaching Center.

he school opened in October 2013 to 25,000 students and 1,500 faculty, but its green energy ethos was in place well beforehand, as work was carried out according to Guidelines for Sustainable Construction. These include environmentally-friendly logistics and the reduction of traffic, dust and pollution during building.

Energy and Sustainability

Sustainability and a holistic approach were key factors in the designs, as were "green building" guidelines, which follow international certification requirements. Since it opened in October 2013, the school has been meeting between 60 and 70 percent of its energy needs for heating and cooling through geothermal systems (which uses the energy produced by the change in temperature from water pumped from below ground). Heat recovery units in all buildings have an efficiency rate of 75 percent. Heating, ventilation and cooling are carefully monitored and calibrated according to demand. Green roofs were installed wherever possible.

The campus plan for ecological urbanism also includes 9,900 sq m (106,000 sq ft) of bushes and plants as well as 1,600 sq m (17,000 sq ft) of lawn, and 1,000 secure bicycle spaces. Lighting sensors in the university buildings not only detect whether rooms are vacant or occupied, but in some cases they gauge how much natural light is available, reducing the amount of artificial illumination being used. Classrooms and meeting rooms receive natural light from external windows and from interior atrium spaces.

Source: Vienna University of Economics and Business

California-based WET Design makes the waters dance at Sochi

At the center of the Sochi games Medals Plaza, the "The Waters of the Olympic Park" fountain forms a backdrop for the medals awards and is part of the opening and closing ceremonies. Created by California design firm WET, the fountain features a basin that measures 75.3 meters (247 feet) in diameter and holds about 700,000 gallons (2.65 million L) of water. For the centerpiece performance, hundreds of air-powered jets launch vertical columns of water up to 70 meters (230 feet) high to form the five Olympic rings in vivid color – but this is only part of the show.

For its other displays, the Sochi fountain uses an array of patented nozzles and jet systems to animate choreographed combinations of water, fog and lights set to music. Coordinated and multi-colored columns of water, produced by more than 250 nozzles and over a thousand lights, sweep, jump and dance.

As part of the Olympic celebration of Russian culture, the WET choreographers programmed performances to pieces by Russian composers Tchaikovsky, Khachaturian, Shostakovich and Glinka. But there is also a little pop thrown in, with grooves by the likes of Michael Jackson making the water do everything but moon walk. In addition to the lights used to illuminate vertical sprays, one thousand StrobeStar lights were set into the basin of the fountain to create the effect of an "underwater night sky."

Though somewhat overshadowed by the cauldron itself, the fountain was also designed to interact with the massive fireworks displays as part of the opening and closing ceremonies. However, the designers at WET created their own "liquid fireworks" effects by submerging theatrical stage lights, which they adapted to make what they say are the brightest colored LED lights in the world. Motion-controlled, rotating robotic nozzles are key to the variation in movement and effect. These are used to create the sweeping motions, arches and "pirouettes" of the water spray.

With post-games use in mind, the designers added another ring of jets that will help to produce the form of "a universal pyramid" when the Sochi site is used for future events.

Source: Gizmag

Digital Cameras: Review: Socam UltiMate Action Camera

Things got a little tighter in the already-crowded actioncam market this week, as Conrad Electronic announced its Socam UltiMate Action Camera. Among its features are a rotating lens, a streamlined form factor, and an included splash-proof case. I was provided with a pre-release review unit, which I've been trying out over the past couple of weeks. Read on, to find out how I liked it.

First of all, here's a quick rundown of some of the Socam's specs.

It shoots at a maximum resolution of 1080p/30fps, and offers a choice of other modes including WVGA 120fps (slow motion), time lapse, photo burst at 16MP/10fps, and video looping. In that last mode, it continuously "rewrites" a loop of video, but will save the previous few minutes of footage when instructed to do so – it's a feature shared by various other actioncams, and is a way of ensuring that you never miss a shot, yet without ending up with too much unwanted raw footage.

The camera is also Wi-Fi-enabled, allowing it to be controlled via an app on the user's mobile device. That app also lets them preview and play back footage, along with sharing their videos and stills via social media.

One feature that I particularly liked is its 330-degree rotating lens – much like those on the cameras made by Drift Innovation. This allows the camera to be mounted in whatever orientation is most practical (such as on its side, or at an angle), with its shot subsequently being straightened out simply by twisting the lens.

I also liked the fact that its low-profile design allows it to sit quite flush against whatever it's mounted on. The GoPro Hero, by contrast, tends to jut out from things, like the un-aerodynamic box that it is.

The Socam can be operated using either its own physical buttons, or the app. Using the buttons is fairly simple – one main button powers the thing up and lets you switch between modes, while pressing one of the three mode buttons (when they're selected) starts the recording or snaps the shot.

The app is also quite easy to use, although the display of the camera's output freezes up as soon as you start recording. According to Conrad, this is "because the camera is focusing on recording the high-quality video." Whatever the reason, it means that you can't monitor the shot as it's being recorded – something that various other actioncams' apps or LCD screensdo allow you to do.

If the Socam UltiMate were less expensive, I could perhaps recommend it as an economical alternative to more established models. With a suggested retail price of US$269, however, that isn't the case. For $69 less, you can get a GoPro Hero3 White Edition that offers most of the same features, minus the rotating lens but including a submersible housing. That camera also records cleaner audio, its angle can be adjusted while it's mounted, and its app lets you see a moving picture as the camera is recording.

If you really do like the rotating lens, though, the Socam is $130 less than either of the Drift cameras. It should be hitting store shelves in April, to be followed by a variety of accessories including a detachable LCD screen, a watertight housing, more mounts, and a battery extension pack.

Source: Socam UltiMate

Hero vs. Honda: Battle of the Titans

Clockwise from top left: The featherweight Hastur 620cc Streetfighter; lightweight 250cc HX250R sports bike; 35 kg SimplECity urban electric motorcycle; 100 kg 'ion' fuel cell prototype with two-wheel-drive, hubless maglev wheels, collision detection & avoidance, telematics, Lithium-Air batteries and futuristic M-Link suspension; ZIR superscooter; LEAP Serial hybrid scooter, world's most fuel-efficient scooter with 200 mpg (U.S.) and 240 mpg (imp) PLUS electric.

When Hero MotoCorp Managing Director Pawan Munjal pronounced "the dawn of a new era" at a press conference prior to the opening of Auto Expo in New Delhi last week, his words meant much more than customary auto company MD rhetoric. When Honda and Hero decided to part company in December 2010, with Honda’s long term agreement to provide technology to the Hero Honda company until the end of 2014 looming, Hero faced the seemingly insurmountable task of replacing Honda's world-leading motorcycle designs inside exactly four years.

Whether it liked it or not, Hero MotoCorp has been entering a new era since it agreed to pay Honda US$1,000,000,000 for its 25 percent share of the publicly listed Hero Honda, (a company with 50 percent market share of Indian motorcycle sales) and then face its former partner, the world’s undisputed heavyweight champion manufacturer of two-wheelers, as a direct and determined competitor.

The battle is now on for market leadership in the world’s biggest motorcycle and scooter market, with battles that will impact markets globally soon to follow.

We have been challenging the routine and the conventional ... our new motto is to drive change through path-breaking innovations ... We have now successfully developed an ecosystem of technology research and development that is designed to think beyond the obvious and deliver future-ready mobility solutions.” Pawan Munjal. Hero MotoCorp Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

After three years of Hero MotoCorp preparing for the end of 2014, the critically important 2014 Indian Auto Expo was “show time” in more ways than one. It was the final opportunity to deliver a convincing new range at India’s most important auto show before it becomes entirely reliant on its own resources.

Over the course of the Auto Expo, Hero delivered on that vision with a broad range of new motorcycles and scooters and several convincing prototypes and pre-production models that demonstrated just what can be achieved with two wheels when you really think about it.

Hero MotoCorp is India’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and as a stand-alone company, the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer too. Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal began the family business in 1956, manufacturing bicycles in Amritsar – the company was named Hero Cycles.

As India's massive population needed transport, the company's bicycle manufacturing business grew every year, becoming the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world during the early 1980s. Hero Cycles’ founder Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal is now the Chairman of a board of 11 which includes three other directors with the surname Munjal. It may be a publicly listed company, but it is still very much a family company in many respects.

Using the cash generated by the bicycle business, Hero Cycles partnered with Honda to create Hero Honda in 1984. The partnership has been very successful with well publicized sponsorships and corporate citizenship efforts and a dealership network of 7000 touchpoints that have made it a very visible company that India is proud of – a national icon of Indian business success.

Using Honda technology and Hero’s deep rooted local knowledge of the vast and complex country’s transportation needs, Hero Honda achieved double digit growth every year to become the world’s largest single manufacturer of two-wheelers, driven by a dominant share of the Indian two-wheeler market, which overtook China to become the largest motorcycle market in the world in 2012.

Honda is going after Hero’s dominant Indian market share, and Hero, knowing its near 50 percent share of the world’s largest market will be difficult to defend in the face of massively increased competition, is expanding into new markets.

Initially, Hero will target developing countries where the two-wheelers it is crafting for its home market needs will be considered most desirable – the developing markets of Africa, South America and Asia. Countries slated for initial Hero motorcycle distribution include Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Peru, Nepal, Mozambique, Kenya, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Guatemala, Salvador, Egypt, Ecuador, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso and Angola.

Hero is standing strong at present, with only minor sales erosion in its home market to date. Honda’s concerted push for market leadership is hurting the former number two market share holder Bajaj much more than it is hurting Hero. Honda moved into second place in the market during 2013 and by December, had increased its margin over Bajaj considerably.

In December 2013, Bajaj sold 260,645 bikes, Honda sold 296,144 and Hero sold 524,990. By comparison, in December 2012, Bajaj sold 298,350, Honda sold 217,498 and Hero sold 541,615. That’s 12.6 percent down for Bajaj, 3.0 percent down for Hero and 54 percent up for Honda. All the other major manufacturers grew year-on-year in December, with Yamaha 13 percent up, TVS up 2 percent, Suzuki up 10 percent and Mahindra up 267 percent.

In January 2014, Hero MotoCorp sold 489,322 two-wheelers (494,109 in January 2013 so down 1 percent), Bajaj sold 167,869 (196,023 in January 2013 so down 14.4 percent), and Honda sold 153,930 (105,968 in January 2013 so up 45.2 percent), in a market which grew to by 8.85 percent to 1,313,796 units from 1,206,931 in the January, 2013.

Source: Gizmag

Das electric! VW's e-Golf goes on sale in Germany

The most successful selling car in Europe has gone electric. Now available in Germany, Volkswagen’s all electric e-Golf, which premiered at theFrankfurt International Auto Show last September, joins the e-up! and eco-up! in the German manufacturer's all-electric line-up.

he e-Golf, looking near identical to the petrol powered model, is reported to achieve economy of 12.7 kWh/100 km (62 mi) at a cost of only €3.28/100 km (US $4.50/62 mi).

Powered by an 85 kW (114 hp) electric motor paired with a 24.2 kWh lithium ion battery, the e-Golf boasts torque figures of 270 Nm (200 lb.ft) and makes the run from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in a not so quick 10.4 seconds.

The front wheel drive e-Golf provides a choice of three driving modes and has four levels of regenerative braking. Volkswagen reports a range of 190 km (118 mi) on a single charge (depending on driving styles) with a limited top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph).

Volkswagen’s e-Golf is on sale now in Germany with prices starting at €34,900 (US $47,872)

Source: Volkswagen

New Volvo tech allows deliveries to be made to parked cars

It's kind of ironic that couriers usually attempt home deliveries during the day, while most people are away at work. Not only does this mean that those people don't get their packages as soon as they could, but it also means the couriers have to go to the time and trouble of making a second attempt on another day. Volvo wants to change that, by letting drivers use their parked cars as mobile delivery points.

The automaker's experimental "roam delivery" service is built around the existing Volvo On Call telematics app, that lets users do things like remotely activating the heating or air conditioning in their parked vehicle.

In this case, however, they provide the company making the delivery with a one-time-use digital key to their car. When the delivery person reaches the vehicle, they use that key – via their mobile device – to unlock its doors. They then put the package inside, close the doors and lock them. The key ceases to exist after that, and the driver receives a notification of the times at which the vehicle was unlocked and locked.

The system could also be used for the picking up of packages, with couriers removing specific items from the car instead of putting them in.

Volvo has tested the technology in a pilot project, reportedly with favorable reactions from the participants. There's no word on when or if the system will be rolled out for general use, although it will be presented at the Mobile World Congress next week.

Source: Volvo, Gizmag

Bionic pancreas could be life-changing for diabetics

For people living with type 1 diabetes, a constant process of monitoring and adjusting blood sugar levels is required. A change may be on the horizon, though. A bionic pancreas trialled among 30 adults has been very well-received by the participants, and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for three transitional outpatient studies over the next 18 months.

People with type 1 diabetes are unable to produce insulin, a hormone that is required to control the level of sugar in the bloodstream. As a result, blood sugar levels can vary dramatically, causing potential damage to body organs when too high, or confusion and loss of consciousness when too low.

The device comprises a sensor inserted under the skin that relays hormone level data to a monitoring device, which in turn sends the information wirelessly to an app on the user's smartphone. Based on the data, which is provided every five minutes, the app calculates required dosages of insulin or glucagon to maintain optimal blood sugar levels and communicates the information to two corresponding hormone infusion pumps worn by the patient.

The bionic pancreas has been developed by associate professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University Dr. Edward Damiano, and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School Dr. Steven Russell. To date, it has been trialled with diabetic pigs and in three hospital-based feasibility studies amongst adults and adolescents over 24-48 hour periods. The upcoming studies will allow the device to be tested by participants in real-world scenarios with decreasing amounts of supervision.

The first study will test the device's performance for five continuous days. Twenty adults with type 1 diabetes will use it between 7am and 11pm, during which time they will have access to a 3 sq mi area near Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Accompanying nurses will check the participants' blood sugar levels every two hours to ensure the device is working. Participants will sleep at a hotel, where their blood sugar levels will continue to be monitored throughout the night. The results will be compared to a corresponding five-day period during which the participants will be at home under their own care without the device.

A second study will be carried out using 16 boys and 16 girls with type 1 diabetes, testing the device's performance for six days against a further six days of the participants' usual care routine. The third study will be carried out amongst 50 to 60 further participants with type 1 diabetes who are also medical professionals. They will wear the device for two weeks at home and monitor a comparative two-week period without the device.

Should the transitional trials be successful, a more developed version of the bionic pancreas, based on results and feedback from the previous trials, will be put through its paces in multi-center pivotal trials during 2015. The device will be a single, dual-chamber insulin and glucagon pump, without the need for being paired with a smartphone app. It will be tested in hundreds of participants with type 1 diabetes over a six-month period, with the results compared against participants in a control group using their usual care routine.

If all goes well, Damiano hopes that the bionic pancreas will gain FDA approval and be rolled out by 2017, when his son, who has type 1 diabetes, is expected to start higher education.

Source: Boston University via USA Today