美國國家科學基金會曾估計全球約有三千萬個物種，但至今僅被科學家辨識出約兩百萬種，其餘94%則處在快速消失的生態圈中，如果達爾文活在當代，也不得不感嘆為何物種採集的速度永遠趕不上它們被環境破壞滅絕的速度。
源由聖經裡上帝要諾亞將世界上各種生物放入一艘大方舟，以躲避大洪水的神話，2010年初，一群紐約大學Tisch藝術學院的互動電訊傳播學程的學生們也試圖運用最夯的手機科技，保護或保留這些即將滅絕的生物的蹤跡，於開發出真實版的諾亞計畫App（Project Noah）。
目前分類：未分類文章 (14)
- Sep 29 Thu 2011 17:06
你就是下一個達爾文 Project Noah
- Aug 22 Mon 2011 10:48
Shape-shifting Material
Can you imagine when the phrase “one size fits all” actually becomes real?
Well, it just did.
Smart material was definitely up there in the lists of a couple of Harvard and MIT researchers. They’d devised a programmable matter that folded itself into different shapes.
Looking like a piece of napkin, this thin sheet was connected through a series of triangular sections that could fold itself into a boat or an airplane – all without human intervention.
- Aug 22 Mon 2011 10:41
The Family Robot(s): Cultural Differences & Human-Robot Relationships
Astroboy, Japanese manga, 1952-present
As robots become more common in the household, as domestic help, pets, companions, or medical assistants, their design and functionality may vary based on cultural factors.
Japan, as perhaps the world's largest producer and consumer of robotics, is an interesting case. A rapidly aging population, along with a reticence to bring foreign domestic help into the household, combine to create an ideal situation for the introduction of household robotic helpers. In addition, there are some who think that the Shintoism and animist belief systems of Japanese make them more accepting of robots than Westerners.
Westerners, with some religion-based strictures against idol-worship, may have negative feelings toward robots in daily life.
The following quotations from a Japanese scholar and a roboticist illuminate some aspects of Japanese culture and spirituality in relation to robots.
"In Japan, most people still have an animist sensibility. We've always prayed to water gods or whatever. In the same way when we see a robot, we respond to the spirit. We feel like we have to take care of it and respect it." - Rie Nakamura, Waseda University
“If you make something, your heart will go into the thing you are making. So a robot is an external self. If a robot is an external self, a robot is your child.” - Masahiro Mori, Japanese roboticist
(http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=873&catid=26&subcatid=163)
Examples of Japanese Robots
- Jul 14 Thu 2011 12:24
Body Power: Make Your Own Electricity
What happens when you really need to make that call, use your GPS, or listen to the song, but your mobile device's battery just ran out? There have been a number of products designed to help people recharge their devices on the go, but the following are special in that they convert energy from the user's own body into electricity that can charge portable electronics. Charging devices with body power, whether it's by converting kinetic energy or body heat, is helpful for outdoor exploring, travel, or emergencies, and is a type of renewable energy that does not rely on a sunny day or strong wind to work.
Etón American Red Cross Clipray LED Flashlight & USB Cell Phone Charger
This LED flashlight and USB cell phone charger is powered by a hand crank. Energy is stored in an internal battery. It's particularly suited for emergencies and outdoor use. Weighing only 138 grams and including a built-in carabiner clip, it's built for portability. Endorsed by the American Red Cross, Etón also donates a portion of profits to the organization.
One minute of cranking provides 10 minutes of light. The charging times for cell phones vary due to differences in batteries and power requirements.
Cost: US$15
http://www.etoncorp.com/product_card/?p_ProductDbId=1519313
Other similar products, such as the SOS Charger (http://www.soscharger.com/) are also on the market.
- Jul 14 Thu 2011 11:37
Travel Innovations
Everyone travels, and the sad part is, everyone is bothered by the hassles of traveling, especially in tedious tasks such as booking hotels or documenting trips.
In this month’s newsletter, I’ll introduce you to two new web services that just might make your traveling life a little easier.
BedMap
“Gosh! Why can’t you just give me a map?!” That’s my reaction when I tried booking hotels online in the past. Obviously my search criteria included hotel prices, but more importantly, I needed to know where the hotel was in relation to my destinations, and more often than not, hotel bookings services only gave out addresses.
Although it’s been done before, BedMap assists travelers in booking hotels. However, what differentiates them from typical hotel search engines is that they actually show you where hotels are on a map.
Moreover, they include the hotel prices right on the map so consumers can compare hotels in respect to their locations right away.
- Jul 14 Thu 2011 11:16
開心旅行：趣味又實用的旅行產品
Snazzy Napper 時髦睡眠面罩：世界上最搞笑的旅行產品
這個新產品讓民眾在睡覺時可以戴在頭上並遮住臉，這樣一來，睡覺的醜樣也不會被路人看到了，它看起來像是中東婦女的傳統服飾burqa，只不過它短了點、而且面罩露出的不是眼睛而是鼻子，它的外側還有口袋可以讓你放東西。
面罩的設計師Margaret Wilson是在往倫敦的一趟旅途中得到靈感的，她在機場時要把夾克蓋在她的頭上才睡得著，她說這樣其他旅客就不用看到你睡覺時嘴巴張得開開的臉了，設計師嘗試著把面罩設計得比較友善一點，她在上面放了Z還有羊的圖樣，但是當CNN記者實際在公共場合試用這個產品時，卻招來許多異樣的眼光，還有路人當眾大笑出來。這樣反而會讓使用者在睡覺時更容易受到別人甚至是小偷的注目，加上放在外側的口袋，這等於是給小偷一個訊號，告訴他們這是個良好的偷竊機會。不過也有使用者非常喜歡這個產品，在旅行時、或是在車上時使用。這個時髦睡眠面罩要價美金17~28元。資料來源
- Feb 22 Tue 2011 00:25
快速將word文章貼上部落格
- Nov 01 Mon 2010 18:03
用自己的創意...
我們不但利用自己的創意把喜歡的事物放入在我們生活圈中，更重要的是有一些創意將我們的生活定義得更廣、更完全。我們今天可以利用Destination Dinner最新推出的DIY料理包(如下圖)做出多種美味的異國料理，有別於市面上的微波產品，這一個DIY料理包包含了所需要的調理油醋鹽，我們跟隨著書上的指示，在到超級市場買新鮮的馬鈴薯或是麵條米飯，只需要十分鐘，道地美食在我們眼前。商品轟動因為此料理包的份量適合多數小家庭需求，共享家庭天倫之樂的同時也能夠品嘗多元化料理，爸媽更不用擔心食物的來源，新鮮的食材原料到烹煮過程都在我們眼前完成。為此產品稱為Destination Dinner Recipe Kits，售價一包是25至30美金。當然，貼心的服務不只這樣，Destination Dinner也趁勢推出-禮盒組(gift-sets)以及派對包(dinner-party-kits)(價格另議)，當我們到朋友家作客或是大家一伙待在一起享受DIY異國美食，或許又會有多一層風味。
圖片來源: http://www.destinationdinners.com
國際美食菜單包含紐奧良經典燒烤、牙買加的BBQ雞肉與鮮蝦、日本京都味増飯、泰國美食等。
派對包(dinner-party-kits)(如右圖的泰式料理)還附送泰式的盛器(rice-bowl& serving spoon)
- Nov 01 Mon 2010 17:50
Shapeways DIY 網站:幫你實現自己的創意,創業夢想
想要發揮自己的創意,卻不知如何發表?或是對於自己所設計的飾品感到自豪,想要創業卻缺少本錢?Shapeways網路公司的商業模式便採取了互惠互利的方式:既是讓網友們提供設計,然後説明想要把設計當商品兜售的顧客實現‘開店’的夢想。
如何運作:
設計檔案
SolidWorks Google Sketchup，Pro-Engineer，如AutoCad，Shapeways中的3D設計平臺能夠支援許多不同的構圖軟體等等軟體。Collada 或X3D檔當。 便可把檔存成STL，只要設計者運用了設計軟體畫出設計圖後若所使用之軟體沒法儲存成為以上任何檔當類，設計者也可進入Meshlab 輕易轉檔。那不会使用任何设计软体，却拥有无限的设计创意点子的朋友们呢？Shapeways也贴心地考虑到这一群使用者，并可让设计者直接下载自家的Sketchsheet软体，便可轻易地画出3D图形。
製作過程:
在完成上載設計圖的動作之後,設計者便可在幾種不同的材料中作出材質的選擇,其中包括:無鏽鋼鐵,塑膠,玻璃等。若需要做出顏色的選擇,也可直接點入有關頁面進行選擇。 另外,如果設計上需要比較機械的部分,如齒輪等設計,網頁上也附上了‘設計方案’供設計者參考。之後,便是計算所有費用。在付款後的10 天后便會將自己所設計的產品送到府上了
在網路上開店:
如果設計者也有創業的打算,也可在Shapeways上販賣自己的設計。網頁中 ‘Open a shop’的欄目,便是讓設計者輕易地把設計產品發表並販售的平臺。‘開店’前所需考慮的專案非常簡單,設計者只要簽署一張授權書,指明Shapeways能夠使用設計並產出物品售賣,還有清楚寫出想要獲得的利潤(稱為’markup price’), 設計者的貨品便可開始自己的小小生意了!
Shapeways 也會在網頁上教導店主如何在眾多的店面中出位,還有傳授一些開店小貼士。
簡短的Shapeways設計製作過程可參閱以下視頻:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQoTro9WfbQ&feature=player_embedded
Shapeways網路商店可往以下連接參考:
http://www.shapeways.com/shops?sg%5Bpage%5D=1#sg
Shapeways 的角色:
Shapeways 採取的是互惠互利的商業模式。 它無需花更多的成本便可擁有不同的設計點子而像要創業的設計者也可輕易地實現自己的創作與創業的夢想。物品處理費和運輸費、 而貨品的價格是依據設計者所標上的利潤再加上材料費用的總價格。 的 Shapeways所賺取的盈率在於材料費如果是不喜歡或對自己的設計沒有信心的顧客、 也還是可以上網選擇其他設計者的創作、 並可容許做出小調整、 像是材質方面的決定。
然而,Shapeways 中所 可製作的物品和所能夠使用的材料依然有限。例如,若設計中含有機械或機器的植入,Shapeways 便無法支援這樣的設計了。
作者:蕭意卉
- Sep 13 Mon 2010 23:53
老子與如茵搞笑動畫版
- Aug 24 Tue 2010 19:40
map
- Aug 23 Mon 2010 19:03
CyArk歷史遺跡數位保存計畫
![clip_image002[1]](https://fvbhrw.blu.livefilestore.com/y1m0LvAauI-xE9l9rRTR-Ie4IrFIu-0fL4JF4brP-Q_peCSs2CpeA90BRLm9lpSkL3UAC_AypZg469YsmETV0DlOK4lJxQKPPXpflYuAKE0V2pPMA-o1qNnkLfzFsQwnMruCqP8JI8ELjNeyujw3Q8_9g/clip_image002[1][2].jpg?download&psid=1 "clip_image002[1]")
一、簡介：不同於放在博物館中的歷史文物，世界各國有許多暴露於自然環境下的歷史古蹟，每天遭受自然或人為因素的影響，正一天天在腐朽、崩壞當中。而CyArk團隊的首要任務就是將這些古機透過高科技保存，並將蒐集到的資料放在網站上的archive中，供任何人取用，藉此讓世界古機永久保存並讓更多人認識這些全人類的文化遺產。更重要的是，透過這些資料及歷史古蹟的擬真復原圖，當地的管理單位能更了解該如何去保存這些珍貴的文化遺產。
- Mar 22 Mon 2010 22:26
National Cheng Chi University Creative and Innovative Centre
Team: Ideas and Life
The name of the team ‘Ideas and Life’, aims to depict the team’s philosophy and research direction of searching for ‘creativity in everyday lives”. Concise yet aptly fitting to our focus of research work, we hope that this name will bring across our passion and enthusiasm towards our exploration and pursuit of original and imaginative inspirations which are applicable to different walks of lives.
A Little on our Background:
Supported and funded by the Economic Development Board of Taiwan, Research Program 2009, the main responsibility of ‘Ideas and Life’ is to fulfill the following objectives:
(i) To promote and establish platforms for different industries to engage in more innovations which caters to the needs of the respective industries based on a 4-year planning program*.
(ii) To unleash creativity and possibilities based on research of different communities in everyday life, then brainstorming for fresh ideas on product and service innovations.
Led by our leading professor, Professor Sun Se-wen of National Cheng Chi University Department of Journalism, ‘Ideas and Life’ consists of 6 team members who are mainly post-graduate students, seeking for novel research ideas.
The duration of this program will span from 1st May 2009 to 30th April 2010.
Our Research Method
Literature reviews are done on the area of daily creativity studies, and from our comprehension of these past researches, we developed our own creative thinking framework which laid our foundation and provided our basis for research.
Our team conducted our research through observing and interviewing different communities in the society. These communities are:
(i) Housewives
(ii) Lohas
(iii) Single Career Women
(iv) Cyclists
(v) Music Lovers
(vi) Singaporean Executives
Through analyzing the lifestyles, work-life, leisure and spending habits of the subjects belonging to these communities, we came up with discussions on the types of innovation in products and services which can satisfy the needs of each group of subjects. We will then script short stories and acts based on our analyses, which depict and highlight our research findings. In this way, we hope to ignite the imaginative sparks within our readers.
*What is The Four-year Planning Program
The Four-year Planning program is set to satisfy the objective of using observations in everyday life to encourage and facilitate future innovations, providing assistance and suggestions to legal persons and various industry creativity competitions. In this way, we hope to institute a flourishing environment to allow creative juices to flow.
In our endeavor to promote creative thinking within industries, we have organized the“ International Design Entrepreneur Awardees 2009 Seminar- Let’s have a cup of tea” on 6th June 2009. Participants were able to gain much insight about how these award winners can ‘think out of the box’ and unleash their creative juices.
· Creativity in Everyday lives
Based on the plan, information will be collated through interviews of specific communities, or through participation of various events with different groups of interests. Analyses will then be done on these information to obtain deeper understanding of the needs and preferences of each community. Subsequently, more exploration will be done in search of new grounds for more unique and formula-winning ideas stimulations.
· International Exchange
Part of our efforts to gather inventive ideas are to learn from overseas organizations who are also engaged in creative industries. Also, we aim to participate in International conferences and seminars, where ideas can be exchanged and creativity can be sparked off.
In our research process, our team has gathered information from previous works of scholars from all over the world. Though aplenty, these studies cover a wide spectrum of areas, which are highly dispersed in focus. Furthermore, we were unable to locate any research team which specialized in the study of ‘creativity in everyday life’. However, with the huge pool of researches conducted worldwide, we can ascertain that researches concerning the relationship ‘everyday lives’ and ‘creativity’ is strongly recognized in the scholarly and commercial aspects. Our team, having interacted with overseas researchers who share the same interests, will also be drafting the insights that we have gathered to further support our study.
· Sessions for Various Organizations in Taiwan
‘Ideas and Life’ are also active in the conducting talks and seminars for professionals of different industries in Taiwan to stimulate the creative thinking process within each individual markets and to propose possible new ventures.
For each different group of audience, we ensure that our materials are of high relevance to them, so that at the end of the sessions, participants will be able to gather useful and important takeaways which are applicable to their job scopes. Our team will first understand the needs and backgrounds of our target audience for each seminar through discussions with the relevant organization. We will then streamline our sharing materials to suit the needs of target group, while linking them to our ‘Ideas and Life’ research philosophy and research methods so that our suggestions will be sensible and comprehensible to them. We also aim to strive our very best to investigate on the latest trends and technologies applicable to the relevant industries we are addressing so that these sessions can fulfill our objective of providing the most up-to-date information for our audiences.
To date, we have conducted 4 sharing sessions with:
(i) British Culture Association
(ii) Taiwan Textile Research Institute
(iii) Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan
(iv) Chung Hwa Telecom
These sessions are tailored to provide imaginative and unique ideas towards the improvement of products and services that these respective industries can adopt.
Our Website
Our website ‘Creative Lives’serves as a platform to share our research plans, methods and findings with relevant industries. Various information pertaining to individual needs can be easily obtainable on our website. We hope that through our discoveries in numerous areas, we are able to encourage and motivate future inventive ideas, thereby boosting the economic development of Taiwan.
Future plans for our website includes the addition of more interaction platforms so that ideas can be exchanged freely among members of our site. We will also work out the issue of infringement of intellectual property, and then set up platforms to share research findings through our website so that knowledge can be extended and expanded.
