Nike Vapor Laser Talon with a revolutionary 3D printed plate

The quest for acceleration and speed has long been the north star for athletes across sport, and in order to excel in the game of football, the mastery of these skills is seen in the 40-yard dash. Played out on a national stage in Indianapolis, pro scouts clock 40-yard dash times in order to assess and translate these measurements to a football athlete’s game-time ability. 

Today, Nike Football debuted the Nike Vapor Laser Talon with a revolutionary 3D printed plate that will help football athletes perform at their best. In a version built to master the 40, the Nike Vapor Laser Talon weighs a mere 5.6 oz. and is specifically designed to provide optimal traction on football turf and to help athletes maintain their “drive stance” longer. 

With more than 40 years of athlete insights and innovation across sport, Nike designers worked with elite trainers within Nike SPARQ as well as long time partner and gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson to understand how he and his team at Michael Johnson Performance train football athletes for the 40. According to MJP Performance Director, Lance Walker, an athlete’s “Zero Step” is a pivotal point that can make or break an athlete’s 40 time. In the moments before that first step hits the turf, his propulsion and acceleration speed are determined. At that point, it’s all about geometry.

“Nike’s new 3D printed plate is contoured to allow football athletes to maintain their drive position longer and more efficiently, helping them accelerate faster through the critical first 10 yards of the 40,” said Johnson. “Translated to the game of football, mastering the Zero Step can mean the difference between a defensive lineman sacking the quarterback or getting blocked.”

The plate of the cleat is crafted using Selective Laser Sintering technology (SLS). It is the sport’s first 3D-printed plate. SLS is a manufacturing technique that uses high-powered lasers to fuse small particles of materials into a three-dimentional shape. Through proprietary material selection, Nike was able to prototype a fully functional plate and traction system within a fraction of the traditional timeframe and at a fraction of the weight. The SLS process allows for the engineering and creation of shapes not possible in traditional manufacturing processes. It also provides the ability to make design updates within hours instead of months to truly accelerate the innovation process to never seen speeds.  

“SLS technology has revolutionized the way we design cleat plates – even beyond football – and gives Nike the ability to create solutions that were not possible within the constraints of traditional manufacturing processes,” said Shane Kohatsu, Director of Nike Footwear Innovation.

The way athletes train continues to evolve, and Nike continues to push the boundaries of innovation even further. By listening to the voice of the athlete, Nike is able to evolve footwear, apparel and equipment to help athletes achieve their highest potential.

Source:psfk.com

AUDI CONCEPT REPLACES TRADITIONAL TAILLIGHTS WITH MINI TV SCREENS

A vehicle’s rear tail light indicates to other road users that the driver is braking or turning, but what if it could signal more? Audi‘s ‘Swarm’ concept proposes turning the rear of a vehicle into an OLED display, capable of communicating more information.

The external light design could react to the approaching driver, following his or her movements and highlighting the main contours of the vehicle or the door handle. When the driver has entered, restrained OLED lighting would become active inside.

A vehicle’s rear end could be turned into a large, continuous light surface, with innumerable small points of flickering light. Their movements follow the movements of the vehicle, so when a right turn is made, they flow to the right, when the car brakes, they flow rapidly forwards, and the faster the car goes, the faster they move. This would enable the following driver to always see right away what the car in front is doing.

Gizmag notes that ‘Swarm’ could potentially be a hazard by distracting other drivers and reports that a spokesperson for the UK’s Automobile Association said: “The Swarm is a delightful concept design but under current lighting regulations it is probably best saved for aquariums or art galleries.” You can check out the OLED technology in the video using the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=cnQRTvwuE8k

Source:psfk.com

SOLAR-POWERED MOBILE TRUCK COULD CHANGE AFRICAN HEALTHCARE

Vehicle equipped with remarkable range of facilities could revolutionize treatment in rural parts of the sub-Sahara.

At the back of the truck is a small soundproof booth with a chair, light and pair of headphones. Outside the door sits a “screening memory audiometer” with a laptop and printer. This is an ear clinic on wheels, designed to reach the far-flung corners of Africa.

“Before they go to school, children are tested so we know their specific needs,” says Kea’ Modimoeng, of Samsung, unveiling the $250,000 (£168,000) vehicle in Cape Town, South Africa, this week. “If David has a hearing difficulty, let him sit at the front of the class instead of the back, where he’s not able to take part in the lesson.”

The ear clinic is just one element of what is billed as Africa’s first solar-powered mobile health centre. The seven-metre truck also contains a fully equipped eye and blood clinic and a dental surgery. Its target is the six in 10 people in sub-Saharan Africa who live in rural areas, often lacking the time and money to travel long distances to reach health services.

Patients will be screened for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, tooth decay and cataracts. There will be an emphasis on health education and encouraging tests as a preventative measure.

In the next 10 weeks, Samsung plans to add a mother-and-child clinic capable of 4D ultrasound scans and delivering babies.

“Healthcare and education are the key challenges in Africa,” Modimoeng says. “The challenges are huge. In Africa our existing healthcare system is overcrowded. We are trying to ease that burden.”

On Wednesday, the truck was parked on Grand Parade, where thousands gathered to hear Nelson Mandela’s first speech from the city hall after his release from prison in 1990. It was among innovations promoted by Samsung, the South Korean giant better known for mobile phones and televisions, under the slogan, “Built for Africa“.

The mobile health centre was constructed in Johannesburg, painted in Samsung’s corporate blue and white, and included, under an awning, a TV screen. Modimoeng said public information videos would be shown to communities as they queued. Inside, many of the products are made by specialist manufacturers or pharmaceutical companies.

At the front is the eye and blood clinic, with a reclining chair for the patient, a sink and mirror, and hi-tech equipment including a blood analyser, spectacle repair kit and “Reichert PT100 portable NCT” – a non-contact tonometry test to measure pressure inside the eye. It is likely to have a staff of four.

The facility would enable testing for HIV, malaria and numerous other conditions, Modimoeng says. “You can get blood test results instantly. They can print a prescription for you.”

Next comes the dental clinic, much like any other with its familiar chair and overhead light. It also has an x-ray unit, air motor, mobile suction unit, water distiller and needle incinerator. It will have three staff.

At the rear is the ear clinic, expected to have two staff.

This is the first of its kind, Modimoeng says, and the ambition is to reach 1 million people in Africa by 2015. “We are scaling up with Africa in mind. We want to collaborate with governments. The intent is there from various countries.”

But he admitted that solar power alone is still not enough. “This uses a lot of energy. The solar power charges the lighting, TV and so on. The rest relies on an inbuilt generator using unleaded fuel or a power plug. It’s a step in the right direction and, as time unfolds, we are looking at getting equipment that uses less energy.”

But can the health centre withstand Africa’s notorious potholed, bone-jarring roads? “Definitely,” Modimoeng insists.

Also on show at the Samsung forum, where the Guardian was among 200 invited media guests, was asolar-powered internet school – a 12-metre container that can accommodate at least 21 pupils, each with a laptop, and has 24 solar panels providing nine hours of power a day.

Fully charged, the batteries last three to five days. Since their launch in 2011, the $100,000 schools have begun operating in Angola, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa, helping an estimated 7,000 children. Nearby was a solar power generator that can be connected to conventional classrooms. Samsung says that, on average, less than 25% of rural areas in Africa have access to electricity.

Leonard Tleane, smart schools solutions provider for the company, says solar energy is a growing part of the solution. “The costs are definitely coming down and most of corporate South Africa is moving into solar power. You walk into the townships these days and almost every house has a solar geyser.”

Source: PSFK.COM

INFLATABLE TENT TURNS INTO CONCRETE WITH WATER

The Concrete Canvas Shelter is a large inflatable tent made from a unique and highly functional material. It’s made from a canvas-like fabric that’s flexible and lightweight. However, when water is added to the material, it hardens into concrete.

The tent was created by a U.K-based company, which was originally developed for military use and also in an event of a natural disaster where sturdy shelters need to be resurrected quickly.

In test conditions, the inflatable canvas shelter was able to be erected by two people without any training in under an hour. Once the concrete hardens, the building is ready to be used in 24 hours.

The shelter comes delivered flat-packed in airtight and water- and rot-proof sacks. Once the electric fan is activated, it’s able to blow up the the plastic structure. Once the tent is fully inflated, you can simply hose down the outside with water to turn the canvas fabric into a solid material.

Watch the video below for a demonstration.

                                http://youtu.be/Vb1pdvvoVoQ

Better still visit the websites gallery at:

http://www.concretecanvas.co.uk/Images/ccsgallery/index.html