Surfboard Bag As Inflatable Tent

Love the idea of cruising the coast in a two-story surf motorhome or small camper van but are looking to go lighter and cheaper … much lighter and cheaper? Australia’s Boardswag has just the thing, a surfboard bag that transforms into a one-person tent with a few blasts of air. So whether you’re getting a quick jump on dawn patrol […]

Autonomous Tram To Be Ready For Moscow Debut

A Russian urban electric vehicle manufacturer and developers of artificial intelligence for autonomous driving systems are working on a city tram that will trundle itself around the streets of Moscow in the near future. The fully autonomous tram is due to start closed facility testing shortly, ahead of street tests along Moscow’s tram routes. The aim of the joint project […]

Curved Aluminium Facade Raises The Game

Revery Architecture recently completed work on a performing arts center in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Cultural District. The Xiqu Centre features a striking facade made up of curved aluminum that envelops glazing. The firm likens the effect to a lantern shimmering behind a beaded stage curtain. Created in collaboration with Ronald Lu & Partners, the Xiqu Centre has been in the […]

How Down Payments Work

In most cases, you’ll run into the need for a down payment when you’re trying to get a loan for land, a home, car, boat or an airplane. Basically, any large purchase for which you will need financing to complete will typically require you pay a portion of up front to reduce the amount of the loan you’ll need to […]

Converting Waste Plastic To Fuel

Millions of metric tons of plastic are produced each year and in reality, very little of it is recycled. But what if there were more ways of turning this waste into something valuable, such as new plastics or different types of fuel? Scientists at Purdue University have taken a promising step towards this goal with a new technology that can […]

Umbrella Designed To Withstand Hurricane Winds

Umbrellas are designed to help shield us from a downpour, but if rain is accompanied by chaotic winds – as is often the case – they can let us down. Back in 2015, Hedgehog Products launched a successful Kickstarter for the Cypress, an umbrella designed to resist windy weather. Now the company is back with the second generation Carbon, that’s […]

Letting Drivers Communicate Through Pings

As any scuba diver will know, communicating while underwater can be difficult. Although it’s possible to use hand signals, you still have to get other divers’ attention so that they see those signals in the first place. The Oceans S1 Supersonic dive computer is made to address that problem, using an ultrasonic comms system. Made by Swedish startup Team Oceans, […]

Fuel Storage Tank Transformed

We’ve covered a lot of very small dwellings here at New Atlas, but this has to be one of the tiniest yet. Created from an old diesel fuel tank, the aptly-named Bunker definitely wouldn’t suit claustrophobic types but includes lighting, shelving, and a bed. Bunker brings to mind the professor who lived in a dumpster and came about when Argentinian […]

3D Printed “Wood”

Engineers at Columbia University have 3D-printed a block of “digital wood”, using a voxel technique that enables the creation of objects with rich internal textures. The resin block is modelled on an olive wood sample, with its exact grain pattern replicated throughout. Because of the grain and colour gradient involved, this kind of wood effect was previously outside of the […]

Smart Duvet

Thanks to a new invention in the sleep arena, you may never have to fight over the temperature in the bedroom ever again. This Smart Duvet can control the temperature of each side of the bed so that if you prefer it cooler than you’re partner, you can adjust the temperature accordingly without affecting the other side. This is genius. […]