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by Mouncey Ferguson
This week, we’re intrigued by new shoes, old satellites, and new life for old toys. Here are the stories that caught our eye.
• Not a potato chip. One of our favorite industrial design blogs, Core77, has a rundown of the Cradle-to-Cradle Design Challenge (which we’re proud to sponsor), with some very…unique award winners, like a compostable battery that recharges with salt and vinegar.
• These shoes compute. We’re all about Nike’s new Epic React Flyknit running shoes, which use generative design to make soles that are lighter, softer, and more durable. Get the story from Wired.
Credit: Nike
• Orbital reboot. An amateur astronomer made news after finding a NASA satellite in orbit more than a decade after it went dark. Scientists think that the Earth eclipsed its solar panels during rotation, draining its battery and causing an automatic system restart. (The astronomer’s own blog about the discovery is also pretty great.)
• Clean up these toys or I’ll turn them into furniture. Old toys go in, trendy (and sustainable) children’s furniture comes out. Dezeen checks out how the designers at Ecobirdy are helping children learn about the circular economy.
Credit: Ecobirdy
• Do the worm. We talk a lot about the industrial-size robots transforming how we make and build, but the robotics revolution is also happening on a smaller scale. This tiny bot is designed to walk, crawl, and swim safely inside you, via NY Times video.
