Innovation

Photos: 10 mind-bending designs from the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco

By · September 25, 2015, 4:30 AM PST · erincarson

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  • Mercedes-Benz Biome car

    Jumpstarting sustainability and social good, Autodesk, makers of Autocad software, have put some of the most innovative projects created with their software on display at their San Francisco gallery.

    This concept car from Mercedes-Benz would be built from a biological material that's grown from seeds, called BioFiber. The car would run on a liquid called BioNectar4534, use bioluminescence for headlights, and release oxygen into the air when it runs.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

  • Bespoke Innovations' prosthetics

    Bespoke Innovations makes prosthetics coverings using 3D software for scanning and printing. The designs are specific to the needs of the person. This one, for example, was made for a more fashion-conscious model who had lost her leg. She has multiple coverings she can swap out depending on what she's wearing.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

  • Power-generating soccer ball

    Soccket is a soccer ball designed by Unchartered Play. Kicking it around for half an hour generates enough power for illuminate an LED light attachment for several hours. That means that kids in underprivileged places where electricity isn't guaranteed can create their own energy by doing something they'd do anyway, and then have enough light to be able to finish their homework in the evening, for example. Soccket is on its fourth iteration and is being tested in Mexico and South Africa.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

  • Embrace Nest infant warmer

    This infant warmer is meant as a low-cost solution for premature babies who are so low in weight that they can't regulate their own body temperatures. This could be an option in underprivileged areas where families may not be able to afford going to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

  • ​SFMOMA panel

    This is an example panel from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art expansion project. Panels like these will cover the northeast side of the museum. There will be more than 700 unique panels made from fiber-reinforced plastic. They're also designed to help the building's thermal performance.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

  • Fold and float

    When architect Anton Willis had to choose between his kayak and floor space in his tiny San Francisco apartment, he didn't. Instead, he created the Oru kayak that folds up like origami.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

  • ​The California Academy of Sciences

    The California Academy of Sciences has one of the world's largest green roofs. 3D modeling and visualisation played a big part of creating it.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

  • Shanghai Tower

    During the design of the Shanghai Tower, 3D simulation helped in the creation of a building that uses less steel, collects rainwater, and reduces the force of monsoon winds on the structure by 24%.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

  • Cathedral of Christ the Light Church

    This cathedral in Oakland, California was built after the original structure was damaged beyond repair in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The new building, needs no artificial light during the day. Designers used 3D modeling to figure out how the lighting would work for the building.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

  • Clean Team toilet

    Unilever, Water & Sanitation for Urban Poor, and Ideo.org came up with a protoype toilet with a removable waste cartridge that's low-cost and lightweight. The idea is to fight the spread of cholera in places like West and Central Africa through better sanitation. The cartridges would be picked up and removed, and then used to make fertilizer or create energy to be used locally.

    Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

Mercedes-Benz Biome car

Jumpstarting sustainability and social good, Autodesk, makers of Autocad software, have put some of the most innovative projects created with their software on display at their San Francisco gallery.

This concept car from Mercedes-Benz would be built from a biological material that's grown from seeds, called BioFiber. The car would run on a liquid called BioNectar4534, use bioluminescence for headlights, and release oxygen into the air when it runs.

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

Related Topics:
Innovation Digital Transformation Artificial Intelligence Internet of Things Smart Cities Hardware

By Erin Carson

Erin Carson is a Staff Reporter for CNET and a former Multimedia Editor for TechRepublic.

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