Ever since the escalator was invented, it was always designed to go in straight line. But courtesy Jack Levy, this simple design principle followed by the escalator is all set to change. Levy, City University London Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has patented the Levytator. The Levytator is a unique escalator that can follow curves courtesy, specially-designed steps that are reminiscent of the sections of conveyor belt at airport baggage claims. Levy says, besides the design other appealing and beneficial factors of the Levytator include the ease of maintenance as all stairs can be accessed from above. Also no excavation is required will installing the Levytator.

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Cubert is a unique concept clock envisioned by designer Luis Luna. A fun clock, it tells time through both an analogue display as well as a digital display. Yes while the main face of the watch tells time through a conventional analogue, its sides tell time through a digital display that literally spells the time. But that’s not all. The sides also display unique messages like wake up, which I assume happens when the alarm of this clock rings.

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Squid is unique concept watercraft designed by Xabier Subijana Letamendia. The watercraft is boasts of an innovative propulsion system which is based on the movement of the membrane of the cuttlefish or stingrays fins. This unique system allows the watercraft to travel comfortably even during rains. The concept vehicle is envisioned as a leisure vehicle, to allow users to spend a lazy day floating across through rivers and seas nicely and comfortably.

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New Zealand’s Shweeb Monorail Technology has come up with a unique concept for a bicycle monorail. Sure to catch the attention of environmentalists as well as those who wish to cut the increasing traffic, this concept bicycle monorail comprises of multilevel rails on which people could move around the city faster and without getting stuck in traffic. The concept is arrived at by combining the properties of a monorail and recumbent cycle technologies. A personal, efficient, and cost-effective transport solution, this concept envisioned by Shweeb is definitely awesome.

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Another interesting entry that was shortlisted for this year’s Designboom’s “Seoul Cycle Design” competition was the Spread Your Love by designer Hamed Kohan. The unique concept cycle boasts of a tire design that features heart-shaped knobs that create playful tracks on the streets. As you pedal away in this cycle, you leave a trail of hearts, thereby spreading the message of love. The concept reminds me of the Wheel umbrella that leaves a trail of smiley faces.

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Do you happen to be a sucker for all that’s wooden? Does that metal-finish laptop of yours seem out of place on your beautiful mahogany desk? Well, you could simply slip your laptop in a wooden case! Designed by Rainer Spehl, these wooden cases are designed specially for the MacBook Pro. Besides just looking great, these wooden cases also keep your precious laptop safe from prying hands and any damage that it could be inflicted if placed in a leather or plastic case. It’s also child-proof, meaning that nosy little kids with butter fingers cant, on normal circumstances, do much to your MacBook tucked into the wooden case.

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Packing all that stuff you need on your journey can be hectic at times, especially when you don’t really have the right type of luggage to pack your belongings in. the TravelTeq makes hauling your stuff on trips around the world a lot easier. Cleverly designed with specific compartments for your clothes, laptop, phone, and other gear, the TravelTeq also boasts a set of wheels, enabling it to be dragged around, saving your shoulders from the strain of weigh-lifting while traveling. That’s not all. This piece of luggage also converts into a stool with a sliding top. It packs a set of speakers for your entertainment too! What more could you ask from a piece of luggage!

[CubeMe]

The Tendence 2010 show in Messe Frankfurt, Germany had some pretty eye-popping material on display. The Loft section of the show had on display modern-home furnishings from Umbra, Chilewich and the likes. Beautifully designed bean-bag lamps from Sompex Lighting shed a glow around while an alien-spaceship shaped table-top fan had its share of second-glances. Felt cushions from Unseen Products designed by Ronél Jordaan shaped like pea-pods and succulents brought out the creative-best of home furnishings. Colorful candlesticks at Freemover’s and a fruit bowl designed by Michael Geertsen at the Cardiva booth could sure find their place in your home!

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Mini, known for those cute little cars that usually roll out of its factories is here with a smaller set of wheels! The Scooter E Concept, a trio of electric scooters was unveiled to the world a short while ago. The scooters are available in three designs, a double seat in racing green and leather (top), a sportier version with a single-seat (below) and a third with styling inspired by popular culture in the 1960s, a blast from the past. Packed with some pretty high-tech features, these scooters are sure to get you out of packed and gridlocked European streets in a jiffy. Being powered by electricity enables these scooters to deliver a great performance without a trace of Co2. The scooters use smart phones for ignition keys and also boast infotainment systems, communication and navigation systems too!

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Now we’ve seen some pretty astounding home designs before. Here’s one for those who fancy the extra-terrestrial, a UFO-shaped house. Now it really isn’t a disk though it does seem like ET’s spaceship from an angle. The other side of this distinctively designed home is open out and boasts a strategic set of approaches to provide privacy on the public side of the building. The private side of the home opens out to a breath-taking view of the sea. Located in Japan, the residence by Takeshi Hirobe makes use of wooden boards and beams and packs indirect skylights for natural daylight and artificial –illusion-creating lighting for the darker hours. The house doesn’t stick to the conformist designing of windows, choosing the weird and extra-ordinary instead.

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Designer David Turpin has caught my attention with his unique concept device. A beautiful work of design, David’s concept dubbed, Phone & Mp3 Player & Calculator is a unique touch screen device that functions as a phone, Mp3 player and a calculator all in one. You might say that one finds all these features in a basic mobile phone now days. However, in David’s concept device one does not select the music player or calculator application, instead the entire device transforms; yes, it literally takes the shape of an Mp3 player or calculator. Since there is no information provided by the designer on how this gadget would work, we can only guess its features and functions from the images.

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Sinope by designer Ana Torfs is a collection of unique glass objects. The main theme of this collection is the ability of glass to capture, reflect and absorb light. The work shows the fine line between transparency and translucency. Anna hopes to evoke strong emotions through the use of “real” colors. What is more, her expertise as a designer is revealed as the different layers in the Sinope display how intricately the object has been built. The unique cutting technology adopted by the designer helps one gauge the striking contrast between the vibrant centre and the subtle exterior of her objects.

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The 'Ufold’ is a unique concept bicycle designed by designer André Costa for the Designboom competition, 'Seoul cycle design 2010'. The amazing design of the Ufold ensured it a place in the shortlisted entries of this competition. According to the designer, the Ufold is a unique cross between mountain bike size and city bike. The simple design of the bicycle allows easy handling and folding. The central joint can be said to be responsible for the flexibility and ease in folding of this bike. The safety trigger and angle two-piece frame, lets the wheels be aligned when open and side by side when closed, in one folding movement. The easy to handle and easy to store bicycle is sure to attract many a green lovers.

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The future is one time period that many designers love to trespass. And the common factor in all the various designs envisioned for the future is the high level of technology. But not everyone believes in just imagining various futuristic concepts. Take for instance, electronics giant NEC Corp. who has brought the future into the present with its high-tech creation, the PanelDirector. The unique PanelDirector is an interactive advertising solution that is equipped with a small camera that is able to capture an image of anyone that looks at it. The device then compares the individuals face to more than 10,000 patterns stored in its database to determine the gender and approximate age of the viewer. After coming up with the required information on the individual, the PanelDirector then displays an image appropriate to that person. This new technology is sure to redefine the advertising world and revolutionize the current means of advertisements like billboards. At the demonstration of the PanelDirector in Tokyo, a young woman was asked to step in front of the display panel, the smart device responded instantly by showing an advertisement for pasta.

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stONE is a unique piece of furniture that is sure to become the centerpiece of your living space despite its small size. The seat designed to resemble a stone, however is anything like the real thing. While a stone is hard to touch and usually not a preferred place to sit unless one is out camping, the stONE seat designed and manufactured by Fivetimesone is a comfy seat to relax. Made from 100% natural Merino wool, each stONE seat is unique in design and shape, just like stones in nature. Each stONE seat is handmade and filled with high density polyurethane foam.

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