Global « 360Photography

RSS

Posts Tagged ‘Global’

Sigma adds the 85mm F1.4 Art, 12-24mm Art, 500mm F4 Sport lenses to its Global Vision line

20 Sep

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_4713538649″,”galleryId”:”4713538649″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”standalone”:false,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”startInCommentsView”:false,”isMobile”:false}) });

Sigma has announced three new full-frame lenses for its Global Vision Line. The long-rumored and long-awaited 85mm F1.4 Art, the 12-24mm F4 Art, and the 500 F4 DG OS HSM Sport.

The 85mm F1.4 Art has been designed with resolution and bokeh in mind. A stronger HSM AF motor produces 1.3x the torque of the previous setup hopes to improve autofocus speed as well. The lens will be available in late October at a price $ 1199.

The Sigma 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art is a new ultra-wide-angle zoom. It too features the stronger AF module, and also features the largest aspherical glass mold in the industry, which helps produce minimal distortion, flare and ghosting. The lens will be available in late October for $ 1599.

The Sigma 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Sport uses lightweight materials like carbon fiber and magnesium alloy and features a dust and splash resistant construction. In Nikon mount it features a brand-new electronic diaphragm. The Sigma 500mm F4 Sport lens, in Canon and Sigma mounts, will be available in late October. The Nikon mount will be available in late November. The 500mm F4 will retail for $ 5999.

Press Release:

Sigma Adds the 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art, and 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Sport Lenses to Its Global Vision Line

Outstanding optical performance, ultra-wide zoom range, and versatile flagship sports lens headline the Sigma line-up at Photokina 2016

Cologne, Germany – September 19, 2016 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading camera, DSLR lens, flash and accessories manufacturer, unveiled its new 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art and 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Sport Global Vision lenses at the Photokina 2016 event (hall 4.2, stands B020, B028 and C029).

“We are thrilled to announce three state-of-the-art additions to the Global Vision line. The Sigma 85mm 1.4 Art has been a highly requested lens and we are very confident those customers who have been waiting for us to deliver this lens will be more than pleased with the superior optical performance and zero compromise,” states Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “In addition, the re-engineered 12-24mm F4 and highly competitive 500mm F4 Sport lens both embody the world-class performance our Global Vision lenses are known for. We look forward to seeing the incredible images our customers will create using these new Sigma lenses.”

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art – The Ultimate Portrait Lens
Delivering the ultimate in creative expression, the new Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art lens is engineered to support the highest resolution sensors on the market with an exceptional degree of sharpness. The high-performance optical system is purpose-built by Sigma R&D to produce the attractive bokeh effect sought after by discerning photographers. The lens’ advanced architecture features two SLD (special low dispersion) glass elements and one glass element with a high rate of anomalous partial dispersion and refraction. A re-engineered AF system brings 1.3X the torque of its predecessor, while other features such as a full-time manual focus override have been added, which can be controlled when the focus ring is rotated, even during continuous AF.

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens supports Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts. The Nikon mounts feature a brand new electromagnetic diaphragm.

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art lens will be available in late October and retails for a recommended street price of $ 1199.00 USD.

Sigma 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art Ultra-Wide Angle Zoom for the Era of Ultra-High Resolution Digital Cameras
Boasting the renowned Global Vision image quality from center to edge, the new Sigma 12-24mm F4 features the largest aspherical glass mold in the industry, offering photographers an ultra-wide angle zoom with virtually no distortion, flare or ghosting. Encompassing the long history of Sigma wide angle lens development expertise, the new 12-24mm F4 performance highlights include constant F4 brightness and the brand new Sigma AF system with 1.3X torque boost. The 12-24mm F4 features lens elements made with FLD (“F” Low Dispersion) glass, which is equivalent to calcium fluorite in performance. Combined with an optimized power distribution, the result is outstanding image quality from center to edges. With a minimum focus distance of 9.4 inches at 24mm, photographers can compose incredible close-up shots with expansive backgrounds.

The all new Sigma 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art lens supports Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts. The Nikon mounts feature the brand new electromagnetic diaphragm.

The Sigma 12-24mm F4 Art lens will be available in late October and retails for a recommended street price of $ 1599.00 USD.

Sigma 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Sport Lens – Pro Fast-Aperture Prime Super Telephoto
The flagship Sigma super telephoto 500mm F4 Sport lens incorporates the very latest in Sigma optical technology and innovation. Designed for the professional sports and wildlife shooter, the ultra-durable lens features magnesium alloy components, a carbon fiber hood, a water and oil resistant front element, and is dust and splash proof. The 500mm F4 features a drop-in rear filter slot for polarizers, UV and other critical filters. To help prevent damage during shooting and maintenance, the lens is also compatible with the exclusive SIGMA Protector LPT-11 (sold separately).

The lens incorporates two FLD and one SLD glass elements, while the optimized power distribution helps minimize spherical aberration and axial chromatic aberration. The optical system also effectively minimizes transverse chromatic aberration, which can affect the edges of the shots taken in the telephoto range. In addition, image quality remains exceptional when the lens is used with a Sigma Telephoto Converter (sold separately).

Other key performance features include Sigma’s two-mode Optical Stabilizer for enhanced performance when shooting handheld for still subjects or panning and tracking for moving subjects. There is also a customizable AF “return” function for setting the focus position of one’s choice and returning to that preset distance.

The all new Sigma 500mm F4 supports Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts. The Nikon mounts feature the brand new electromagnetic diaphragm.

The Sigma 500mm F4 Sport lens, in Canon and Sigma mounts, will be available in late October. The Nikon mount will be available in late November. The 500mm F4 will retail for a recommended street price of $ 5999.00 USD.

All Sigma Global Vision lenses, including the new 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art, and 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Global Vision lenses, can be updated with the latest lens firmware from a workstation or laptop using the Sigma Optimization Pro software and Sigma USB Dock (sold separately).

Tested for Optimum Performance

Sigma lenses are born of well thought-out design concepts, exceptional Japanese craftsmanship and manufacturing, and advanced lens performance testing and evaluation. To this end, Sigma has developed its own A1 proprietary MTF (modulation transfer function) measuring system using 46-megapixel Foveon direct image sensors. Even the most elusive high-frequency details are within the scope of Sigma’s quality control inspections. Every Global Vision lens is A1 tested, analyzed and approved before leaving the factory, ensuring maximum performance out of the box.

For more information on Sigma’s industry leading testing, please visit http://blog.sigmaphoto.com/2012/a1-mtf-testing-for-new-sigma-lenses/.

About Sigma Corporation
Craftsmanship. Precision. Dedication. Since 1961, Sigma has been devoted the pursuit of advancing photographic technology. Unique to the industry, the family-owned business produces its high-quality, award-winning camera lenses, DSLR cameras, flashes, filters and accessories from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Aizu, Japan.

In 2012, the company introduced the Sigma Global Vision with three distinct lens lines: Art, Contemporary and Sport. Designed for industry camera mount systems including Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony and Sigma, each lens is handcrafted and tested in Japan to ensure a high-performance, premium product that is purpose-built to last.

Sigma continues its tradition of imaging excellence with the mirrorless sd Quattro, sd Quattro H and the compact dp Quattro camera line. Leveraging the ultra-high resolution Foveon sensor, the Sigma Quattro cameras are designed to produce the highest quality image with every shot.

For information about Sigma, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com or follow the company on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Canon introduces global shutter CMOS sensor with improved dynamic range

01 Sep

Canon has announced a global shutter CMOS sensor with a re-designed pixel structure aimed at boosting dynamic range. Using global shutter presents a clear benefit for the sensor’s videography applications, as it doesn’t suffer from the distortion effects that a standard ‘progressive scan’ sensor does when capturing fast-moving subjects.

However, global shutter designs have tended to offer less dynamic range than their conventional counterparts. Canon says that the sensor’s drive system (the way it’s read out) increases the amount of light the sensor can capture before overexposing. This is combined with a more efficient pixel structure and ‘optimized internal configuration’ to reduce noise and increase sensitivity. The result should be improved dynamic range, though it’s not clear how this improved performance will compare with traditional chips of the kind that exhibit rolling shutter.

Canon says it will explore use of the chip in measurement and industrial applications, and consider applications in video production. No details of the sensor’s size or resolution were given.

Press release:

Canon develops global shutter-equipped CMOS sensor that achieves expanded dynamic range through new drive method

TOKYO, August 31, 2016—Canon Inc. today announced that it has developed a new CMOS sensor equipped with a global shutter function that, because it exposes all of the sensor’s pixels at the same time, enables the capture of distortion-free images even when shooting fast-moving objects. Employing a new signal-readout drive system and new pixel structure that significantly expands the full well capacity and reduces noise, the sensor contributes to high-image-quality video capture by making possible the realization of a wide dynamic range.

Distortion-free image capture when shooting fast-moving objects

Standard CMOS sensors make use of the rolling shutter method, which sequentially exposes the pixels one row at a time. Because rolling shutters can create slight discrepancies in signal-readout timing depending on the location of the pixel, images of fast-moving objects may appear distorted and flash photography may result in the occurrence of the flash band phenomenon, in which the upper and lower portions of images display different levels of brightness. Because Canon’s newly developed CMOS sensor employs a global shutter, when shooting such fast-moving objects as a rotating propeller or a speeding train, subjects are able to retain their proper form to create distortion-free images. Enabling the confirmation of object shapes with a high degree of accuracy, the sensor offers potential benefits in industrial applications, including as a sensor for use in inspection cameras.

Wide dynamic range realized through new proprietary drive method and pixel structure

When the newly developed CMOS sensor converts light into electrical signals and stores the signal charge in memory, the new drive system achieves a significant expansion in full well capacity. Also, because it employs a structure that efficiently captures light and each pixel incorporates an optimized internal configuration, the sensor makes possible increased sensitivity with reduced noise. The expanded full well capacity, realized through the sensor’s new drive system, and substantial reduction in noise, enabled by the new pixel structure, combine to deliver a wide dynamic range, facilitating the capture of high-image-quality, high-definition footage even when shooting scenes containing large variances in brightness.

Canon will explore various industrial and measurement applications for the newly developed CMOS sensor and consider deploying it in the field of video production for cinema production applications, TV dramas, commercials and more.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Pigment Library: Harvard’s Collection of 2,500 Global Colors

19 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Culture & History & Travel. ]

pigment glass cabinetry

Looking as much like a mad science laboratory as a conservator’s dream workshop, this pigment library is populated with color samples from around the world, all helping preservationists maintain and restore historical works of art and design.

historical pigment collection

pigment sample jars

The Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies at the Harvard Art Museums puts is jars, bottles and glasses on display for the public to see in glass cabinetry, but also uses them like a witch doctor would employ esoteric medicines. An analogy could also be drawn to seed vaults, which likewise store and preserve precious and sensitive materials for future use.

pigments of the world

From Colossal, “The Forbes pigment collection was started by its namesake—Straus Center founder and former Fogg Art Museum Director Edward Forbes who began the collection at the turn of the 20th century. Forbes would collect his samples from his travels all over the world, bringing back pigments from excavated sites at Pompeii to rare lapis lazuli found in Afghanistan.”

pigment library harvard

Forbes became interested in preservation when a 14th-Century piece he purchased began to visibly fade, sparking him to learn more about the materials and processes around paintings and their preservation.

pigments on display

The origins of the various colors are often stories in themselves, from modern synthetics to obscure organics, like an ‘Indian Yellow’ made from the urine of cows fed only mango leaves. (Images via Peter Vanderwarker, Zak Jensen and Andrea Shea/WBUR)

[ By WebUrbanist in Culture & History & Travel. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Panasonic and Fujifilm reveal joint sensor development, offering global shutter

05 Feb

Cross-sectional image of conventional Back Side Illumination (BSI) CMOS sensor compared to Panasonic’s Organic Photoconductive Film (OPF) sensor. (Image courtesy of Panasonic.)

Panasonic has announced that it has developed a new sensor using Organic Photoconductive Film (OPF), developed by Fujifilm, that is capable of recording a much wider range of tones (up to 3 EV greater dynamic range) than current silicon-based sensors, and in which each pixel is read out simultaneously to effect a true global shutter.

We first heard about this collaboration back in 2013, and it appears that the companies have made progress during that time. Similar to InVisage Quantum Film technology, the OPF sensor employs a thin, light-sensitive film on top of CMOS silicon circuitry. Panasonic says that the separation of the light conversion medium and electronic charge storage removes some design trade-offs that need to be made with conventional CMOS designs. The design allows for a larger active pixel area that makes it 1.2x more sensitive to light than normal photodiodes. Decoupling the photoconversion and storage areas also allows for the ability to store more total charge (higher full well capacity), resulting in 10x, or 3 EV, greater dynamic range.

Additionally, the OPF layer is only 0.5 microns thick, or four to six times thinner than silicon photodiodes that are typically 2-3 microns in depth. According to Panasonic this expands the incident angle of light that can be collected to 60 degrees, compared to 30-40 degrees for conventional silicon sensors, which should allow greater flexibility in lens design. It should also help reduce false color and vignetting.

In addition to better sensitivity and dynamic range, the new technology brings other benefits as well. In particular, the OPF-based sensor will provide global shutter, by allowing all pixels to be exposed essentially at the same time by turning on and off the entire photosensitive area at once. The net effect is that all the lines of the sensor are essentially exposed simultaneously, as opposed to line-by-line as is the case with traditional ‘rolling’ electronic shutters. This helps avoid the dreaded ‘jello effect’ often seen in video, or the distortion of fast moving objects. It also helps avoid flickering and banding with artificial light sources, which with a ‘rolling’ shutter otherwise result in different rows on the sensor being exposed while the pulsating light source is on vs. off.

When combined with Panasonic’s historical strength in video-oriented products this will likely get the attention of the videography crowd. The potential benefits don’t stop there though. Panasonic has also developed a method of recording sequences of images at slightly different exposure values, that it calls Variable Sensitivity Multiple Exposure Technology. The process can track the direction of motion in the scene by tracing the subject as it moves across the scene becoming gradually darker from one frame to the next. If the camera knows it applied less exposure to the second frame than to the first, it can determine in which direction the subject is moving and at what speed. This could be of great assistance to AF algorithms.

The company is not absolutely clear about what practical uses it will put this new sensor to, but says ‘We expect this technology to be used widely in motion capture applications and also extend to other applications that have been thought to be difficult to realize unless high saturation global shutter or variable sensitivity multiple exposure.’ Panasonic is also developing a system for using cameras that replace wing mirrors in cars, and this technology will probably see the light of day in that area first, but the lessons learned will be very useful for its regular camera business.

Press release:

Panasonic develops 10times Higher Saturation & Highly Functional Global Shutter Technology by controlling of Organic-Photoconductive-Film on CMOS Image Sensor

Osaka, Japan – Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has developed a new highly functional global shutter[1] technology for CMOS image sensor using organic photoconductive film (OPF)*1. This technology enables to capture high speed moving object up to 10 times brighter*2 scene in global shutter mode. In OPF CMOS image sensor, charge-storage function and photoelectric-conversion function can be set independently. By utilizing the unique feature of OPF CMOS image sensor, this technology solves the degradation of saturation signal[2] in conventional image sensor with global shutter function. Motion direction can be detected from acquired object’s signal level in one picture by fine control of shutter sensitivity by changing applied voltage to OPF which is hardly realized by conventional CMOS image sensors.

The newly developed highly functional global shutter technology contributes to high speed image sensing of moving objects without image distortion which appears in conventional shutter operation under very bright scene. We expect this technology to be used widely in motion capture applications and also extend to other applications that have been thought to be difficult to realize unless high saturation global shutter or variable sensitivity multiple exposure.

The new technology has the following advantages.

1. Wide incident angle (60 degrees), high sensitivity, high saturation and highly-functional circuits due to a unique feature of OPF, in which an OPF for photoelectric-conversion and a readout circuits are independent.

2. High saturation signal up to 10 times larger*3 than conventional image sensors with global shutter function due to Photoelectric Conversion Controlled Global Shutter Technology.

This development is based on the following new technologies.

1. CMOS Image Sensor Design Technology, in that, an OPF photoelectric-conversion part and a circuit part can be designed independently.

2. Photoelectric Conversion Controlled Global Shutter Technology that is realized by controlling of organic photoconductive film sensitivity.

3. Variable Sensitivity Multiple Exposure Technology which can detect the motion and its direction by changing image capturing sensitivity in each frame.

Panasonic holds 60 Japanese patents and 41 overseas patents (including pending) related to this technology.

Panasonic will present part of the research at the international conference ISSCC (International Solid-State Circuit Conference) 2016 which is to be held in San Francisco, USA on January 31 to February 4.

Notes:

*1: We are using an organic photoconductive film (OPF) that FUJIFILM Corporation has developed.

*2: Saturation signal per pixel area, compared with conventional silicon based CMOS image sensor with global shutter function.

More on the Technology

1. The OPF CMOS Image Sensor Design Technology, in that, photoelectric-conversion part and a circuit part can be designed independently.

The conventional image sensor consists of a silicon photodiode for capturing light, metal interconnects and an on-chip micro-lens. And, both a photoelectric-conversion function and a signal charge-storage function are executed by a silicon photodiode. On the other hand, in an OPF CMOS image sensor, a photoelectric-conversion function is executed by an OPF, instead of a silicon photodiode, and a signal charge-storage function is executed by circuits beneath the OPF. Both functions are almost independent, so an OPF CMOS image sensor can achieve the following features.

Expansion of the incident light range to 60 degrees and reproduction of faithful color.

An OPF with high optical absorption coefficient[3], instead of a silicon photodiode, is adopted, the thickness of an OPF has been reduced to just 0.5 microns, four to six times thinner than silicon photodiodes. Since the conventional silicon photodiode needs at least 2 – 3 microns in depth, the range of incident angles was limited to around 30 – 40 degrees. An OPF, achieved with the OPF CMOS image sensor technology, has enabled the expansion of this range to 60 degrees, efficiently utilizing light entering at an angle for faithful color reproduction with no color mixing. It also gives greater flexibility in lens designs, facilitating the reduction of overall camera size.

Boost of sensor sensitivity by 1.2 times compared to conventional silicon image sensors to deliver clear images, particularly in dark conditions.

The transistors and metal interconnects in each pixel, fabricated using Panasonic’s semiconductor device technology, are coated with an OPF. The area of the light receiving section becomes limited in conventional image sensors because of the existence of metal interconnects and the need to form a light shield film to prevent light incidence into areas other than the photodiode in each pixel. However, an OPF CMOS image sensor technology coats the sensor with an OPF, which can harvest all the light received on the sensor. This unique structure and high quantum efficiency of OPF boosts sensor sensitivity by 1.2 times compared to conventional silicon image sensors to deliver clear images, particularly in dark conditions.

Cross-sectional image of conventional Back Side Illumination (BSI) CMOS image sensor and OPF CMOS image Sensor

Design of OPF and circuits completely independent and realization of high-performance (high-saturation)

In the architecture of an OPF CMOS image sensor, the OPF, that converts light into electric signals, and the circuits, that store electric signal charges and readout electric signals, are designed completely independently. Therefore, by selecting an OPF, photoelectric-conversion characteristics, wavelength, sensitivity, etc., can be set with flexibility.

Moreover, in conventional image sensors, it is necessary to place both a silicon photodiode and circuits (transistors and capacitors) on silicon substrate in each pixel, so an area of circuits is limited. On the other hand, in an OPF CMOS image sensor, it is not necessary to place a silicon photodiode, so high-performance circuits, such as high-speed or wide dynamic range[4], can be formed on a silicon substrate.

In particular, in an OPF CMOS image sensor, by providing a large capacitor for storing signal charge, a saturation value[2] of electric signal can be significantly increased from conventional image sensors.

2. Photoelectric Conversion Controlled Global Shutter Technology that is realized by controlling of organic photoconductive film sensitivity.

Conventional CMOS image sensors with global shutter function require storage located near photoconversion area which makes it difficult to simultaneously shrink the pixel size and enlarge the saturation signal. Developed “Photoelectric conversion controlled global shutter technology” realizes shutter function by controlling of photoelectric conversion efficiency by only modulating applied voltage to OPF, without additional in-pixel circuit and no degradation of saturation signal. And developed “high saturation pixel technology” by pixel gain switching operation can capture under extremely bright scene, up to 10 times or more saturation signal per unit square pixel than conventional CMOS image sensor with global shutter function. This technology will solve imaging problems caused by rolling shutter distortion, flash bands[5] and LED flickers[6] in very bright scene.

Comparison of Global shutter pixel structure

3. Variable Sensitivity Multiple Exposure Technology which can detect the motion and its direction by changing image capturing sensitivity in each frame.

Conventional multiple exposure cannot detect the direction of motion because the capture sensitivity is fixed. Panasonic have developed “variable sensitivity multiple exposure technology” by controlling the voltage applied to OPF with elapse of time, which is hardly realized in conventional silicon based image sensor. We can get several images of different exposure time and different exposure sensitivity in one picture that enables character recognition by choosing optimum exposure time, so direction of motion can be detected by acquired object’s signal level. This technology enables sensing of moving object detection and motion directions.

Technical Terms:

[1] Global shutter

Shutter operation which can capture the image at the same time in all pixels.

Ordinary CMOS image sensor operates in rolling shutter mode in which exposure and shutter operation is executed row by row.

[2] Saturation/Saturation signals

Maximum amount of electric signal that can be handled by image sensors. Receiving a signal greater than this value leads to highlight clipping.

[3] Optical absorption coefficient

A constant value that indicates how much light is absorbed into a material, when incident light enter to the material.

[4] Dynamic range

Range of brightness that can be captured. (the ratio between highest and lowest signal can be captured by image sensor)

[5] Flash band

stripe shaped contrast appears in captured image, because light flashes during image sensor capture the image row by row pixel (rolling shutter operation).

[6] LED flicker

Imaging phenomenon resulting in incomplete image capture, caused by a LED’s (traffic, headlights, signs, etc.) frequency and a camera’s imaging speed.

Captured images of rotating propeller by different shutter mode

Multiple exposure images by Variable exposure time and sensitivity

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Wearable Skylines: Architectural Rings Wrap Up Global Cities

05 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

architecture wrapping cityscapes

Jewelry for urbanists has taken a new turn with these silver, gold and platinum cityscapes, each featuring iconic buildings, monuments and landmarks from major metropolitan centers around the world.

architectural ring collection

Ola Shekhtman, a goldsmith from North Carolina, has crafted rings around cities including San Francisco, Boston, New York City, Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Berlin and Hong Kong, selling them online via Etsy.

architecture finger jewelry

Growing up in Siberia, Ola wanted to travel the world, eventually visiting London and San Francisco before moving to New York.

architecture silver gold rings

With the help of 3D-modeling software, she created this series to capture the spirit of places she has been and those she yet wishes to visit. Buyers can likewise decide whether to pick places they live, favorite past points of travel or goal-oriented rings for desired future destinations.

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Eff You: Sleek & Superior Bicycle Defies Global Racing Rules

24 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

rule breaking bike

This stunning concept bike breaks from conventions set by international racing authorities to bring riders a vastly improved cycling experience, from enhanced aerodynamics and speed assists to smartphone functionality and storage space.

specialized custom bike

Creative Director at Specialized, Robert Egger, designed fUCI (a jab at the UCI, or: Union Cycliste Internationale) as a functional and physical critique: “The UCI really caters to a very small population, but there’s so many other people out there who couldn’t care less about the UCI,” he explains. “They don’t follow the racing and they don’t even know all the limitations that are put on bikes for the UCI riders. So, my feeling was let’s design a bike for someone who really just wants to go fast on a road bike.”

specialized iphone slot

Wheels are supposed to be the same size, but differently-sized ones in this model help riders get up to high speeds more quickly. An added motor assist works like a turbo on a sports car, something completely accepted in that vehicular realm but unusual on bikes, “so just like when you ride the turbo and you put your foot on the pedal and it lurches forward, the same thing here.”

smart bike powered wheel

“This little motor will get the flywheel up to speed so when you’re stopped at a stop sign, or when you’re starting out of your garage in the morning, this’ll be that burst of power to get the flywheel up and running.”

smart bike seat storage

The shape is dramatic and impressive, but also pragmatic; it facilitates, for example, clever seat storage space for odds and ends (like keys or wallets) or potential essentials like spare tires and tubes.

front slot

A slot in front, protected by an aerodynamic mud and wind guard, lets you put your smart device in place for navigation, too.

e bike full model

e bike helmet protection

The goal of this project is in part to raise awareness of what bikes can be when stripped of the rules people think are common sense but are really tied to the limited and specialized world of racing. The hacks in this case enhance functionality on various fronts and, frankly, produce a much more awesome-looking ride, too.

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Cargo Spotting: Field Guide to 20MM Global Shipping Containers

20 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Travel & Urban Exploration. ]

stacked cargo containers

Shipping containers pass by us daily on trucks, trains and ships, carrying 90% of the world’s non-bulk cargo with them, but if you have ever wondered what the mysterious colors and brands really mean, you will want to keep a copy of The Container Guide by your side. A publication of the Infrastructure Observatory, this volume contains a wealth of information on virtually all of the major companies that together own and ship the planet’s 20 million containers back and forth across the globe.

container guide on table

Produced by Tim Hwang and Craig Cannon of the American Container Society, this waterproof, pocket-sized book contains maps, photos, logos, guides and tips to spotting cargo containers on (or off) ships around the world, handily searchable by region, color and brand. Part of the inspiration for this publication was the relative anonymity with which so many of these semi-mysterious companies seem to operate despite their size (a mere 100 companies control 9 out of 10 containers).

infrastructure tour

Like Networks of New York, a recently-published field guide to internet infrastructure, this guide draws both conceptual and design “inspiration from classic Audubon birding guides, is a practical field guide to identifying containers and the corporations that own them. Inside you’ll find virtually every major shipping concern brought to life in full-color on durable, tear- and water-resistant paper.” More than just a resource or reference, the guide taps into our deeper shared urge to understand everyday systems and those unnoticed elements of daily life in a globalizing world.

shipping container port tour

The book also features introductions covering the history of containerized shipping, the rise of refrigerated modules and an introduction to using cargo containers as homes. The first of these three contributors recalls the instigator of this shipping revolution, Malcolm McLean “a trucker by trade, who saw that a multimodal unit that could be seamlessly shifted from ship to truck to train would do to shipping what Henry T. Ford’s production line did for the automobile manufacturer.” Indeed, the use of standard modules has revolutionized the way we ship and helped ships become the dominant form of transportation for goods around the world.

container guide publication

Author and researcher Tim Hwang has more than a passing interest in large systems. A initial failed attempt to gain visitor access to a power plant led him to create the Infrastructure Observatory, a more official outfit to allow him and his fellows to check out everything from factories and roadways to global ports and waste water treatment plants. Last year, the group’s efforts culminated in a fantastic event (hopefully to be soon repeated) called MacroCity. This conference featured a series of panel discussions, presentations and a set of field trips around the Bay Area, including all kinds of professionals from landscape architects and dam engineers to topical authors and niche academics.

baio

Born in San Francisco, the BAIO has now expanded to include a New York chapter that recently took a trip to the Global Containers Terminal in New Jersey. Upcoming plans include a series of tours surrounding the birthday of Victor Gruen, founder of the modern shopping mall. Longer term, Hwang hopes to see Infrastructure Observatory chapters grow in cities around the world. Meanwhile, he wears many other hats as well, as co-founder of the Awesome Society, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Imgur and Director of the Intelligence & Autonomy Project at the Data & Society Research Institute among other past and ongoing pursuits.

[ By WebUrbanist in Travel & Urban Exploration. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Rebel Architecture: 6-Part Series on Global Guerilla Urbanism

23 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

architecture spider

In a series of six superb videos, Al Jazeera explores the gritty reality of architects and urban designers as activists in destinations from Vietnam and Nigeria to Pakistan and Brazil. Five of these 25-minute episodes are embedded in full as videos below, with summaries to let you see which you may wish to view – that said, each of the six is well worth watching!

abandoned warehouse spain

In Guerrilla Architect, Santiago Cirugeda, an architect from Seville who has dedicated his career to reclaiming urban spaces for the public, deals with difficult realities in “austerity-hit Spain, where the state has retreated and around 500,000 new buildings lie empty.”

Fortunately, he notes: “In times of crisis, people come together to find collective solutions.” One of his challenges, as covered in this mini-documentary, is converting an abandoned half-finished factory into a vibrant new cultural center.

architecture of violence

In The Architecture of Violence, Eyal Weizman “explains architecture’s key role in the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the evolution of urban warfare.” He explains that “architecture and the built environment is a kind of a slow violence. The occupation is an environment that was conceived to strangulate Palestinian communities, villages and towns, to create an environment that would be unliveable for the people there.”

In this episode, local Israelis and Palestinians explain in candid interviews “how it feels to live in a landscape where everything, from walls and roads, terraces and sewage, to settlements and surveillance are designed to ensure the separation of the two peoples, while simultaneously maintaining control.”

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Rebel Architecture 6 Part Series On Global Guerilla Urbanism

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Small world: NASA and Gigapan release ‘Global Selfie’ panorama

24 May

In a unique spin on the typical Gigapan panorama we’ve come to know and love, the company teamed up with NASA on Earth Day this year for something big – an image comprised of self-portraits captured by citizens all over the world. When zoomed out, it resembles an image of Earth from space. The final product has been released, with submissions coming in from every continent. Take a look

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Clear Skies Ahead: Quest for a Complete Global Aerial Atlas

13 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

altas generation stack algorithm

If you have ever zoomed out in Google Maps (or Mapquest, Yahoo or Bing), you may have been surprised find your field of view relatively unclouded by inclement weather patterns, yet marred by strange and inconsistent seasons. Instead of a continuous satellite view, you see an apparent patchwork quilt of misfit images, incoherently stitched together.

atlas global clouded default

MapBox (which powers FourSquare among other services) is on a mission to make satellite images not only more beautiful but also more consistent and comprehensible. Their task begins with eliminating blurry landscapes, strange seams and the surreal endless summer you see on other aerial images of the globe, but the potential scope of the project goes far beyond that as well.

Talking to Wired, Charlie Loyd describes how the company is sifting through data from Terra and Aqua, two orbiting NASA satellites, to solve this problem pixel by pixel: “For the new release we’re processing two years of imagery, captured from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2012. This amounts to over 339,000 16-megapixel+ satellite images, totaling more than 5,687,476,224,000 pixels. We boil these down to a mere 5 billion or so.”

atlas consistent cloud free

The industry paradigm is to combine parts of images representing the clearest available shots, but the result can create a clash of color from various seasons. Simply overlapping all of the different possibilities creates a mess of indistinct brown, which is not terribly attractive or useful either. Thus a middle road was found: stacking the images, sorting them by cloudiness, selecting pixels from each picture and filtering around peak growth periods. The result is a consistent yet naturally texture-rich whole both synthetic in composition yet ultimately organic in origin at the same time.

atlas mapbox future potential

The goal for now is to create a single seamless atlas that wraps the world, accurately (but with an eye towards aesthetics) reflecting what the planet actually looks like from above while also being useful in real-life mapping. Future potential iterations, however, could evolve beyond just looking and working best in traditional contexts: “If you do a web search for, say, infrared remote sensing, you’ll get an idea of the richness of possibilities, and you can start to imagine the cross-cutting inquiries that these large, open archives of multi-spectral satellite data enable,” writes Loyd. “Glaciers, wildfires, crops, droughts and floods, cities and forests, surface temperature, plankton blooms, seasonal dynamics, even smog –- it’s all there. It just needs a little work to see clearly.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

360Photography

Posts Tagged ‘Global’

Sigma adds the 85mm F1.4 Art, 12-24mm Art, 500mm F4 Sport lenses to its Global Vision line

Sigma Adds the 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art, and 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Sport Lenses to Its Global Vision Line

Canon introduces global shutter CMOS sensor with improved dynamic range

Canon develops global shutter-equipped CMOS sensor that achieves expanded dynamic range through new drive method

Pigment Library: Harvard’s Collection of 2,500 Global Colors

Panasonic and Fujifilm reveal joint sensor development, offering global shutter

Panasonic develops 10times Higher Saturation & Highly Functional Global Shutter Technology by controlling of Organic-Photoconductive-Film on CMOS Image Sensor

Wearable Skylines: Architectural Rings Wrap Up Global Cities

Eff You: Sleek & Superior Bicycle Defies Global Racing Rules

Cargo Spotting: Field Guide to 20MM Global Shipping Containers

Rebel Architecture: 6-Part Series on Global Guerilla Urbanism

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Rebel Architecture 6 Part Series On Global Guerilla Urbanism

Small world: NASA and Gigapan release ‘Global Selfie’ panorama

Clear Skies Ahead: Quest for a Complete Global Aerial Atlas

Pages

Archives

Categories

Posts Tagged ‘Global’

Sigma Adds the 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art, and 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Sport Lenses to Its Global Vision Line

Canon develops global shutter-equipped CMOS sensor that achieves expanded dynamic range through new drive method

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Lilliputian Library: 4500 Miniature Books Form Huge Collection

22 Global Tales of Ghost Towns and Abandoned Cities

The Ultimate Urban Camouflage Collection: 10 Strange Examples from Coke Suits to Camo Cars

Panasonic develops 10times Higher Saturation & Highly Functional Global Shutter Technology by controlling of Organic-Photoconductive-Film on CMOS Image Sensor

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Darkened Cities: Urban Skylines Minus Light Pollution

22 Global Tales of Ghost Towns and Abandoned Cities

Wood Rings Translated Into Moody Piano Music

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Bizarre Bicycle! Fliz Fits Like a Harness to Help You Run

All-in-One Bicycle Helmet: Sleek Integrated Lights & Signals

Unstealable Bike: Theft-Proof Bicycle Frame Doubles as Lock

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Crazy Cargo: 30 Steel Shipping Container Home Designs

Networks of New York: Field Guide to Internet Infrastructure

3-in-1 Cargo Shelters: Expandable Containers Triple in Size

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Rebel Architecture 6 Part Series On Global Guerilla Urbanism

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Container Urbanism: Reclaimed Pop-Up Structures

Secret City: The Illegal Architecture of Tawian

Retrofuture Urbanism: 10 Fantastic Cities of the Future

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Rebel Architecture 6 Part Series On Global Guerilla Urbanism