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Diverging Diamond: Novel Highway Design Eliminates Hazardous Left Turns

02 Jun

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

diverging diamond interchange design

The diverging diamond interchange has been heralded as the new cloverleaf and condemned as pedestrian unfriendly, but it does do at least one thing remarkably well: it eliminates dangerous left-hand turns that tend to cause the worst kinds of accidents.

As confusing as they look, studies so far suggest they reduce crashes by up to a third and fatal crashes by more than half. At first look, these interchanges appear incredibly complex to navigate, but, on the ground, drivers find it easy to follow their directions.

diamond interchange diagram

Drivers never have to turn to get left, which is the most dangerous part of a typical interchange, merging their way into position instead. To accomplish this the roads cross and uncross gradually.

no left turn interchange

While these diamonds date back decades in France, they were only recently imported to the United States. A graduate student named Gilbert Chlewicki thought he had designed the system, only to discover it existed in Europe. There are now dozens of diverging diamonds in over 20 states across the US.

All of their benefits aside, diverging diamonds still have critics. Charles Marohn, an engineer and writer about bad road designs, maintains these interchanges are terrible for bikers and pedestrians. Of course, so are classic clover leafs.

swindon roundabout

Like the infamous Magic Roundabout in England (with five smaller roundabouts circling a larger one), it may just take time for people to get used to the idea, too.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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Bookshop B&B: Novel Vacation Loft Lets You Run Storefront Below

09 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

scotland bookworms dream

If you have ever wanted to fully experience life as a bookseller in a small town by the sea, this quirky combination home-and-bookstore holiday rental may be just be the page-turner you need.

bookstore b and b

Located in Wigmore, Scotland, The Open Book is an independent retailer that lets interested parties both rent the flat above the store and oversee its operations during their stay. Guests inclined toward working vacations get to double as volunteers, performing all the duties of the shop owners, including opening, closing, shelf restocking and display design.

scotland bnb flat

It may not be a fun novelty for every type of traveler, but presents an opportunity well-suited for those of us who are bookworms, like to stay busy, learn new things and meet locals on getaways.

scotland vacation book store

At less than $ 50 USD per night for up to two guests, the work effectively subsidizes the stay, not to mention giving a more complete experience of the place.

bookstore scotland rental manager

With small bookshops closing up around the country (and the world), the owners wanted to bring more attention to their store and ask their guests to blog about and share their time as a store manager. People are also asked to stay for a minimum of a week, giving them time to learn the ropes and greet a variety of store visitors, from locals to fellow travelers.

[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

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Canon patent describes novel liquid lens design

01 Jun

Another interesting patent has been discovered by Japanese blogger Egami, which shows a new method devised by Canon to adjust the shape of meniscus lens that seems different from the more straightforward method used by competitors. Canon’s method uses the same ‘electrowetting’ principle as existing designs but does so to create a series of pumps, allowing faster and more precise control over the resultant lens.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Odd-Wheel Wonders: 11 Novel Vehicles with 1 or 3 Wheels

07 May

[ By Delana in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

odd wheeled vehicles

We’ve gotten accustomed to the idea of vehicles having two or four wheels. However, not all vehicle designers are so restrained in their ideas. All of these conveyances are unique because of their lack of the conventional wheel count, making do (and even making a scene) with just one or three.

The Leanster Motorcycle

leanster motorcycle

What’s the easiest way to make a motorcycle safer? Add one more wheel, of course. The Leanster from Brudeli Tech is a strange-looking bike that lets users make incredibly tight turns without the danger of falling over. The Leanster is somewhere between a motorcycle and a four-wheeled ATV, but somehow managers to look cooler than both.

UX-3 Commuter Unicycle

ux-3 unicycle

It wasn’t long ago that unicycles were reserved for the likes of circus performers. But this Segway-like motorized unicycle from Honda, called the UX-3, brings the unicycle firmly into the consumer market. It’s driven like a Segway, so all you have to do is sit down and lean slightly to tell it which way to go. It might take a little while to figure out how to ride the UX-3 without tipping over (or feeling like you’re about to), but once you master the trick you’ll never want to walk anywhere again.