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Posts Tagged ‘Transparent’

In Orbit: Transparent Suspended Net Playground in the Sky

12 Sep

[ By Steph in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

Tomas Saraceno Net Installation 1

A suspension of transparent nets hovering 80 feet over the floor of an indoor courtyard makes for a surreal playground for the brave, and a terrifying sight for those afraid of heights. Artist Tomás Saraceno created this 2500-square-meter installation at the Kunstammlung  Nordrhein-Westfalen museum in Dusseldorf, Germany for visitors to explore.

Tomas Saraceno Net Installation 2

The interactive exhibit invites museum guests to walk out onto the cloud-like nets amidst transparent and mirrored spheres, for the sensation of hovering in some kind of dream space. The steel wire construction spans the museum’s glass cupola on three levels.

Tomas Saraceno Net Installation 3

The transparency of the nets make it look like the people engaging with the installation are floating when viewed from ground level or some of the mid-floors. “When several people enter the audacious construction simultaneously, their presence sets it into motion, altering the tension of the steel wires and the intervals between the three meshwork levels,” states the museum on its website.

Tomas Saraceno Net Installation 4

“By virtue of its magnitude and radically, in orbit has no precedent in Saraceno’s oeuvre to date. Even visitors who do not wish to climb the net or hang suspended above the abyss, but who choose instead to explore the installation in exclusively visual terms are confronted with themes of flight, falling, and floating, are inevitably gripped by the archetypal emotions associated with these states.”

Tomas Saraceno On Space Time 1

Tomas Saraceno On Space Time 2

A previous installation by Saraceno, ‘On Space Time Foam,’ utilizes a similar effect with translucent PVC membranes at a museum in Milan. The work plays on the ‘mutual dependence’ that becomes necessary when multiple people are moving within the installation at once.

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[ By Steph in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

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Smart Glass: Flip a Switch to Make Opaque Turn Transparent

02 Jun

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

smart glass windows walls

Kiss curtains, blinds and shades goodbye – smart glass is not just an Xbox enhancement. Smart glass technology is evolving and faster than ever. It can shade rooms on demand, making them transparent and reduce thermal gain … all just by flipping a switch or even turning a key in a door.

smart glass door handle activated

There are various methods employed to make the transition, but one of the most fascinating involves low-power electrochromatic devices that can be activated in a variety of clever ways.

smart glass on off

Essentially, a current is passed through the window panel to turn it from transparent to translucent then back again – the voltage does not need to be sustained in between.

smart glass room examples

Aside from micro-blinds and mechanical smart windows, other variants on this technology include suspended-particle devices, which can be finely-tuned to allow in (and block out) desired levels of light, heat and glare.

smart glass passenger train

Applications to date include commercial windows and doors in places ranging from private skyscraper offices and public restrooms to hospital rooms high-speed trains. Smart glass can also be found in luxury sunroofs, meeting spaces, projection screens and television studio surfaces. As it becomes easier and cheaper to produce, the applications are limitless (above images by Sebastian Terfloth).

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Clear Sailing: Cleverly Transparent Canoes & Kayaks

30 Dec

[ By Delana in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

see through canoe and kayak designs

Sailing along in a canoe or kayak is an excellent way to spend an afternoon outdoors, but have you ever thought of everything you’re missing in a conventional boat? The solid bottom prevents you from seeing some of nature’s most amazing creations that exist in the water on which you travel. A transparent canoe or kayak, however, would give you a whole new perspective on the watery world.

clear kayak and canoe

(all images via: See Through Canoe)

The see-through canoes/kayaks are even lighter than their wood or aluminum counterparts. Being made of the same material that is used to make bullet-proof windows, they are tough enough to withstand even the most brutal of conditions. And just like the glass-bottomed boats of years past, these transparent vessels let you see what is directly beneath you in the water.

transparent canoe

The canoe version weighs only 40 pounds and provides 100 percent visibility on all sides, including the bottom. You can check out the aquatic life below you as you wait for fish to bite, or simply take a long and luxurious tour of a lake to see characteristics of the area you’ve never before been privy to.

clear kayak

The transparent kayak is even more portable – at just 26 pounds, it is light enough for nearly anyone to transport. And best of all, it folds up to backpack size, making it ultra-portable. Of course, it is also transparent to allow you to check out all of the underwater features as you paddle along.

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[ By Delana in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

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