#Design

Oct 10, 2012
Aerial Trams, Case Studies, Design Considerations, Installations

Meran 2000 Bergbahn

There is more than one intriguing feature to the Meran 2000 Bergbahn, an aerial ropeway built in 2010 at the Merano 2000 ski resort in South Tyrol, Italy. At first the it may appear to be a simple (yet stunning) two-cabin tram — the stations are small, the system branded a vibrant red, and the...

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Sep 11, 2012
Just For Fun, Proposals & Concepts, Public Engagement & Community Outreach

The Traffic Light Countdown Pong Game

Do you remember the piano stairs in Sweden that got people to choose the stairs over the escalator? And not just some people, but 66% more people. That’s because while taking the escalator is easier than climbing the stairs, playing a piano with your feet is infinitely more fun than standing on a stair that...

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Jun 29, 2011
Design Considerations

Making Design and Policy Agree

Consider the common airplane and it’s absurd carry-on baggage situation: Airline policy (at least according to their safety videos) is for passengers to store their heavier carry-on luggage below the seat in front of them and the lighter articles in the overhead compartment. This is, apparently, for your own safety. But have you ever been...

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Feb 23, 2011
Heavy Rail, Oddities

The Metro Inspiro: A Subway By BMW

Most of us can’t afford to drive a BMW everyday to work. But what if you could ride a BMW everyday? The Siemens Group recently commissioned BMW’s subsidiary Designworks USA to design a new kind of subway train. Dubbed the Metro Inspiro, it is a train the likes of which you’ve never seen: Cork floors,...

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Jun 10, 2010
Just For Fun

The Spindle

My mother owns a loom she uses for making small blankets and an occasional wall hanging. When I was four she pulled me away from my blocks and legos to hold a spindle of yarn while she unrolled the thread and rewound it into a ball. For several minutes I did as I was told, until a better...

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