Solar Powered Soft Rockers (Video & Gallery) By MIT Professor & Students

Professor of the Practice of Architecture, Sheila Kennedy, and a group of Design, Architecture and Engineering students from MIT have designed solar-energy storing modern wood rockers on which you can lounge and chat or charge. Smartphones, cell phones, mp3 devices, laptops and other gadgets can be connected via USB. What's more, the soft rockers are designed with a solar powered ambient light that gives them a soft glow in the dark.











above: Image by SOFT ROCKER TEAM: Sheila KENNEDY, MIT Professor of the Practice of Architecture; James BAYLESS, KVA UC Intern; Kaitlyn BOGENSCHUTZ, KVA UC Intern; Wardad INAM, MIT PhD Candidate, Electrical Engineering; Jungmin NAM, GSD March I 2009, KVA Designer; Shevy ROCKCASTLE, MIT Smarchs 2011; Phil SEATON, MIT March 2012; Matt TRIMBLE, MIT March 2009, RADLAB; Adnon ZOLIJ, MIT BS 2010, Electrical Engineering

Soft Rockers description and video from MIT:
Recharge yourself and your electronics while relaxing with friends outdoors in Killian Court. The MIT SOFT Rockers are smart, clean energy charging stations disguised as outdoor rocking lounge furniture. Unlike conventional ‘hard’ urban infrastructure, The SOFT Rocker leverages its environment in a dynamic manner by using the human power of balance to create an interactive 1.5 axis 35 watt solar tracking system. Soft power electronics designed for this project charge the 12 ampere-hour battery and store solar energy harvested during the day. Put your body weight in play with an interactive, real time energy harvesting feedback loop that senses how you orient the rocker to the sun. Charge or run any USB device from speakers to cell phones and bring your friends to enjoy cool lighting loops at night for social gatherings.



The leaf-like loop form of the SOFT Rockers explores how standard softwood panels can be mass-customized to adapt to the latitude and sun angle of any site using parametric design software and automated fabrication with a lightweight Kuka robotic arm. The SOFT Rocker combines hi-tech and low-tech design strategies: it produces electricity but engages the body and works like furniture “by hand”; it mixes sun tracking and social dynamics; it is a site specific object and a flexible form family of ‘soft’ wood construction. The SOFT Rocker blurs distinctions between pleasure and work and recasts power generation as an integrated and distributed public activity rather than a centralized, singular off-site project of ‘engineering’.  

SOFT ROCKER TEAM: Sheila KENNEDY, MIT Professor of the Practice of Architecture James BAYLESS, UC MArch 2014, KVA Intern Kaitlyn BOGENSCHUTZ, UC BS Arch 2013, KVA Intern Wardah Inam, MIT PhD Candidate 2015, Electrical Engineering Jungmin NAM, GSD MArch 2009, KVA Designer Shevy ROCKCASTLE, MIT SMarchS 2011 Phil SEATON, MIT MArch 2012 Matt TRIMBLE, MIT MArch 2008, RADLAB Adnon ZOLIJ, MIT BS 2010, Electrical Engineer Vicor, Inc. MIT gives special thanks to: • Vicor, Inc. Applications Engineering provided power electronics support. Picor, a subsidiary, provided Cool-O-Ring controllers for battery/load interfacing. • Global Solar, Inc. Technology Development Team provided advance samples of Gen II flexible photovoltaics. • LightTape, Inc. Assisted with manufacture of custom electroluminescent lighting materials • Peter Murray at Fine Finish, Inc., in Waltham, MA.  

images and info courtesy of Arts at MIT

A Modern Bamboo Solar-Powered Studio by Lamboo

The Illinois-based Lamboo is a technology company that specializes in the manufacturing of engineered structural bamboo for architectural applications all over the world. Their research and product development specializes in bamboo panels and veneers, window and door components and other structural elements.



Their Lamboo Studio Project integrates many of their proprietary designs, such as the doors, windows, cabinets, joists, beams and even furniture.



The custom S-shaped roof on which the solar panels are placed provides heat in the winter and shade in the summer.



The Lamboo Studio Project brings functionality, sustainability, and performance together to result in a building with optimal physical and mechanical properties.



LAMBOO® STRUCTURE™ (Laminated Structural Bamboo) curved beams are used for the roof structure and Lamboo beams implemented for the floor/deck joists. LAMBOO® DESIGN™ products were incorporated for interior paneling and custom furniture designs. LAMBOO® VUE™ component material was used for the windows and doors.



The design of this studio space and its custom “S” shaped roof allows for it to consume the most sunlight in the winter months and the least in the summer months. This feature helps to achieve the most possible sunlight into the living space during the winter solstice to naturally heat the space while still achieving full sun activity on all solar panels.



During the summer solstice the “S” shaped roof overhang does not allow for sun to shine into the studio, yet stops the sunlight at the deck. This helps save on cooling energy and will result in maintaining much cooler conditions naturally through the summer months and still resulting in 100% solar panel activity.

A look inside the house:




The house at night:


Designed by Luke D. Schuette, images and info courtesy of Lamboo.


Studio Features:
* 304 sq.ft. interior space
* 308 sq. ft. deck
* LAMBOO® STRUCTURE™ Beams
* LAMBOO® STRUCTURE™ Joists
* Aluminum Clad Roof
* Cork Flooring
* Composting Toilet
* LAMBOO® VUE™ Doors
* LAMBOO® VUE™ Windows
* LAMBOO® DESIGN™ Cabinets
* LAMBOO® DESIGN™ Furniture
* Uni-Solar PV Panels

Lamboo Inc. utilizing the most rapidly renewable, high yield fiber resource on the planet, is introducing an alternative high performance building product. Through species and adhesive selection, and proprietary lamination processes, Lamboo technology is leading the structural engineered bamboo industry.

Lean, Mean, Trims The Green & Every Lazy Homeowner's Dream. Husqvarna's Automatic Robotic Solar Lawnmower.

I know it's Mother's Day today (Happy Mother's Day!) and this would be way up there on my wish list. If I had kids. Or a lawn. Regardless, this is one of those luxuries I aspire to own.

It's as though an eco conscious RoboCop gave birth to a lawnmower. Husqvarna's top of the line automated robotic mower is as beautifully designed as a new sports car and it will mow your lawn without complaining. (Plus, I'd love to see it battle with a Roomba).



No emissions, low noise (see the people pleasantly sleeping in the hammock? lol), low energy consumption, weather-proof and can handle slopes up to 35%... oh, and did I mention? You don't have to mow your own lawn!

The Automower® Solar Hybrid is the world's first fully automatic lawn mower that is partly powered by the sun.





The product uses considerably less energy than any conventional mower. That's because in addition to a charging station, it comes with a large integrated solar panel. When there is daylight available, the solar cells enable the mower to extend its cutting periods before it needs recharging. That means a cut lawn in a shorter time, even lower power consumption and an extended battery life. Suitable for lawns up to 1/2 acre, depending on light conditions.

• With the lift and tilt sensors, if it runs into something it will redirect itself without causing damage:


•The Solar Panel is an additional energy source that gives Automower® extra power directly from the sun:


•With the settings panel the mower can be programmed to fit many different lawns and preferences:


• The cutting height adjustment is easily done from above by turning one large knob:


• When the Automower® needs more power, it finds its own way back to the charging station:


Battery type: NiMH
Typical charging time: 45 min
Typical mow time on one charge: 60 min

Like I said at the beginning of the post, this one is their top of the line and the price reflects that. With a suggested retail price of $3,000.00, you'd better have lots of lawn or lots of disposable income, preferably both.


To find where to purchase the Husqvarna Automated Solar Hybrid Mower, go here.

72 Eco-Friendly Finds For Earth Day!

From Hotels to home decor, in celebration of Annual Earth Day, here's a bunch of eco-friendly, green, sustainable, organic, re-purposed, recycled, recyclable, reclaimed and just plain rockin' finds. Just click on the image above for more info and a link to purchase.

There's more to see on my The Hippest Earth Friendly Products For Earth Day list!

Love your planet.

The Earth Day network
Envirolink network

The Chill n' Charge Solar Tent From Orange

Orange pitches Glastonbury Solar Concept Tent
Orange has revealed their vision for the tent of the future. Utilising cutting edge eco-energy technology, the Orange Solar Concept Tent will allow campers to keep in touch and power their essential camping gadgets.



The Concept Tent has been designed in association with American product design consultancy Kaleidoscope and builds on learnings from the original Orange Solar Tent that was trialled at Glastonbury in 2003, as well as 2004’s Orange Text Me Home Dome. Having worked closely with Glastonbury for the last eleven years, Orange know the importance of keeping in contact with friends while on site and undertook this concept project to look at how the festival goers communication and power supply needs might be met in the future.




Photovoltaic Fabric

Latest research shows that by weaving specially coated solar threads into conventional fabric, revolutionary new ways of capturing the sun’s energy could soon become a reality. These radical advances mean that rather than relying upon familiar fixed panels, designers were free to conceive how a tent of flexible solar fabrics might look.

The Concept Tent’s solar shell uses this technology to full effect with three directional glides which can be moved throughout the day to maximise its solar efficiency, capturing the optimum amount of energy which can to be used throughout the tent in a variety of new and exciting ways.

Glo-cation technology

To avoid festival-goers ever losing their tent, the Concept Tent would be fitted with innovative “glo-cation” technology. Glo-cation works by enabling campers’ mobile phones to identify their tent using either an SMS message or automatic active RFID technology (a longer range version of that used in London Underground Oyster cards); both would trigger a distinctive glow in the tent helping identify it from a distance.

Wireless control hub

The heart of the Concept Tent is a central wireless control hub which displays energy generated and consumed as well as providing a wireless internet signal; all information is displayed on a flexible, touchscreen LCD display screen.


Integrated into the hub is a wireless charging pouch which powers mobile phones and other portable devices without the need for messy wires and multiple chargers. The ‘magnetic induction’ technology passes an electric current through a coil embedded in the charging pouch, this in turn generates a magnetic field which creates a charge and powers the battery.

Groundsheet heat

Also controlled by the central hub is an internal heating element embedded within the tent’s groundsheet; this under floor heating is triggered automatically once the interior temperature falls below a set level.

Kaleidoscope Strategist, Finn McKenty, said: “The development of photovoltaic fabric will revolutionise festival tent design, in working with Orange we have created a vision for a solar tent that we believe is a great glimpse of what’s to come.”

Ian Smith, Head of Sponsorship, Orange UK, said: “Since becoming Official Communications Partner of Glastonbury Festival in 1997 Orange have strived to enhance the camping experience through a variety of sustainable initiatives. Our vision of the concept tent builds on this heritage and recognises the revolutionary effect cutting edge solar technology and wireless communication could have on festival goers’ camping experiences.”

Whilst currently only a concept, the vision of the Orange Solar Concept Tent has been designed to celebrate Orange’s 11th year at Glastonbury. This year, Orange Chill ‘n’ Charge tent will be at Glastonbury again, providing 600 mobile phone charging points, free internet access and live music. The Orange Chill ‘n’ Charge tent will be open from Friday to Sunday, 10am-10pm.

For all the latest updates from the field go to www.orange.co.uk/glastonbury (sorry, this site is no more) , for more information about Glastonbury Festival go to www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

all info and images courtesy of Orange