There are people who are constantly inventing gadgets, furniture, housing, cars, food, motors and robots to make our lives simpler or more efficient or greener…. what happens to these design concepts? After many years some of these designs are refined and produced and hit the streets. Sadly, others are deemed ridiculous or strange and are banished to the big crazy invention party in the sky.

We’ve picked 5 very different concept designs, who knows, someday they may be available – one of them already is.

-    The Cloud Sofa
-    The iBangle
-    The walking home (yep, you read right)
-    The heatable lunchbox
-    Bumptop


The Cloud Sofa



Designer D.K. Wei’s magnetic floating sofa is designed for “ultra comfort and relaxation”. The soft upper part somehow remains airborne thanks to the force generated by the bottom base. Erm… weight limit? Movement restrictions?

The Cloud sofa still remains a concept for the moment, zzzzzzzz…. it looks relaxing enough….

via Coolest Gadgets


iBangle



Wear-able music. This concept product from Apple’s labs will probably take a long time to become a reality. It’s pretty amazing though - the clean functional design (typical Apple genius) offers the ultimate in portability and wear-ability.

When activated, the blue inner band fills with air and expands for a comfortable fit around your wrist. A multi-touch track pad offers easy navigation and the audio links via wireless earbuds.

Clean, modern design with high-end functionality - this looks like a product that could become a reality.

First spotted locally in Milk Mag


The ‘real’ mobile home



Ok so this is an actual walking home….huh?
This modular dwelling system is powered by solar panels, and small windmills and allows you to move through the city streets or countryside without causing too much of an impact on the environment.

The living module is very basic; it has a composting toilet system, a small wood burning stove and a solar-powered water heater.

I reckon that in SA most people’s cars are bigger than some homes these days …. plus we have the “I dunno bru, it just grew legs and walked?” factor….ja well no fine. Eco-Jurgens prototype anyone?

Via LikeCool


Nom Nom Nom – that’s hot.



So you take your lunch to work, put it in the fridge and by 11am someone has eaten it. If that hasn’t happened you still have to queue for the office microwave (usually the slowest micro ever. It’s like all big corporates were issued with a free microwave in 1947 when it was invented.)

Enter the portable heating system for food designed by Alex Cheong. This insulated lunchbox keeps your food cool up until you’re ready to warm it up.  Instead of taking the food to the microwave to heat it up though, you just plug in the box itself.

A smart idea, let’s see if it’s ever produced.

Via Coolest Gadgets


Bumptop

Here’s a tech product that has been in concept stages for ages but now has finally released for download. Bumptop is a super cool 3D desktop organizer that treats your PC desktop like an actual messy desk.

It allows you to bump and toss weighted objects across the desktop and sort them into folders or as piles like you would with papers etc on an actual desk. You can make certain objects bigger or smaller. While a touchscreen display provides a more natural interface, Bumptop also works with a mouse.

The download is PC only at this stage but mac users can signup to be notified when they launch. Check out this video to see it in action.