Building-related construction and demolition produces approximately 160 million tons of debris each year in the U.S, with the Environmental Protection Agency estimating that only 20 to 30 percent of the debris is recycled. That percentage could increase significantly through the use of the ERO Concrete Recycling Robot, a conceptual machine that would erase buildings. The idea behind ERO is to use high-pressure water to separate materials from cement, sending aggregate to be cleaned and reused to make new concrete and cleaning rebar for use by another project. Developed by Omer Haciomeroglu at Sweden’s Umea Institute of Design, the robot would even recycle the water used for demolition and cleaning, providing a greener approach to destruction. Source: Industrial Designers Society of America
Imagine driving down the highway 80 mph when your car suddenly brakes and you are no longer in control of the steering wheel. As cars become smarter and more connected, there are growing fears that hackers could break into these onboard systems and cause all sorts of mayhem. “White hat” hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek examined the issue, conducting federally funded research to determine the security vulnerabilities of the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape. The hackers plan to release a 100-page paper outlining their findings — but they won’t divulge information needed to conduct real-world attacks. They say their goal is to encourage other white hats to notify automakers about potential security flaws. Source: Reuters
Your next desk could be a wireless charging station. DuPont Building Innovations worked with the Power Matters Alliance to embed wireless charging tech into its Corian solid surfaces line — a move toward creating functional furnishings. While the company is starting with kitchen counters, the goal is to embed the technology in larger-scale projects, everything from desks at schools and workplaces to public structures, which could one day eliminate the hunt for outlets. Source: DuPont