From sustainable food trucks to miniature emotional support cars, here are some things that made us say “That’s Interesting” in the studio this week.
Meals on eco-wheels.
We’re bringing you really good news from Berlin! Daniel Lorch is on a mission to make good food easily accessible and more sustainable. Is there a better combination than this? We don’t think so! The Berlin-based designer has created walkingboxes, food trucks made out of shipping containers. To compensate for their weight and keep fuel consumption down, Lorch constructs each truck in a way that optimises material usage and saves up to 25% in weight. In contrast with classic food trucks, these trailers are made from materials that are either recyclable or biodegradable. How can innovative, agile and sustainable solutions like this help the industries worst-hit by the pandemic and help the planet at the same time?
Gourmet sustainability here
The island drop.
For many, the Animal Crossing game on Nintendo Switch has been a much needed source of escapism and uplifting entertainment during lockdown. Riding the wave of new fandom even further, the game’s adorable animals and island paradise hues now feature in a new limited edition make-up collection, created in collaboration with ColourPop. The range will include eye shadows, lipsticks, glitter pots and blush powders inspired by popular characters like Isabelle the Shih Tzu and the owl Celeste. How can collaborations and limited editions help brands experiment with new sides of their identity, while also staying on-top of the latest trends?
Get the islander look here
WFSpain.
Remote working is at its highest ever and many are rethinking where they choose to call home. With commutes and office meetings being replaced by virtual set-ups, the appeal of the big city has started to wane, and there is an opportunity for countries to reposition and elevate hitherto forgotten small towns and villages. The Spanish platform Vente a Vivir a un Pueblo (meaning, come live in a village) does exactly this! It connects urbanites with towns and villages around the country, offering information on surroundings, facilities and housing prices, and making a strong case for more balanced, slower paced and more open spaced living. The pandemic has truly changed our habits, our ways of working and the role of the place we call home. As we recently explored in our latest A Different Voice article, there is certainly a case for looking for the positive side and evaluating how much some of these habit changes are actually better for us.
Meet us at the pueblo here
Support in motion.
Puppies, kittens, superheroes and… AI cars? Is there an odd one out there in the list of approaches to offering hospitalised children emotional support? Not at all! Hyundai Motors and MIT Media Lab have created an adorably futuristic miniature car that is designed to provide emotional support to young patients at a children’s hospital in Spain. The car is much more than a toy or a welcome distraction: it uses Artificial Intelligence to read kids’ emotions and monitor their wellbeing, capturing data like heart rate, respiratory patterns and facial expressions. It also features a cartoon assistant that teaches children the right wellbeing technique for their mood at the time. How else can we find that sweet-spot between the power of AI and the warmth of human emotion to create solutions that make lives better?
Say hello to this little guy here