Stone Spray Robot by Anna Kulik, Inder Shergill and Petr Novikov. Students from Barcelona's Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia have built a robotic 3D printer that creates architectural structures from sand or soil (+ movie). Above: visualisation is by the designers Anna Kulik, Inder Shergill and Petr Novikov suggest that the technology could be used to build temporary canopies or bridges, as pictured. The Stone Spray robot sprays the grains of sand or soil out of one nozzle and glue out of another to make a mixture that solidifies as it hits a surface. Unlike other 3D printers, the robot's arm moves multi-directionally and can also print onto vertical surfaces. Novikov will present the project at the 3D Printing Event in Eindhoven on 23 October 2012.
You can also enter our competition to win a weekend pass to the 3D Print Show in London, which takes place between 19 and 21 October 2012. See all our stories about 3D printing »See all our stories about robots » Here's some more information from the designers: An Underground Museum Extension That Doubles As Above-Ground Land Art. Of the eight firms invited to submit proposals for the extension of the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, two had the same clever idea of putting it underground. But the winning proposal, by local firm Schneider+Schumacher, added a new layer to the space-saving solution--literally. Besides creating a new wing for the museum, its design transformed the museum’s well-trafficked public garden into a gently sloping, window-pocked piece of land art itself.
The museum’s above-ground galleries are noteworthy for their abundance of natural light, and in designing its subterranean extension, Schneider+Schumacher wanted to ensure a similarly well-lit space. The architects’ solution: 195 circular skylights, varying between 1.5 and 2.5 meters in circumference, outfitted with shading systems for diverting direct sunlight and a black-out feature for exhibitions that might require them. But for their utility in the space below, the skylights were deployed to great aesthetic effect in the garden above. החכה | איגוד האמנים הפלסטיים. My Modern Metropolis.
9 Ways to Improve Customer Communication on Your Website. Daniel Alves is the design director for the small business web design division at the digital marketing and web design company, 352 Media Group. If you’re like most business owners, getting leads online is the main reason you created a website in the first place. Sure, you may have a stellar SEO campaign, a beautiful design and an über low bounce rate, but without a well-planned contact strategy, you can’t turn those pageviews into conversions.
Online conversions aren’t just for ecommerce websites. In fact, most businesses use their websites to initiate one-on-one conversations. By personally engaging a contact, you are more likely to turn that contact into a customer. So, what’s the trick? First, you need to understand that most people don’t want to give their phone numbers or email addresses to yet another website — the thought of spam is horrifying. Follow these nine tips to make your website design and customer service more approachable, and thus, gain the trust of more customers.