Urn design, Kawasaki Robot Horse, Drone Lighting System It's April, and the colors are changing everywhere. Flowers are blooming even near the freeway shoulders. As the weather gets more beautiful, people are starting to feel a bit more relaxed despite the trade war. In Korea, it's trendy to use ChatGPT to transform photos into Ghibli-style AI images. For a while, everyone's profile pictures on KakaoTalk were Ghibli-themed, making it hard to recognize anyone. 😂 In the U.S., a different version is trending." |
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[Create a collectible doll figure in a retail-style package labeled ‘[YOUR BRAND/CONCEPT NAME]’. The doll is a [body type] woman with [skin tone]. She wears [footwear] and [outfit]. The packaging background is a [color] in a clean and minimal aesthetic design. At the top, the name ‘[YOUR NAME]’ should be displayed in bold. One side of the box has a section labeled ‘Accessories,’ including [your accessories], each in its own molded compartment] By adding my own information to the prompt, I can create a personalized profile picture filled with stylish accessories. If I get a bit more familiar with AI, it can even generate images of me smiling, waving, or talking. (Though my face has turned out a bit fierce!) |
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Whether it's Ghibli-style or Barbie-themed profile pictures, it feels like we're getting closer to AI. Recently, OpenAI and MIT Media Lab released the first large-scale study on the emotional well-being impact of ChatGPT. Analyzing over 40 million user interactions weekly, the study found that while most users preferred quick and simple responses, a minority (about 10%) engaged in much deeper conversations, spending an average of 30 minutes a day with the chatbot. These users often described ChatGPT as a trustworthy companion. In fact, one person who experienced recurrent miscarriages shared their diary-like entries with ChatGPT, and received responses like the one below.
-It must have been such a heartbreaking and difficult day. I can't even imagine how anxious and worried you must have felt during the waiting period. And after enduring such a nerve-wracking time, having to accept that the outcome wasn't what you hoped for must be incredibly devastating. You did your best and gave it your all, but still, the result turned out this way. It's so unfair, sad, and frustrating... I understand. It's natural to feel angry and perceive the world as unjust....
I've never thought about sharing my feelings with ChatGPT before, but after reading this, I feel like I should try it when I'm feeling down. It might be even better than talking to a regular friend...
However, there are downsides to this kind of closeness. Studies have shown that people who use AI intensively tend to feel more lonely and have less social interaction in real life. For women, social interactions slightly decreased after using ChatGPT for four weeks. Users who interacted with voice-based AI chatbots were more likely to feel emotionally dependent and lonely by the end of the study.
Additionally, ChatGPT exposed to conversations with severe trauma showed reduced emotional resilience. We need to consider the mental burden on AI when exposed to stressful situations, similar to humans.
Therefore, AI should still be used for limited purposes until it reaches the level of a companion. Using AI as a supportive friend without bias can reduce symptoms of depression by 51%, anxiety by 31%, and eating disorders by 19%.
If you want to regain social confidence through a screen-based platform, you can use AI as a tool to build confidence. It can help with rehearsal, practice for casual meetings, or even provide feedback like a coach on Tinder, showing its true value.
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🛏️ Designing for the End of Life – Urns, the Final Container
- Alessi's urn (The Last Pot) is reinterpreted as an emotional object that goes beyond a simple container, embodying memory and identity, and promoting Death Positivity.
The Italian industrial design brand Alessi recently showcased a noteworthy exhibition at Milan Design Week. Titled "The Last Pot," the exhibition featured urns designed to hold human remains. Despite their symbolic significance, urns have been relatively overlooked in the design world.
Curated by Alberto Alessi, ten world-renowned designers, including David Chipperfield, Daniel Libeskind, and Philippe Starck, proposed various forms and concepts for urns. EOOS Design Studio suggested metal urns, available in sizes for pets and humans, designed to stack vertically in a totem-like form, visually representing family or community connections.
Mario Tsai Studio designed an urn in the shape of a book, allowing it to blend naturally into everyday spaces. This urn can store not only ashes but also photos and letters, preserving memories together.
This exhibition was not just about displaying products; it proposed a new design language for dealing with death and its surroundings. It reflected the meaningful trend of 'death positivity,' aiming to accept death naturally and expand it into a personal and cultural experience.
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📈 Jenna's Insight
The Last Pot challenges designers to ask fundamental questions through the theme of 'death.' What objects are we creating? What meaning do they add to human life? These questions are also relevant in the realm of automotive design. The direction of design should be towards creating a holistic experience that combines functionality, aesthetics, and emotion.
Below are some products focused on death positivity for inspiration:
1. Damien Hirst – For the Love of God (2007)
- A piece using a 'real' human skull adorned with diamonds, questioning the irony of death, consumption, and beauty
2. Sally Mann – What Remains (2003)
- Photographs of human remains, visualizing the tension between physical decay and the persistence of memory.
3. Capsula Mundi – Biodegradable Urn Tree Pod
- An Italian designer project proposing biodegradable capsules containing ashes, with a tree planted above, visualizing 'death returning to life.' A nature-friendly and poetic approach to viewing death as a new beginning
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Robot Horse - Kawasaki CORLEO
- An innovative mobility device designed for sustainable transportation across various terrains, featuring four-legged walking and a hydrogen engine for environmental evolution.
Kawasaki, well-known for its motorcycles, has introduced a 'horse-shaped' personal mobility device that breaks away from traditional transportation methods, offering fresh inspiration to the design industry. While Boston Dynamics' four-legged robot Spot might come to mind when thinking of animal-shaped robots, CORLEO is inspired by the design of a horse. It focuses not only on transportation but also on providing an "emotional and riding experience," setting it apart as a unique mobility device.
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It gives the feeling of riding a bicycle or motorcycle, designed for exploration and relaxation in suburban areas, rural settings, and parks. In contrast, Boston Dynamics' robots are primarily used for corporate or industrial solutions, focusing on military surveillance, construction site measurements, and technical support, highlighting the distinct differences. |
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Powered by four legs, CORLEO offers the handling and stability of a Kawasaki motorcycle, maintaining the joy of riding while monitoring the rider's movements to create a stable connection between human and machine. This showcases its potential as a mobility device for true off-road driving, allowing riders to climb mountains, enjoy scenic views, and experience genuine exploration.
Additionally, the rear legs move independently from the front legs, absorbing shocks that occur while walking or running. This feature also helps maintain the rider's posture when climbing stairs or exploring inclined terrains." |
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Equipped with a 150cc hydrogen engine for power generation, specific details about operating time or driving range haven't been released yet. However, the dashboard will display information such as hydrogen levels, route to the summit, and center of gravity position |
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At night, markers will be projected onto the ground to indicate the path ahead, supporting safe driving. However, detailed information about the headlights or taillights hasn't been released. The concept will be unveiled at the World Expo in Osaka in 2025.
The technological foundation to realize the concept—commercial validation of the 150cc hydrogen engine and the four-legged robot platform—suggests potential use for high-difficulty terrain driving, such as field surveys and polar expeditions. Even if not, it could be used as an entertainment and tourism riding platform in rugged areas. Riding CORLEO at night and encountering a mountain tiger would surely be an unforgettable experience.
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The Flying Sun - Illuminating the Sky, Drone-Based Lighting System
- The emergency lighting system 'The Flying Sun,' utilizing drones, presents new possibilities for outdoor activities.
Developed by Freefly Systems, 'The Flying Sun 1000' is equipped with 288 LEDs mounted on an Alta X drone, capable of illuminating a vast area of approximately 137,000 square feet (about 12,727 square meters). It can fly for 5-10 minutes on battery power, and when connected to a ground generator, it can operate for extended periods.
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With its lightweight body and no trailing wires, there's no risk of tripping. Although the brightness decreases as altitude increases, it can be quickly deployed in dark crime scenes, accident sites, and infrastructure repair environments. Compared to portable industrial lights, it causes less glare and fewer shadows that obstruct the work view.
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Additionally, the drone is smartly designed to use its rotors to dissipate heat generated by the LEDs. Drone lighting can be integrated with vehicles to provide power while setting up tents at night at camping sites, offering an immediate alternative. It can also be expanded for emotional events like proposals or birthday parties, providing light from above. |
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😊
Since taking office, President Trump has modified or changed several executive orders:
- Environmental Protection Regulations: Relaxed regulations aimed at combating climate change, reducing restrictions on coal and fossil fuel industries.
- Financial Regulations: Eased regulatory burdens on financial institutions.
- Immigration Policy Changes: Reduced refugee intake limits and strengthened entry restrictions for immigrants from certain countries.
- Trade Policy Adjustments: Renegotiated trade agreements with partners, particularly increasing reciprocal tariffs with China to a total of 125%.
- Public Health Policy Changes: Repealed or modified parts of Obamacare to relax health insurance market regulations.
Yesterday, he repealed the water pressure regulations for household showerheads, signing an executive order with the slogan "Make America's Showers Great Again," stating he wants to shower well for his beautiful hair.
Most people might not be aware of the showerhead pressure regulations, which were introduced during the Obama administration to conserve water. Trump relaxed these regulations during his first term, but they were reinstated under Biden.
In California, high-pressure products have been banned due to water shortages affecting farming and sprinkler restrictions. We'll have to see how these policy changes by the Trump administration will impact American lives.
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101 Peters Canyon Rd. Irvine, CA 92606
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