Nokia Morph Concept (Nanotechnology)

Nike Zoom Victory track spike

An Examination of Raw Materials and Technology As Major Factors in Developmental Applications

Materials are fascinating. Fascinating because they possess the ability to alter or even invent an application or process. For instance, steel played an incredible role in the domination of massive Mesoamerican empires by only handfuls of conquistadors during the 1400s. Likewise, in 1907, Bakelite opened the door to plastics and polymers, thus revolutionizing the world in every aspect imaginable. With new synthetic composites and nano-materials, such as Graphene and Nehalem, areas such as medicine, weaponry, and consumer products continue to change and improve. A good micro model of this process of material exploration and application lies in shoes. Athletic shoes are particularly interesting because they blend science and technology with intriguing sculptural forms, requiring a variety of disciplines to collaborate and new processes to emerge.

A recent example of material exploration and application was behind the development of Nike’s Zoom Victory track spike (image above). Constructed specifically for athletes competing in the Beijing summer Olympic Games, the goal was to make the lightest pair of shoes in the world—a straightforward yet remarkably complex objective. Track shoes endure an incredible amount of stress and strain in a very short period of time, and therefore require additional stitching and adhesives to bind the upper to the sole securely. The extra reinforcement, however, adds a great deal of weight to the shoe and accounts for huge research and engineering budgets to develop and employ better materials to solve the weight issue.

Looking to nature for inspiration, Nike drew ideas from spider webs, and later suspension bridges as they focused on points and lines for flexible skeletal structures. An extraordinary new system resulted. By focusing on the greatest points of tension on the shoe from the athlete’s foot, the team meticulously placed “tension wires” from one point to another, connecting them much like suspension cables hold up a bridge. The material they chose was Vectran thread. Spun from liquid crystal polymers, Vectran is much stronger than Kevlar and was initially used to sew the balloons on the latest lunar rover. The filaments were then coated in a TPU upper to resist any snagging or tear, and to define the overall shape of the shoe. Unlike traditional uppers though which constitute a large portion of a shoe’s weight, the Victory’s entire shell was only two microns thick and virtually weightless.

Most impressive, however, was the application of a surgical process during the manufacturing of the shoe. With integrity and strength being crucial, the shoe construction required a center seam, which also ensured a truer fit for the athlete. However, the thread added extra weight. To achieve both structure and weightlessness, the shoe was sewn up the middle but utilized a thread comparable to water-soluble sutures (used in surgical practice). After the entire spike was finished being assembled, it was wiped down with a wet sponge to dissolve all the thread, thus reducing the weight by 1.2 grams.

Altogether, the spike weighs less than 100 grams and is considered the “Holy Grail” of track shoes. The material research, application, manufacturing process and sub-processes all facilitated a remarkable product, and with it new discoveries were made concerning material applications and manufacturing processes.

Ultimately, as a designer everything relies on observation. One can possess expertise in the sciences, engineering, human factors, financial markets, or sculpture. Yet it takes tremendous research, the ability to "see" objectively, and sometimes pure accident to find new applications for new or already existing things. The research, development, experimentation, and application of materials and technology consequently facilitate potential for revolution.

Sitting: Stomatological (Dentist's) Chairs

The timeline “Stomatological Chairs” reveals various examples of dental chairs and their evolution throughout history. The dental chair presents a fascinating example of functionalist design because over time, its user-specific functions shifted from one group to another. For instance, the earliest dental chairs were designed primarily with the dentist in mind, using hydraulics and movable parts to orient the patient for the dentist.

It wasn’t until the 1930’s when chairs began being more comfortable for the patient, while also helping the medical professional maneuver them efficiently and easily. Today dental chairs take a lot into account, especially their appearance. With increasingly simplified and visually-pleasing arrangements, psychological tranquility is preserved and the patient remains more comfortable and less stressed about the upcoming root canal.

Lighting: Artificial Tanning

“Leisure Tanning” examines the process of tanning both from the sun and an artificial light source. The first image depicts a Finsen light therapy set-up. This procedure (named after Niels Ryberg Finsen) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1903 and used ultraviolet wavelengths to destroy skin tuberculosis. As a side effect, the skin exposed to the light was darkened. It wasn’t until the late 1930’s, however, that similar UV lamps began being used for tanning purposes. The popularization of tanning can be traced to Coco Chanel who, in 1922 accidentally sunburned while visiting the French Riviera. Ironically, her look was widely accepted by her fans, and darker skin tones instantly became more desirable.

Throughout the 1950’s and ‘60’s, tanning grew in popularity with metallic UV reflectors being common on beaches and personal sunlamps existing in many homes across Europe and the U.S. Then in 1978, the first tanning beds were introduced by Friedrich Wolff. They spread extremely rapidly and by 1990 there were an estimated 10,000 outlets in the U.S. alone. Today, there are over 50,000 outlets with beds featuring ergonomic contours, audio, and sessions lasting under twelve minutes.

Recently, however, scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital developed a cream that prevents malignant melanoma, while also darkening the skin without any UV light. The drug has only been tested on mice, but many see potential for it both as cancer-prevention tool and a harmless tanning procedure.

The Past: Technology, Process, and Preservation

The timeline “Utilizing the Past” dissects various technologies that all connect in interesting ways with the past. For example, formaldehyde and plastination are more literal translations of preserving history, as the development of these chemicals and processes results in the preservation of organic tissue. The offshore oil platform represents the deep reliance on ancient, fossilized plant and animal matter (petroleum), allowing the past to directly influence everyday life in an extremely dynamic way.

The Large Hadron Collider takes particle physics to an unfathomable level, as scientists collide lead protons at incredible rates in an effort to mimic the Big Bang. Researchers also hope the experiment provides clearer insight on the mysterious “God particle”, the Higgs Boson, which gives all matter mass. And lastly, new tests have been conducted on salamanders’ fascinating genome in an effort to shed light on their limb/organ regeneration capabilities. By learning these molecular “tricks” in the amphibian’s genes, scientists hope to employ these abilities to humans, allowing old brain and heart tissue, or possibly even lost limbs, to grow back new.