Themed superyacht concept features fully functional ‘Monaco Grand Prix’ go kart circuit If you want a superyacht that really stands out at the next annual billionaires meeting then why not give it a theme? Yacht Island Design thinks there’s a market for such vessels and has set about developing several themed yacht concepts. The first is "The Streets of Monaco," a 155 m (508.5 ft) long yacht that looks to “reflect the style and sophistication of the principality” and includes a fully functional go kart circuit that recreates the famous Monaco Grand Prix circuit along with other Monaco landmarks.
"The Streets of Monaco" is based on the SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) platform, which is a hull form used for vessels that require a ship of a certain size to handle in rough seas as well as a much larger vessel. This platform also offers wide beam length for its length to allow for as much Monaco-themed goodness as possible. The yacht would be built predominantly from steel with aluminum in the superstructure. Using diesel electric propulsion it would transport its 70 crew and 16 guests (which seems like a recipe for mutiny to me) at a maximum speed of 15 knots.
The Monaco-themed yacht centers around three main communal areas: The Streets of Monaco, The Oasis and The Grand Atrium.
Streets of Monaco As you might guess, the Streets of Monaco area is where you'll find the scaled down Monaco Grand Prix circuit, whose route takes in other Monaco locations such as The Casino, Hotel de Paris, Café de Paris, La Rascasse and the Loews hotel. The roof of the Loews hotel extends to the bow on the upper deck in the "Casino Square" area, which also features a large glass bottomed fountain in the garden setting. Here you’ll also find a small swimming pool, large jacuzzi and sun decks with BBQ facilities. The main swimming pool with a maximum depth of 3 m (9.8 ft) and incorporating a swim-in jacuzzi/bar, represents the Port Hercule harbor and can be found aft along with a multi-use court that can be configured for a variety of activities including tennis and basketball, or used as a heli-pad.
The Oasis The Oasis area, also located aft, acts as the main boarding point for the yacht. It is modeled on the gardens just outside the Monaco Casino and features a central waterfall feature consisting of upper level pools cascading down into the lower pool and yet another Jacuzzi. On the lower level is the Spa, with manicure and hair salon, private massage suites, sauna/steam rooms and a relaxation lounge featuring a spa pool and bar.
The Grand Atrium The Grand Atrium is the central hub of the yacht and links the lower and upper living areas. It is dominated by a large central spiral staircase, which surrounds a waterfall feature that is supplied by the glass bottomed fountain found in the Casino Square area.
The seven guest suites are located off the lower atrium level and range in size from 135 m2 (1,453 sq ft) to the grand 356 m2 (3,832 sq ft) VIP suites. All include their own reception room, bathroom, dressing room, bedroom and balcony, while the VIP suites also include a private office. Located centrally to the guest suites are the library, communal office, communal balcony and cinema. The upper level of the Atrium leads to the entertainment areas, which includes the Main Saloon with separate Havana room and adjoining wine cellar, the dining room, casino and dance hall.
The Owner’s suite is located at the farthest end of the Atrium and connects to all decks via a private lift. It spreads over three floors covering a total 1,460 m2 (15,715 sq ft) of floor space and includes a lounge with feature fireplace and double height ceiling, office, bedroom, bathroom, his/hers dressing rooms, listening room, private courtyard, sunroom, numerous balconies and private sundeck with a Jacuzzi/swimming pool.
Other features include two large tender garages, dive dock and submarine, and sea level "beach" decks located aft in both struts.
Yacht Island Design’s next theme-yacht concept is for an 85 m (279 ft) yacht based around a "Pacific Island" theme, which the company has teased with an illustration showing what appears to be a volcanic mountain rising from the aft and palm trees located on the forward deck.
Although the theme-yacht concepts are completely over-the-top, Yacht Island Design is only proposing them as a showcase of what is possible and would consult extensively during the design process with any client interested in created their own themed yacht.
Yacht Island Design's 'Tropical Island Paradise'
Owning one's own yacht must surely be one of man's greatest indulgences. The ability to take your own tailored environment anywhere you want. Yacht Island Design creates tailored environment like no other. Following on from its "Streets of Monaco" design is the "Tropical Island Paradise", a 90 metre island with a top speed of 15 knots.
The main deck is a beach "cove" of cabanas surrounding a massive ocean view swimming pool, with a waterfall falling nearby from the volcano.
A bar area, outdoor dining, there's a private spa and four VIP suites for friends, all with their own private balcony.
There's also a helicopter landing pad so those friends can drop in.
Underneath the swimming pool, the recreational area includes jet skis, kayaks and a RIB.
Vacuum Packed Suitcase It’s quite the trend to have suitcases with an expandable hood to accommodate more clothes and stuff. However very few have stopped to consider vacuum packing clothes, to make more space. The Pumpack is one such suitcase design where it includes a pump that helps to compress clothes to make more packing room. For those who are going to complain about creases, I suggest you carry a travel iron. I for one think we need to develop this design thoroughly! Pumpack is a 2011 red dot design concept winner. Designers: Yejee Lee, Jongchan Mun, Seobin Oh and Woneui Hong
Behind the development of the Toggle multimode remote concept
Toggle multimode touch remote concept
Toggle multimode touch remote concept will bring your TV viewing experience to the next level. Designed by renowned product development consultancy Carbon Design Group, this gadget combines an innovative application with inexpensive touchpad technology. The result is an amazing future remote control for your TV viewing pleasure. We look forward to seeing this innovative Toggle concept goes into production. Designer : Carbon Design Group
Seattle, WA. August 24th—World-recognized product development consultancy Carbon Design Group introduces Toggle multimode touch remote concept for today’s connected TV viewing experiences. Toggle uses an innovative application of inexpensive touchpad technology to create a rich, touch experience without a display screen.
TV is Evolving. Today’s HD flat screens hold little in common with the grainy tube TV experience we once knew. But the real evolution is the content. Beautifully thin flat screens with streaming internet are making television viewing increasingly personal. What had been an unsatisfying “push” experience (“57 channels with nothing on”) is becoming a rich “pull” experience with viewers able to pull content from the internet and the old standbys of broadcast, cable, and satellite.
But the challenge of having all this content to choose from is how to harness it. You need a remote for the TV, a keyboard and mouse for the internet, and a controller for gaming. “There are lots of people trying to solve this,” explains Peter Bristol, industrial designer at Carbon Design Group. “Some are trying to solve it mechanically with touch in one spot, a little mini-screen, and 5000 buttons.” This “more is more” approach is rarely satisfying. And most of the technology in these devices is decades behind the touch experience we’ve become so accustomed to through smart phones and tablets. A true touch-screen remote with a $400 cost of goods isn’t financially feasible. “You can give someone a remote app, but that doesn’t make it a communal interaction device that lives at home next to the media, and it means they can’t easily use their smart phones while watching TV.”
An Affordable, Flexible Solution. Through an innovative application of the very basic capacitive touch technologies typically found in touchpads, Toggle multimode touch remote concept delivers a touch experience without a touch screen. Points on the remote’s surface are mapped to specific keys and functions. But here’s the twist. To tame all the content piped into a connected TV, Toggle puts you in control with four modes. You shift (or toggle) between modes by sliding the top slice of the device left, right, up, or down. In the center or off position, the Toggle wordmark peeks through. While holding the device horizontally, shift up for a qwerty keyboard. Shift down to a touchpad primed for two-thumbed or multi-finger use. Shift right for casual gaming. Shift left and spin 90 degrees for a kicked-back, one-handed surfing experience. Type, Surf, Move, or Play, with Toggle, the mode you need is just a quick shift away.
How it Works. The top half of Toggle includes a masked grid which reveals different interfaces when shifted into the different positions. Shifts are accomplished via sliding tracks in the four corners of the bottom half. Each mode is only a four millimeter shift from the home position. “The motion is based on how you hold it, so it’s very natural,” says Bristol. “There’s an appealing fiddle-factor, but there’s also something nice about having this combination of physical interaction with a familiar touch interface.”
The keyboard and touchpad are paired to make it easy to shift back-and-forth between text entry and navigation. The exposed graphics are backlit with side-firing LEDs for use in dim lighting.
The circuit board, with the capacitive touch technology built-in, is the main structure for the device. The battery is extremely thin, the radio is just a chip on the board, and the back surface is a rubber part, so Toggle multimode touch remote concept naturally lends itself to be light and extremely thin. “We didn’t need to play tricks visually because the architecture itself is naturally thin,” Bristol explains.
Simply Versatile. The Toggle application of capacitive touch technology could be applied to a wide array of devices beyond entertainment systems. “Right now, Toggle is a really neat glimpse into what we think could be a very affordable and flexible solution for navigation on a lot of different systems,” explains Bristol. “It’s a bit of a window into a potential future for navigation devices, and something that brings the cost of touch down to where touch remotes can be batched with devices.” For example, a cable company might want one mode optimized for channel-changing and DVR use. For use with a streaming video device, a one-handed mode with a natural user interface (NUI) could allow people to easily do the basics of video control and quick searches that don’t require extensive keyboard input. Toggle could also be sold as a third party remote. The technical beauty of Toggle is that custom-built controllers could be made simply by changing a piece of firmware and a screen print—an incredibly simple and cost-effective shift.
Looking toward the Future. The Toggle multimode touch remote concept was developed through Carbon’s Passion Project program in which team members are allowed to explore promising ideas. “Toggle offers an incredibly innovative way to create multi-mode interactions without a lot of cost or effort incurred,” says Dan Blase, Carbon’s president. “We’d love to discuss opportunities to develop Toggle further.”
Wish You Happinessss 
