March 5th, 2009
Research shows that if people are active throughout the day at particular personalized intervals they can keep their metabolism from shutting down and therefore be able to lose unwanted weight.
Personalize this program to your metabolism in order to maximize results?
Here lies the real challenge.
The Gruve, a tri-axial accelerometer, monitors an individual’s every movement throughout the day.
The data collected is then synced to an Internet portal where caloric intake and personal progress is synthesized.
An LED indicator shows progress against pre-measured metabolism immediately to the wearer and a vibrating function notifies the user when it is time to get up and moving.
Needing to remain somewhat level in order to correctly monitor motion as well stay inconspicuous to the user proved to be a challenge, but Worrell industrial designer, Charlie Wood, found the idea of a completely new device compelling an open door for creativity.
Worrell cleverly designed the clip on the Gruve to integrate into the shape of the device and function on virtually any type of clothing or belt while remaining unobtrusive to the user.
They used multi-colored LED lights as an indicator towards progress, smooth, soft lines for comfort and a gentle white and gray for aesthetics.
Link to story on Core 77
Link to story on www.dexinger.com
Link to additional story on www.gizmodo.com
January 7th, 2009
Imation’s new Apollo™ Expert UX 2.5″ Portable Hard Drive won the prestigous 2009 Art of Storage Award which recognizes a product for its best-in-class aesthetics, ease of use and industrial design.
The Eighth Annual Storage Visions Conference (partner program to the 2009 International CES) awards were presented before an enthusiastic crowd at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The awards recognized companies advancing the state of the art in storage technologies utilized in consumer electronics, the media and entertainment industries, and visionary products for the digital content value chain.
Storage Visions 2009, the premier event focusing on digital storage and the entertainment content value, took place at the Flamingo Hotel on January 6 & 7, 2009. The 2010 conference is scheduled for January 5 & 6, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Complete details on the 2009 conference are available on the conference website, www.storagevisions.com
December 8th, 2008
Dan Darst, Director of Engineering and Project Management, Karl Frankowski, Senior Graphic and User Interface Designer, and Bob Worrell, President and founder of Worrell, Inc. participated as judges in the 2008 ME2011 ROBOT SHOW held Monday December 8, in the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus.
208 students in ME2011 Introduction to Engineering designed and constructed their own autonomous, computer-controlled robots. Their charge was to create a machine that “did something interesting”. Other than a few cost, safety and size constraints, the students were free to build whatever they wanted.
The results of their efforts were demonstrated for the judges and public at this show, a major and very fun public event that filled the ground floor of the McNamara Center. More information about the project and the show is available at www.me.umn.edu/courses/me2011/robot/public.html
As a team, we evaluated 10 machines with the students explaining how they came to make their decisions about what to design and build. They showed their sketches, electronic schematics, mechanical documentation and a bill of materials. Our team unanimously agreed that Jessica Gilbertson had the most creative and functionally effective device of all the machines we reviewed. Jessica showed us a “Skittles Fountain”. She cleverly crafted a vertical augur that when rotated, lifted the colorful skittles up the clear tube and deposited them into a funnel and down another clear tube into a hopper that gave us one last little delight as it electronically dumped them into a tray. This all happened in a fixed period of time with no human interference except with the push of a LED button to signal its initiation. Jessica used some purchased components and some found items to make this fun robot.
For those who have been on the jury before, you know how much fun it is. For those who have not, you’ll have to trust me that it is a tremendous amount of fun. lots and lots of people milling around enjoying the diversity and creativity of our students.
November 12th, 2008
Dr. Jon Dixon of St. Thomas invited Worrell to present on Design Intelligence to his University students. Students gathered for a tour of Worrell’s Minneapolis, Minnesota Headquarters. Bob Worrell and Emily Matejcek lead the tour through Worrell’s design campus during which Bob discussed the process of industrial design as well as different facets of design. The tour ended in a Whiteboard discussion on Lateral Thinking vs. Vertical Thinking.Dr. Dixon plans on returning next spring with his next class on the same subject as well as possibly working with Worrell to structure his proposed new class, The Philosophy of Design.
November 11th, 2008
The design and engineering of Millenia® Retaining Wall Units, the result of the combined efforts of Worrell and Millenia® Wall Solutions, received the honor of being named a finalist in the 2008 IDEA® (International Design Excellence Award) competition. Millenia’s recycled polymer retaining walls offer refined aesthetics, outstanding durability, labor-saving installation efficiency, anda lower environmental impact than traditional wall products. The IDEA program is the premier international competition honoring design excellence in products, eco-design, interaction design, packaging, strategy, research and concepts. For the complete story on the design of Millenia Wall’s new unit visit www.worrell.com.
Worrell and Millenia teamed on the design of the first generation of Millenia’s product. Manufactured in 100 percent recycled, pre-consumer polymeric resins, each Millenia SC100™ unit weighs only five pounds versus 60 to 100 pounds each for concrete blocks. Compared to using concrete blocks, a contractor’s crew can install an equivalent size wall while lifting only 10 percent of the weight. When placed, the weight of a Millenia® wall is achieved by adding crushed stone fill, and the result is a wall with all the strength and stability of a conventional retaining wall.
An independent Life Cycle Assessment concluded that when used instead of concrete blocks, Millenia® polymer wall units provide a 55 percent reduction in total environmental impact, including a 65 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, using Millenia® walls units in construction applications can earn up to eight LEED credit points.
November 1st, 2008
Millenia®Retaining Walls Voted Best Green Exterior Product
The SC100™/SC50™ Retaining Wall Units won Best Exterior Product/Design in the first annual Readers’ Choice Awards conducted by Environmental Design + Construction (ED+C) and Sustainable Facility magazines.Winners were announced on November 18, 2008 in Boston, Mass. at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.
Winning this award signals that the market is beginning to recognize that Millenia® retaining walls offer incomparable beauty, durability and ease of installation – plus a decided environmental advantage.
Millenia® SC100 and SC50 wall units are manufactured in 100 percent pre-consumer recycled polymers. When used instead of concrete blocks, the Millenia® system reduces the environmental impact of retaining walls by 55 percent – including a two-thirds reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Using the Millenia system can qualify for up to eight LEED credits in green building and sustainable development projects.
The Readers’ Choice Awards is an online contest that gives both manufacturers and readers the opportunity to showcase and vote for, respectively, the top green building products that best combine sustainable attributes with ease of use and installation. Readers visited the ED+C Web site to cast their vote for the best green products in ten different categories
October 10th, 2008
Ryan Sohlden, researcher at Worrell presented at the Participatory Design Conference 2008 this October. Participatory Design (PD) is an approach to engaging end users in the design process, however from the conference this message is changing. PD can alternatively be viewed as the practice of human interaction. It is about involving different stakeholders to define direct needs each holds. It is about organizing those needs into a flexible solution that in the end addresses the needs of everyone.
