Innovation Today is a showcase of the inspiring work taking place in universities in Singapore. As with da Vinci’s projects, they represent interdisciplinary approaches, invention and innovation. They explore some of the same themes present within the exhibition: vision, sound, music, flight and technology.
Each of the projects has come about because of an understanding about the importance of systems-thinking and interdisciplinary working to modern innovation. These are the core principles of da Vinci's work, revealing just how much ahead of his time he was.
Demonstrations of some of these projects will take place every Saturday at 4.30pm in the workshop space.
- SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN
- NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
From SUTD-MIT International Design Centre, Singapore University of Technology and Design:
Da Vinci sought technical solutions to existing problems, and was also intrigued by the principles of vision and sound. FingerReader combines these areas in one innovation: a wearable device designed to aid visually-impaired users in translating and reading printed text. Wearers scan a text line with their finger and receive an audio feedback of the words and a haptic feedback of the layout.
StickEar by Yeo Kian Peen and Suranga Nanayakkara
StickEar is a wireless audio-sensor device that recognizes sounds, relaying them into vibrating text alerts through an application on mobile devices. Just as da Vinci was fascinated by how sound works and used his expertise to improve technology, StickEar aims to empower the hearing-impaired with an awareness of everyday sounds.
SCORPIO by Elangovan Karthikeyan, Takuma Nemoto, and Mohan Rajesh Eara
In his studies of aviation, da Vinci was inspired by bats which led to the invention of his flying machine. Inspired by huntsman spiders found in the Sahara desert, SCORPIO is a robot that can reconfigure itself to realize crawling and rolling locomotion. This effectively shows us how inspirations from nature can translate into efficient engineering solutions.
Maple-seed Inspired Aerial Craft by Pheh Ying Hong, Danial Sufiyan Bin Shaiful, Tan Chee How, and Foong Shaohui
Da Vinci had a keen sense of imagination and was passionate about the potential for flight, drawing from nature to apply aerodynamic principles. Similarly, to achieve stable flight, this project mimics the natural autorotation movement of maple seeds. This is further made possible with its aerial frame created through Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing technology.
Artificial Life: Robots at Work, Sleep and Play by Erik Wilhelm, Swayam Narain, and Li Wenzheng
As an engineer da Vinci incorporated mechanisms in pulleys, weights and gears to create an automated robot. Today, the cross between evolutionary biology and computer science can be seen in Artificial Life Robots – mini androids that can evolve to perform various tasks, as well as ensure their own survival by ‘feeding’ from a sunlamp.
From Keio-NUS CUTE Center, National University of Singapore:
POPAPY by Kentaro Yasu
Da Vinci’s studies reveal his deep interest in geometric shapes and how these can transform from their flattened, 2D form (‘nets’) into a 3D form. POPAPY, displayed here, uses a microwave oven to similarly transform flat paper combined with heat shrink and aluminum sheet into an instant pop-up 3D shape.
Dancer-in-a-Box (DinB) by Yuichiro Katsumoto
In the spirit of da Vinci’s designs in automata and transportation, Dancer-in-a-Box is a self-propelled box designed to transport light objects. Its mechanical structure adjusts the centre of the box, allowing it to rotate without being pushed.
3D Food Printer by Daniel Peng Zhuo and Sun Jie
Da Vinci believed in constantly refining existing machines for better efficiency. The 3D Food Printer similarly enhances current 3D printing technology. Integrated with Digital Gastronomy Technique, it enables users to customize and print designs of biscuits and chocolates.
D’Licious Vessel by Nimesha Ranasinghe, Do Yi-Luen Ellen, Sun Jie, Yan Liang Kun, Chew Zehe Barry
Da Vinci’s interests were wide-ranging, to the extent that he even designed a spit which rotated food over heat in constant motion. In the same innovative, culinary spirit, D’Licious Vessel is a digital interface that simulates primary taste sensations such as sweet and sour, through controlled electric pulses.
AR-muse by Lu Weiquan, Nguyen Linh-Chi, Chuah Teong Leong, Do Yi-Luen Ellen
Da Vinci crossed disciplines while working with ideas in physics and perspective to enhance his paintings. With advancements in technology today, AR-muse augments reality in art by featuring virtual images that can be animated through the use of a mobile application.
Using a smartphone, visitors can scan the QR code provided with the project to interface with the artwork.
From NUS-HCI Lab, School of Computing, National University of Singapore:
Beyond Stereo and ColorBless by Haimo Zhang, Xiang Cao, Chua Soon Hau, Shengdong Zhao, Muhammad Hammad, Sahil Goyal and Karan Singh
Da Vinci was fascinated with optics and discerned the fundamental principles of vision and light. Today we know more: that binocular disparity allows us to simultaneously see two separate images through our left and right eye respectively, as explored in this project through 3D technology.
Visitors can use 3D glasses to experience binocular vision first-hand.
AutoGami by Kening Zhu and Shengdong Zhao
As an engineer, da Vinci applied automated, mechanical principles to his inventions, including the use of automata through his automated Knight and drum designs. These forward-thinking principles are found in AutoGami – a user-friendly toolkit that allows for the design and movement of automated paper-craft.
DIY Peripheral HMD by Denys Matthies, Chua Soon Hau, Simon Perrault, Shengdong Zhao
Just as the camera obscura enhanced da Vinci’s studies in vision and perspective, DIY Peripheral HMD allows users to further study what they are looking at. Using a graphic card with video output, the hand-constructed pair of glasses act as a monitor to project analog video signals.
From the Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore:
Harmony of the Technospheres by Lonce Wyse
Da Vinci designed the viola organist — an experimental musical instrument combining acoustic technologies from other instruments. Harmony of the Technospheres is a modern cross between sound and technology, where participants collaborate with different strings on an instrument by means of their mobile phones. Musical chords move amongst participants in various tunings that are also visualized on the display screen.
Visitors can join Harmony of the Technospheres by pointing their smartphone mobile browser to a QR code on display with the project.