Steampunk art, fashion, design and mods are seen by some as a reaction to today’s generic, plastic gadgets that all look the same until one gets very, very close - practical yes, pleasing no. So polish up that monocle, bring on the brass and banish cookie-cutter clutter as Steampunk artists find thirteen more ingenious ways to redesign and refashion the world by hijacking hi-tech back to the future (past)!

(image via: Geekologie)

How to take a keyboard from ergonomic to phantasmagoric? Start with an IBM M-15 Ergo Keyboard (shown below), drink one bottle of Absinthe and retire to the laboratory. The result may look a lot like this steampunkified deck commissioned by a young lady seeking to express her unique sense of circa-1879 sensibility.

(image via: Geekologie)

The elegant (and probably very heavy) keyboard features violet-tinted LED lighting, etched brass Acanthus leaf patterns on the sides and a cushy burgundy wrist pad. Smoking jacket and cigarette holder optional.

(image via: The Steampunk Workshop)

Headphone design hasn’t changed much in the past century, with the exception of earbuds and, of course, mass plasticization of components. While light weight is always welcome, cutting out the fat has also meant curbing originality. Not so with the vintage-look headphones created - on a budget, yet - by Steampunk artist Molly “Porkshanks” Friedrich and displayed at the Steampunk Workshop.

(image via: The Steampunk Workshop)

This illustrated tutorial shows how to retrofit & gentrify most any old pair of headphones with modern parts. Classic look outside; classy sound from inside. It’s a great way to bring past and present together without involving a wormhole.

(image via: Nicrosin)

Love it or hate it, the Bluetooth earpiece is here to stay - and it’s looking less futuristic everyday. Should that trend continue, the logical result would be the Steampunk mechanical aural communication device. Though the garish and gearish earpiece above is non-functional and just for show, sooner or later some basement inventor will craft one that will make you look like a Victorian Borg. You WILL be assimilated, so have a spot of tea in the meantime.

(image via: Unplggd)

The cellphone is one of today’s most universal mod cons, and it sure does look it. Granted, phone designers have a small space to work with and a barrage of tech tools to implant within. That’s what makes the Steampunk Cellphone above so special - it dispenses with GPS, texting capability and other things that the average E.T. (English Telecommunicator) wouldn’t phone home with anyway.

(image via: Unplggd)

Arthur Schmitt’s wooden wonder runs, as it were, on punch cards - something this writer hasn’t used since Mr. O’Grady’s math class back in ‘72.

(image via: Modding Forums)

Making a Steampunk Mouse that functions as it should is a much simpler proposition since a mouse is a much simpler device. Even so, the elaborate brass & leather mouse shown above looks as luxurious as a Faberge Egg, and rightly so as it was crafted by a Russian devotee of Steampunk. Or “Stimpank” as the Siberians say.

(image via: Modding Forums)

Filimon, the creator of this mouse-terpiece, administers a forum on “Modding of the outlying devices” that claims to be registered in the USSR - now that’s retro.

(image via: Modding Forums)

The attention to fine detail is unmatched, even down to the braided connecting cord and exquisite USB connector, packed in a custom made faux-gilded box. Putin on the Ritz, indeed!

(image via: Etsy)

Form following function is not the Steampunk way, and the gear-licious pocket watch above is a perfect example. The $43.00 watch is for display only as it’s likely the owner is already wearing a digital ticker on his/her wrist.

(image via: Etsy)

Glass, gears and an optional chain complete the classic look of this very watchable watch. Does the all show, no go nature of the device make one a pretender? It doesn’t matter - now you have Brass In Pocket while listening to it on the radio.

(image via: Time Tapestry)

Vianney Halter makes a variety of industrial styled wristwatches that DO work, even though they often resemble turn of the century pressure gauges more than actual chronometers. The trio of “Antiqua” models above are variations on the same multi-dial theme.

(image via: Time Zone)

Vianney Halter also crafts watches for Harry Winston, with the Opus 3 shown above. Timelessly styled, if we may say, the Opus 3 features a platinum or rose gold case and a 53 jewel movement.

(image via: Nerfnauts)

Flaunting Steampunk regalia may be cool, but it could also have an unwanted side effect - attracting the eyes of covetous have-nots. That’s where the Steampunk Nerf Maverick comes in mighty handy. So what if it only shoots Nerf bullets; nobody wants the business end of this bronzed blunderbuss bearing down on them.

(image via: Frank Buchwald)

Let there be light! Not just any old light, Steampunk styled old light! Frank Buchwald’s machine lights evoke a sooty air of industrial revolution tempered with a dash of Wellsian space drama.

(image via: Frank Buchwald)

Buchwald crafts his fully functional illuminators - “lights” somehow just doesn’t cut it - from quality materials such as burnished brass & steel, textile cables and unusual yet non-custom bulbs. The result: stunning fixtures that Tesla himself might use to do a little, er, light reading beneath.

(image via: Instructables)

A little light music? Well, the latter is on tap thanks to The Ambiance Enhancer, a dashingly deco wrist-mounted MP3 player designed by someone with a very un-Steampunkish name: Porkshanks. The player began life as a SONY MDR-006 player but with a little sheet brass, brown leather and… well, Porkshanks goes through the process step by step for those who seek to follow the trail she’s blazed.

(image via: Polapix)

Sometimes it takes just one component to turn a gadget from mainstream to Steampunk. In the case of the above desk clock, it’s Nixie tubes. Seriously, the tubes are in the case. Anyway, Nixie tubes are finicky beasts that demand special care concerning their power supply - probably why they’ve been replaced by LEDs and LCD displays. Finicky or not, the tubes lend an antique aura to this clock that complements the old camera it’s built out of.

(image via: Dark Roasted Blend)

Perhaps the most outstanding example of modern technological blandness is the digital calculator. Hailed as a wonder in the 1970s, they evolved to be smaller, lighter, and to run on miniature solar cells instead of batteries. This is good, no? No… not to those who appreciate all things Steampunk.

(image via: Dark Roasted Blend)

Andy Aaron is most definitely one of “those”, and his delightfully retro Aaron Adding Machines are the antithesis of today’s sleek, near-disposable pocket calculators. Aaron cranks out less of his creations in a year than Sharp stamps out in a couple of seconds. This IS good, because each unique device displays the hand-built luster and “use what you got” tooling that make Steampunk design so appealing.

(image via: Dark Roasted Blend)

Toggle switches, ball chains and vintage components come together in a quiet riot of richly antiqued brass and distressed wood. Some of Aaron’s calculators are so cumbersome they have massive grip handles by which to lug them about. It might not be easy to take these machines anywhere, but it’s certain you’ll never take them for granted… which is really the essence of what Steampunk design is all about.

We live in the future.  With robots and machines doing all sorts of things that used to require the human touch, we’re living out the dreams of our sci-fi-dreamer parents and grandparents.  Robotics are so pervasive in our everyday lives that we often don’t even notice when an awesome new piece of technology is unveiled.  These robots are some of the weirdest, most clever and helpful to come along recently.

Humanoid Ever-1 Android

(images via: Chosun and Geekologie)

Ever-1 is a Korean android that is able to move its upper body, speak, and make facial expressions.  It can even make eye contact with the people near it.  Although it can’t move its lower limbs, it can be used to read to children or provide information in a public setting.  The singing, fully moving Ever-2, the follow-up android, was introduced in late 2006.  Ever-2’s face was noticeably less real-looking…and sort of creepy.  The Korean public protested its doll-like visage and the Ever-2 was eventually given plastic surgery to look more like Ever-1.

Big Dog from Boston Dynamics

(image via: BotJunkie)

If you’ve ever visited the internet before today, chances are you’ve already seen video of Boston Dynamics’ Big Dog in motion.  Still, it bears a mention because, overplayed though it might be, it’s still pretty amazing.  The gas-powered hydraulic quadruped moves in an eerily animal way and can easily adapt to its terrain, as well as outside influences like icy pavement and a guy kicking it.  Just like a real dog.

Artificial Mouse

(images via: AMouse)

We’ve known for a long time that animals with whiskers boast superior navigational and balance skills. Their whiskers act as extensions of the animals’ sensory systems and allow them to get around with grace. Researchers have grabbed on to the power of whiskers and developed a number of robots meant to mimic the navigational skills of rodents. The AMouse (Artificial Mouse, of course) was built by researchers from the University of Tokyo in Japan and the University of Zurich in Switzerland. Real mouse whiskers were used. The eventual practical applications of the technology will be for performing repair work in tight spaces, detecting hazardous gasses, exploring confined surroundings, and chewing open every box in your pantry (we’re guessing on that last one).

USC Robota Dolls

(images via: NowPublic and Android World)

The Robota Dolls from USC may look a little…terrifying. They’re reminiscent of lots of misguided childhood robotics experiments, not to mention that whole Chucky thing. But Robota dolls have a significantly more beneficial use: they help autistic children learn to react to facial expressions. They can also be used for a variety of other learning games and activities for handicapped children.

Robovox

(image via: Bot Junkie)

In what is definitely more like art than science, Martin Bricelj’s eight-meter-tall Robovox is poised to become the new annoying loud guy at the party. The robot is transported around the world and placed in various public places, then people can use their mobile phones to send text messages to it. The robot will then read out the messages, effectively making that one person’s voice heard in the crowd. Which is all well and good until everyone gets an eight-meter-tall robot to do their talking for them.

Real Transforming Robot

If you grew up in the 80s, you probably remember watching the Transformers cartoons and wishing they were real. If you saw the recent Transformers movie, you’ve probably spent a lot of time wishing they’d just go away. But we promise, this real transforming robot is much cooler than either of those because it’s real. The WR-07 Robot was created by Himeji Soft Works in Japan.

T-Rot Robotic Bartender

(image via: Chosun)

In 2005, attendees at the APEC forum were greeted by a rather robotic bartender. No, not the kind who says “mm-hmm” and looks disinterested no matter what you say - an actual robot. The “T-Rot” can recognize speech, fetch items it’s asked to get, and pick up delicate items thanks to its incredible synthetic skin. The skin can detect different pressures, just like human skin, and adjust its grip accordingly.

Waseda University Flautist Robot

(image via: Waseda University)

Waseda University has been developing a flute-playing robot since 1990, but the most recent version, the Waseda Flutist No. 4 Refined IV (WF-4RIV), has taken the media by storm. This amazing mechanical man can play a perfect rendition of “The Flight of the Bumblebee” with mecha-lips and mecha-lungs.

Cockroach-Controlled Robot

(images via: Concept Lab)

The last two robots on our list have a crucial feature in common: they’re operated by pests. We can’t say that a cockroach-driven robot is the scariest thing we’ve ever seen, but it just doesn’t seem like an awesome idea. Give a perpetually abused but practically invincible bug a robotic vehicle and let it run loose? Yeah, nothing bad could come of that.

Rat Brain-Powered Robot

(image via: Geekologie)

But even more amazing is this robot that runs on rat brain cells. The cells are still alive and trained to perform the tasks of moving the robot around. The research centers on eventually disrupting the memories of the brain cells to simulate Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease. This will help researchers study how the brain deals with such disruptions.

What could be more basic and functionally unchanging as a sink? To demonstrate the danger in this assumption, here is a look at how sink designers are abandoning the generic, water-intensive styles of old in favor of new designs heavily influenced by the natural world, technological innovation and the desire to conserve water. Here are 16 designs that certainly create a splash (sorry, had to be done).

(Images via: Kanera)

Gone are the days when sinks were ruled by right angles and flat surfaces. Today it’s a more natural, water-weathered look that designers seek to evoke. The surface of the Kanera E 1 itself looks liquid, a scoop of modern material (ceramic) that holds water just like a seaside rock pool - and thankfully deep enough under the faucet to prevent any tidal surprises.

(Image via: WMD London and Design Milk)

The Follo also goes for shallow-curve basins (perhaps in this case a little too shallow) and an aesthetic that looks like a cross between painted planking and upholstery. This design has only recently been unveiled by designer Will MacCormac so details are sketchy - will be interesting to see how it actually functions.

(Images via: Gore Design Co.)

What happens when water erodes a softer, more porous material? Gore Design Co. have evidently been studying this intently, as their eye-catching concrete Erosion sinks demonstrate. As with the previous two sinks, there is an ecological message at work: “you do not need to use so much water”. The terraced sides of this bowl will fill up in no time.

(Image via: HighTech)

Taking inspiration more directly from Nature (and thumbing its nose at the myth of the manifest Coriolis effect) is the Ammonite Sink, named after the extinct marine animals that have left such bewitching fossils for us along the shorelines of the world.  It is again fashioned from concrete to a variety of widths, and will give you hours of fun chasing dropped bars of soap out of its depths.

(Images via: Nothing Design Group)

Where the previous sinks took inspiration from the effect of falling water on stone, the Origin Sink is more interested in the river itself. Lift a stone and the source gushes out and winds its way down to the end of its journey, a plughole capped by another stone. Sidestepping queries about just how snug-fitting those stones will have to be, it’s a relaxing change from the roaring torrent of most sink designs.

(Images via: Axolute)

It’s a magic trick within a sink. Where does the water go? Wave your hand underneath to demonstrate the lack of plughole - but don’t let baffled onlookers too close, or they might see the water draining away horizontally into the wall. The “Horizontal Integrated Siphon” system is a neat and stylish way to hide the plumbing and put a sink into the narrowest of spaces.  (And it’s a great party trick).

(Images via: Maja Ganszyniec)

Thinking along the same lines is designer Maja Ganszyniec with the Plugless Sink. Once you’ve finished with your bowl of collected water, tip it backwards into the spillway and you’re ready to go again. It is designed to force to to dispose of the water yourself, and thus gain an appreciate of how much you’re sending down the drain, along with a distinctive modern-yet-retro vibe.

(Images via: Gessi and Graff)

There’s no mistaking these sinks as anything but modern. With the impressively severe-looking Rettanglo sinks, gravity does all the work as water is delivered vertically from the ceiling (at, we would hope, a sensible pressure). Bending this concept a little is the Graff Luna basin, a three foot long faucet like a sword or the rib of a ship, delivering water into a bowl. The only forseeable problem is explaining to guests what it really is before they experimentally try to tug it off the wall.

(Image via: Homeclick)

The cutting-edge modern sink isn’t content to just deliver hot and cold running water. Take the Moody Aquarium Sink from Italbrass. It’s all the rewarding work of a fully-functional fishtank, coupled with the decidely odd sensation of washing your hands in it. The soap dishes on either side of the watertight main basin conceal entrances into the tank, allowing feeding and maintenance, and the whole structure is mounted on an integrated chrome finish brass stand. What do the fish make of it all?

(Images via: Coco Reynolds and Gaiam.

If space is at a premium in your house and you are keen to double up on your appliance functionality, the Ladybird and the Toilet Sink should catch your eye. The former has a detachable top that converts it into a cosy bathtub - certainly not one to stretch out in, but a gem of space-saving economy. The latter uses the clean water that rushes into your commode with every flush, diverting some of it through a faucet in the top and saving the need for a separately-plumbed tap. A thumbs-up for water economy, and perfectly hygienic.

(Images via: Antoine LeBrun)

Finally, some sinks that aim to prove that electronic technology has a place next to running water. The dazzling and ambitious Brandt Aion is a garden that washes your dishes. Open it up and use the cooking and draining surfaces, and when you are ready, shut it down and an automatic dish washing cycle will start (digitally indicated on the front of the unit), using vegetable soap that is created by the plants in the lid. Meanwhile, those same plants help scrub the air in your kitchen. Truly ahead of its time.

(Images via: WET and Gizmodo)

Washing your hands at the Meltdown sink is a treat for the senses. As the water runs, internal speakers play soothing music (perhaps something by Wet Wet Wet?) and the body lights up, projecting images onto the underneath of its recyclable Polyethylene surface. If you are so impressed by this light and sound display that you lose track of time, you may want to fit an iSave Faucet Counter - it monitors and displays the amount of water running away. As with all the sinks featured, it’s there to make you rethink something as simple as washing your hands.

Recycling discarded materials into new buildings and adapting disused structures to new uses is not just about sustainability - it is also about savvy innovation and stylish adaptation. Some architects build modular wonders from existing units (such as shipping containers). Others draw from recycled, found and local materials (or entire old buildings) to create aesthetically amazing designs that brilliantly blend old and new.

Spiral island (shown above) is just one such example: an incredible mobile private island floating on 250,000 recycled plastic bottles off the coast of Mexico. From a pre-industrial pigsty converted to a postmodern home and a magnificent monastery built from a million glass bottles to adaptively reused cargo containers, airplane hangars and water towers, here are twenty awesome more examples of brilliantly creative and sustainably innovative recycled architecture. Click below to learn more:

San Francisco street cars in plastic? The Eiffel Tower in cheap bronze? A paperweight of the Great Pyraminds? When most people go to a landmark or tourist attraction, they take home a little kitsch to remind them of their trip. Michael Hughes prefers to re-do the attraction - inverting it in his own unique way and reversing the roll of the reminder and that which one is normally reminded of.

(image via: Daily Mail)

Born in Britain and now living in Germany, Michael Hughes is a freelance photographer who has gained international attention lately with his quirky photographs of tacky souvenirs perfectly lined up with monuments and landmarks. The attention has been so great, in fact, that the photographer was offered a book deal. He isn’t just about the souvenirs, though - visit his site to see some of his other fascinating projects and click below to learn more about this hilarious project.

There is a lot of commercial emphasis on the safety of vehicle designs, but did you know that 25% of auto accidents involve pedestrians? While the purpose of these crossings is to assist people (or in some cases animals) wishing to cross a road, their utilitarianism hasn’t not stopped people from creative experimentation in the form of quite literal pedestrian street art.

The most famous of these works come, unsurprisingly, from Peter Gibson, often referred to as Canada’s answer to Britain’s Banksy. Gibson’s stencils are a direct response to the proliferation of ‘car culture‘ and though have gotten him into trouble with the law (he was arrested and charged with 53 counts of mischief) have gotten almost universal praise from the public for questioning the impact of our dependency on automobiles on society. Ironically enough, all charges were dropped against Gibson, instead he was asked to participate in 40 hours of community service focusing on street art.

While a majority of our efforts towards reducing automotive deaths tend to focus on passenger safety, they overlook the startling fact that about 25% of all automotive-accident victims are pedestrians. To spread awareness of this fact as part of Portugal’s ‘Safe Street Week’, Draft FCB Lisbon was commissioned to create a zebra crossing memorial where the stripes consisted of names of pedestrians killed by cars. The result is a spine-chilling visualization of pedestrian deaths that may ultimately be self-defeating as it distracts people trying to cross the street.

Sentieri Urbani is a project by two brothers, Davide and Gabriele Adriano, that aims to reinvent zebra crossings to communicate the distinct identities of cities where display their works. Their goal is to make each zebra crossing individually recognizable and actually allow pedestrians who take the time to “read more information and learn the place they’re visiting”. At the same time, the designs are created in such a way that they don’t present any distraction or hazard to cars driving faster than walking speed since they just see a traditional crossing. In fact, these works help drivers because they are created in a way that increases the friction between the car and the road, giving them more control and making the roads safer.

Finally, like many other previously ‘underground’ art forms, zebra crossing street art is being used for guerrilla marketing. In an attempt to battle ad-blindness that consumers are fast developing, MTN Company recently used zebra crossing art to advertise an architecture and design event.

In the early days of photography, monochrome wasn’t a choice - it was a fact. When color film was made possible, it became all the rage. For decades, black and white photography was all but forgotten by everyone other than professional photographers. But recently it’s been making a resurgence. A new generation of photographers is exploring the amazing visual possibilities of black and white photography.

Richard Vanek

(images via: Richard Vanek)

It has been said that color photography requires far less thought than monochrome. While that may or may not be true, anyone who has photographed in both knows that black and white does take some careful planning. The lighting and composition of a black and white shot will make a huge effect on the finished photograph, perhaps more so than on color shots. The foresight that Slovakian photographer Richard Vanek invests in his photographs is obvious. His “Remembering Childhood” series consists of reconstructed memories of his childhood or images that remind him of specific moments from his early life.

CB Clements

(images via: Webshots)

Infrared photography is a stunning way to get a different perspective on common subjects. When it’s combined with monochrome photography, such as in these photos from C.B. Clements, the results are truly incredible. Black and white infrared photographs look somewhere between HDR photos and old film negatives. The unexpected tones and enhanced textures make for some of the most beautiful monochrome pictures ever.

Roby 72

(images via: Roby 72)

The sense of personality and feeling displayed by subjects in photographs is somewhat more poignant in black and white than in color. Because there are no bright colors to convey happiness or muted colors to display desperation, the weight of emotion lies wholly on the composition, textures, and lighting of the photograph. Roby 72 has only been taking photographs since 2007, but judging from his masterful composition of monochrome photos, it’s easy to assume that he’s been a photographer for much longer.

Phil Douglis

(images via: Phil Douglis)

Photographers favor monochrome photos for a variety of reasons. Phil Douglis often takes his photographs in color and converts them to black and white in order to emphasize certain aspects of the image. By removing the color, he removes the distraction of colors and is able to draw attention to shapes, negative spaces, textures, and positions. His photographs are strong in color, but incredible without color.

Marcus Puschmann

(images via: fotopusch)

Even images that have been seen before become extraordinary when seen in black and white. Without colors to distract the eye, the viewer is free to discover new details and parts of the picture that aren’t apparent in a brightly colored image. These photographs from Marcus Puschmann show images from Venice, one of the most heavily photographed cities in the world, but they seem to show a new side of the city. The spiral staircase in the Vatican is a highlight of his set, showing a unique perspective and beautiful composition.

Wendell “In the Rough”