National Geographic Kids USA - August 2017

VINCENT CALLEBAUT ARCHITECTURES, PARIS (LILYPAD, BOTH); HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER (GLOVES); TASSEL78 / SHUTTERSTOCK (NOTES); FOLDIMATE (ROBOT, BOTH)

BY C.M. TOMLIN

You’dwantto be stranded on this island. Modeled

after a large species of lilypad that drifts down

the Amazon River, the Lilypad floating ecopolis is

designed to float along the ocean. This man-made

habitat would feature homes and shops structured

around a lagoon that could collect rain for

drinking water. Fueled in part by wind and

solar power, the island concept could provide

up to 50,000 residents with an eco-friendly

home—and the ultimate oceanfront view.

FLOATING

ISLAND

GLOVES GIVE

CONCERT

These gloves hit the right notes. Sensors inside the

fingertips detect when you press on a hard surface

and send a signal to a speaker to produce the same

musical notes created by hitting piano keys. Tap out

a tune with your hands side by side. Then move your

mitts away from each other and drum your fingers

again. The sensors can tell that your digits have

moved, and they signal the speaker to play different

notes—same as if you moved your hands in differ-

ent directions on an actual piano. That rocks!

Doing laundry is no longer such a

chore with FoldiMate, a robot that

folds clean clothes. Clip garments

to hangers on the machine’s exte-

rior. Attached to a conveyor belt, the

hangers rotate downward, pulling articles of

clothing one at a time into a slot in the middle.

Inside the robot, an electronic arm plucks each

garment from its hanger and lays it on a plat-

form. Here, more arms fold and dispense the

item. Soon your laundry’s done—case clothed.

ROBOT

FOLDS

LAUNDRY

BEFORE

AFTER

TAP YOUR

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS 7

TAP YOUR

FINGERS!

PART OF

THE ISLAND

HABITAT DIPS

UNDERWATER.