Digital by Nature: The Art of Miguel Chevalier at Kunsthalle München presents the artist’s largest solo exhibition in Europe to date, curated by Franziska Stöhr. The exhibition surveys Miguel Chevalier’s practice from the early 1980s to the present, tracing his sustained engagement with digital technologies as both tools and subjects of artistic inquiry.

Born in 1959 in Mexico City and based in Paris, Chevalier has worked with computers as a creative medium for more than four decades. The exhibition brings together approximately 120 works that reflect the evolution of his approach, from early experiments with pixels, binary code, and algorithmic systems to recent projects that explore the intersections of digital and analog processes, technology and nature, and human interaction with computational environments.

The presentation includes a wide range of media and formats, such as 3D printed sculptures produced in ceramic and recycled plastic, robot-generated drawings, machine-produced embroidery and tapestries, and video works created using artificial intelligence. Large-scale generative and interactive installations form a central component of the exhibition. In these works, algorithmic systems continuously generate visual compositions that respond to visitors’ movements, establishing a reciprocal relationship between human presence and machine-driven processes. These installations are accompanied by sound compositions by Jacopo Baboni Schilingi, which further structure the spatial and sensory experience.

Complex Meshes | music: Jacopo Baboni Schilingi, software: Cyrille Henry, Antoine Villeret, image: Thomas Granovsky

visualizing Interaction, Growth, and Transformation

Two works were developed specifically for Kunsthalle München. Complex Meshes Robot Drawings is a performative installation in which a robot produces drawings based on visual motifs from Chevalier’s interactive series Complex Meshes. The artist defines the parameters by selecting the paper and drawing tools, while the robot executes the marks. Originally designed for industrial repetition, the robotic system is reprogrammed to produce variable, gesture-like drawings that foreground the translation between programmed movement and hand-drawn expression.

The second new work, In Vitro Pixel Flowers, expands Chevalier’s ongoing exploration of digital botanical systems. The installation presents his largest virtual herbarium to date, allowing visitors to generate plant forms through an online interface and observe their development within a greenhouse-like environment. The digitally generated plants emerge, evolve, and disappear in continuous cycles, forming a shared, participatory landscape that visualizes processes of growth, variation, and renewal.

Across its diverse works, Digital by Nature positions digital technology not only as a means of production but as a framework for examining systems, transformation, and interaction. The exhibition emphasizes Chevalier’s long-term investigation into how computational tools can shape visual form, spatial experience, and collective participation within contemporary art contexts.

Complex Meshes | music: Jacopo Baboni Schilingi, software: Cyrille Henry, Antoine Villeret, image: Thomas Granovsky

The Origin of the World | music: Jacopo Baboni Schilingi, software: Cyrille Henry, Antoine Villeret, image: Thomas Granovsky

Complex Meshes | music: Jacopo Baboni Schilingi, software: Cyrille Henry, Antoine Villeret, image: Thomas Granovsky

Meta-Nature AI | music: Jacopo Baboni Schilingi, software: Claude Micheli, image: Nicolas Gaudelet

The Origin of the World | music: Jacopo Baboni Schilingi, software: Cyrille Henry, Antoine Villeret, image: Thomas Granovsky

In Vitro Pixel Flowers | software: Samuel Twidale, image: Thomas Granovsky

Complex Meshes Robot Drawings | industrial robot, felt-tip pen, paper, software: Ludovic Mallegol

The Eye of the Machine | software: Claude Micheli, image: Thomas Granovsky

In Vitro Pixel Flowers | software: Samuel Twidale, website: Ollie Smith, interface: Elise Michel

Fractal Flowers | software: Cyrille Henry, image: Thomas Granovsky

Euphorbia Alchimica Veritas of Rousseau 1 > 12 | image: Thomas Granovsky

Brain Corals Stratigraphy | image: Thomas Granovsky

project info:

name: DIGITAL BY NATURE – The Art of Miguel Chevalier Kunsthalle München / Munich
artist: Miguel Chevalier | @miguel_chevalier

location: Munich, Germany

museum: Kunsthalle München / Munich | @kunsthallemuc

dates: September 12th, 2025 – March 1st, 2026

curator: Franziska Stöhr

curatorial assistant: Jasmin Gierling

music: Jacopo Baboni Schilingi

director: Roger Diederen

exhibition production: Voxels Productions

exhibition design: Martin Kinzlmaier

photographer/videographer: Thomas Granovsky

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post pixel virtual gardens and robotic installations animate miguel chevalier’s solo digital art show appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Spring Playlist is a seasonal retail campaign designed by Dany Vo (Dang Vo) for Shinsegae Department Store, implemented across 13 locations throughout South Korea. The project introduces a visual and spatial system that interprets spring through rhythm, sequence, and gradual transition, drawing conceptual inspiration from music and seasonal change.

The campaign establishes a cohesive identity through the use of soft color palettes, floral graphics, and Shinsegae’s S-check pattern. These elements are applied consistently across exterior facades, interior installations, digital screens, and printed materials, allowing the campaign to operate as a continuous visual experience from the urban context into the retail interior. The ‘playlist’ concept frames the spatial progression as a sequence rather than a single moment, reinforcing continuity across scales and formats.

Artificial intelligence was incorporated into the design workflow primarily during the early visualization and concept development stages. AI-assisted image generation was used to explore compositional variations, floral motifs, and atmospheric qualities before advancing to final production methods. This approach supported rapid iteration and reduced reliance on conventional 3D rendering during the initial phases, allowing design decisions to be refined more efficiently. AI functioned as a supplementary tool, supporting creative exploration while design judgment and manual refinement guided the final outputs.

exterior Shinsegae department store | all images courtesy of Dany Vo

Dany Vo digitally constructs department store’s visual identity

The campaign was developed for a wide range of applications, including outdoor advertising, online media, public digital displays, in-store installations, and physical cut-out elements. The design system was structured to adapt across these formats while maintaining visual consistency across all 13 department store locations. AI-supported workflows contributed to this scalability by enabling efficient adjustment of assets for different spatial and media requirements without compromising the overall identity.

Designer Dany Vo’s approach reflects experience across branding, packaging, illustration, animation, and art direction. His professional background includes roles at Design Army and Hatch Design, and he currently works at FutureBrand, contributing to large-scale branding systems and international campaigns. This multidisciplinary experience informed the integration of concept, technology, and execution throughout the Spring Playlist project.

The campaign received Platinum recognition at the London Design Awards, acknowledging both its visual coherence and its application of emerging technology within a commercial design context. As a seasonal retail initiative, Spring Playlist demonstrates how AI-assisted processes can support efficiency and adaptability while maintaining clarity in concept and execution across complex, multi-site environments.

exterior Shinsegae department store

exterior

entrance

entrance

interior

interior

interior

interior

interior

subway entrance

visuals

pop-up live concert event

Dany Vo is a multidisciplinary designer across illustration, fine art, motion, and branding

project info:

name: Shinsegae – Spring Playlist Campaign

designer: Dany Vo | @dany_vo_

location: Seoul, South Korea

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post AI-driven floral graphics visualize seasonal retail campaign for south korean department store appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Artificial intelligence can fulfill several requests except generating and drawing the correct analog clocks to tell time. It seems strange since clocks are everywhere, and they look simple to produce even digitally. AI systems have also seen millions of clock pictures and read lots of explanations about how clocks work using their own language models, but still, when scientists test AI to produce images and working correct analog clocks, the results are poor.

In many tests, AI gets the correct time less than one out of four times. Based on the studies, a common mistake when scientists use AI to generate the correct analog clocks is mixing up the hour hand and the minute hand. Sometimes the system imagines hands that are not really there, hence creating awry-looking and displaced hands. They also tend to show the time as 10:10, even when that is clearly wrong. This happens because many clocks in ads and photos are set to 10:10, so the AI learns to copy that pattern instead of actually reading the clock.

all images courtesy of AI World Clocks by Brian Moore

Why can’t AI generate the correct analog clocks?

The main problem why AI can’t generate the correct analog clocks is that it doesn’t truly see clocks the way people do. When a person looks at a clock, they understand that the hands move in circles and that their positions are connected to time passing. AI does not understand this movement or the idea of time in a physical sense. It only recognizes patterns from pictures and words it has seen before. Some studies have noted that the software also understands clocks through language, not real experience. It has read sentences like ‘the minute hand points to 12,’ but it does not understand angles, rotation, or how gears work inside a clock. 

So when it tries to create or read a clock, it guesses based on what looks familiar, not on how a clock works. This is why AI often draws clocks with numbers in the wrong places or letters that look like messy symbols instead of real numbers, as shown in this project by Brian Moore, inspired by the idea of the programmer Matthew Rayfield. On the site, the creative director displays clocks that have been generated by nine different AI models, which change every minute. These generated time-telling tools can prove that AI can’t always produce the correct analog clocks, just accurate-looking ones, and even so, they come out quite rarely and downgrade again after a minute.

AI can fulfill several requests except generating and drawing the correct analog clocks

AI is good at copying, not understanding

Another big reason for these mistakes is that AI does not have a ‘world model,’ meaning it cannot imagine how things change over time. It cannot think, ‘if one minute passes, the minute hand moves a little.’ Instead, it treats each image as a still picture. Because of this, it sometimes creates clocks that could never exist in real life. Researchers see this clock problem as an important lesson. 

It shows that AI is good at copying appearances but not at understanding how things function. Some scientists are trying to fix this by teaching AI rules, using math or code to draw clocks correctly, or giving it guides that show where the hands and numbers should go. For now, producing correct analog clocks remains a tough challenge for AI, a reminder that just because a machine can recognize a pattern doesn’t mean it can truly understand it. 

in many tests, AI gets the correct time less than one out of four times

a common mistake is mixing up the hour hand and the minute hand

sometimes the system imagines hands, numbers, and signs that are not there

other times, the numbers appear at different positions

the main problem is that AI doesn’t truly see clocks the way people do

AI also doesn’t have a ‘world model’

project info:

name: AI World Clocks

design: Brian Moore | @lanewinfield

idea: Matthew Rayfield | @realmatthewrayfield

The post AI can’t generate correct analog clocks to tell time, and here’s why appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Zeroth’s W1 is a mobile robot with track wheels and cameras in the eyes that can monitor smoke and open windows and doors at home. Both a home and outdoor assistive device, the rolling gadget uses AI and LiDAR to understand its surroundings and sends out light to measure distance, along with RGB cameras and other sensors. These systems help W1 see the world in real time so it can spot obstacles, plan a path around them, and keep itself balanced. Instead of waiting for commands every second, W1 can make smart decisions on its own as it moves.

The mobile robot with track wheels, which is on view at CES 2026 in Las Vegas from January 6th to January 9th, 2026, acts as a mobile security system. It can patrol areas by itself, both indoors and outdoors, and with its 360-degree awareness, it can watch for unusual movement, detect problems, and connect to smart home systems. If there is smoke, an open window, or a door that should be closed, the device can help monitor the situation. Unlike fixed security cameras, W1 is not stuck in one place. It moves, adapts, and stays alert.

all images courtesy of Zeroth

Mobile robot with track wheels can move around dirt

The mobile robot with track wheels is also for outdoors, designed to follow, carry, and power equipment. It can move with the owner, hold heavy gear, and even double as a power generator in camping sites when needed. Its body weighs 28 kilograms, but the team says it can carry up to 50 kilograms, meaning it can transport gear and other objects almost twice its own weight without becoming slow or unstable. 

Since it is a power storage, it can become a mobile hub, supporting speakers for music, games for fun, and even recording videos as users move around. Thanks to the cameras installed in the eyes, the mobile robot with track wheels can capture and record scenes without needing to hold handheld devices. The gadget also comes with tracks so it can move smoothly across grass, gravel, dirt, slopes, and uneven ground, making W1 useful both indoors and outdoors. So far, the team plans to ship the mobile robot with track wheels starting April 2026.

Zeroth’s W1 is a mobile robot with track wheels and cameras in the eyes

the device is used both at home and outdoors

outside, it can play with the children

the cameras in the eyes help with the home surveillance

the device is able to carry objects twice its weight

the team plans to ship the device starting April 2026

project info:

name: W1

company: Zeroth | @zeroth_the_official

The post mobile robot with camera eyes monitors smoke and open windows at home appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

.lumen unveils forehead glasses with cameras and sensors that can assist blind people in moving around places without a guide dog. Instead of fur and paws, the .lumen glasses use cameras, sensors, artificial intelligence, and robotics. They’re worn on the head like regular glasses and act like a ‘virtual guide dog.’ Because of the installed technologies, the device understands and ‘shows’ the world around it by building a 3D picture of what is nearby. 

They can tell where walls, doors, stairs, sidewalks, roads, and even water are. They also understand how the user is moving and how everything else around them is moving too. Whereas a guide dog usually helps by gently pulling on the person’s hand through the leash, the forehead .lumen glasses guide the blind people with vibrations around the forehead. For example, if there is an obstacle on the left, the device signals the user to turn slightly right, and if there is a clear path ahead, the head feels a pull forward. The same goes for when they need to avoid bumps on the roads, make sudden turns, and cross roads: the haptic feedback vibrates around specific points on the forehead.

all images courtesy of .lumen

Device that calculate paths more than 100 times every second

The forehead glasses for the blind people calculate paths more than 100 times every second, the team says. This system, powered by AI, allows the device to figure out where it is safe to walk and where it is dangerous. It can guide someone toward a door, help them stay on the sidewalk, or keep them away from hazards like traffic or stairs. It can also use sound to point out important objects nearby, adding another layer of information. The .lumen Glasses are designed to be scalable. Unlike guide dogs, which take years to train and care for, these forehead glasses for blind people can be produced more easily and ‘at a much lower cost,’ the team adds.

The purpose is simple: to help blind people move safely and independently, without needing a guide dog. Guide dogs can help the users avoid obstacles, stop at crosswalks, and even help someone to an empty seat, but they’re also rare, and training one dog can be costly and take years of careful work. There are only about 28,000 guide dogs available for millions of blind people, the team says. By developing the forehead glasses for them, it allows for a more accessible assistive device that can give the user independence to move around places. So far, the device is scheduled to appear at the Las Vegas trade show CES 2026, which runs between January 6th and 9th.

.lumen unveils forehead glasses with cameras and sensors that can assist blind people in moving around

some users have already tested the device, giving it a positive feedback

the technology uses haptic feedback to let user know where to go

users feel a ‘pull’ on their forehead using vibrations

view of auditory testing

the device uses cameras and sensors to realize its purpose

project info:

design: .lumen | @dotlumen

The post forehead glasses assist blind people in moving around without a guide dog appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Everbloom turns organic waste such as discarded down, wool, and cashmere into usable garment fibers braided by AI. The startup describes the textile as softer than merino, more indulgent than cashmere, and stronger than silk. The production process starts with throwaways that already exist and collects these protein-based materials from textile waste and agriculture. Instead of binning them, the team treats them as raw input, sorted by type and cleaned by the in-house developed AI system named Braid. It is designed to separate protein waste based on its source, condition, and composition, and it collects data from these inputs to study how they react during processing.

The model analyzes how proteins behave under changes in temperature, moisture, and molecular weight, and from this data, it predicts the properties of the final fiber before production starts, including how it will respond to tension, dye, and wear. Based on these predictions, Braid AI suggests adjustments, and they’re translated into settings for the melt-spinning machines. The model also allows different waste streams to be combined into one system, so instead of treating each input as a problem, it treats them as variables to scale production. This link between software and hardware reduces trial-and-error testing. What once took months in a lab can now be done in weeks, and this AI model shortens development time and lowers the cost of producing usable garment fibers.

all images courtesy of Everbloom

Making the usable garment fibers for the fashion industry

Now back to the material: after cleaning the discarded organic waste, the proteins are extracted, but they’re not ready to be transformed yet into AI-churned usable garment fibers. They must be changed at a molecular level. Using protein engineering and molecular biology, Everbloom adjusts the structure of the proteins to control how the material behaves later in production. The processed protein is then turned into pellets, which are easy to store, move, and measure. They also allow the material to fit into existing manufacturing systems as well as help stabilize quality and make the process repeatable. The pellets are designed to work with standard melt-spinning machines, the ones already used across the textile industry to produce synthetic fibers. 

In this case, the startup’s pellets can replace polyester in this system. When heated and stretched, the pellets form long filaments, and this allows manufacturers to adopt the AI-churned usable garment fibers without rebuilding their factories. Once the filaments are created, the next step is yarn production, taking place in Italy. The yarn is produced according to clear targets, including stretch, resistance, and hand feel, and each parameter is defined before production begins. The yarn can then be knitted or woven into fabric, and at this stage, the material is ready for use in garments. Most fibers used today are made from fossil fuels and don’t break down after use. At the same time, large amounts of protein waste are discarded each year. Everbloom positions its system as a way to connect these two issues by replacing synthetic input and reviving discarded waste into regenerated biological material at scale.

Everbloom turns organic waste into usable garment fibers braided by AI

the startup describes the textile as softer than merino, more indulgent than cashmere, and stronger than silk

the yarn is produced according to clear targets, including stretch, resistance, and hand feel

the yarn can then be knitted or woven into fabric

detailed view of the woven fabric

view of the resulting material

project info:

startup: Everbloom 

The post proteins from discarded feathers, cashmere and wool return as usable garment fibers appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Held from November 3 to 8, 2025, the Department of Industrial Design at Seoul-based Hongik University presented its annual Graduation Exhibition under the theme ‘The Use of Uselessness: What If.’ Moving beyond conventional purpose-centered design, the exhibition serves as an open dialogue between function, emotion, and culture, challenging students to find creative value in concepts that exist beyond conventional utility.

The theme embodies a future-oriented design attitude that celebrates curiosity and imagination, encouraging graduates to break free from binary thinking. From product and mobility to spatial and interaction design, many projects leverage technologies like emotional AI and advanced robotics, reflecting Hongik’s commitment to nurturing designers who understand the evolving relationship between humans, technology, and society with both analytical thinking and creative sensitivity. Below, we dive into some of the standout concepts that showcase the creativity and technical expertise of the next generation of industrial designers.

Hongik University’s annual Industrial Design Degree Show 2025 | all images courtesy of Hongik University

EDEN BY DOHYUN PARK AND SEOKHYUN AHN

EDEN is an AI home ecosystem that moves beyond the functional convenience of standard smart homes to offer true comfort. Inspired by nature, EDEN creates an environment precisely tailored to the user’s emotions and lifestyle through personalized light and scent. By naturally harmonizing technology, EDEN creates a personal ‘Eden’ within the home, offering a next-generation experience where technology supports emotional well-being rather than just functional needs.

EDEN by Dohyun Park and Seokhyun Ahn

HALE BY HYUNBIN SEO

HALE explores how future technologies could shape the next generation of extreme sports by proposing personal flight as a new athletic domain. Beginning with the idea that people continually seek stronger, more immersive forms of thrill, HALE enables users to move freely in three-dimensional space through body-driven control. The project envisions a future where flight becomes an accessible, skill-based activity, dramatically expanding how intensity, challenge, and physical performance are experienced.

HALE by Hyunbin Seo

AETHER BY HWIGU YU

Project ‘AETHER’ is a next-generation Urban Aerial Care System designed to redefine city infrastructure. The system is anchored by a central Mothership, a floating hub buoyed by a lighter-than-air gas envelope, which drifts effortlessly above the urban canopy. Rather than just monitoring, AETHER actively interacts with the city environment through three specialized drone units dedicated to real-time data analysis, rapid emergency response, and logistics support, ensuring the safety and prosperity of its citizens.

AETHER by Hwigu Yu

SHERPA BY JAEHWAN PARK ANDJEON JAEHO

Designed for the physically and mentally demanding environment of modern cultural complex malls, Sherpa is a smart, cart-type companion. It reduces physical burden and provides timely, relevant information, adapting to varied spaces through a contextual automation system. This system shifts between autonomous and manual modes with a simple handle-tilt action, aligning the device’s functions smoothly with the user’s pace and optimizing the overall shopping experience.

Sherpa by Jaehwan Park andJeon Jaeho

ROOT BY EL JYIDI CHAIMAE, WONJEONG PARK AND SI ON LEE 

ROOT imagines a future where technology becomes the only bridge back to nearly disappeared natural environments. Redefining camping, the project features three speculative products: an AI companion robot that guides and supports emotional comfort; an AI-responsive tent that adapts to climate and mood; and an XR nature system that overlays reconstructed ecosystems onto artificial terrains. ROOT invites viewers to reconsider the bond between humanity and nature when reality and simulation converge.

ROOT by El Jyidi Chaimae, Wonjeong Park And Si On Lee

OASIS BY SIHEON SONG

OASIS is an urban green robotics platform that reimagines parks and forests in the city, overcoming their limitations to provide people with refreshing, nature-friendly moments of rest. As robots become everyday companions, spaces must adapt to coexist, transforming into unique robotics platforms that bring not only convenience but also new, restorative experiences to urban life.

OASIS by Siheon Song

HUSH BY SANGEUN PARK

HUSH is a quiet, proactive home AI designed for true rest, exploring how spatial AI can approach people gently. The system offers subtle, emotional suggestions for well-being. For example, ‘The Window’ projects its proactive AI interface like sunlight, ‘The Kettle’ uses steam mist as an AI screen to notify you as if breathing, and ‘The Light’ senses context, breathing together with the user. The space becomes a living, breathing ecosystem that nurtures rest.

HUSH by Sangeun Park

BUBBLIN BY HYUNMIN KIM

Bubblin’ is an AR-glasses service that allows people to explore Seoul instantly, guided by AI and intuitive bubble UI interactions. Designed for efficient leisure, the service eliminates the interruptions of navigation and planning. The AI surfaces highly recommended spots visited by friends or celebrities and naturally guides the user through the city, allowing them to simply move through places they feel drawn to at the moment.

Bubblin by Hyunmin Kim

SOUZ BY JAGYEONG KIM AND HANBOM JANG

SOUZ is a premium retreat brand that merges Korea’s traditional healing principles with a modern lifestyle. Rooted in the medical philosophy of So-uju (the ‘human microcosm’), SOUZ reinterprets Korea’s healing culture. The personalized retreat program focuses on three dimensions — Body, Mind, and Soul — using traditional Korean constitutional diagnosis, bathing culture, and sound therapy inspired by Pungnyu music to help every visitor rediscover their complete self.

SOUZ by Jagyeong Kim and Hanbom Jang

CASA BOTÁNICA BY  JIWOON KIM

Casa Botánica is a lifestyle flagship that translates the natural inspiration and craftsmanship of LOEWE Perfumes and the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize into a continuous sensory experience. Its core concept, Raw Botanica, explores the tension between elegance and rawness. A spatial sequence inspired by the growth cycle of plants guides visitors along a linear path through scent exploration, craft displays, and F&B, inviting them to dwell in the resonance of fragrance, craft, and nature.

CASA BOTÁNICA by Jiwoon Kim

PNEUMA PROTOCOL BY JIWOO LEE AND SEONGHOON AHN

Pneuma Protocol presents a blueprint for extending human perception through the convergence of neural interfaces and robotic bodies. Facilitated by conductive-ink BCI tattoos and a crown-type device, the project envisions a future where humans and robots operate as a single Sensory–Cognitive System. This symbiotic relationship, establishing a new paradigm of co-existence, allows future human personas to act independently and explore a larger world, freed from limited physical environments.

Pneuma Protocol by Jiwoo Lee and Seonghoon Ahn

HERIT BY NAKYEONG LEE AND SEA SONG

HERIT is a discreet stay that preserves the emotional lineage between mothers and daughters. Rooted in GUCCI’s heritage, it transforms shared memories into a quiet language of style. Hidden in Florence, HERIT reveals itself through a ‘secret code’ guiding the pair into a private, timeless refuge. During their stay, the mother’s cherished pieces are reinterpreted and reborn for the daughter, reinforcing the emotional bond and carrying their meaning forward.

HERIT by Nakyeong Lee and Sea Song

PORSCHE MUTANT BY TAERIN KIM

‘MUTANT’ is a car concept designed for enthusiasts in an era when full autonomous driving is the norm, preserving the pure joy of driving. It transforms like a living organism to adapt to any terrain. Normally blending in with other autonomous vehicles, MUTANT allows the user to take control and venture off-road the moment they feel the urge, providing a thrilling, self-driven experience on demand.

Porsche MUTANT by Taerin Kim

NEURAUX BY EUICHAN JEONG

NEURAUX is a fashion item that allows multi-persona users to easily transform and express their diverse selves and personalities according to circumstances. By modifying its appearance structure to suit specific conditions and situations, this single item can create a variety of ‘auras.’ NEURAUX empowers self-expression and self-realization by making fashion dynamic and responsive to the user’s inner state.

NEURAUX by Euichan Jeong

VISION NEURO BY HAESOL MA

Mercedes Vision Neuro utilizes BCI technology to dismantle and reconstruct the traditional mobility framework known as the H-point. Inspired by submarines, the design applies a cylindrical language and a low silhouette. The interior focuses on a seat system that synchronizes with the user’s posture, enabling long-distance touring while keeping the user completely secluded from the outside environment, much like a personal submarine.

Vision Neuro by Haesol Ma

HUDDLE BY HYEOKGYU JANG 

HUDDLE is an inclusive AR platform that transforms live sports into a fully accessible, multi-sensory experience for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing fans. Through real-time visuals, haptics, and gesture-based communication, it brings whistles, chants, and crowd energy to life without relying on sound. More than accessibility, HUDDLE turns every moment into shared emotion, helping every fan feel in sync, connected, and part of the arena.

Huddle by Hyeokgyu Jang

X.RT MACHINA BY JIHOON SEO

X.rt Machina is an off-roader concept that combines robotics and physical AI. The user extends their abilities and senses through the vehicle, using its robotic systems to reach places that are normally inaccessible. The concept focuses on how the machine becomes a true partner in exploration, building personal stories and experiences during the journey.

X.rt Machina by Jihoon Seo

PLOT 12: FROM MUSE TO MAKER BY HYERYEON RHA AND GYEONGSEO CHO

Plot 12 reimagines the influence of the Met Gala by relocating it to Red Hook, a once-industrial neighborhood, and shifting the focus back to creation. Instead of celebrating spectacle, the project highlights designers as makers. Through exhibition and a reinterpreted backstage-inspired environment, Plot 12 proposes a new cultural ecosystem where fashion’s power is used not for display but for community-driven revitalization, sparking long-term change for a city’s creative future.

Plot 12: From Muse To Maker by Hyeryeon Rha and Gyeongseo Cho

project info: 

event: Hongik Industrial Design Degree Show 2025 | @hongik.id.degreeshow 

school: Hongik University | @hongik_university

The post students redefine the human-tech synergy at hongik’s annual industrial design degree show appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

PLANBUREAU studio designs a metallic piggy bank made of paper, which can encourage people to save up money and donate from a young age. The project is created for the Hungarian branch of Red Noses International, an organization that supports clown doctors who work with children in hospitals. The group needed a product for their charity shop that could help children learn how to save money and how to donate it. They tapped the Hungarian-based studio, who came up with the idea of a piggy bank that families could buy.

Part of the brief was that the price needed to stay under 10 EUR and the production costs should be low. After looking through different materials, the studio decided to go for paper since others would cost more. It is also easy to print and cut as well as pack and ship to stores. The team, who used ChatGPT and AI for the initial design, wanted the users to assemble the the metallic paper piggy bank on their own, which could help reduce costs. It becomes then an activity for children and parents, all the while being connected to the goal of learning and saving.

all images courtesy of PLANBUREAU Studio

Reflective surface for a more ‘valuable’ look

PLANBUREAU studio chose a metallic finish for the paper piggy bank to give the material a more ‘valuable’ look and a reflective surface that draws attention. The studio’s design idea was a small box that looked like a treasure chest, but the team had a small design budget, so they went out and tried ChatGPT to test as well how AI could support industrial design. For the first image, the prompt asked for an image of a money box made of metallic-effect paper, which should have thick paper materials and where the sheets should be slotted together to form a 3D object. 

Then, ChatGPT added its own twist to the request: it generated it in the shape of a pig. It is probably because the shape of the pig is common in money boxes, plus a pig shape also makes children understand the purpose more quickly. The studio and Red Noses International agreed to go for the pig shape, so PLANBUREAU kept this new direction and improved the design by correcting the cutting template. They then tested how the paper would fold and how the slots would connect and checked the size of the coin slot, too. They also tried how the coins would fall inside and how the users could remove the money later if they needed to use them.

PLANBUREAU studio designs a metallic piggy bank made of paper

Red nose and tail refers to the foundation’s logo

In the end, PLANBUREAU studio designs a metallic paper piggy bank in a square shape since it is easier to cut and fold. The Red Noses Foundation asked them for two features before finalizing the design. They wanted the pig to include a red nose and a red tail, two elements that connect the object to the foundation’s logo. The final product is a set of flat paper pieces, cut in a factory, and the user receives the product in a small package. At home, they push the pieces out of the sheet and just follow simple steps to join the pieces. With enough patience, they’ll form the metallic paper piggy bank designed by PLANBUREAU studio and start saving up for themselves and others.

the design aims to encourage people to save up money and donate from a young age

part of the brief was that the price needed to stay under 10 EUR and the production costs should be low

the studio decided to go for paper since other materials would cost more, and it is also easy to print and cut

view of the paper sheet to cut and fold

view of the first image generated by ChatGPT

second image with the prompt ‘create it more boxy-looking and silver’

here, the group asked the language model to add a ‘cute nose’

view of the final design

project info:

name: Piggy Bank

studio: PLANBUREAU studio | @logifaces

designers: Dániel Lakos, Míra Majoros

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: Matthew Burgos | designboom

The post metallic piggy bank made of paper encourages young people to save money and donate appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Designer Nico Tangara continues his ongoing exploration of analog-digital integration with a project that transforms a vintage rotary telephone into a multifunctional device combining a music player and an AI-based voice interface. The design maintains the rotary dial as the primary input system, repurposing its mechanical pulse signals for contemporary digital commands.

The project began with the restoration of an original rotary phone. Most internal components were preserved, while elements incompatible with low-voltage digital hardware, such as the high-voltage bell mechanism, were removed. Corroded wiring was replaced to ensure stable electrical performance. The existing reset mechanism, activated either by placing the handset on the cradle or pressing the front button, was kept as part of the operational logic.

all images courtesy of Nico Tangara

Integrating AI and Digital Processing into an Analog Framework

A key technical process involved interpreting the rotary dial’s mechanical pulses and converting them into digital signals. This established an interface where each number functions as a programmable command within the updated system.

For its AI voice functionality, the device integrates the ChatGPT voice model, Whisper for speech-to-text transcription, and Google TTS for output. Initial testing was conducted on a Raspberry Pi 4 for rapid processing, later transitioned to a Raspberry Pi 2 to suit lighter usage demands. Audio performance was enhanced by replacing the original speaker and microphone with components connected through a USB sound card, offering improved sound quality and straightforward compatibility with the Raspberry Pi. Through these modifications, designer Nico Tangara’s project retains the physical character of the rotary phone while introducing a digital framework that supports new forms of interaction.

vintage rotary phone reimagined as a hybrid analog–digital device

the rotary dial remains the primary command interface

mechanical pulse signals translated into digital inputs

corroded wiring replaced to stabilize electrical performance

original internal components preserved during restoration

mechanical pulse signals translated into digital inputs

rotary pulses mapped to programmable digital commands

interior hardware blends restored components with digital modules

integrating AI voice interaction into a classic telephone form

project info:

name: Modern Rotary Phone
designer: Nico Tangara | @nicotangara

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post vintage rotary telephone transforms into analog-digital hybrid music player and AI voice chat appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

At Art Basel Miami 2025, digital artist Beeple brings over autonomous robot dogs wearing the lifelike heads of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, and himself. On view in the digital art space Zero 10 between December 3rd and 7th, 2025, the AI-related installation named Regular Animals is a commentary on the effects of the tech giants’ platforms and their algorithms in influencing the way people see the world today. The space features the devices in a boxing ring-shaped area, where the mechanical pets stomp around and their heads bob up and down. But they’re not just moving back and forth. 

The robot dogs at Art Basel Miami 2025 are also taking photos of what they see using their camera eyes. At some point, these mechanical pets fold their rear legs, and the screen on their back bodies displays the large text ‘POOP Mode.’ In a short while, a printed instant film of what they captured ejects from their bodies as an NFT artwork, with applied filters and effects that correspond to the artists’ and billionaires’ styles. It’s pop art for Andy Warhol, cubism for Pablo Picasso, black and white for Elon Musk, and a Metaverse-looking edit for Mark Zuckerberg.

all images courtesy of Art Basel, unless stated otherwise

Artistic commentary on algorithms defining what users see

For his installation at Art Basel Miami 2025, artist Beeple wants to highlight the evolving connection of technology and AI with humans (the real ones). Tech giants like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are there because the artist aims to underline how their social media platforms, X and Meta, respectively, are powered by algorithms that, these days, dictate what the user sees on their feed. By capturing and printing their surroundings, these robot dogs at Art Basel pull people to look down and look at the images and see just them. The work also attempts to show how robotic systems now perform tasks once linked only to humans. 

For example, since they have built-in cameras that take photos of visitors, some photos will include a digital code that, when a visitor scans it, they can claim a free NFT. This direct connection between a physical action and a digital product shows how modern media can transfer value using technology. Zero 10, the space where the robot dogs are placed within the Art Basel Miami Beach 2025, is organized by curator Eli Scheinman, who says that the space is focused on new tools like robotics, AI, and generative media. The design of the space then puts the visitors within the path of the robots. There are no physical screens or controlled barriers separating the machines from the audience, creating a shared space where technology and the public meet in real time.

at Art Basel Miami 2025, Beeple brings ove robot dogs wearing the lifelike heads of tech-giant figures

view of Mark Zuckerberg’s lifelike head

Pablo Picasso’s mechanical pet is also present

detailed view of Elon Musk’s head at the Art Basel Miami installation space

the artwork is a commentary on the dominating presence of algorithms in people’s lives

the devices are on view at Miami Beach Convention Center | image courtesy of Beeple

project info:

name: Regular Animals

artist: Beeple | @beeple_crap

space: Zero 10

event: Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 | @artbasel

dates: December 3rd to 7th, 2025

location: Miami Beach Convention Center

The post what are musk, zuckerberg and bezos’ robot dogs doing at art basel miami? appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.