On TV: Letsevo project Ecosk8 featured on Globo’s Esporte Espetacular
The Folha Seca, one of our boards developed in collaboration with Brazilian ecological company Fibra, was featured in last weekend’s Esporte Espetacular. We are still working to put the board on the market but it’s great to see our project getting this kind of attention. The snippet of the TV program can be seen online. It is great to see in the video, Bob Burnquist’s similar efforts to put an ecologic board on the market! way to go Bob, maybe we should do something together!
Letsevo project’s open databases (CAD Libraries, DIY Instructions…)
I just finished the prototype of our project’s open databases. From now on, each Letsevo project has an open database featuring the project’s most important open data. This database can be accessed by Letsevo developers right from each projects’ sidebar.
For some of our projects, this database will mean that data can be shared and tracked to empower project development and communication. In that way it will be possible for developers to keep track of the design stages and to interact with suggestions for possible changes and improvements in for of “Reviews”.
Letsevo wants it’s new open databases to empower real time product development features, that means: after we create, we upload the file to the platform, we get feedback through “Reviews”, we discuss and apply changes right at the “entry’s database page”, and evolve.
We will begin using it to share CAD files, DIY Instructions but my goal is to make the database support not only “dev files” but also Supplier Listings and Component Reviews.
The database first prototype is half way working (file previews are very buggy still…). João helped me test the first “review test” and it works ok…Thanks!
Feedback on the database is much appreciated. We hope this will be widely used!
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Ecosk8 Project: Thanks to all collaborating artists
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We are proud to post here the first entries to our “Artist Series” initiative of the ecosk8 project. To know more about the Artists and their work, make sure to visit the project’s gallery
Light DIYstrict Lamp – Made in Rio
Last Month I was back in Rio de Janeiro, 3 weeks of a mix of relaxing moments with friends and important meetings. While there, I remembered that when I was still in University, one of my good friends Daniel Xveid would always remind me that one day, I would have to design some crazy lamp for his house. So, there I went, looking for all I needed to build a Light DIYstric Lamp to surprise him.
Now the DIYstric Lamp returns to it’s birth place, Rio de Janeiro. Daniel, hope you enjoy it!
e.Moped project: Phase 1 discussion started
With the new phase system on open projects, it is becoming easier to keep track on the discussion and to participate on the development of each project.
On the e.Moped project, I have started to discuss with Piers the points relevant to the Understanding of the world around electric mopeds. In this phase 1, we are defining the general uses and configurations for the moped we are going to build.
You can participate on the discussion on the Project Status Page .
Letsevo ECOSK8 Artist Decks
Letsevo is addicted to Art, and the place where art meets product design is where the Ecosk8 Artist Series wants to be. It is with great pleasure that I review here the first collaborations of Artists for what Letsevo would love to have as a future series of skateboard decks. Letsevo wants to thank and congratulate all Artists for taking the time to participate and for there amazing designs! Want to know more about the these Artists, click on.
Scan Heads Art Project
Until now, a total of 19 Artists collaborated with 36 Artworks until today, Letsevo’s Favorite Picks are:
Sextafeira from Amnd (Brazil)
~ so many possibilities ~ from opaquEpiphany (Australia)
Thanks for all contributions! It very exciting to see all of your creations! Spread the word, push the button.
Letsevo and Fibra Design Sustentável at Volvo Sportsdesign Award
It took a while to believe but we were there! Our Ecosk8 project was nominated for the board category of this years Volvo Sportsdesign Award. Among names like Salomon Snowboards, Arbor Snowboards and amazing projects like the Ecomoana Surfboard, our “Folha Seca” skateboard was the only chosen product from the southern hemisphere.
I had the chance, together with Pedro Themoteo and Bruno Temer from Fibra Design Sustentável
to go to this years Design Forum at ISPO to represent our project. Our open development project was chosen to participate in the “Elevator Pitch” where some of the best projects had 90 seconds to tell what they were about. Bruno represented our team and did an amazing job, finishing our message right on the last second bring a wild applause from the crowd.
Checkout some of the Pictures of the Event!!
At the end, Salomon Snowboards was awarded with the final prize with their “Sickstick” Bamboo Board. We got to know David Farcot and Henri Rançon from Salomon and were amazed by David Farcot’s words of support to our project while he spoke on stage. That was awesome! congratulations David and Henri.
Another great thing about the award is that it happens in the same time as the Volvo Design Forum – with this years main theme – Eco Design. Among the several lectures the forum organizes workshops that are really interesting to take part. I got the chance to participate on the “Build a chariot from Bamboo” workshop, organized by Nick Lobnitz and Bob Giddens from Carry Freedom. They have a sweet open-source project on bicycle racks and share their knowledge with everyone planning to build a bike rack.
More news about the ecosk8 project can be seen in almost real time at ecosk8’s open development website.
Scan Heads Art Project – Update
I am proud to show all the great collaborations to the Scan Heads Art Project since it’s begining in october 2006. The project is collecting art manifestations in real time from artists all over the world using just a scanner and some creativity. Maybe we can make an exhibition some day. Who knows!! Until then, I would like to thank all the artists who have already contributed!
Wanna be part of it? Hit the scan button and Lets evo.
EVO Skateboard Project: Gluing Process
For those who don´t know yet how the curvature in a skateboard is achieved here is a brief example how a board comes to its shape.
Basically a skateboard is made from an uneven (7,9,11) number of wood layers laid between two CNC molds (Forms) that hold the positive and the negative side of the board’s curvature. When laying the wood layers, it is important to pay attention to the direction of the woodfibers making sure the they are always 90° in relationship to the top and bottom layers, this ensures a great deal of stability. Between each wood layer comes a small amount of epoxy resin evenly distributed. After giving them 18 hours of pressure we have strong skateboard curvature ready to be cut.
Evo Downhill Skateboard Project
I am working on a form for a new downhill skateboard with double curvature that should hit the streets in a couple of weeks. I am working on it in my free time and hope to get it ready for my next trip back home in Brasil so it can be tested by Rio´s finest downhill riders.
After leaving the CNC Mill machine I applied to the forms a layer of “grundierung” ( I donn´t know the name of this thing English – something that makes MDF waterproof) and than a layer “spritz Harz” (Resin) and than sanded it to make the surface even. The board is going to be 1,3 meters long and is intended for easy carving down steep streets like the Vista Chinesa Downhill in Rio de Janeiro. Test riders are welcome.I am going to be there from the 2nd until the 12th of October. Just send an email.
