While we don’t ordinarily tout music videos on this site, in an around-about way* we were told to check out one by OK Go, as the Rube Goldberg machine was developed by—and we’re not exaggerating—a group of brainiacs and rocket scientists from Syyn Labs.

You can learn more about this from a NASA—yes, NASA—blog.

Enjoy.

*It was brought to the attention of Dick Morley, the man who, among other amazing things, developed the world’s first programmable controller. Dick then brought it to our attention. And, like the Rube Goldberg machine in the video, we’re knocking the lever to you, so that you. . . .

While you may find it to be cool to flip things around on the screen of your iPhone or iPad with your index finger, consider developing something with this, the 3M Multi-touch Display M2256PW.:

Rather than merely one finger, this screen provides “20-plus finger multi-touch capability.” And for 20 touches, it provides 6-millisecond response time.

In addition to which, there is palm accommodation, meaning that you can still manipulate images on the screen with your hands resting on the screen (presumably after a long day’s designing).

As for the tech specs: It features a high-def 1680 x 1050 LCD screen, DVI and VGA video input, audio input, USB and RS232 dual-mode communication protocol, and a durable, anti-glare front surface. It is compatible with Windows 7, and 3M offers a driver and software utility for those using Windows XP/Vista/7 or Linux.

While we’re not sure whether toes count in the “20-plus finger” capability or not, this would certainly be a wonderful interface.

Generally when you think of applications for plastic, bags, bottles and small appliances may come to mind—not something like a railroad bridge, especially one capable of withstanding a whopping 130 tons of weight.

You read correctly: A plastic railroad bridge.

It’s the case in Fort Eustis, VA., home to the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, where two short-span railroad bridges were constructed from a plastic developed by alternative infrastructure materials firm Axion International. The material is a recycled structural composite (RSC) solution consisting almost entirely of post-consumer and industrial plastic.

We’ve yet to hear word on how the conductor feels about the bridge, however.

Open innovation can be lucrative.

As in the $250,000 that Owens Corning is putting up for its Composite App Challenge.

Yes, $250K.

As Ashish Diwanji, vp of innovation for the Owens Corning Composite Solutions Business, put it, “As a company, we continually invest millions of dollars globally in innovation to enhance existing products and develop new technologies and solutions. This competition is about joining forces with other great thinkers with great ideas, and driving the speed at which composites is transforming the future of the materials market even more quickly.”

They’re looking for composite applications that address

• Infrastructure Durability—from bridges to streets
• Fuel Efficiency—Planes, trains, automobiles, etc.
• Renewable Energy—Wind and beyond
• Protection from Harm—Personal or vehicle protection

You’ve got to act quickly. Applications or ideas have to be submitted to the Challenge’s website by July 15, 2010.

While some people in the product development community are familiar with Italian design and engineering CRP Technology because of its Windform rapid prototyping material, the company really seems to have its heart in advancing the technology of. . .racing.

Case in point: the company has been offering a line of racing motorcycles and participating in the sport. It has now upped its game with the eCRP, which is participating in the TTXGP series—an international motorcycle racing series for electric motorcycles. The first race will be held at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA, May 14-16.

The light-weight bike—it features an aluminum double-beam frame and, yes, components fabricated with Windform materials—uses DC motors and a 6 kW/hr battery pack. Charging time is two hours with a Zivan NG3 96-volt charger. The range of a bike is 40 km.

The top speed: 180 km/hr—or about 112 mph.

Here’s an interesting approach to helping customers save considerable amounts of time—said to be on the order of 50% vis-à-vis design and installation time—as well as money—about 25% compared with buying individual items.

Omron Industrial Automation is, in the words of Kevin O’Connor, its vp of North American Sales, “Offering a complete machine solution in one box.”

There are two general types of automation packs: for speed control and for position control. And they come in three sizes each, depending on the application. (The application, by the way, is machinery building, but just think about this application in a broader sense.)

Each contains an AC drive (inverter) or servo drive and motor, as well as a micro programmable controller, operator interface terminal, software, power supply, cables, and components.

Everything is engineered in advance so that it works together seamlessly.

Through the use of the complete, matched set of automation components, machine builders not only save time and money in sourcing, but it facilitates the building of special machines or one-offs by taking out a nontrivial chunk of design and engineering expense.

Presumably there are other “boxed” solutions that could be devised in other industries.

Chances are you’re among the 65% of North Americans that drink coffee (it is the world’s second most popular drink). And chances are that you’ve purchased it to-go from a local café, receiving it in a convenient throwaway (and unrecyclable) paper cup that you didn’t think twice about tossing out. In fact, some 58 billion cups end up being tossed each year.

But if you’ve ever thought about this proliferation of disposed paper, or if you’re just a product designer looking to fine-tune a sustainable cup of sorts, then perhaps the Betacup Challenge is for you.

Through crowd sourcing and collaboration, the Betacup Challenge—sponsored, not surprisingly, by Starbucks--is soliciting ideas for an alternative, yet convenient coffee cup solution (but not the bulky, hard to clean plastic travel mug). Users can submit their ideas and receive feedback from other users along the way; they’re using the jovoto.com platform to facilitate sharing. Even those who don’t have a particular idea but who care about coffee, cups, and/or sustainability are invited to chime in. The top innovators win cash prizes. And presumably the satisfaction of knowing they’ve contributed to the greater good. Just be sure to get your ideas in by the June 1 deadline.

the somewhat economical HS 250h ($34,650) to the ultra-sumptuous LS 600h L ($108,800—but if you need to ask. . .). And there is plenty in between.

But there is another Lexus hybrid vehicle. The Lexus Hybrid Bicycle concept. That’s right: A two-wheel bicycle that deploys a hybrid drive system.

Just as is the case with the Lexus cars, the bike’s 240-watt electric motor supplements the mechanical energy that is provided, in this case, by the rider, not by an internal combustion engine. The bike has a 25.9-volt lithium-ion battery and regenerative braking to help recharge the battery.

There is an electric Shimano eight-speed transmission—or gear system. (The LS has an eight-speed transmission.) There is a belt-driven all-wheel drive system. The frame is fabricated from carbon-fiber composites.

While there are no plans to produce the Lexus Hybrid Bicycle—and only two exist—what better accoutrement could there be for an environmentally minded Lexus owner?

For the past several months, non-iPhone users were probably envious of the cool person at the bar who was using the TabbedOut mobile app that allowed her or him to pay the bar bill via the phone. But Droid users (and other Android devices) rejoice, because ATX Innovation is making TabbedOut available for free at the Android Marketplace.

According to David Lemley, ATX co-founder and CTO, “The response from our iPhone App customers has been incredible, pushing us to expand to other major smart phone platforms. Customer demand, carrier availability and the rapid growth of the platform made Android an obvious choice for TabbedOut.”

At this point, then, the smart device users at the bar who will be actually using pieces of plastic or—imagine!—paper and metal objects are BlackBerry holders. But don’t worry: ATX will get around to you before the year is out.

Clearly, an advantage to the app is not fast time-to-market, but time getting out of the market (i.e., bar or restaurant).  Who has time to wait for a credit card slip, anyway?

"We decided that if we got in the product business we didn't want to just re-skin a vodka bottle or put a polish on an existing product,” says John Boiler, co-founder of design and advertising firm 72andSunny.

“We wanted to innovate in an area that will bring real value to people.”

About 2,500 infants die from SIDS each year in the United States. Some suggest it occurs when toxins from chemical compounds (often found in mattresses) mix with fungi (often found in infant beddings) to create harmful gases.

So if you want to “innovate in an area that will bring real value,” infant bedding is certainly one such place. So 72andSunny teamed with infant product company Pixel Organics to form Nook Sleep Systems, which creates bedding made from natural materials such as wool, cotton, Eucalyptus wicks and latex.

Each material that makes up the Pebble Mattress serves its own function. Eucalyptus wicks prevent liquids from seeping into the mattress, stopping fungus growth and bacteria from forming. Infused zinc and latex fibers help prevent dust mites and the cotton and wool offer a natural, non-toxic makeup.

Product design also differs from conventional mattresses: Pebble Mattresses have asymmetrical surfaces that make them look like they’re covered in, well, pebbles. This allows airflow to better travel across the mattress surface for easier breathing.

It may not be as sexy as a vodka bottle, but it surely is more important to thousands of infants and their parents.