Japan's Automated Underground Bike Storage

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• Japan's Automated Underground Bike Storage
• Picture of the Day: Sunset in La Paz
• Custom Designed Animal Origami by Nguyen Hung Cuong

Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp The Problem Bicycles are a popular form of transportation in Japan. However, when parked they can take up a lot of public space that could otherwise be used by pedestrian foot traffic, small storefronts, etc. The Solution Rather than take up valuable real estate above ground, store them safely underground where they are protected from the weather and would-be thieves, while freeing up valuable public space. Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp The ECO Cycle Anti-seismic Underground Bicycle Park by Giken The ECO Cycle is an automated underground storage system for bicycles. Designed by Giken, it has a capacity of 204 bicycles and can retrieve a person's bike in approximately 13 seconds. How It Works Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp 1. IC tag fixed on front frame of bicycle is read automatically by the sensor in front of the Entrance Door, and then the Front Wheel Shutter opens automatically. Then, the front wheel should be placed into the open space. 2. After the front wheel is fixed by the Clamp, step away from the mat and then press "the Loading Button". 3. The Entrance Door opens automatically and then the bicycle is conveyed into the Eco-cycle. The door closes automatically. It is the end of loading operation. 4. Transporting Tray brings the bicycle down with revolving action to a vacant pallet. 5. The Transporting Tray slides to place the bicycle at the vacant pallet. It is the end of loading bicycle. Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp Construction and Specifications - Earthquake-proof wall composed of pressed-in piles which form cylindrical wall - The Eco-cycle is completed by using prefabricated materials - Max bicycle weight 30kg (66 lbs) - Parking capacity: 204 - Retrieval speed: 13 seconds - Depth: 11.65 meters (38.22 ft) - Diameter: 8.55 meters (28 ft) 1. Pressing-in piles to form cylindrical wall by using a dedicated designed Silent Piler 2. Excavation inside the shaft to create the underground space 3. Installation of Mechanical parking system inside the shaft 4. Installation of the prefabricated entrance booth Photograph by Danny Choo @ culturejapan.jp     Examples of Cell Phone Tower Disguises Inside Amazon's 'Chaotic Storage' Warehouses Italian Village Builds Giant Mirror to Combat 83 Days of Darkness

SUNSET IN LA PAZ Photograph by PEDRO SZEKELY In this photograph by Pedro Szekely we see the city of La Paz, the second largest city in Bolivia after Santa Cruz. It is located in the western part of the country at an elevation of roughly 3,650 m (11,975 ft) above sea level, making it the world's highest de facto capital city, or administrative capital, with Quito, Ecuador, being the highest legal capital. Overlooking the city is the triple-peaked Illimani moutain, which is always snow-covered and can be seen from several spots of the city. [Source] In the Flickr photo description, Szekely describes his thoughts as he arrived in La Paz for the first time: "Arriving to La Paz by land is quite an experience. La Paz is in a valley, but it overflowed into the Altiplano. In South America, the outskirts of the big cities are very poor. The peasants coming from the countryside looking for jobs settle there. So, your first contact with La Paz is quite shocking, as you see the extreme poverty of the people who live there. The bus then winds down the road into the very crowded La Paz. The streets are narrow and lined with little stores that sell everything, the traffic and pollution are horrible, and there are lots of people. It is picturesque but unsettling. I live in Los Angeles, but I am from Colombia and I have seen my share of poverty. La Paz is something else.