Talk Talk and Goldsmiths reveal routers of the future

Clever concepts

Embed

17 July 2009 17:55 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

The ubiquitous chunk of plastic and wires that is today's router may be functional but it certainly isn’t sexy.

Talk Talk and Goldsmiths Uni have teamed up on a design problem to try and address that issue, offering a glimpse into what the router of the future may look like.

Rather than a standalone box to be hidden, the vision is for a device with a dual purpose - such as a clock that displays signal strength, while a "hybrid" router looks like an objet d'art.

The ugliest - but perhaps the cleverest - is an energy saving option that hangs on the wall with key hooks - when the last set of keys is removed, the system powers down.

Lastly the jelly fish design offers multiple Ethernet connectivity for a communal approach to getting online.