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Swarming robot cleaner concept wins Design Lab 2013

Swarming robot cleaner concept wins Design Lab 2013
Young designer Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia, won this year's competition with his automated home cleaning concept entitled "Mab"
Young designer Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia, won this year's competition with his automated home cleaning concept entitled "Mab"
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Electrolux Design Lab 2013 competition was inundated with over 1,700 entries from 60 countries- here's a look at the eight finalists
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Electrolux Design Lab 2013 competition was inundated with over 1,700 entries from 60 countries- here's a look at the eight finalists
Hundreds of flying mini robots scan and clean the interior spaces
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Hundreds of flying mini robots scan and clean the interior spaces
Mab is a compact circular unit fitted with hundreds of flying mini robots, which scan and clean interior spaces
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Mab is a compact circular unit fitted with hundreds of flying mini robots, which scan and clean interior spaces
Solar technology is fitted on wings of the robots to generate clean energy while they work
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Solar technology is fitted on wings of the robots to generate clean energy while they work
Young designer Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia, won this year's competition with his automated home cleaning concept entitled "Mab"
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Young designer Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia, won this year's competition with his automated home cleaning concept entitled "Mab"
908 robots in total are set to the task of cleaning and deodorizing the programmed area
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908 robots in total are set to the task of cleaning and deodorizing the programmed area
Young designer Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia, won this year's competition with his automated home cleaner concept entitled "Mab"
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Young designer Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia, won this year's competition with his automated home cleaner concept entitled "Mab"
The robots are programmed to clean your house before taking flight, swarming your home with a team of tiny flying cleaning machines
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The robots are programmed to clean your house before taking flight, swarming your home with a team of tiny flying cleaning machines
Mab robot design by Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia
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Mab robot design by Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia
Second place Atomium design concept by Luiza Silva from Brazil
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Second place Atomium design concept by Luiza Silva from Brazil
Stages of food´s process: 1. Molecules´ capsule 2. Leg´s path 3. Head Compartment 4. Extruder syringe
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Stages of food´s process: 1. Molecules´ capsule 2. Leg´s path 3. Head Compartment 4. Extruder syringe
Children can even draw their desired meal before the printer scans the image and reproduces the real thing
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Children can even draw their desired meal before the printer scans the image and reproduces the real thing
Second place "Atomium" design concept by Luiza Silva from Brazil
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Second place "Atomium" design concept by Luiza Silva from Brazil
Third prize was awarded to Jeabyun Yeon from Korea for his "Breathing Wall" concept
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Third prize was awarded to Jeabyun Yeon from Korea for his "Breathing Wall" concept
Breathing Wall features an integrated air cleaning unit which can be customized to emit perfumed odors
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Breathing Wall features an integrated air cleaning unit which can be customized to emit perfumed odors
Breathing Wall features LED lighting changes color depending on the chosen scent or desired mood
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Breathing Wall features LED lighting changes color depending on the chosen scent or desired mood
Breathing Wall concept by Jeabyun Yeon from Korea
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Breathing Wall concept by Jeabyun Yeon from Korea
3F vacuum cleaner by Germain Verbrackel
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3F vacuum cleaner by Germain Verbrackel
3F vacuum cleaner by Germain Verbrackel
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3F vacuum cleaner by Germain Verbrackel
Global Chef by Dawid Dawod incorporates laser hologram technology
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Global Chef by Dawid Dawod incorporates laser hologram technology
Global Chef incorporates laser hologram technology, beaming distant loved and friends into the kitchen while you cook.
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Global Chef incorporates laser hologram technology, beaming distant loved and friends into the kitchen while you cook.
Global Chef supports the idea of taking part in lessons from top chefs around the world
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Global Chef supports the idea of taking part in lessons from top chefs around the world
Global Chef supports the idea of taking part in lessons from top chefs around the world
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Global Chef supports the idea of taking part in lessons from top chefs around the world
Kitchen Hub by Francisco Barboza
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Kitchen Hub by Francisco Barboza
Kitchen Hub keeps control of your household's food supplies
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Kitchen Hub keeps control of your household's food supplies
Kitchen Hub informs you of what needs to be eaten before its expiration date or what you need to get from the store
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Kitchen Hub informs you of what needs to be eaten before its expiration date or what you need to get from the store
Nutrima by Janne Palovuori
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Nutrima by Janne Palovuori
Nutrima calculates the nutritional value of your food while you prepare it
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Nutrima calculates the nutritional value of your food while you prepare it
OZ-1 by Wei Kiat Law
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OZ-1 by Wei Kiat Law
OZ-1 is an air purifier and stress relief gadget compressed into a necklace
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OZ-1 is an air purifier and stress relief gadget compressed into a necklace
OZ-1 purifies the air you breathe and can include therapeutic aroma oils
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OZ-1 purifies the air you breathe and can include therapeutic aroma oils
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Fancy coming home to find a swarm of flying mini robots doing your cleaning? That's the futuristic picture of domestic bliss envisioned by young Colombian designer Adrian Perez Zapata, whose Mab concept has won this year's Electrolux Design Lab competition.

Each year the Design Lab competition sees students from all over the world invited to submit futuristic and life changing appliance designs and concepts. In 2013, the competition was inundated with over 1,700 entries from 60 countries, focusing on the themes of Urban Living, Social Cooking, Natural Air and Effortless Cleaning.

Electrolux's panel of judges put their heads together to come up with eight deserving finalist, before announcing the winner last week.

1. Mab

Young designer Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia, won this year's competition with his automated home cleaner concept entitled "Mab"
Young designer Adrian Perez Zapata from Colombia, won this year's competition with his automated home cleaner concept entitled "Mab"

Adrian Perez Zapata's winning design turns the cliché of a humanoid robot doing the dusting on its head, and while the technology might not be quite there yet, the approach definitely makes sense given the rapid development of swarming micro-UAV systems. Mab consists of a compact circular unit that hosts hundreds of flying mini robots designed to clean surfaces around the home. The central unit scans the house before sending its army of 908 tiny flying cleaning machines. Each mini robot would be fitted with solar technology on their wings to generate clean energy while they are set to the task of cleaning and deodorizing the programmed area. We're not sure if this is a case of "set and forget" or "turn on and run."

2. Atonium

Second place Atomium design concept by Luiza Silva from Brazil
Second place Atomium design concept by Luiza Silva from Brazil

In second place, Luiza Silva from Brazil presented her Atomium design concept, which involves a 3D food printer that in her words "prints each meal with the taste and aesthetic desired". The concept food printer would even allow children and family members to draw their desired meal before the printer scans the image and reproduces the real thing.

3. Breathing Wall

Breathing Wall features an integrated air cleaning unit which can be customized to emit perfumed odors
Breathing Wall features an integrated air cleaning unit which can be customized to emit perfumed odors

Third prize in the 2013 Design Lab competition was awarded to Jeabyun Yeon from Korea for his Breathing Wall concept. This design features an integrated air cleaning unit which can be customized to emit perfumed odors, while the LED lighting changes color depending on the chosen scent or desired mood.

4. 3F

3F vacuum cleaner by Germain Verbrackel
3F vacuum cleaner by Germain Verbrackel

The remaining finalist submissions included the flexible 3F vacuum cleaner which changes shape depending on the desired cleaning tasks. As well as surfaces, 3F is designed to clean and deodorizes the air.

5. OZ-1

OZ-1 is an air purifier and stress relief gadget compressed into a necklace
OZ-1 is an air purifier and stress relief gadget compressed into a necklace

Joining the clean air theme, the OZ-1 concept sees both an air purifier and stress relief gadget compressed into a necklace. The compact design can be worn comfortably around the neck while it sets to task of purifying the air you breathe, accompanied with therapeutic aroma oils.

6. Global Chef

Global Chef incorporates laser hologram technology, beaming distant loved and friends into the kitchen while you cook.
Global Chef incorporates laser hologram technology, beaming distant loved and friends into the kitchen while you cook.

The Global Chef incorporates laser hologram technology to beam distant loved ones or friends into the kitchen while you cook. The concept also allows budding cooks to take part in virtual lessons from top chefs around the world.

7. Nutrima

Nutrima calculates the nutritional value of your food while you prepare it
Nutrima calculates the nutritional value of your food while you prepare it

Sticking to the cooking theme, the Nutrima design calculates the nutritional value of your food while you prepare it. It also informs you of potential toxins and the freshness of your food.

8. Kitchen Hub

Kitchen Hub by Francisco Barboza
Kitchen Hub by Francisco Barboza

Finally and my personal favorite is the Kitchen Hub, which keeps control of your household's food supplies. The appliance informs you of what needs to be eaten before its expiration date or what you need to get from the store. It also offers recipe ideas incorporating the ingredients you have at home, taking away the need to shop while also reducing food waste.

Source: Electrolux Design Lab

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1 comment
1 comment
dalroth5
All of those are really interesting designs, Bridget, thanks for a great article.