Around The Home

Electrolux Design Lab 2010 semi-finalists announced

Electrolux Design Lab 2010 semi-finalists announced
The 25 semi-finalists in this year's Design Lab competition have just been a announced by Electrolux
The 25 semi-finalists in this year's Design Lab competition have just been a announced by Electrolux
View 11 Images
If you want something from the Bio Robot Fridge, just stick your hand into the biopolymer gel and grab it
1/11
If you want something from the Bio Robot Fridge, just stick your hand into the biopolymer gel and grab it
Instict maps out a 3D roomscape before tackling any cleaning
2/11
Instict maps out a 3D roomscape before tackling any cleaning
The Snail is a portable cooking or heating device which sticks directly to the side of a mug and then supplies heat directly
3/11
The Snail is a portable cooking or heating device which sticks directly to the side of a mug and then supplies heat directly
Can't decide what to wear? Let the In-Home printer create a custom garment for you on the spot
4/11
Can't decide what to wear? Let the In-Home printer create a custom garment for you on the spot
This Giger-esque design is the MESO food supplement dispenser
5/11
This Giger-esque design is the MESO food supplement dispenser
Rather than shelves hidden behind a door, users push food items straight into the Bio Robot's non-sticky, odorless biopolymer gel to the front of the fridge
6/11
Rather than shelves hidden behind a door, users push food items straight into the Bio Robot's non-sticky, odorless biopolymer gel to the front of the fridge
Simply place an arm into the MESO's mouth and wham - the nutrients are injected straight into the bloodstream
7/11
Simply place an arm into the MESO's mouth and wham - the nutrients are injected straight into the bloodstream
Instinct is said to adapt to its environment and then "chooses the path of less cleaning resistance"
8/11
Instinct is said to adapt to its environment and then "chooses the path of less cleaning resistance"
The Snail sticks to the object needing to be heated and a heated coil kicks in to warm it up
9/11
The Snail sticks to the object needing to be heated and a heated coil kicks in to warm it up
The perfect fit is determined by the In-Home printer's camera and once you get tired of your new garment, return it to the device for dismantling and re-use
10/11
The perfect fit is determined by the In-Home printer's camera and once you get tired of your new garment, return it to the device for dismantling and re-use
The 25 semi-finalists in this year's Design Lab competition have just been a announced by Electrolux
11/11
The 25 semi-finalists in this year's Design Lab competition have just been a announced by Electrolux
View gallery - 11 images

This year's Design Lab competition from Electrolux has seen 1,300 entries from 17 countries flood in for consideration. The theme for 2010 is the "2nd Space Age" and the 25 semi-finalists have just been announced. Soon that number will be further reduced to just eight, who will then battle it out to try and win a wad of cash and the chance to work at one of the company's design centers. But before that happens, let's take a quick look at what's on offer.

The winner of last year's competition was named Cocoon, and was a cooker which actually grows the food it cooks. The 2010 competition is all about the kind of home appliances we'll be using after the dawn of the second space age, and is now in the semi-finals stage. Up for grabs is a EUR5,000 (about US$6,176) top prize and a paid internship at an Electrolux global design center, with cash prizes of EUR3,000 (about US$3,705) and EUR2,000 (about US$2,470) going to the runners up.

Designs from the 25 semi-finalists are now available for public consumption and in just a few weeks time will be whittled down to just eight. The remaining contenders will then be invited to present their creations before expert judges for a final showdown in London sometime in September. You can have a look at the designs from all 25 Design Lab 2010 semi-final entries, but before you do, here are a few to whet your appetite.

Instict maps out a 3D roomscape before tackling any cleaning
Instict maps out a 3D roomscape before tackling any cleaning

Australia's Berty Bhuruth has chosen to tackle the ever popular robotic vacuum cleaner design, but you probably won't have seen anything quite like Instinct before. Rather than the now-familiar disc-shaped cleaners which currently do their best to fight domestic grime, Bhuruth's creation walks on four legs. Able to adapt to its environment, Instinct creates a three dimensional roomscape before setting about its duties and then "chooses the path of less cleaning resistance" to scrub up "even the messiest of places."

Can't decide what to wear? Let the In-Home printer create a custom garment for you on the spot
Can't decide what to wear? Let the In-Home printer create a custom garment for you on the spot

The USA's Joshua Harris brings custom clothing to the home with a Print and Wear concept. Users stand in front of the device's camera and choose what garment(s) they would like to wear. The camera determines the perfect fit and then the device creates the required article of clothing using threads contained in replaceable cartridges within the In-Home printer. Harris sees design houses making their creations available for home printing, and should a user get tired of a new design or the clothing becomes damaged, it can be fed back into the machine for dismantling and re-use.

Rather than shelves hidden behind a door, users push food items straight into the Bio Robot's non-sticky, odorless biopolymer gel to the front of the fridge
Rather than shelves hidden behind a door, users push food items straight into the Bio Robot's non-sticky, odorless biopolymer gel to the front of the fridge

Russia's Yuriy Dmitriev's Bio Robot Fridge invokes equal measures of intrigue and wonder. It's said to take up only a quarter of the space than conventional models, but it's the way it preserves the food contained within that is sure to make for nourishing debate. Rather than shelves hidden behind a door, Dmitriev proposes pushing food items straight into a non-sticky, odorless biopolymer gel to the front of the fridge. The gel envelops any item left there and the fridge cools the "gel through luminescence." When you want to eat or drink your chilled item, you just stick your hand into the gel and grab what you need.

The Snail sticks to the object needing to be heated and a heated coil kicks in to warm it up
The Snail sticks to the object needing to be heated and a heated coil kicks in to warm it up

Some designs just suck. But in the case of the Snail by Peter Alwin from India, that's precisely what it's supposed to do. The Snail is a small portable cooking or heating device which sticks directly to the pot, pan or mug requiring heat. The object being heated is automatically detected and the heated coil adjusted appropriately. Power is provided by a "high density sugar crystal battery" and the process is monitored and controlled via a touch-sensitive interface.

This Giger-esque design is the MESO food supplement dispenser
This Giger-esque design is the MESO food supplement dispenser

Personally I find MESO from Romania's Bogdan Ionita both inspiring and more than a little scary. The Giger-esque MESO is a food supplement dispenser. Users who are feeling a bit peckish or perhaps need a nutritional pick-me-up, simply place an arm into the MESO's mouth and wham - the nutrients are injected straight into the bloodstream. There's even a portable version for those who are too busy to eat regular meals. Determining exactly what nourishment is needed by the victim - I mean user - is automatically undertaken by MESO after a blood sample analysis is performed.

Feel free to comment on which one you think will be the ultimate winner and why.

View gallery - 11 images
No comments
0 comments
There are no comments. Be the first!