WINNER
RB Series Collaborative Robot
by Tangerine, for Rainbow Robotics
Robots are making their way further into our lives with every passing year. While machines have long been in manufacturing workplaces, as Tangerine explains, “co-bots” are now being integrated. Working with two eminent robot academics from South Korea’s KAIST University, the team has helped develop the Co-Bot, a machine they hope could be relevant to all walks of life – from bakeries to start-ups.
The design process, therefore, involved in-depth immersion in a series of workplaces, from food and beverage to medical and retail, to find out exactly what a robot could help with in each environment. But alongside focusing on the cutting-edge possibilities of the tech, the team also had to keep in mind the aesthetics, function and usability. As the team explains, most co-bots on the market are unpleasant to look at, and require huge prior knowledge to get the best out of them.
The result is the RB Series Collaborative Robot, a machine that takes all of this into account. It took the team some time to get it right, but in the end, they say what was missing was “a human touch”.
The judges said: “Easily navigable solution to modernising current worldwide workshop capabilities. Space efficient design. Nice UX accompaniment and as a whole looks easy to use. Great approach to future needs for robotics.”
NatureConnect
by Signify
We’ve all spent more time indoors in the past year than we were planning to, and with that comes certain needs. The NatureConnect lighting system designed by Signify aims to address one of these, using Biophilic design to reconnect people with the outdoors without ever leaving the room. The product works by restoring natural light balance and using a virtual view of the outside. This boosts biological and emotional wellbeing for those stuck indoors, by keeping them attached to the day’s natural rhythms.
The team believes the design could be hugely beneficial for employees, who spend so much of their time indoors and looking at screens. The product is designed to be clean and simple, with a modular and flexible fitting system so it is compatible with multiple ceiling types. Designed to be fully autonomous, the idea is to just switch it on and go. The team says of its work that the “illusion of sunniness” created by Nature Connect is appreciated by all who experience it.
Industrial product design
shortlisted
Industrial Product Design