The Electrolux Design Lab 2010 saw more than 1,300 entries submitted from students in more than 50 countries, but in the end, there can be only one. This year the title goes to Peter Alwin from the National Institute of Design in India for his entry, The Snail. In taking first prize, Alwin will receive 5,000 euro (approx. US$6,700) and a six-month paid internship at an Electrolux global design center.
Alwin’s Snail is a portable heating and cooking device that can be attached directly onto pots, pans and mugs to heat their contents. It converts energy from sugar stored within a high-density sugar crystal battery to power the magnetic induction process, which heats up a coil that heats the food or drink. Integrated sensors detect the food type being heated to automatically adjust the time and temperature, while a simple touch sensitive display monitors the process.
The jury chose the Snail as the winner as it not only met the brief, which this year asked entrants to create home appliances that consider how people prepare and store food, wash clothes, and do dishes in shrinking domestic spaces, but went beyond it by offering a wider social potential for use in remote areas. They were also impressed by the organic design of the device, which they said, “shows potential for differentiation and personalization as there would be many options for use of different colors and shapes.
Second place went to the Bio Robot Refrigerator by Yuriy Dmitriev, CSU, Russia, which also took out the People’s Choice Award, while third place was awarded to the Elements Modular Kitchen by Matthew Gilbride, North Carolina State University, USA. They’ll take home 3,000 and 2,000 euro (approx US$4,000 and $2,665) respectively. If you’re interested in checking out these designs have a look at our previous article profiling the eight finalists.
Alwin was announced as this year’s winner at the 100% Design architecture and design event in London where all eight concepts named as finalists will be on display until the 26th of September, 2010.
Congratulations to all the winners and we look forward to seeing what visions of the future the Electrolux Design Lab 2011 provides.
