One of eight designs including a portable microwave, a bouncy blender and a robotic vacuum cleaner will be named as the overall winner of Electrolux's annual Design Lab competition on September 7.
The 2011 Design Lab competition run by household appliance manufacturer Electrolux challenged industrial design students from around the world to design a household appliance of the future that considered "sensitive mobility."
In July eight finalists representing Australia, Canada, Finland, Hungary, New Zealand, Slovakia, South Korea and the USA were selected from over 1,300 entries.
Among these finalists are the Robo TAP Cleaner , a precision vacuum cleaner that the user operates by tapping his or her foot on the floor wearing specially designed slippers; a portable microwave powered by paper batteries called the Onda; and the Smoobo Blender, which needs to be bounced in order to activate its internal kinetic battery-powered blades. Â
An overview of these designs and the other finalists can be found on the Electrolux website or on YouTube. Â
The finalists will present their designs to a panel of expert judges in London, where one overall winner will be announced on September 7 and two other designs will be awarded second and third place.
Design excellence is also honored by the Accent on Design Awards at the summer edition of the New York International Gift Fair (August 13-18), with categories including "Excellence in Product Design," "Best Collection" and "Overall Excellence."
Video overview of the finalists - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP8AHsgPNQQ
Electrolux Design Lab - http://bit.ly/qLHN99
New York International Gift Fair - http://www.nyigf.com
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