By Michael Sawh
10 Futuristic concept gadgets for the home
See what was crowned 2012 Electrolux Design Lab Awards winner
See what was crowned 2012 Electrolux Design Lab Awards winner
Ideal if you live within the smoggy confines of the city, Aeroball takes the form of tiny bubbles that clean and filter the air whilst hovering in the air. If you like your clean air smelling of roses or anything that doesn't resemble being stuck inside a car exhaust, the Aeroball will also come in a variety of scented models. Absorbing light in the day to glow in the evening, think of Aeroball as the floating air purifier of the future.
Country: Poland | Designer: Jan Ankiersztajn | School: Uniwersytet Artystyczny w Poznaniu
Calling all left-over hoarders, this refrigeration wall will grip food and drinks out in the open to avoid the current scenario of tupperware lying untouched in the fridge for months. The Impress will only refrigerate when there is something to keep fresh which means it's energy efficient but more importantly will ensure you never forget that man-sized sandwich you worked so long to construct the night before.
Country: New Zealand | Designer: Ben de la Roche | School: Massey University
It might tickle your tastebuds, but the key when rustling up a meal is to make sure the other people around the table share your sense of taste. The Electrolux Tastee is an oversized spoon which works as a taste indicator using receptors which are based around our human taste bud. It will tell you if you need to throw in more salt and pepper or even get a bit more adventurous and reach for something from the spice rack.
Country: Denmark | Designer: Christopher Holm-Hansen | School: Technical University of Denmark
Hands-free cooking at its most innovative, the Easystir uses magnets that react to an induction stove to calculate stirring speed so you can concentrate on other matters in the kitchen. With not a battery or plug in sight, you can also give it a rinse in a dishwasher, and is the perfect solution to help focus your time entertaining the dinner guests.
Country: Norway | Designer: Lisa Frodadottir Låstad | School: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
This sophisticated mood lamp includes a unique 'Experience' mode that reacts to movements made on the table and objects to set the perfect dining environment. ICE can also help you conjure up a meal by scanning available ingredients and get suggestions on meals to go from prep to dessert-making with minimal fuss.
Country: Spain | Designer: Julen Pejenaute | School: Universidad Politecnica de Valencia
Taking a leaf out of Mr Bluementhal's experiental book, Mo'Sphere aims to promote the idea of creating molecular-style cooking in the home. Helping you can get creative in the kitchen just like the Fat Duck owner, this should hopefully avoid having to hunt our dry ice vapour in the supermarket.
Country: Mexico | Designer: Yunuén Hernández | School: Centro de Investigaciones de Diseño Industrial- UNAM
If you like the idea of food singing to you, the world's first intelligent dish will turn your food into sound to complete the full sensory experience. Wirelessly connecting to a smartphone or tablet, the SmartPlate attaches musical notes to different parts of the meal to create the culinary cacophony.
Country: United Kingdom/Romania | Designer: Julian Caraulani | School: Coventry University
Ridiculous name aside, the Spummy produces edible foam that can taste exactly as you want it to. Using nano-technology to create what sounds like the edible equivalent of space food, you can blend flavours to conjure up your own taste experience. Inspired by Ferran Adria, inventor of flavoured foam, this could well be the future of haute cuisine-style dining.
Country: Brazil | Designer: Alexandre de Bastiani | School: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná
Treat combines vacuum packed technology, a modern remote and mobile tech to keep food fresh but also warn you if it is close to going off. The little pods will change colour to indicate if the food is ageing and drop off the tree when you need to throw it away. Want food ready for you before you get home? Programme to pre-heat your meal via a mobile app and you won't have to reach for that takeaway menu for the third night running.
Country: Australia | Designer: Amy Mon-Chu Liu | School: Queensland University of Technology
Imagine if you had your very own barista that knew what the 'usual' was before you could say it? The coffee maker that uses hand print recognition will make the right cup of Joe for the right person whether you like it with more milk, or black and strong. The Memory is the coffee maker that gives you one last thing less to think about in the morning.
Country: China | Designer: WenYao Cai | School: Guangdong Industry Technical College of China