Business Info - issue 137

24 | P2P Magazine 01732 759725 businessinfomag.uk magazine 10 A smarter future For this year’s London Design Festival (September 17-21), furniture company KI held an exhibition of award-winning designs in its London office KI Awards champion innovative designs for the working and learning spaces of the future and are open to final-year students from Innovation Design Engineering, the double masters course run jointly by the Royal College of Art and Imperial College. For the first time this year, there was also an award for final- year students from the Royal College of Art’s Design Products masters course. The Innovation Design engineering prize was won jointly by Claudia Arnold for Mota and Carolyn Tam for TechniChrome. The two runners-up wereWilhelmina Crolius for Avast and Beatriz Herrera for AgeMex. The Royal College of Art Design Products prize was won jointly by Freyja Sewell for Metacogrev and by Adriaan de Groot for Citypixels. The runners-up were Joonyeon Cho for Motion Office and Milo Mcloughlin-Greening for Collective Commons. www.kieurope.com WINNING DESIGNS RUNNERS UP n Móta by Claudia Arnold: Unlike current human-technology interfaces requiring mastery of a system (e.g. keyboards, controllers, touchscreens), Móta uses light to create two-way communication between the user and technology. This enables more intuitive, 3D interactions and frees users from reliance on a physical interface. n TechniChrome by Carolyn Tam: TechniChrome turns any surface into an energy-efficient digital display for wayfinding, public safety information, advertising and other types of signage. Featuring smart colour pigments and conductive inks, the flexible material can be formed and painted into any shape. Thanks to its ability to store energy, TechniChrome can continue to function hours after the power source has been disconnected. n Metacogrev by Freyja Sewell: Metacogrev is an intelligent helmet designed to help people of all ages meditate effectively and enjoy the attendant benefits of better memory, reduced anxiety and lower rates of depression. It is made from PET ‘flex felt’ that detects live data from the wearer’s brain via built-in sensors. If the user is stressed, the helmet stays closed – and remains closed until they calm down through meditation, at which point it opens up to allow unobstructed vision. n Citypixels by Adriaan de Groot: Citypixel’s SCAFFOLDx system uses tetrahedral units as modular building blocks that can be configured and reconfigured to create spaces – buildings and interiors – of any size and shape. Building with reusable components breaks the cycle of construction, adaptation and demolition and supports a circular material flow. Depending on requirements, insulation and cladding can be added. n Avast byWilhelmina Crolius: This smart lighting system provides more dynamic, natural lighting by reacting to changing environmental conditions. Avast’s dynamic 'wings' open to provide extra light when the weather is cloudy or the building is in shade and close when the sun is out. n AgaMex by Beatriz Herrera: AgaMex is an eco-friendly, biodegradable material that in the future could be used to make furniture, footwear or electronics. It is made out of waste from Mexico’s tequila industry, specifically the fibres of agave plants that would otherwise be burnt or sent to landfill. n Motion Office by Joonyeon Cho: Motion Office enhances the benefits of sit-stand desks by stopping the user from adopting too static a standing position. It consists of a height-adjustable desk and a floor mat with integrated airbags that encourage both upper and lower body movement. The mat is made from a variety of materials and has cool and warm spots, which create a tactile sensation for barefooted users and help to improve balance, comfort and blood circulation. n Collective Commons by Milo Mcloughlin-Greening: A methodology for collecting unused and unwanted materials from local residents and transforming them into something useful, Collective Commons encourages recycling, local design and manufacturing and community engagement. The example shown by KI featured a large table created from scraps and discarded items that became the centrepiece of neighbourhood meetings. DESIGN