Tag Archives: Red Dot Concept 2021

How does a deaf or mute person use a smart speaker’s voice assistant? This concept tries to build a more inclusive smart speaker

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Here’s a question nobody probably ever thought of… how do deaf and mute people communicate with voice assistants? Or specifically, with smart speakers? It’s a question that Jinni, a sign-language-based smart assistant, hopes to answer.

While the most obvious use for a smart speaker is to listen to music and podcasts, the ubiquitous little gadget has much more far-reaching features, allowing users to ask questions, get alerts and weather updates, and most importantly, control aspects of one’s smart home, like the lights, thermostat, security cameras, etc… so when the smart speaker almost solely works on voice commands, its interface practically alienates an entire group of people with special needs who don’t rely on voice commands.

Designed to include a camera that can read sign language inputs, and a large screen that can communicate with its user, Jinni brings the power of virtual assistants to a subset of people that are often sidelined when designing mainstream tech. Relying on visual cues instead of audio ones, the Jinni can easily interface with people fluent in sign language, offering a more natural input technique for them. Responses are provided through Jinni’s large circular screen, taking audio entirely out of the equation. Just as the smart speaker is a ubiquitous little gadget in homes, Jinni hopes to do the same for the deaf and mute communities, giving them the same access to life-changing tech. The speaker concept runs on a battery (so it can be carried to different rooms) and even comes with a charging dock/mat to juice it up after a day’s use.

The Jinni is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2021.

Designer: Zhong Zuozheng

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This micro-mobility charging station features universal power adapters to minimize the hardware used in going electric!

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Duckt is a micro-mobility charging station that features a universal power adapter so every type of micro-mobility vehicle – from bikes to scooters can charge with ease!





By now, we’re all familiar with micro-mobility vehicles, like e-bikes and e-scooters. They fill our city sidewalks and their charging stations are found on avenues every couple of blocks. While micro-mobility concepts are typically designed for convenience first and foremost, all of the different micro-mobility vehicles take different charges which complicate the entire transportation process.

Offering a solution, Duckt is a modern micro-mobility concept that weaves a universal charger into its design to streamline charging periods and bridge all of the different micro-mobility vehicles already out there.

Inspired by the numerous configurations that can be created from perfect geometry, the team of designers, Alimşan Kablan, Emre Özsöz, and Pelin Özbalcı, positioned Duckt on power bases that form basic shapes. Chosen for their familiarity and clean design, the basic shape of the power station allows room for more than one type of vehicle to park.

The universal aspect of the charging station comes through Duckt’s adapter that can attach to any micro-mobility vehicle to then connect to the power station for charging. Conceptualized in three different layouts, each power station comes with ports for micro-mobility vehicles to slide into.

The first layout is Duckt’s simplest form, featuring a single dock for charging and a locking mechanism to ensure the vehicle receives all of the intended charges. The next layout, called B2, features a dual docking station for two vehicles in addition to the locking mechanism that’s built into every port.

The master connector, P1 “is a bridge that enables these stations to open up to the internet.” The tall, rectangular power port comes with a QR code that users can scan to access the internet while charging their e-bike or e-scooter. Recognized by A’Design Awards and Red Dot, Duckt is a modern solution for a modern inconvenience.

Designers: Alimşan Kablan, Emre Özsöz, and Pelin Özbalcı

Duckt’s P1 station comes with embedded QR codes that access the internet. 

When put together, Duckt accommodates every type of micro-mobility vehicle.

Each dock comes with a secure locking mechanism to ensure constant charging.

The “master connector,” P1 brings every component together.

The basic geometry of Duckt’s configuration allows room for more than one type of vehicle to park.

Integrated lighting makes Duckt visible even at night.

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Augmented Reality Helmet concept aims at revolutionizing how firefighters rescue civilians

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Brave - Augmented Reality Helmet for Firefighters

Technology is best put to use when it gives us powers we didn’t have before. Whether it’s being able to fly using airplanes, see through skin and bones using X-rays, or send each other messages using radio waves and satellites. I’ve long believed that augmented reality has the ability to positively impact life as we know it, beyond just entertainment and games. Microsoft’s Hololens has often demonstrated how AR tech can help remote learning and servicing, whether it’s something as simple as sending instructions to a technician fixing a faulty circuit box or plumbing pipe, or as game-changing as helping doctors learn more about the human body by literally being able to see inside it using virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. A Red Dot Design Concept Award-winning entry, however, is pushing the capabilities of augmented reality imaging to help firefighters effectively assess buildings, find structural weak spots, avoid infernos, locate and rescue victims, and quickly plot safe escape routes.

Brave - Augmented Reality Helmet for Firefighters

The Brave is an AR Headset with a helmet attachment purpose-built for firefighters to use while training and in action. The headset itself comes with an array of cameras along the front that allows the internal chip to effectively plot out its surroundings, and a HUD under the headset’s main visor helps project digital elements on the physical world while the firefighters move around. The outer visor also covers the upper half of the face, preventing dust and debris from making its way into the firefighter’s eyes, while a mask on the lower half of their face remains unobstructed or untouched.

When paired along with the helmet, the Brave is complete as a state-of-the-art imaging, safety, and rescue tool. The helmet comes with lights built into the front and the back, illuminating the path while allowing firefighters to see each other in smoke-filled corridors. The rear of the helmet even comes with a camera lens that allows the AR headset to see what’s behind the wearer too, informing them of any developments. Finally, the hard-hat helmet works as the ultimate head-protecting device, softening the impact from debris that may fall from above, and overall helping the firefighter effectively perform rescue missions without getting hurt. Along with the AR headset, however, the Brave is the ultimate rescue tool. It helps firefighters effectively see behind walls, beyond floors, and observe the building in a way that the eyes cannot.

The Brave AR Helmet is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2021.

Designers: Kim Hyewon & Shin Alim

Brave - Augmented Reality Helmet for Firefighters

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This space-saving exercise bike doubles as a functional yet stylish piece of furniture

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An exercise bike that doesn’t just take up space when not in use – rather performs double duty as a piece of furniture for urban dwellers who find themselves constricted for space. Ones who are always on the lookout for multifunctional accessories.

How often have we all given in to the unrelenting urge of buying a piece of exercise equipment impulsively and then, later on, have it on the sidelines biting the dust? A catch twenty-two situation that fills you with guilt and anxiety every time you see the exercise bike put to no alternate use other than hanging your clothes in a haphazard manner. How about at least utilizing it for another good purpose, if you want to dissolve the guilt of slashing out money just for no use?

Meet “The-O” exercise bike designed to be minimalistic, sans all the fancy features you’ll never end up using in your daily fitness routine. The fitness accessory is designed keeping in mind the quirks of owning one. First up is the space requirement and the non-flexibility of usage. Then there is the complexity of use which mars the whole purpose of a simple fitness regime. The-O has none of them, and it doubles as a functional piece of furniture when your fitness is kept on hold for some days or even weeks. Use it as a seat for your casual work regime or turn it into a bar chair for parties – the options are endless. You can even turn it into a base for keeping indoor plants.

This exercise bike breaks the norms of how exercise equipment needs to be and brings a dimension of modularity to it. The fitness equipment comes in two different sizes – giving apartment dwellers the option to go for a smaller size if living space is at a premium. I personally like the idea of exercising my legs while browsing the internet – isn’t that cool enough?

Designer: Kim Dambi, Kim Kyung Jin, Park Sangjin, Park Sung Soon

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This whale-inspired camping trailer is feature-filled design for the ultimate family adventure!

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Campers have unlimited choice already when it comes to choosing impressive camping trailers, RVs and more. This wide array of options is suited for almost any enthusiast’s need and comfort. But if you’re looking for modularity, Whale Trailer Cabin will be your best bet when it makes out of the concept stage to ride you to the great outdoors with more purpose and luxury.

A plethora of feature-packed luxury travel trailers available on the market has made it easier for people during the pandemic to enjoy the changing scenery without having to deal with tourist crowds. This has been a sight in many countries including China, as most international borders have remained closed for the better part of two years now, giving adventures and family a chance to explore their own country in hired or owned (as means allow) RVs, trailers, and motorhomes. The choice of camping trailers show how creative people can be when it comes to customizing mobile living landscape, and in the bid, designer Hu Yong’s Whale Trailer Cabin is a splendid example.

Designed to the needs and preferences of the Chinese consumer market, the trailer visions to tap into the growing fad for RVs and the like in the Asian country. According to Goldstein Market Intelligence forecast, the Chinese RV market is expected to grow from 25,000 units in 2017 to almost 400,000 units by 2030. Based on the recreational vehicle type, the trailer segment according to the analysis is the fastest growing and will be hugely in demand through this period. In this scenario, the right option will let you bring the entire family, including your pet, to the great outdoors without having to sacrifice comfort.

In that vein, the Red Dot Design Award 2021 winning Whale Trailer Cabin, which as the name suggests derives shape from the marine animal, comes with a gradient marine blue and white color exterior. From the images, the white interior of the trailer blends well with the exterior color scheme and adds to the luxe. The concept separates the sleeping, living and eating areas and has an extending awning at the back that offers more covered outdoor space to be utilized. When you want to grab a bite, the hideaway kitchen on the front can be pulled out giving you a complete kitchen to your disposal. In the middle is the living area with a pop-top roof opening up space for more headroom and natural light.

In the rear of this conceptual trailer with big windows lies the interesting sleeping area. The slide-out section rests on a clip-out stand and also with an inflatable pop-top roof. The matte finish on the exterior is largely what amplifies the overall appeal of this trailer that’s feature-laden right out of the box. The sizeable, yet durable all-in-one trailer has everything you’d want built right in – all you’ll require is a towing truck and you’re good to go for a spin. I’m not sure if this particular trailer is designed for more than a weekend stay, but we’d assume it makes provision for some photovoltaics and water harvesting, so it can fit the need of adventurers who want to park it in the wild and forget about returning back to the city life for at least a few weeks.

Designer: Hu Yong

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It’s almost 2022 and we still haven’t figured out transparent face masks yet…

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November 2021 marks two important occasions – firstly, the imminent arrival of the new year 2022, and secondly, it also is the 2-year anniversary of this blasted pandemic that’s kept us all indoors and has altered life in unthinkable ways. This means we’ve spent two years trying to figure out a cure to the disease, but haven’t tackled the everyday pain points of living in a pandemic… notably, the issue of the suffocating (both visually and physically) face mask.

In two years of wearing face masks, there haven’t been any phenomenal mass efforts to change how masks look or function. We’ve covered our fair share of futuristic masks on this site, but none of them have really sparked a global movement to wear transparent shields around our noses and mouths. It’s just reinforced my belief that easier solutions are always better, and that the perfect face mask is still a relentless work in progress… and South African designer George Gibbens has thrown his hat into the ring with the Venta, a transparent face mask that received the Red Dot Design Concept Award this year.

The Venta mask separates the conventional face mask into three simple parts. A transparent shield, two replaceable filters, and the head strap. Designed to highlight your expression, the mask comes with a flexible transparent TPU cover, with two air filters plugged into the side, working almost like a pair of gills on either side of the face. The air you breathe enters and exits through these filters, ensuring you inhale clean air, and exhale without letting respiratory droplets out into the atmosphere. While the mask is currently in its developmental/conceptual phase, one would imagine it comes with some sort of anti-fog coating on the inside that ensures the transparent mask doesn’t mist up on the inside with your breath. The filters also automatically change color when they need to be replaced, making it easier to know when your mask needs a fresh set of filters so that you’re always breathing clean air.

“Throughout the edges of the clear front is a metal reinforced foam rubber frame. This allows the frame to be malleable and adjust to any face size and shape”, Gibbens mentions. “A new replaceable filter system that changes color to indicate when it needs to be replaced is an innovative solution to the problem of filter replacement in safety masks. A fully transparent front body allows facial expressions to be observed.”

The Venta Mask is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2021.

Designer: George Gibbens

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This chic self-watering planter uses a porous terracotta inner vessel to absorb water and hydrate the soil

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The A-Pot displays elegance not just in execution but in thinking too. The simple two-piece self-watering planter uses an outer vessel made from glass, so you can see the water level, and an inner vessel made from terracotta, to place your soil and plant in. The way the self-watering mechanism then works is rather simple. Instead of the soil or a wicking medium pulling water towards the roots (so you don’t need to manually pour water on the plant every few days), the inner terracotta vessel does the job, thanks to its porous structure. Simply placing the terracotta vessel in water allows it to absorb the water and hydrate the soil inside. Using osmosis, the terracotta vessel only pulls as much water as the soil needs, and the result is an incredibly elegant little planter that autonomously waters the plant within while looking beautiful enough to keep in any part of your home!

The A-Pot is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2021.

Designer: Zonesum for Dowan

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This futuristic drum kit lets you sample real world audio and turn them into synthesized rhythms

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Think like a Novation Launchpad or an AKAI MPD, but in the shape of a drum kit. Codenamed the ‘Collector’, this futuristic vision from the mind of Liu Tianchen aims at bridging the worlds of electronic music and actual instrument-playing together. The rather slick-looking electronic drum kit features six adjustable pads and two pedals mounted on a folding frame. The kit comes with a folding stool too, and two drumsticks, giving you a near-authentic drumming experience.

The difference, however, is in the fact that the Collector doesn’t rely on a pre-existing bank of drum sounds, but instead, gives the artist the flexibility to collect and build their own banks, either by purchasing samples online or making samples of their own. Then, working just like any good MIDI controller, the Collector lets you create beats using these samples in a way that closes the gap between actually jamming on a real-life drum kit, and just simply pressing buttons on a MIDI controller. When you’re done, the entire setup packs up like an easel and stool, and stands flat vertically against a wall, occupying a fraction of the space that a real drum kit would.

The ‘Collector’ Future Drum Kit is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2021.

Designer: Liu Tianchen

Cutting Edge Design Concepts that were granted the 2021 Red Dot ‘Best of Best’ Award

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You can’t envision any future without conceptualization. Concepts have always interested us and have been the backbone of Yanko Design because they present an image of products, technologies, experiences, and consequently, futures. They showcase an inventiveness and creativity that’s truly worth appreciating and that’s where we see a massive overlap of interest with our friends who host the Red Dot Design Concept Awards.

This year’s Red Dot Design Concept Awards: Best of Best honors some exciting concepts. Whether it’s the cutting-edge technology used in consumer electronics, or in the health sector, or design that uplifts user experiences and environments, Red Dot’s Best Of Best is our annual go-to for designs that speak of creativity, cross-discipline collaboration, and marvelous execution. Here are a few of our favorites from this year’s Red Dot Design Concept Award: Best of Best! Scroll right to the bottom to see which project won the Luminary Design Award! You saw it here first!

Click here to view more Award-winning designs from the 2021 Red Dot Design Concept Award.

Cognixion One AR Headset by STEL Design

Cognixion One is the world’s first wearable speech-generating device, combining a Brain-Computer-Interface with Augmented Reality to enable communication in those with disabilities like never before. Three context-aware, predictive keyboard options, radial sentence builder tools, and an integrated AI assistant are all powered by 6 occipital-placed electrodes and 4G mobility, enabling comfortable use and functionality to the wearer, who’s presented with a new, intuitive way to communicate with the world. Designed for tetraplegic users with communication disabilities, the technology is usable in any position, in any environment.

Pickup Truck by Canoo

Designed by the eponymous California-based startup, the Canoo Pickup Truck is a modular electric pickup designed for a variety of scenarios. Unveiled just this year, the new pickup emphasizes modularity and looks to maximize its utility. It has tables folding down around the vehicle, various hidden storage areas, and numerous charging points on the exterior of the truck. The pickup will offer over 200 miles of range with an option between a dual- or rear-motor configuration. Currently in its concept stage, the Red Dot Best of Best Award-winning vehicle is slated to go into production by 2023.

Flowspace Pod by Microsoft Office Envisioning Team

Designed for hybrid workplaces, Flowspace is an innovative little private pod for solo working in crowded offices. Draped in gray felt, Flowspace comes with automated privacy panels that create a hybrid of a conventional desk and round pod. As currently conceptualized, each pod comes with its own desktop computer, desk, and stool. The desktop computer’s monitor spans almost the entire panel inside the pod, making it an ideal screen for heavy workloads and even presentations. The pod itself comes in two halves to combine and provide plenty of privacy amidst busy work zones. Whenever you want to get back to the WFH grind, Flowspace creates a temporary sanctuary for focus and deep work.

Jinni Virtual Assistant Zhong Zuozheng

Here’s a question nobody probably ever thought of… how do deaf and mute people communicate with voice assistants? Or specifically, with smart speakers? It’s a question that Jinni, a sign-language-based smart assistant, hopes to answer. Equipped with a camera that can read sign language inputs, and a large screen that can communicate with its user, Jinni brings the power of virtual assistants to a subset of people that are often ignored when designing mainstream tech. Just as the smart speaker is a ubiquitous little gadget in homes, Jinni hopes to do the same for the deaf and mute communities, giving them the same access to life-changing tech.

Mollie Salt & Pepper Shaker by Anshuman Kumar

Mollie is an adorably playful salt-and-pepper shaker tool that embodies Zen aesthetics for an interactive seasoning experience. Designed to look like a shaker, it makes the act of ‘shaking’ salt or pepper over your meals much more fun and engaging… although be careful, it’s pretty easy to get carried away and end up with an over-salted meal! Ultimately, Mollie introduces a new playful facet to eating and preparing food!

The ‘Flip-Clip’ Helmet by Newlane

The Newlane ‘Flip Clip’ is a truly packable helmet designed to make carrying headgear easy and convenient. The helmet’s patented design features a flippable top that turns its dome-shaped form into a frisbee that’s easier to stash in bags, carry under arms, or place inside the cargo space in scooters. Measuring 81mm in thickness when closed, the helmet’s bulkiness gets reduced by 50%, making it much more convenient than traditional bulky helmets that can be cumbersome to carry around.

Virgin Galactic Spaceship Interior by Seymourpowell

Envisioned by UK-based creative consultancy Seymourpowell, the Virgin Galactic Spaceship Interior provides a unique customer experience that is suitable for a zero-G environment, elevating access to the view of Earth from Space while ensuring safety within a strict weight budget. Designed for the VSS Unity (which embarked on its first fully-crewed sub-orbital mission with Richard Branson on the 11th of July), the interiors provide space for 6 passengers and come with 12 large, porthole-style windows, 6 of which are positioned directly next to the individual passenger seats, offering a stellar view. The cabin interior is also complemented by icy hues of white, silver, and teal, intended to be reflective of space itself and the Earth below.

.lumen – Glasses for the Blind by DESIRO Vision for .lumen [Luminary Winner 2021]

Founded as a research startup with the mission of empowering the blind, .lumen just unveiled their first wearable, a head-worn gadget for the visually impaired, that mimics the helpful characteristics of a guide dog. The guide dog, unanimously seen as a good solution, has multiple drawbacks – high cost of training, and most blind people can’t take care of guide dogs on their own. Due to this, there are only around 20,000 guide dogs for 40 million blind people. The Red Dot Luminary Award-winning .lumen offers a much more scalable solution to solving the daily problems of the visually impaired. Designed to sit on heads the way a VR or AR headset would (without obstructing the eye region), the .lumen glasses can do three things incredibly well. It can understand an environment, its objects, their positions/movement in 3D; it can then compute interaction paths to wanted objects, or generally, based on context; and finally, the glasses can transmit information to the blind using haptic and auditory impulses.

Click here to view more Award-winning designs from the 2021 Red Dot Design Concept Award.

This foldable wheelchair has a concealed seat to help the wheelchair pusher rest

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A mindfully designed wheelchair that focuses on the wheelchair pusher’s comfort and makes for modular seating in the design itself is ideal for constricted spaces.

Wheelchair designs have gone through various forms in the past, helping the differently-abled to maneuver with a sense of ease and slight independence. While some designs have been outrightly great, others are there just for the face value. The ACCOMPANYING Wheelchair is from the former category as it does away with certain concerns other wheelchairs present. While the space-saving design is quite simple, the wheelchair addresses a very basic problem others have seemed to miss.

The wheelchair is designed with two people in mind: the wheelchair-bound and the pusher, who has to ferry the patient around all day long and in the process can get tired to bits. The idea is to have sitting space for the wheelchair pusher – when and wherever he/she desires. Moreover, the wheelchair-bound can get a comforting companion right by their side. So, where does the sitting space come about? It’s fitted right inside the wheelchair, under the seating area. That’s ingenious, isn’t it? The idea is still in the concept stage and is ideated by C60Design in partnership with Shenzhen OM Design. The creation’s principal idea is taken forward by Chu Wenbao, the lead designer at the China-based company.

This cushioned platform is pulled out from the side and rests on robust metal support which provides much-needed rest for the companion. Especially useful in hospitals or other spaces where seating space is not always a luxury. What’s more, the backrest folds when not in use, for easy storage and maneuverability!

Designer: C60Design