Design excellence awards show top local innovation

6 October 2004 News

South African product designers can compete with the best in the world. This was evident when top product designs were showcased at the 'disa South African Design Excellence Award' ceremony held recently at Gallagher Estate. The 16 winning products were exhibited at the Franchise and Business Opportunities Exhibition.

The award scheme, formerly known as the SABS Design Awards, has evolved and enlarged and is now called the disa South African Design Excellence Awards. The Design Institute, a division of the SABS, is the driving force behind design excellence in the country and has been presenting these awards since 1969.

The winning products represent a number of categories, ranging from engineering, education, home and office ware, sport, electronics and healthcare. The winners include amongst others, the Solaraid Battery Recharger, using solar power for charging hearing aid batteries, Earglove Bluesport, a bluetooth mobile phone headset, Proaim, a golf training aid and the Vesto stove, a highly innovative, low-cost, biomass burning stove.

The Earglove Bluesport from Readymade, and designed by Tasos Calantzis, Frederick Kruger, Dieter Chelius and Marcial Villaverde, is a Bluetooth mobile phone headset that can be used either in the car or the office. Bluetooth radio circuitry eliminates the need for connecting wires and the product is innovative in that it has a microphone boom that can fold away for storage. The boom is made from a composite of Acetal and rubber that makes it flexible.

The headset charges via a fire-wire port, which means that future developments could include using the handset as a Bluetooth adapter for a personal computer. The functions are grouped in a five-button layout, which is intuitive and easy to use.

For more information contact Patiwe Booi of the Design Institute, +27 (0)73 215 6203, or Readymade, +27 (0)12 643 0996.

Further reading:

From the editor's desk: Exciting times ahead?
Technews Publishing News
There are many subjects that excite me in this world, but two of the larger technical subjects are, firstly, renewable energy, and secondly, the idea of artificial intelligence as it continues to evolve ...

Read more...

---

Microchip expands partnership with TSMC
News
Microchip Technology has announced it has expanded its partnership with TSMC to enable a specialised 40 nm manufacturing capacity at Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing.

Read more...

---

Huge SA grid battery project
News
A standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) has won preferred bidder status under South Africa’s Energy Storage Capacity Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (ESIPPPP).

Read more...

---

Mouser sponsors NCP Cup 2024
News
The NXP Cup is an EMEA-based autonomous car competition, presented by NXP Semiconductors, which is designed to provide students with real-world experiences in autonomous vehicle programming and building.

Read more...

---

TrinaTracker brings its smart solar tracking to SA
News
The Vanguard 1P is designed to provide customers with trackers that combine suitability for flat terrain, together with outstanding system stability and reliability, quick installation, and flexible external compatibility.

Read more...

---

Nordex adding 830 MW of wind generation
News
Nordex Energy South Africa will be adding 830 MW of wind energy generation capacity to the company’s already-installed 1 GW base.

Read more...

---

Invertek produces its three millionth drive
iTek Drives News
Invertek Drives Ltd, a global manufacturer of variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, has celebrated producing its three millionth VFD, just three years after its two-million milestone.

Read more...

---

Analog Devices’ digital storefront is live
News
Analog Devices has designed an improved digital experience with users in mind – a new analog.com website and eShop.

Read more...

---

Vicor Powering Innovation podcast
News
The episode explores electrification with Lightning Motorcycles, a company that produces the fastest electric motorcycle on the planet.

Read more...

---

ModusToolbox Workshop 3
News
This workshop will focus on enabling a PSoC development kit, connected over Wi-Fi and leveraging MQTT, to create the framework of an IoT application.

Read more...

---