Electrolux presents...

The Electrolux Design Lab Competition is a global competition that invites design students to create innovative inventions for this year’s theme of household appliances over the next 90 years.  From digital wardrobes and washers that paint pictures on your clothes, to greenhouse robots that can walk on Mars, it seems to attract some fairly radical design ideas!  The competition website has listed the top 25 best entries from 2009, 8 of which will compete in the finals in London on September 24^th this year.  Take a peek here to view 25 designs with pictures and information on each.

Designed for this year’s competition, The Kitchen Tree, by Australian designer Balin Lee, is one of my favourite entries.  Inspired by the growth of trees in nature, the Kitchen Tree incorporates advanced technology to render it adjustable to meet all of our individual needs when it comes to our daily use of the kitchen.  The model consists of five arms or ‘branches’ attached to independent rings that freely rotate around a central shaft or ‘trunk’.  The user is also able to customise the height of each arm to a level to suit their need.  There is a refrigerator at the top of the central shaft, with connections to each of the five pods and a built-in sensor, which enables them all to become refrigerators if required.  On top of this the pods may also function as cupboards or even freezers, alternating between states when desired.  There is a sink mechanism and a stove pot, which automatically springs into action when a pot is paced on top.  Sensors in-built into the arms detect a pot and illuminate temperature controls ready for use.  

Unlike some of the 25 wacky designs short-listed on the Electrolux Competition webpage listed above, I think the Kitchen Tree presents a useful and unique design that would certainly fit into modern homes today, with many different functions compacted together, saving time and space to assist a modern kitchen user.  However, despite some of the other designs appearing of little realistic use today, it is definitely worth checking them out as there are some great ones that we never know, might become integral over the next 90 years.  All are extremely intelligent and creative, and will definitely knock your socks off!