The Rosenbauer Panther is a high-performance fire engine for airports. With eight direct-drive wheels, an operating weight of 40 tons, a capacity of 3,830 gallons (14,500 liters) of fire extinguishing agents and a maximum speed of 87 mph (140 km/h), this new 8x8 model is the highest quality airport fire-fighting vehicle available.

Credits: Daniel Huber of Spirit Design
Client: Rosenbauer International AG
Contact: Daniel Huber (00) 43 1 367 79 79 16

Coasting is a line of Shimano components and recreational bicycles from multiple manufacturers. It represents an integrated, industry-wide strategy to engage non-cyclists in casual biking. To reach the 160 million US adults who are not riding bikes, Shimano partnered with designers and manufacturers to specify a new biking experience that conjured childhood memories of simple, joyful riding. Enabled by novel features, such as automatic shifting, puncture-resistant tires and coaster brakes, these bikes are easy to ride.

Voice Stick is a portable text scanning device for the visually impaired. When it scans printed letters, the embedded optical character recognition converts the written information into a voice. Easily portable, Voice Stick can be used to translate any written documents, from books and newspapers to contracts and mail, into vocal form.

Credits: Sungwoo Park of Kookmin University / Samsung Design Membership
Contact: Sungwoo Park: speedyleg@paran.com

Oblo is a 3D didactic puzzle for children. In order to progress from one level to the next, users must find the correct position for each piece that enables it to be removed. Following the principle of the key and keyhole, disassembly and reassembly of the toy is made possible. The container consists of four equal parts, one of which is the lid. The spherical pieces inside the container can be rotated 360 degrees, and the colors emphasize the different diameters of the layers. Oblo was designed to aid in the development of fine motor skills in preschool children.

People usually become stiff when having their picture taken. Saying “cheese” or counting down from 3 just makes them more stiff and uncomfortable. With FlyingStick, you don’t need any countdowns or goofy sayings. FlyingStick takes the picture by itself when it is in the air. Since no one knows when the shutter is released, you will get a more natural picture. The integrated face-detection technology can recognize up to seven faces in a photo and automatically controls focus, exposure, color and flash to bring out the best in everyone.

With the simple act of washing our hands we can help cleanse the earth of land mines. Cleanup is a soap formed in the shape of land mines. It will be sold to raise funds for land mine removal and promote awareness of the crisis. Since people use soap everyday, this product can serve as a constant reminder of the prevalence of dangerous land mines around the world. And because soap continuously diminishes and finally disappears with use, it's a reminder that the removal of landmines is both possible -- and necessary.

The Transportable Emergency Dwelling is a unit built within a shipping container that provides quick-response, low-cost housing. Each container can accommodate two families. Pullout compartments and a pullout tent double the footprint of the container for more living space. Each unit holds a kitchen, bath, storage, sleeping quarters and living space. The slanted roof captures rainwater and diverts it to a 350-gallon tank within each unit. Solar panels on the roof provide the electricity, and tanks under the floor hold waste.

Over 40% of the world’s population is affected by malaria. One child dies every 30 seconds from its effects. LINDA is a low-cost baited mosquito killer that attracts mosquitoes using carbon dioxide and human foot odor. It was designed to be used and maintained by people living in poor communities. It is intended to be used in conjunction with insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor mosquito repellants. LINDA will be sold to both governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who would distribute the mosquito killers as part of the fight against the disease.

The SENZ XL storm umbrella is the first aerodynamic golf umbrella. Due to its asymmetric design, the SENZ XL storm umbrella automatically finds the best position in the wind, making it comfortable and easy to use, even in strong gusts. The patented construction makes the umbrella windproof up to 70 MPH. Additionally, the umbrella will not invert. The specially shaped ‘eye savers’ provides protection to dangerous tips and the aerodynamic shape of the umbrella gives the user an excellent view.

This book shares the story and results of a comprehensive election design reform initiative, which now serves as the basis for national guidelines for ballot design and polling place signage endorsed by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

Credits: Marcia Lausen, IDSA of Studio/lab
Client: AIGA Design
Contact: Marcia Lausen, IDSA: mlausen@studiolab.com