Peter Alwin wins Electrolux Design Lab 2010 with The Snail

Peter Alwin from National Institute of Design in India is the winner of the Electrolux Design Lab 2010 competition for inventing The Snail, the Micro Induction Heating and cooking device.

Electrolux, a global leader in home and professional appliances, selected The Snail as the Electrolux Design Lab 2010 winner. The announcement was made at the finals in London on September 23, 2010, at 100% Design London, the UK’s leading architecture and design event.

The Snail is a portable heating and cooking device based on magnetic induction processes. Such is the size and versatility of the Snail, it can be stuck directly on to a pot, a pan, a mug etc. to heat the contents.This reduces the amount of space required for conventional cooking whilst adding portability to the process. Powered by a high density sugar crystal battery, the Snail converts the energy from the sugar, heating up a coil to conduct the magnetic induction process to the utensil. Integrated sensors detect the food type being heated so as to automatically adjust the time and temperature. A simple touch sensitive display with interface helps to monitor the process.

Jury motivation

The Snail is a well researched concept that even goes beyond the brief. In addition to being a solution for city dwellers, it offers a wider social potential for use in remote areas; just as the first mobile phone opened opportunities.

The organic design is polarizing and shows potential for differentiation and personalization as there would be many options for use of different colors and shapes.

The jury

The jury included Ineke Hans, founder of design office INEKEHANS/ARNHEM, Benjamin Hubert (Design of the year, British Design awards 2010), Jon Marshall, Studio Director at BarberOsgerby; and Henrik Otto, Senior Vice President of Global Design at Electrolux.

The Award

The Electrolux Design Lab 2010 award is a prize of € 5000 and a six-month paid internship at one of Electrolux global design centers. The award for second place went to The Bio Robot Refrigerator, the Cool, Green, Food Preservation by Yuriy Dmitriev, CSU, Russia. Third place went to The Elements Modular Kitchen, All-In-One Kitchen Shelving by Matthew Gilbride, North Carolina State University, USA. The Bio Robot Refrigerator also received the People’s Choice Award—as voted for online.

The competition theme

For Electrolux Design Lab’s eight edition, undergraduate and graduate industrial design students were invited to create home appliances that consider how people prepare and store food, wash clothes, and do dishes in shrinking domestic spaces. Growing populations living in an urban environment dictate a need for greater space efficiency. The design ideas should address key consumer requirements; being green, adaptive to time and space, and allowing for individualization.

This year over 1,300 entries were submitted from students in more 50 countries.

The top eight finalists

FIRST PLACE: The Snail, Micro Induction Heating by Peter Alwin, National Institute of Design, India

SECOND PLACE: Bio Robot Refrigerator, Cool, Green, Food Preservation by Yuriy Dmitriev, CSU, Russia

THIRD PLACE: Elements Modular Kitchen, All-In-One Kitchen Shelving by Matthew Gilbride, North Carolina State University, USA

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Bio Robot Refrigerator, Cool, Green, Food Preservation by Yuriy Dmitriev, CSU, Russia

  • The Kitchen Hideaway, by Daniel Dobrogorsky, Monash University, Australia
  • Clean Closet, All in One Laundry Concept by Michael Edenius, Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden
  • Dismount Washer, Wash & Go Laundry by Lichen Guo, Zhejiang University of Technology, China
  • External Refrigerator, External Cooling by Nicolas Hubert, L’Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique, France
  • Eco Cleaner, the Portable, Compact Dishwasher by Ahi Andy Mohsen, Elm o Sanat University, Iran

About Electrolux Design Lab

Established in 2003, Electrolux Design Lab is an annual, global design competition open to undergraduate and graduate industrial design students who are invited to present innovative ideas for household appliances of the future.

The competition has had different themes and culminates in a new city every year at an international press event. Previous themes and venues include: 90 years ahead, London, 2009; Designs for the Internet generation, Zurich, 2008; Green designs, Paris, 2007; Designs for healthy eating, Barcelona, 2006; Designs of the future, Stockholm, 2005; Designs of the future, New York, 2004; User-driven solutions, Budapest, 2003.

For more information, press materials, and on-demand videos visit www.electrolux.com/designlab. Media inquiries contact designlab@electrolux.se or Electrolux Press Hotline +46 8 657 6507.