Electrolux Design Lab: 2006 Winners & Finalists
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 12. 7.06
The Electrolux Design Lab competitions have never failed to produce compelling, forward-thinking design solutions for a greener planet. 2004 produced a waterless dishwasher, and the 2005 winner was the Airwash waterless washing machine, and this year was no exception. Eschewing the "waterless" theme, design students were asked to design household appliances that could contribute to a healthier lifestyle, and the results speak for themselves. The first-place winner was "Nevale" (above on the left), a food carrier designed in layers to allow consumers to store and carry up to four hot/cold meals, avoiding a stop at fast food for lunch or an afternoon snack. Food is maintained through a vacuum system, so soup can be on the menu, and it can be programmed to launch an automated reheating system at a specific time. Second place went to "Organic Cook" (center), an appliance that offers oil-free frying, grilling and boiling using infrared technology and vacuum cooking. "Vessto" (right), the third-place winner, uses renewable energy as a power source through a version of a Stirling Engine. The concept uses heat from the stove to expand and contract small quantities of gas inside the appliance, which powers the product. Three more after the jump.
Fit-Snack-Joy (left) is a clever tabletop appliance that turns raw fruits and vegetables into cookies. It cleans, chops, bakes, seasons and molds fresh foods into fun, cookie-shaped snack, and even includes nutritional information on a variety of fruits and vegetables, so users can more easily find good combinations for healthy eating. "Hydrosphere" (center) is a small hydroponic greenhouse for growing fresh herbs and salads. A grow lamp is positioned in the middle bottom of a clear glass globe, enabling herbs and small fruits to grow around it, and it's all powered by a solar panel. If the tabletop variety is too small, there's "Vege" (right), an appliance that grows hydroponic vegetables in your kitchen, all year round, and it's designed to hold up to 40 plants. We'll cross our fingers that at least one of these makes it to production to help us live greener, healthier lives at home. ::Electrolux Design Lab via ::MoCo Loco
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
The Aerogarden already grows fresh herbs and salad right in your kitchen, and it's on the market! I think I may have even heard about it on this website...
Well you should check out their website at http://aerogarden.com/
The description of the Vessto seems to imply that it is a perpetual cooking machine; I assume that the rest of the power is electric...