INDEX: Design to Improve Life, the 2007 Winners
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona on 10. 4.07
In 2005 it was the Lifestraw and Architecture for Humanity who, amongst others, received the world's biggest design price of 100 000€ each, awarded by INDEX:. INDEX: is a non-profit network organization, based in Copenhagen, that focuses on Design to Improve Life worldwide. This time around, they have yet again chosen 5 winners in each of their categories.
The Tongue Sucker took first price in the category WORK. This clever little device allows even untrained people to open the airway of an unconscious person in a quick and effective way in case of an accident. Squeeze the bulb, place over the tongue and release. Suction brings the tongue back out of the throat and allows for breathing and CPR performance. The Tongue Sucker is inexpensive, one size fits all and requires to training to apply.
Mobility for Each One won the INDEX: BODY award. The designer Sébastian Dubois has managed to drastically reduce the price of these energy-feedback foot protesises, which normally cost between 1300 and 4000 US$, to 8 US$, (!) Dubois made sure they could be produced locally with basic workshop equipment. His challenge were the over 25000 civilians that are mutilated each year by landmines and the fact that prosthetic material is very expensive.
In the category HOME it is the Solar Bottle that won this year’s award. Read more about this water-purifying bottle here.
In the classification PLAY, it is no other than Tesla Roadster who made it to the top. Read ore about this 100% electrical vehicle here, here, here and here.
INDEX:’s award for the final group COMMUNITY went to the One Laptop Per Child, which we featured last week here. These hand-powered, inexpensive (100$) and robust laptops for the 99% of children in developing countries that have no access to computers and internet are available to be donated now!
Lastly, the People’s Choice Award goes to the designer of Antivirus, a cap that can be mounted on your average drinking cans in order to protect from infected needles when working in developing countries.
Read more about the winners here, or brows all nominees on the INDEX: web site ::INDEX:
Are you freakin' kidding me? The water bottle is an innovative design? Warm your water to temperatures that increase bacteria count. This might solve the lack of water issue by killing people that use it. A Sun Shower heats water better than this, has a handle and is collapsable. (Why did they use silver plastic instead of black to absorb heat?)
So this plastic drinking bottle is innovative, huh? Guess there weren't a lot of entries. I should have submitted sliced bread.