Rideable Vacuum Cleaner for Adults and Children

Have you ever imagine a rideable vacuum cleaner? Kristina Andersson has! She designs a vacuum cleaner that not only attracts and addresses adults, or rather parents, but also their children. The children are invited to help out with the cleaning of their home in a fun, responsible and inspiring way. The children can ride on the vacuum cleaner and welcomes them to help out during cleaning. At young ages the children only sit on it and ride along, and as soon as they grow older they can take a more responsible part in the tidying of your home, by cleaning some areas themselves. [via]

The WhirlWind Personal Washing Machine

The WhirlWind is a compact washer dryer unit designed by Aidan Barrett. At nearly half the size of a traditional washer dryer it is a lot more appropriate for single people living in apartments. The smaller drum size is suitable for a small load of washing (jeans, t-shirt, jumper, socks, and underpants), and because of this less water and energy is expended in the running of this device when compared to a typical machine.

The water that is used is pumped into a gray water tank. This tank is part of the base operations of this unit and with climate change and the current drought in Australia this was an essential part of the unit. The gray water tank can hold the total amount of water used in 1 load of washing; and when bio-cleaning agents are used this water can be reused or other purposes (eg. watering plants).

The motor of this device is a 3 phase 42-coil direct drive motor. It is brush-less in its operation and can be driven to fast enough speeds for the clothes to dry. At the end of life, this motor can be recovered to create a household power generator (as a wind or water turbine). The motor connects via spline to a shaft, which run along a series of bearings to the inner drum of the washer. [via]

Portable Food Container with Internal Film Heater

Mo:Ben is a portable food container designed by Alex Cheong that incorporates an integral film heater element to heat up food (i.e. lunches) to a re-heated temperature. The design maintains the heat through a combination of the heating element and foam-filled cavity insulation. Consisting of two parts, the external box features a carry handle, cutlery storage, non-slip silicon rubber base, and a temperature sensitive material for indication of food preparation. The internal box, where the food is held can be separated to enable convenient dishwashing. Utensils are designed into the box encouraging food variety, while compartment segmentation prevents the mixing of food.

Mo:Ben aspires to redefine the lunchtime eating experience. This design has been inspired by traditional Japanese ideals of functionality and simplicity of the bento box while fusing it with modern technology of heating, insulation and materials. The product is designed to allow the user a wide range of eating experiences and seeks to encourage better dietary behavior. In addition to the user experience, by addressing issues like a one-hour lunch break and limited microwave units, Mo:Ben attempts to eliminate this current problem by returning control of time to the user. [via]

High-Tech Knife Holder and Sterilizer

The Knife Locker by Min Seong Kim is a high-tech knife holder that actually locks your knives in place. Once placed inside, your blade will remain sterile due to the blue ultraviolet rays within. The main point of this is to sterilize the blades, keeping your children safe from viruses and bacteria, and the locking feature is so you don’t pull the blades out when they are being sterilized and possibly damaging yourself with the UV rays. The locker is the perfect item that will keep your children safe in the kitchen, while keeping your cooking game sharp. [via]

Twin One: Knife and Fork Companion Set by Lékué

DesignWright (a team of two brothers, Adrian and Jeremy Wright) was originally asked by kitchenware company Lékué to come up with some ideas for a new tableware. They came back with the Twin One knife and fork companion set. It’s a nice modern design of tableware. Minimal, appears well balanced and definitely made for durability thanks to the nylon and over moulded rubber. The most stunning feature is the two can connect to form a sort of spring-loaded chopstick. Anyone wants one just to try it out! [via]