Most of us have probably wondered what home appliances will look like in the future. After spending hours doing laundry, cleaning dishes or preparing a meal, it’s easy to slip into a daydream about a far-off time when laundry cleans itself, delicious meals are ready in a snap and home appliances make household chores a breeze.
Lucky for us, that time is not so far off. The gadgets of the future are here now.
Electrolux Design Lab, an annual global design competition, has released the finalists for its latest competition, “Designs for the Next 90 Years,” which honors Electrolux’s 90th anniversary. The competition invited undergraduate and graduate industrial design students to send in their appliance ideas for the next 90 years–ideas that will shape the way people prepare and store food, wash clothes and do dishes.
Final projects include the Water Catcher, a flying rain catcher and water purifier, and Naturewash, a waterless washing machine that washes or refreshes clothes while still being worn. Other entries include a robotic greenhouse designed to facilitate the exploration and population of Mars and a compact dishwasher that eliminates the need to put dishes away.
Check out the complete list of finalists and their projects.
More than 900 entries were submitted, but judges narrowed it down to eight finalists who will compete in the Electrolux Design Lab finals in London at the end of this month. First place will receive 5,000 euros (approximately $7,000) and a six-month paid internship at one of the Electrolux global design centers. Second place will receive 3,000 euros (approximately $4,200), and third place gets 2,000 euros (approximately $2,800).
More about home appliances
• Want to green your bathroom? Start with the toilet–a high-efficiency toilet, that is.
• Find out how you can get rebates on Energy Star home appliances.
• Are appliances or elbow grease the most efficient means of accomplishing your kitchen tasks? Check it out!
