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Designs on excellence

13 May 2009
 

Four Monash industrial design graduates are finalists in this year's James Dyson Australia Design Awards.

Robert Dumaresq, Daniel Molloy, Alex Cheong and Tom Gaunt will compete in a field of 13 for $4000 in prize money and the opportunity to take part in the global James Dyson awards.

The awards also allow graduates to showcase their work to industry, potentially helping them to secure employment in their chosen field.

Robert was selected for the Switch commuter bike, a high-performance folding bike specifically designed for easy handling on crowded public transport.

"The Switch offers riders a fast and reliable bike that can be folded for convenience, taking up no more room than the footprint of one wheel," Robert said.

Daniel was selected for the Boomer mobility aid. Its key innovation is its ability to allow the user to manoeuvre up and down stairs safely.

"Despite the substantial health benefit and functional efficiency of today's walking aids, the negative appearance repels some elderly people - the Boomer creates a modern aesthetic," Daniel said.

Alex has made the finals for the Mo:Ben, a portable food container that can heat up food.

"In addition to re-defining the lunchtime eating experience, the Mo:Ben seeks to address issues like a one-hour lunch break and limited microwave units, by returning control of time to the user," Alex said.

Tom has developed the Ripcurl Headstrong, a hood that surfers can wear to protect themselves from injury and the elements.

"Protective headgear for surfers has been around for twenty years but it's often seen as unfashionable," Tom said.

"With this new innovation, surfers of all ages and experience can wear head protection that is comfortable without having to worry about being judged."

The winner of the award will be announced on Friday 29 May.

For more information visit the Student Design Awards website.