Transmitter Design Competition - Product design competition

AUTEC, a leading manufacturer of wireless control devices, recently has released on the site Desall.com, new product competition inviting all designers to design a new portable wireless remote control for machines and hydraulic cranes.

AUTEC is looking for a new portable wireless remote control that may be used one-handed, for the control and handling of various self-propelled machines, truck-mounted hydraulic cranes or similar machines for lifting loads, used in construction and other working site areas by specialized personnel.

Guidelines:

• Product typology: you are invited to design a new portable wireless remote control, with great attention to design and ergonomics, suitable for one-handed use in its primary functions and capable of standing out from the competition for its style and usability. Given the context of use, the remote control shall be dust tight and resistant to water projected from a nozzle (IP65 certification).

• Main functions of the remote control: the remote control shall enable the selection of the movement that the machine will perform and the proportional adjustment of the movement speed.

In particular the main functions are:
- Arm rotation, around the vertical axis of the base;
- Hook lifting, that is the movement of the hook upwards and downwards;
- Extension/retraction of the hydraulic arm;
- Move upwards/downwards, that is the adjustment of the movement of the arm upwards or downwards.

• Actuators: in order to perform the commands described above, the portable wireless remote control shall be equipped with the following actuators:

- For the selection of the movements:
- Toggle switches or three-position buttons (up, centre, down), for a maximum of 8 elements;
Or, in alternative:
- 2 mini-joysticks (actionable in the four directions) in combination with toggle switches or three-position buttons (up, centre, down), for a maximum of 4 toggle switches or buttons.
- 1 trigger, aimed at adjusting the speed of the movement in a proportional way;
- 1 red button to STOP the machine in case of emergency.

For a bird-eye view on the actuators and elements currently used by AUTEC you are invited to take a look at the catalog available on the website: https://www.autecsafety.com/. You are nevertheless free to explore alternative solutions as long as they provide better ergonomics and usability.

• Other elements of the remote control:
- Background panel with dedicated space for icons, customisable depending on the actuators installed and on the functions that the remote control is meant to perform;
- 1,8” LCD display, that will show for ex. information about the selected movement, the battery status, etc;
- Batteries/battery pack, which shall be rechargeable and removable (accordingly, include also a battery cover accessible from the outside). The volume of the batteries/battery pack shall be about 35x30x12mm, that is 3 AAA batteries;
- Quick release hooking system to put the remote control away or to be temporarily worn by the operator (you can suggest the use of a carabiner, a magnet to fix it on the machine metal parts, etc.);
- Safety guard: all actuators shall be protected by a safety guard element and shall not protrude from this element, to prevent the accidental activation of a command.
At your discretion, you are also invited to propose the design of a Docking station for recharging and hosting the portable wireless remote control.

• How to use: the portable wireless remote control shall be intuitive and easy to use for the activation and handling of the movements and shall also be usable one-handed (either right or left hand) and with protective gloves. When not in use, the remote control might be temporarily fixed on the machine or worn by the operator, through the quick release hooking mechanism. You may also think of a way to let the remote control stand when placed on a surface (through its shape, using a docking station, etc.).

• Size and shapes: the remote control shall have a maximum size of 200x100x100mm. Based on your project idea, suggest ergonomic and functional shapes to enable the operator to activate the main functions even one-handed. In this regard, it is of the utmost importance that you attentively consider how to position the actuators and the other elements.

• Materials: the allowed materials for the portable wireless remote control are plastics (PA6) and rubber. Metals or other electrically conductive materials are forbidden.

•Production technologies: design your project with a view to its industrialisation, minimising the number of components required and keeping into consideration that it will be realized through injection moulding processes.

• Style: the style of your portable remote control shall comply with the brand catalogue, with a special attention to the usability and ease of use. For the colors, you are invited to use yellow and black for the plastic components and black for the parts made of rubber, if any. At your discretion, you may suggest various surface finishes, as long as they do not foster the formation and accumulation of dirt.

• Logo: include in your project the AUTEC logo.

Upload all the images that better present your projects (rendering, descriptions, etc.) preferably attaching also the 3D files in STEP or IGES format, inside a .ZIP archive, containing possible extra materials.

Participants can present one or more projects, but only the projects published on the www.desall.com web site, via the upload page related to “Transmitter Design Competition” will be accepted.

Evaluation criteria:

• Degree of innovation (5/5)
• Functionality/Usability (5/5)
• Technical feasibility (4/5)
• Compliance with the brand (4/5)
• Aesthetics (4/5)

Winner will be announced approximately before the end of November 2019.

There is no entry fee to participate!

It's free to enter!

Participation is open to designers and creative talents of any nationality aged 18 years or older.

The 1st prize winner will receive €5000.

For the duration of the option right, the Sponsor offers an extra chance to all participants setting a fee of Euro 2,500 for the purchase of the license for the economical exploitation of the projects not-acknowledged as the winning proposals.

Organizer: AUTEC

Published by: InfoDesigners