Dubai: More than 200 innovative projects by the world’s leading design schools from over 43 countries will be on display in Dubai Design District from November 14-18 as it hosts the Global Grad Show – a one-of-its-kind exhibition of “technologies that will shape our future”. Here’s a sneak peek:
1. Wudu Drop
Wudu Drop is a portable water drop that allows Muslims to conveniently perform wudu if they wish to pray in the absence of water. The idea was executed by Malaysian student Atifah Bint Mohammad Yusof, who is pursuing her BA at Central Saint Martins in the United Kingdom.
2. All Pet Shoes
This pair of football shoes has been made entirely of recycled plastic bottles by students from the University of Art and Design, Lausanne, Switzerland. The shoes were invented as a solution to growing environmental issues.
3. Petit Pli
Remember when your little ones would outgrow their clothes within months and sometimes even weeks? Well, with this new invention by fashion student Ryan Mario Yasin from Royal College of Art, UK, parents don’t have to worry anymore regarding their child’s outfit. One pair can fit children from six to 36 months.
4. Shelter Bench
Invented by Emirati designer Alia Mazrooei, a student at Zayed University, the Shelter Bench is a resting place for workers in industrial areas. It will not only provide rest and cover from the sun and rain but will also be a space to socialise. Industrial and construction workers in the UAE currently spend their breaks sitting on sidewalks, and use vehicles and trees for shade.
5. Tear Gun
Designed by Taiwanese student Yi-Fei Chen, the tear gun collects and freezes actual tears to shoot them back at the person who caused the cry. At her graduation ceremony in the Netherlands, Chen used her device at the head of department who she claimed made her cry through her course.
6. Folks Kitchenware For The Blind
This is a system of kitchen utensils designed by Kevin Chiam, a student at National University of Singapore to aid the blind.
He got his inspiration after witnessing how the blind and elderly cook – he learnt that their actions were guided by spatial judgements formed by sensory references and used those elements in creating his kitchen tools.
7. Oton Glasses
Oton Glasses translates written information into aural communication. The glasses are a boon for people who have reading impediments, mainly dyslexia. By applying character recognition technology, the camera converts text data to a spoken voice, allowing those with reading impediments to grasp content instantaneously.
8. The future of food: Cell Pods
Invented by Finnish student Niko Räty from Aalto University, the ‘CellPod’ is an innovative way to produce food in the urban setting using biotechnology and computer science. The simple procedure involves a pre-packed cartridge which contains a seed-culture and all that the cells need to grow.
9. The loss of words
This is an online system designed by Egyptian designer Basma Ayman El-Naggar to document languages and indigenous dialects and save them from extinction. The platform is dedicated to both language and culture: users learn to write, read and speak through vocabulary and grammar exercises, while gaining information in art and culture.
10. The Waterfront Tanks Project
Conceived by Badih Rameh, a Lebanese architect and designer, the project aims to transform sites of waste and pollution into lively, communal spaces by reusing abandoned oil silos. The process involves using naturally occurring organisms to sterilise toxic substances, followed by a ‘peeling’ of the surfaces, making it adaptable to human living.
