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Seven
Quebec products triumph at the
28th International Exhibition
of Inventions,
New Techniques and Products in
Geneva (2000) |
Montreal, April 14, 2000 – True
to its mission to promote design as
an economic value and to make Montreal
a world class design centre, for the
second year in a row the Institute of
Design Montréal (IDM) helped
a group of seven Quebec enterprises
and designers participate in the 28th
International Exhibition of Inventions,
New Techniques and Products in Geneva
(2000) taking place in Switzerland until
April 16.
This exhibition, the largest annual
event in the world devoted exclusively
to inventions, techniques and new products,
features more than 1,000 inventions
and 675 exhibitors from 44 countries.
Every year it hosts some 65,425 visitors
from five continents.
Paule Doré, Chair of the Board
of Directors of the IDM and Helen Stavridou,
Executive Director, are proud to announce
that seven designers have earned the
following prizes awarded by a jury composed
of 60 specialists from 10 countries:
Alto Design Inc. and Poetic
Technologies won the Invention Oscar
and a gold medal with the jury’s
congratulations.
The Aura workstation concept for offices
is an example of perfection. Composed
of a rotating platform on which are
housed mounts for four monitors and
the keyboard, an armchair as well as
a footrest, and totally adjustable,
Aura operates as an integral element
of a modern office. It has personal
electronic controls for ventilation,
heat and ambient lighting, as well as
for all the adjustable elements. Aura
is the solution for the major alterations
to the work environment that have arisen
in recent years. Furthermore, Poetic
Technologies was given a certificate
and a medal from the Russian delegation
attending the Geneva Exhibition.
Alto Design Inc. and Woodflame
Grill won the prize for industrial
design and a gold medal. The Woodflame
BBQ is a portable cooking apparatus
that uses wood as a combustible. A fan
injects air into the combustion chamber
fuelling the flame with extra oxygen.
Through the combination of the thermal
contact, convection and radiant heat
effects, the cooking surface reaches
650° Celsius in less than two minutes.
Julien P. Deslauriers, GS-A
designer-inventor, won the Portuguese
Creativity Association’s award
and a gold medal.
GS-A is a personal floatation device
adapted for handicapped adults or children
who have suffered some loss of independence
but have not given up practicing water
sports. This unique device ensures the
swimmer’s stability while protecting
him or her from involuntary movements.
GS-A is also an important rehabilitation
therapy tool.
Neove design and Les Promotions
Atlantiques picked up a gold medal.
The Garlic Genius is a device
that allows removing the skin from a
clove of garlic and mincing it in one
operation. Simply put the unpeeled clove
into the barrel and turn the handle
to obtain pureed garlic.
Claude Mauffette Design Industriel
and Trudeau Corporation also
won a gold medal. With the Symphony
corkscrew you can open any type of wine
bottle in two simple movements and remove
the cork without touching it.
Michel Dallaire Design industriel
inc. and Accès-Phone Inc.
won a silver medal. Developed under
the program to Stimulate Applied Research
in Design (SARD), Accès-Phone
is for installation on a motorized wheelchair
to allow making or receiving telephone
calls independently. A revolution for
people who don’t have the use of
their arms, this device gives them the
possibility of making calls in privacy
and also provides them with a feeling
of security.
LOP Design and Les Promotions
Atlantiques Inc. won a silver medal.
A Quebec invention by designer David
Mitchell of LOP Design, the T-Rex is
a 3-in-1 leaf rake designed to make
gardening and horticulture easier. Light
and durable, it allows otherwise backbreaking
work to be done comfortably. Its two
detachable parts form a claw that picks
up the leaves without the user bending
over or getting dirty. The foam handle
eliminates the risks of blisters and
splinters.
“These unprecedented achievements
illustrate the creativity of our Quebec
designers and enterprises. They are
why we are making these efforts to show
our international colleagues the extent
of our innovative capabilities,”
said Helen Stavridou, who is participating
in the Geneva Exhibition. “Seven
out of the seven Quebec products we
presented in Geneva earned prestigious
awards. For the IDM, their presence
and their success are irrefutable proof
of the importance of our mission to
promote partnerships between designers
and private enterprise.”
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