The annual Global Grad Show in Dubai is never short of ideas. Some are surprising, but others can change the world.
The exhibition, presented as a meeting of the most diverse postgraduate design projects in the world, aims to offer solutions to social and environmental problems, with the cross-pollination of ideas and the meeting of minds adding to its appeal. is part. .
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the international exhibition was partially virtual this year, but the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) section of the show was a face-to-face event as part of Dubai. Design week.
By 2020, many concepts responded to the pandemic, many ideas adapted to the “new normal”. Global Grade Show director Tadeu Caravieri told CNN that there were “two or three trends” at this year’s event.
“People are very concerned about health and mental health,” he elaborated. “People are (also) worried about how to make the home a decent place for work, education, health and food security.”
As usual, the environment took a prominent place on the agenda, often in line with epidemiological concerns. Delilah Mansoor and Kaya Twiney, students at the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, created “Wastology,” an indoor composting machine that doubles as a grass and vegetable grower.
“We are trying to address the excess of food waste in the UAE,” said Twiney. “We hope that this small project implemented across the country can have a bigger impact globally,” Mansoor added.
“Vastology” is a two-story composter and cultivator designed for indoor use. Credit: Courtesy of Global Grade Show
Muziyar Etihad, a student at the same institution, also looked at home with “A’seedbot,” his solar-powered robot designed to plant seeds in the desert. “I wish there were more plants, more plants,” he said.
A’seedbot is about 20 cm (8 inches) tall and is designed to recharge during the day and operate at night. Work independently within a radius of five kilometers (3 miles), His 3D-printed legs crawl through the sand looking for the right moisture level (detected by one of his “eyes”) where to plant the seeds. With integrated collision avoidance, humans only need to fill in the robots.
“I think it was an easy solution to achieve, but no one invented it,” said Etiadi, adding that they are working on a version that is able to navigate different types of sand. And some investors were showing up. Interest in its creation
A’seedbot is a solar-powered seeding robot designed to charge your battery during the day and work at night. Credit: Global Degree Show
Meanwhile, Darya Ercivan decided to give laundry a new twist and found a way to trap microplastics.