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Editorial pick for this quarter was quite easy - Dandella.
Out of the never ending march of endless non really innovative locator devices emerges one truly exciting device.
Dandella named for the dandelion flower should have been probably named after the sun flower. The brilliant idea of it's designers - Yong-kai Tan and Priscilla Lui - is using the KISS principle (Keep It Simple & Stupid).
Instead of loading the user with heavily buttons loaded device full of nitty gritty state-of-the-art functions all the user has to do is merely hold a stick. Once interested to find another person with similar stick or a certain location, the stick will light up and bend towards the right direction.
The Dandella device is based on the GPS technology. As there is no real hocus-focus here, there is a need to set-up the device first using a special docking station (shaped as a vase) and your personal computer. The Dandella stick is "trained" to locate either another stick or a certain pre-defined location and then on - it's ready for use.
Non-surprisingly kids find this "toy" adorable. Differently then other too intimidating devices for kids, Dandella is fun and easy to use. Designed to simplicity, All that the kid has to do in case s/he gets lost is to follow the light's direction.
If you get detached from your kid on a crowded mall or a busy theme park all you need to do is to activate the Dandella device. The "hound dog" will bend forward "sniffing" around pulling you towards your lost kid.
The Dandella took the gold prize at the 2006 International Design Competition Osaka. Gadget lovers payed quite some attention to it including Engadget, Gizmodo and Popgadget websites.
It is still a prototype not yet enabled as a commercial product. It's designers do invest in searching for ways to develop it for commercial use. 2Locate1 editors do hope to find this device very soon available for you to use it.
Yong-kai and Priscilla - well done!!!
2Locate1 editors.
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