WHY DO WE DO THESE LOGISTIC DESIGN COMPETITIONS?
The answer is two-fold: One, we want to find out what’s going on in the heads of design students and graduates around the world, so we can stay on top of our game. Two, we want to identify new talent, and be able to offer these young people a paid internship at one of Toyota’s Design Centers. For their good as well as our own. Simply.
In the 2016 challenge we shifted the focus from tow tractors to forklifts, and asked students and graduates to come up with concepts that would revamp or revolutionize the look and function of our vehicles. The competition was named “Forklifts. Like you’ve never seen them before.” The number of students and graduates attracted by the 2016 theme grew to 562 people. Belgian Fabian Breës from the University of Antwerp won the jury’s vote with his “Toyota Flock”, a set of automated logistic vehicles that can work together, and save both money and energy.
The Winners
1st Prize
FLOCK
This concept explores the question if a set of autonomous logistic vehicles can work together in a way that human-driven vehicles can not. Pricing, eco-efficiency and overall workflow optimization were the design drivers addressed in this concept.
Find out more about the winning contribution
Fabian Breës, University of Antwerp, Belgium
2nd prize
Drone Logistic System — People’s award winner
My idea was to manufacture a drone logistic system. A new archetype of a material handling vehicle whose centre of gravity changes minimally. That will save a lot of energy which is spent by transporting weight balance along with the cargo itself in case of conventional forklifts. Thanks to the “U” type architecture the drone can embrace the cargo by its own chassis and fasten it for safer transportation.
Find out more about the winning contribution
Josef Cerny, Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovak Republic
3rd prize
Modular Hybrid Forklift Truck — KAMU
The Toyota KAMU concept is a modular hybrid forklift truck. It combines the pallet jack with an ordinary forklift truck in a way the forklift industry has never seen before. KAMU can operate alone in situations that usually require two separate tools. It is designed to improve usability and ergonomics.
Find out more about the winning contribution
Antti Laukanen, Sami Laiho and Viljami Räisänen Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden
2016 Finalist Interview
2016 Awards Ceremony
About The Competition
