Electrolux
Sponsored Machine Intelligence Awards Reveals IFOMIND
The
imminence of the robot age draws even closer as IFOMIND scoops 2005
prize for Progress towards Machine Intelligence, sponsored by Electrolux.
Will robots one day rule the world? For decades this notion has both
fascinated and terrified humans, our hungry imagination fed by Hollywood
blockbusters and intriguing sci-fi novels.
Now a new generation of robots promises an astonishing breakthrough
in the world of Artificial Intelligence as they become capable of cognitive
thought processes.
The 2005 Fourth British Computer Society’s Annual Prize for Progress
towards Machine Intelligence sponsored by Electrolux has been won by
IFOMIND, a mobile robot system that demonstrates intelligence as it
meets a new object in its world. Based on Khepera™, a robot commercially
available from K-Team, the machine intelligence system was designed
and programmed by a team led by Professor David Bell from Queens University,
Belfast. It beat stiff competition to win the award, such as AI guru,
Rollo Carpenter and his witty conversational companion, George as well
as an intelligent portal building system and a talented robot based
on the popular game of Connect 4.
About
IFOMIND
IFOMIND reacts initially in an 'instinctive' way to its first perception
of an unknown object that it encounters; at first it is generally fearful.
However, because the robot is equipped with a human-like capability
of inquisitiveness, it realises that it can react in another way and
does not have to be scared of something that may not be harmful to it.
So, the robot observes the object from a distance and takes note of
how it behaves and how it reacts to different approaches; the robot
is then able to decide on the best approach– or whether to avoid
it. This knowledge can then be retained by the robot as it carries on
and meets many more objects. This is a remarkable leap forward in the
domain of Machine Intelligence as IFOMIND is able to use logical thought
processes in order to decide the best way to interact with the objects
that it meets. The implications of this are huge, for example as David
Bell from the IFOMIND team explains,
'A system that can observe events in an unknown scenario, learn and
participate as a child would is a major challenge in AI. We have not
achieved this, but we think we’ve made a small advance.'
IFOMIND
in action
David likens the reaction of the robot to the reaction of the tiger
in an ancient Chinese folk story from the Tang Dynasty. In the story,
the tiger encounters an animal it has never seen before (in this case
a donkey). To start with the tiger is wary – even rather frightened
- of this larger, noisy ‘object’. But its hunger and pride
(equivalent to the robots pre-programmed instinct for curiosity) is
even greater than the instinct to run away. So the tiger waits, watches
and teases the donkey, and finally concludes it is no threat and attacks.
In the robot’s case it waits and watches to see if can get some
new information.
The other members of the QUB team were QingXiang Wu and Marcel Ono,
and the work was partially funded by Invest Northern Ireland.
In-toto Designer Clare Scoops Second Industry Award
A young designer from In-toto Kitchens in Leamington Spa has won a major award for kitchen design in the National Home Improvements Council Awards 2005.
Clare
West was presented with the 'Young Kitchen Designer Award', sponsored
by the Kitchen Bathroom and Bedroom Specialists Association (KBSA) in
November 2005. This was Clare's second award as last year she also won
the New Kitchen Designer category in the annual Design Awards, run in
association with the Kitchen & Bathroom Designer magazine.Clare's brief for the NHIC Award was to design a kitchen featuring interesting shapes and features. ‘My clients didn't want a conventional, wall-to-wall cupboard style kitchen,’ said Clare. ‘They wanted flair and stimulating ideas for providing adequate storage.
‘A new extension on the property meant that the kitchen was also going to include a family room/dining room with a virtually seamless flow between the individual areas.’
Clare was presented with her award at the NHIC 2005 Awards presentation lunch, held at Gladstone Library, Whitehall Place, London. The judges comments on Clare's design were: 'This was a fine solution to a difficult-shaped area. It addresses all of the client's requirements and was on budget despite an upgrade to a granite work surface. It took advantage of the latest trends in appliances and featured special design details that went down well with the client.'
KBSA operations manager Lucinda Kenny said: ‘We were very pleased to be able to sponsor this award. The KBSA is always keen to encourage young talent within the interiors industry and we applaud the excellent efforts of the NHIC in offering this kind of practical encouragement for designers.’
The KBSA was founded 28 years ago, initially to promote excellence within the kitchen industry as the KSA. In 2002 the association changed its trading name to KBSA to reflect the growth in the bathroom, bedroom and home office markets for many of its members and it now works tirelessly across all four homes interest sectors to ensure quality of product, service and installation.
KBSA members are monitored regularly to make sure they continually meet the organisation's stringent criteria and each retailer member is thoroughly vetted prior to any membership application being accepted.
Hot
Competition for Next Years' B&K Awards
Having
announced the nominees for 2006's Bathroom
and Kitchen Awards event, it looks like there will be some
serious in-house rivalry as two leading kitchen and bathroom companies
- Ripples and Houseworks - prepare to compete against their own colleagues
to become the best in the UK.
There were literally hundreds of entrants for the thirteenth annual
Bathrooms & Kitchens Industry Awards - organised by KBB Review Magazine
- but only ten chances to pick up a prestigious award. Following extensive
judging sessions by a panel comprising some of the industry's most influential
and successful personalities, just 39 nominees have been selected to
compete for the top awards.
Of those 39 nominees, a remarkable 12 are from the same two companies
- Ripples and Houseworks - which is in itself cause for celebration
and commendation.
Ireland-based, family owned kitchen design company Houseworks has been
nominated an impressive - and unprecedented - seven times and has managed
to win a place in every category available to kitchen companies. The
odds are certainly high for the company, which first brought the SieMatic
brand to Ireland, to be victorious in at least one category but with
three of its showrooms receiving nominations, it will be exciting to
see who the judges will select as the best.
Over in the bathroom camp, high-end franchise company Ripples has secured
five nominations, with showrooms in London, Chichester, Winchester and
Swansea all in with a chance to win throughout the bathroom categories.
The judging panel comments: ‘It always adds an extra element of
excitement when there are nominees from more than one showroom but it's
also a great sign of achievement for these two companies. The competition
was extremely tight this year and we had some truly amazing designs
come in from across the UK. Each entrant was judging as an individual
entity, so the fact that some companies have been selected more than
once demonstrates a high level of quality across the board.’
The winners will be announced at the glittering, black tie Bathrooms
& Kitchens Industry Awards ceremony held at the Hilton Birmingham
Metropole on Monday 23rd January 2006.
Contact Houseworks on 0035 3 1676 9511; http://www.houseworks.ie
Contact Ripples on 0870 7501 626; http://www.ripples.ltd.uk
The 2006 Judging Panel: Ros Anderson, Kitchens, Bedrooms &
Bathrooms Magazine, Richard Eisermann, Director of Design and Innovation,
The Design Council, Rik Barker, IKEA, Jackie Daly, editor, Kitchens
Bedrooms & Bathrooms Magazine, Tim Denison, SPSL, Martyn Denny,
winner of the 2005 Special Achievement Award, Jim Geddes, J S Geddes,
Bill Gleave, Chairman, Bernstein Group Holdings, Johnny Grey, Robin
Levien, Studio Levien, John Lewis, John Lewis of Hungerford, Catherine
Treacy, Versatile Interiors, Sarah Wakefield, Wells & Wilde, Mark
Wilkinson
Caption: (clockwise from bottom left: Ros Anderson (editor of KBB consumer
magazine) ; Richard Eisermann (director of Design and Innovation, The
Design Council); Johnny Grey (acclaimed kitchen retailer); Robin Levien
(of Studio Levien); Catherine Treacy (of Versatile Interiors)
Alex
Wins 'Top Student' Accolade
An
engineer at Roman Limited, the UK
shower manufacturer, has been named as Student of the Year.
Alex Crawley, 21, took the IIE Arnold Cook Memorial Prize for the BTEC
HNC Manufacturing course through a Scholarship Scheme at Darlington
College of Technology.
Left
to right: Last year's student of the year Graham Speed and Alex Crawley.
Now
a Quality Systems Engineer, Alex started with the Newton Aycliffe-based
company in 2002 as a student Engineer within the Scholarship Scheme.
He has worked in Production Engineering and Assembly and the Quality
department to build up his experience while also attending college on
day-release.
Having gained his National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering Alex is
now going on to study for his IQA diploma in Quality on an open learning
course.
Alex, from Newton Aycliffe, said: 'I am delighted and proud to have
been named Student of the Year. I would like to thank Roman for giving
me the chance to gain such valuable hands-on experience while studying
at college. I am now working towards another certificate to help further
my career with Roman.'
Alex will pick up his award at a ceremony next month.
Roman offers places on the Scholarship Scheme, mainly to school leavers,
where they can study while at the same time gaining valuable paid on-the-job
experience during holidays and work placements. There are currently
seven other members of staff on the Scholarship Scheme, all at various
stages, from Ordinary National Certificate to Degree level.
However, the Scheme is not only open to school leavers. Last year Roman’s
Tray Plant manager Graham Speed, 27, gave the company their first Student
of the Year success in the same category.
Roman’s managing director, Gerry Osborne, commented: 'We are immensely
proud of Alex and his achievement. His success along with Graham’s
award last year is testament to our training methods and the time invested
in students during their work here. The Scholarship has more than proved
itself and, with seven others currently on the Scheme, we hope for even
more success in the future.'
Husbands,
the UK manufacturer and installer of food, service and passenger lifts,
is celebrating gaining the management standard BS EN 9001:2000 in record
time.
The company, which is based in Halesowen in the West Midlands received
the accreditation following a very tightly scheduled delivery programme
achieved in just six months.
The project was led by managing director, Mark Thompson and director,
Gavin Hedge of Wolverhampton based consultancy Initiative Quality &
Safety Ltd.
Front
is Mark Postans, technical manager of Husbands with the award and Mark
Thompson, managing director of Initiative Quality & Safety Ltd.
Commenting
on the award, Mark says:
‘The project has been very successful, considering the tight timeframes
that we were working under. ISO 9001:200's process approach has been
able to streamline Husband's core business and refine the manufacturing
and site installation processes.
‘The programme went very smoothly thanks to positive and constructive
participation by Husband's management and staff. We received excellent
feedback from the CCAS auditors and the end result was an excellent
achievement.’
Mark Postans, technical manager of Husbands says he is delighted he
can show his customers the company's commitment to quality, evident
from the ISO 9001 accreditation. He says:
‘Customers are demanding more and more from their suppliers and
customer satisfaction is key to success. This accreditation proves that
we have all the tools such as improved efficiency, full control of the
business and better use of time and resources to give us a measurable
edge over our competitors.’
For more details on the lift solutions offered by Husbands please call
0121 550 1560.
Electrolux
Design Lab 2005 Award Goes to Students from Singapore
Electrolux
recently presented its third Design Lab Award to Airwash, a waterless
washing unit. Students from leading schools of design in over 88 countries
participated in the competition. Entries were received by more than
3,000 students in all continents, all competing to create the most outstanding
new appliance concept for the home of 2020.
The
winner, Airwash, is a waterless washing unit that utilises negative
ions, compressed air and deodorants to clean clothes. Its form is inspired
by the waterfall, nature’s negative ion generator. Airwash eliminates
the need for detergent and water. By using atmospheric air and negative
ions – a natural cleansing agent – it fights dirt and bacteria
with nature’s own weapon. It is designed to be placed anywhere
in the home, not only in the laundry area. The simple user interface
'floats' to wherever on the appliance the user wants.
The jury selected Airwash as the winner because of its intuitive, ecological
and beautiful design. Airwash also does away with the expensive, time
consuming task of going to the dry cleaner.
The Electrolux Design Lab 2005 project kicked off in June, when students
were challenged via http://www.designboom.com
to develop new appliance solutions for the future based on satisfying
evolving consumer needs and trends. The concepts targeted specific research-identified
consumer segments such as 'those seeking extra time and ease of use'
and 'those seeking appliances that reflect their lifestyle with extraordinary
design and features.' The students used observational research techniques
for input and inspiration.
Participating students from design institutions in over 88 countries,
including Australia, Colombia, Canada, India, Japan, South Africa, Sweden,
the US and Portugal were judged on the following criteria:
• Does the concept appliance solve the consumer’s needs as
identified by the research?
• Does the concept appliance create a 'wow' effect, as well as
appeal emotionally and intuitively?
• Does the concept appliance correspond to the Electrolux brand
identity – innovative, trusted solutions for an easier and more
enjoyable life?
• Is technology, including that from other product areas, creatively
applied?
A jury of international design professionals gathered in Stockholm to
judge the individual design presentations and select the most outstanding
concepts.
The jury included:
• Paula Antonelli, curator at the Department of Architecture
and Design at The Museum of Modern Art in New York
• Johnny Grey, architect and one of the most unique and
influential kitchen designers in the Western world
• Ilse Crawford, a creative director who has set new directions
in design for more than a decade
• Mark Armstrong, an industrial designer who is Managing
Director and one of the founding principals of Blue Sky Creative
• Raul Pires, head of exterior design for the UK car manufacturer
Bentley
• Henrik Otto, Senior Vice President of Global Design at
Electrolux who leads an organization of 200 at six major design centers
worldwide
• Cathy Huang, CEO and founder of China Bridge International
(CBI), the first Design Management Company in that country
Second place in the competition went to 'Flavour
of Sunshine' from students at Zhejiang University, China.
Third place went to 'Happy Feet' from students
at Korea University of Technology and Education in South Korea.
http://designlab.electrolux.com.
Justine
Hénin-Hardenne Named 6th Sense Player of the Year at 2005 Tour
Championships in Los Angeles
Justine
Hénin-Hardenne has been named the inaugural winner of the Whirlpool
6th Sense Player of the Year, announced on November 12th at the 2005
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships. Justine was presented the Award,
which honours the player who has demonstrated the most 6th sense intuition,
by the WTA Tour Chairman, Larry Scott and Jeff Terry, Whirlpool US,
during the Tour end of season event at Spago, LA.
Justine
was one of the three world's top players short-listed for the Award
via an online competition organised by Whirlpool, Premier Sponsor of
the Tour. The competition ran from May '05 to October '05 on http://www.eurosport.com,
http://www.wtatour.com
and http://www.whirlpool.eu.com.
Over 40,000 people voted for the three players they felt reflected 6th
sense intuition - heightened intelligence, unbeatable performance and
pinpoint precision. The three finalists chosen were Justine Hénin-Hardenne,
Amélie Mauresmo and Maria Sharapova.
Justine was chosen to receive the Award by an expert panel consisting
of former World No. 1 and 14 Grand Slam title winner - Arantxa Sanchez;
Co-President of the ITWA, Eleanor Preston; and Eurosport's leading tennis
commentator, Simon Reed.
Commenting on receiving the Award, Justine said, ‘I am delighted
and honoured to receive the Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year award.
Coming up against Amélie and Maria is difficult - whether it
is on or off the court. For me, intuition is a really important part
of my game, and something I rely on to compete and win on the international
circuit. It's what gives a player the edge over her opponent’.
Although she qualified to play in Tour Championships, thanks to a fantastic
year highlighted by a victory at Roland Garros, Justine recently announced
she is idle for the remainder of the year, due to a continuing hamstring
injury.
Giuseppe Perucchetti, VP Marketing Whirlpool Europe, commented, ‘This
Award is further recognition of Justine's abilities on the court. To
be one of the best and to win at this level, a player requires a range
of skills - including intuition. Justine is renowned for her ability
to anticipate and return difficult shots - especially on her backhand.
We are delighted that she has been chosen to receive the Whirlpool 6th
Sense Award’.
‘To compete at this level and win, you need a 6th sense. As all
three finalists are amongst the best players in the world, it is very
clear that they all have a true 6th sense when playing tennis’,
remarked Arantxa Sanchez.
Commenting on Justine, ITWA Co-President, Eleanor Preston, said, ‘Justine
is proof that brain, combined with hard work, triumphs over brawn. Everyone
is so mesmerised by her backhand that they don't see how quickly she
covers the ball’.
‘At 5ft 6in tall, what Justine has achieved is nothing short of
miraculous. Her feel for the game, her anticipation and the way she
uses her skills to sculpt her shots makes her the most watchable player
on the women's tour at the moment’, commented Simon Reed.
Bosses
at West Midlands-based Aqualux say
that they are wondering whether this year can get any better as they
celebrate reaching the finals of the Best in the Black Country Awards
which acknowledges outstanding business success.
Aqualux, the UK manufacturer of bath screens and shower enclosures,
has been selected out of hundreds of companies to go through to the
final three in two award categories.
Aqualux has reached the final in the Business Growth and Innovation
Award and the coveted Business of the Year award. The growth and innovation
award is open to companies with a turnover of £20 million that
have only been trading for three years. This is particularly poignant
for Aqualux, as the company has just celebrated its first anniversary
after a successful Management Buyout and performed well ahead of its
projected figures.
To reach the final of Business of the Year Aqualux had to show vision,
determination and achievement in all aspects of its work. The company
also had to give examples of innovation and expansion into new markets
and investment in staff training and customer care.
James Cadman, managing Director said: 'We're exceptionally pleased to
have reached the final three in both these awards – especially
as we've been told that competition this year was particularly strong.
'We've always had a commitment to providing our customers with a well
manufactured, cost effective product. But I think what really makes
us different is that we have a strong commitment to our staff with an
emphasis on training and support - after all they are the face of the
company our customers see and hear every day. I think the combination
of the two means we have the balance just right for an exceptionally
successful business.'
The Best of the Black Country Awards is in its fourth year and has grown
to become a highly prestigious event. This year's finals will be held
at Dunstall Park in Wolverhampton on November 17th.
The Awards ceremony, which is in its 4th year, will be held at Dunstall
Park, Wolverhampton, in November.
Tel: 0121 526 7683
Email: sandra.hyde@aqualux.co.uk
Whirlpool
Receives 2005 American Business Ethics Award
Whirlpool
Corporation
has announced that it recently received the 2005 American Business Ethics
Award from the Society of Financial Service Professionals (FSP). The
Society established the award in 1994 to honour companies that exemplify
high standards of ethical behavior in their everyday business conduct
and in response to specific crises or challenges.
Whirlpool embraced its responsibility to conduct business in an ethical
manner nearly 100 years ago with its first major order. When 100 motor-driven,
wringer washers were delivered to a new customer and a component failed,
Whirlpool co-founder Lou Upton found a way to replace the defective
part and, in doing so, doubled the order to 200 washers. This anecdote
underscores Whirlpool's philosophy that doing right is the right thing
to do.
'Throughout the years, Whirlpool has built a culture of doing the right
thing based on living up to our commitment to stakeholders and by quietly
working behind the scenes to strengthen the economic and social fabric
of the communities in which we operate,' said Jeff M. Fettig, Whirlpool’s
chairman, president and CEO.
This commitment is demonstrated by the company's effort to bring meaningful,
sustainable change to its headquarters community of Benton Harbor through
programmes that encompass affordable housing, safety, health care and
youth opportunities. Globally, Whirlpool made a five-year, $25
million commitment in 2000 to Habitat for Humanity International and
has extended that partnership globally for years to come.
As an employer, Whirlpool maintains a strong focus on diversity and
was a pioneer in the establishment of a confidential ethics hotline
(1993). In addition, the company offers a comprehensive ethics programme
that incorporates a wide range of internal communication vehicles, training
programmes, employee surveys and leadership assessments.
In its demonstration of ethical behavior to shareholders, Whirlpool
is compliant with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and has established multiple
internal control and audit groups. Whirlpool also actively participates
in the ENERGY STAR programme and has been recognised repeatedly for
its energy saving initiatives in both its product innovations and its
commitment to reduce the company's global greenhouse emissions.
3040
Design Students from 88 Countries Compete for the Electrolux Design
Lab Award 2005
The
design competition, Electrolux Design Lab,
has attracted a total of 3,040 design students from 88 countries around
the world. The contest, entering its third consecutive year, is designed
to encourage students from around the world to design household appliances
for the future.
In this third edition, the Electrolux Design Laboratory is seeking solutions
for the home of 2020. The entries will be judged based on their design
and innovation in terms of both functional and technological aspects,
with a strong focus on solutions for real problems in everyday life.
The winner will be announced at an event in Stockholm on November 14th
2005.
This year's line-up of jury members include:
• Paola Antonelli, curator in the Department of Architecture and
Design at The Museum of Modern Art in New York
• Johnny Grey, a leading and influential kitchen designer
• Ilse Crawford, founder of the British Elle Decoration and Bare
magazine
• Mark Armstrong, Managing Director of Blue Sky Creative in Australia
• Raul Pires, head of exterior design for Bentley
• Henrik Otto is Senior Vice-President of Global Design at Electrolux
• Cathy Huang, Industrial Designer, China
Registered participants are primarily students of industrial design
and architecture, but also interior design, graphic design, interactive
design and fashion.
Web: http://designlab.electrolux.com
Whirlpool's
Prêt-à-Porter Clothes Refresher Awarded the Good Housekeeping
Institutes Accreditation Logo
The
Good Housekeeping Institute has subjected the Whirlpool
Prêt-à-Porter to a selection of tests covering performance,
ease of use, design and clarity of the included instructions and has
passed it on all counts.
The
Institute particularly highlighted the successful removal of smoke and
food odours from all types of material, and found that while it’s
not a substitute for ironing it was usually successful in removing enough
creases to make garments wearable.
The Institute found the Prêt-à-Porter to be very easy to
use with simple to follow instructions.
Ray Isted, Brand Marketing Manager for Whirlpool UK commented:
'I'm delighted that the Good Housekeeping Institute has awarded the
Prêt-à-Porter its accreditation logo. The product is being
very well received wherever we take it and we are certain that we have
a great success on our hands!'
The Good Housekeeping Institute is a leading research centre that has
tested goods and stood up for consumers for almost 80 years. The Good
Housekeeping Institute's approved logo can be used only for products
that have passed rigorous quality assessment texts.
Prêt-à-Porter is a portable solution for clothes that aren't
dirty, but look less than perfect and is now available in the UK.
The product has already received accolades in the States where it is
marketed as the Whirlpool Fabric Freshener and in Paris where the product
was awarded the 'Prix Special du Jury' at the Annual French Trade Fair,
La Foire de Paris.
A fast, easy, practical solution to remove wrinkles, creases and odours
using only the natural power of steam.
Web: http://www.whirlpool.co.uk