Recently, the results of the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2023 in Germany were announced. The work MechCircuit, collaboratively completed by both Chinese and international students from Zhejiang University (ZJU), was honored with the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2023. This award marks the first international top design award achieved through the collaborative efforts of Chinese and international students from ZJU. It represents the successful integration of Chinese and international education through the establishment of the International School of Design (ISD).
 

Members: Feng Shuyue, Lin Weijia, Yao Jiayu, Masulani Bokola, etc.
 

In traditional manufacturing industries, the design and production of circuit and mechanical structures are conducted separately. Additionally, electronic circuits and mechanical structures can also impact the appearance of prototypes, making the design process complex and challenging to optimize. MechCircuit is a new approach proposed by a team from ZJU, aiming to revolutionize future manufacturing. Through the integrated manufacturing approach of merging structural electronic circuits, it significantly simplifies the design and production of prototype products with electronic circuits and mechanical structures. Unlike traditional electronic circuits, which involve complex wiring and soldering, MechCircuit innovatively utilizes magnetic and laser-cut components for connections, enabling quick and easy connections and replacements. Users can achieve complex mechanical movable structures without using additional traditional mechanical parts.
 

MechCircuit utilizes the magnetic and conductive properties of neodymium magnets to integrate electronics and mechanical structures into prototypes. It enables non-professional users in the mechanical and electronic fields to design and create product prototypes without the use of traditional mechanical components. It eliminates the need for complex operations such as wiring and soldering, instead utilizing magnetic and laser-cut slots to connect electronic components. MechCircuit is expected to bring value in various fields, including smart manufacturing, product design, education, robot design, and public art.

Red Dot Award

The Red Dot Award, originated from Germany, is an industrial design award that is equally renowned as the IF Design Award. It is the largest and most influential design competition in the world. Together with the German "IF Award" and the American "IDEA Award" the Red Dot Award is known as one of the three major design awards in the world.