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Galleries // 2012 Spark:Product // Eton Turbodyne Series

Eton Turbodyne Series

Winner - Silver

Competition: Spark:Product
Designer: Mr. Dan Harden & Whipsaw Design Team - President/CEO
Design Type: Consumer Electronics

Team Members: Dan Harden, Sam Benavidez, Kyle Buzzard, Hiro Teranishi Design Problem: Although 82% of Americans have experienced disasters, most have not taken the basic steps for being prepared for a disaster. Therefore our challenge was to: - Create the ultimate high quality emergency electronic product line that provided valuable assistance when most needed. - Create a roadside emergency product that integrated a flashlight, work light, and emergency flasher. - Create a radio line incorporating the best emergency assistance features such as an always working energy source, NOAA weather, multi-band radio, and cell phone charger. - Integrate a powerful dynamo hand crank mechanism so one never had to depend on batteries or grid power. - Establish a new "emergency" design language for a new Eton product line. Solution: The Turbodyne series is the ultimate American Red Cross emergency line. It is excellent due to useful functionality, its radical "emergency aesthetic", superb human factors, quality materials, and internal renewable power source. - Useful Functionality: ROAD TORQ provides an uninterrupted light source and emergency beacon during a stressful roadside situation like when changing a flat tire in nightime. All Turbodynes have powerful hand crank dynamos that supply a never ending renewable power source. Users never have to worry about batteries or power outages, which is reassuring in emergencies. - Radical Aesthetics for good reason: The bold clean forms and vibrant colors communicate purpose and trust in these emergency products. The appearance also conveys functionality, through emphasized cranks, round display adjust ring on ROVER, tripod legs on ROAD TORQ, and the big handle and controls on AXIS. - Excellent Ergonomics, ideal for handling and especially for cranking: On AXIS the crank centerline runs right through the handle centerline, so force is exerted evenly as ones left hand holds the unit and the right hand cranks around it. - Material and Manufacturing Quality: All crank arms, crank hubs, and the AXIS handle are strong die cast aluminum. Some small details like the AXIS light switch and band select ring on ROVER are stainless steel. ROAD TORQ has fernelled red reflector legs and rubber feet. These 3 tripod legs snap out into position (this detail presented a challenging part breakup which was solved by making the housing a single top-down mold with 3 leg holes). All products have a high grade tough polycarbonate shell. - Environmental Responsibility: These products don't consume batteries due to their internal renewable energy source. The parts are recyclable and they are not painted or plated.