Our European Toyota Logistic Design Competition 2014 has received international attention. Magnus Oliveira Andersson, Head of Design at Toyota Material Handling Europe (TMHE) introduces the top three winners and talks about how inspiring the proposals were. The 2014 competition with the theme “Tow Tractors: Industrial Machines in Need of a Makeover” focused on making the tow tractors innovative and stylish. Toyota also aimed at promoting industrial design among students in the material handling area.
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iVT International presents the Toyota Logistic Design Competition
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tows
RICHARD CARR, IVT INTERNATIONAL
TOYOTA MATERIAL HANDLING’S FIRST OPEN-INVITATION
DESIGN COMPETITION FOCUSED ON ADDING A TOUCH OF
GLAMOUR TO THE OFTEN WORKADAY TOW TRACTOR
earth, realistic designs – no flying
tow tractors here!
The terms of entry granted TMHE
an exclusive option to acquire the
intellectual property rights to any
designs, so the key question is, will
we see any of these trucks – or just
some of their features – making their
way into Toyota’s line-up soon?
“We didn’t take any patents out
from this competition,” Andersson
replies. “I expect three times more
entries next year, so probably there
will be something there that we can
develop. But they inspire us, and we
need to invest in the new generation
that’s coming through.”
Set to be a biennial event for the
foreseeable future, the theme of the
next competition – which may be
fully international in scope – will be
revealed at the end of this year.
“Heavy-duty, strong and
reliable, tow tractors carry
huge loads over long
distances, saving time, energy and
money. Prove to us that they can
and should be stylish, too!”
That was how Toyota Material
Handling Europe (TMHE) invited all
European design students and 2013
graduates to enter its first Logistic
Design Competition on the theme
Tow Tractors: Industrial Machines in
Need of a Makeover, when it began
seeking design proposals for tow
tractors intended for use at airports,
production facilities and railways.
While prospective participants
were encouraged to be inventive,
original and daring in their approach,
while not forgetting aesthetic value,
they also had to bear in mind the
many industrial challenges, such
as sustainability when creating a
product to reflect the Toyota heritage
and its core product values of safety,
durability, productivity, driveability
and simplicity.
Advanced Lift-truck Technology International 2014
Approximately 150 entries were
received, which were whittled down
to 30 proposals that received input
from a worldwide mix of Toyota
designers for further development,
before a shortlist of five entries was
presented to the final jury and the
winners announced at TMHE’s pre-
CeMat event this March.
“Students don’t really know
about materials handling, but they
have a lot of ideas and sometimes
they don’t realise how innovative
they might be,” TMHE’s head of
design Magnus Oliveira Andersson
told iVT. “Sometimes their ideas
made us say, ‘Oh, maybe this could
work,’ so it’s more about inspiring
us internally.”
Surprisingly, however, despite the
future-oriented theme, the entries
were almost invariably down-to-
ABOVE: Magnus Oliveira
Andersson, head of design
at TMHE
BELOW: The international
jury gave advice to help
develop the initial entries
– left to right: Tadayuki
Yakushi, assistant manager;
Koichi Sumigama, assistant
manager; Magnus Oliveira
Andersson; Yoshitaka Sato,
general manager; Hiroki
Mori, assistant manager
2. 15Advanced Lift-truck Technology International 2014
Magnus Oliveira Andersson’s view:
“This is modularly built and very
practical. It’s a basic design – a clean,
simple shape as well, which is a good
point. It’s a great example of how a design
can be simple but there’s so much going
on behind it, like an iPhone”
3rd place
A down-to-earth approach won Mohammad Moradi, from the School
of Art Weissensee Berlin, Product Design, Germany, the third prize.
His Ultractow was designed with the driver’s needs in mind: with
solutions for devices and a focus on safety and sustainability.
It begins with a universal platform, to which a variety of modular
structures can be added to transform it into a tow tractor, stacker or
even a sweeping machine. But even when used as a standard tow
tractor, a variety of attachments enable it to be optimally customised
to a specific need – a bigger battery can be chosen when necessary,
for example.
With a low step-in height, a rotating platform to increase the
operator’s field of view without the need to fully turn the head, a
steering arm that follows the driver’s position and a choice of height-
adjustable controllers, ergonomics have been well catered for. An
active magnetic field on the dashboard keeps the operator’s tools
within reach at all times.
LOGISTIC DESIGN COMPETITION
3. 17
LOGISTIC DESIGN COMPETITION
Advanced Lift-truck Technology International 2014
Magnus Oliveira Andersson’s view:
“We liked this one for the innovative thinking about the
future. The general shape is very interesting too – the
design team especially liked the key sketches. Is it a
realistic option? Thomas has found this technique and
applied it, so why not? We did tell them to think about
the future, after all!”
2nd place
Second prize went to Thomas Jankauskas from Pforzheim
University, Transport Design, Germany. Certainly the most
unusual of the winning designs – if not of the 150 entries
– ‘Toyota NPS’ stood out due to the unique angle and
futuristic approach to intralogistics. Standing for Nano
Plasticity System, NPS acts as a baggage carrier and
conveyor replacement, and even a catering truck when
required. It uses a non-sticky nano-gel in a triple-layer
architecture – an outer shell, contracting middle with a
memory structure that enables height adjustments to be
made, and an inner layer that imitates osmosis to deliver
items direct to the aircraft bay.
Since NPS is completely autonomous,
it will be able to form vehicle trains
to provide more efficient delivery.
Artificial intelligence computer will
allow NPS to gain experience over
time and provide even better service
as it progresses
Central hive controls all autonomous units
and calculates optimised routes
4. 18 Advanced Lift-truck Technology International 2014
LOGISTIC DESIGN COMPETITION
1st place
First prize was awarded to Nea Kosonen and Elisa Määttänen
from Turku University of Applied Sciences Industrial Design,
Finland, for ‘Bubo’, a tractor designed to handle the hostile
conditions of arctic airports. The name is no coincidence – Bubo
shares more than a passing resemblance with an owl, its
namesake in Latin, as it was inspired by the eagle owl, which is
fast, strong, and operates in the dark.
Because baggage handlers in these airports wear bulky clothes
and enter and exit the vehicle constantly, only a roof and
windscreen – i.e. no doors – provide shelter. Neither does it have
a traditional seat – the driver stands in the vehicle or leans against
the cushioned backrest for a more ergonomic driving posture. A
key factor in the design’s success was its suitability for different
driver sizes, via a low step-in and telescopic steering arm. The
innovative control panel enables the driver to control reversing,
see relevant flights, the target plane, area map, travel speed and
the level of energy and fuel (electric in summer, diesel in winter)
remaining. ALT
TOW TRACTOR FOR
THE ARCTIC AIRPORTSBUBO
ARRIVALS
Empty wag
Handlers se
the informa
After drivin
set the traffi
When the w
returns to t
DEPARTUR
Wagons are
Bubo
Handlers se
the informa
Handlers d
Magnus Oliveira Andersson’s view:
“Bubo is very user-friendly; the vehicle
was clearly designed around the driver.
That was the main reason it won, and
from an aesthetic point of view it was
a nice, clean industrial design
approach. It has character!”
ON THE WEB
View full presentations online at:
www.iVTinternational.com
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LOGISTIC DESIGN COMPETITION
Advanced Lift-truck Technology International 2014
“We had a first screening with the
industrial design jury in Takahama,
where we gave grades and comments
on how to improve all the proposals,
such as, ‘How is that display
working?’ These two girls were
particularly good at picking up
on our advice”
NEA KOSONEN , ELISA MÄÄTTÄNENTUAS FINLAND 2014
BUBO IN ACTION
m the area map on
xit the vehicle and
ggage, Bubo
ll and attached to
m the area map on
the vehicle
ther the traffic
box
back to the
NEA KOSONEN , ELISA MÄÄTTÄNENTUAS
TOW TRACTOR FOR
THE ARCTIC AIRPORTSBUBO BUBO IN ACT
ARRIVALS
Empty wagons are attached to Bubo
Handlers seek the right airplane from the area map on
the information screen
After driving to the plane, handlers exit the vehicle and
set the traffic cones in place
When the wagons are loaded with luggage, Bubo
returns to the luggage hall
DEPARTURES
Wagons are loaded in the luggage hall and attached to
Bubo
Handlers seek the right airplane from the area map on
the information screen
Handlers drive to the plane and exit the vehicle
After the plane is loaded, handlers gather the traffic
cones and place them in the storage box
Handlers enter the vehicle and drive back to the
luggage hall
NEA KOSONEN , ELISA MÄÄTTÄNENTUAS FINLAND 2014
TOW TRACTOR FOR
THE ARCTIC AIRPORTSBUBO ERGONOMY AND USABILITY
ERGONOMIC STEERING
In the control panel the driver can
control reversing, see relevant flights,
his target plane, area map, his speed and
the level of energy and fuel. Steering is
adjustable and supported. Telescopic
arm fits drivers of different heights.
ERGONOMIC DRIVING POSITION
Baggage handlers enter and exit the
vehicle constantly – this is why Bubo
doesn’t have a traditional seat. The
driver stands in the vehicle or leans
to the cushioned backrest. This way
of driving is more ergonomic as the
distances are not long.
SWIPE TO SEE IN-COMING FLIGHTS
OR AREA MAP
MOVE FINGER TO SCROLL
FLIGHT DATA
TOUCH R TO REVERSE
TIGHTEN GRIP TO START THE ENGINE
AND TO START MOVING
LOOSEN GRIP TO BREAK
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, RELEASE HANDS
TIGHTEN GRIP TO START THE
ENGINE AND TO START MOVING
MOVE FINGER TO SCROLL
FLIGHT DATA
TOUCH ‘R’ TO REVERSESWIPE TO SEE INCOMING
FLIGHTS OR AREA MAP
LOOSEN GRIP TO BRAKE; IN CASE
OF EMERGENCY, RELEASE HANDS