Alex Worthington | GIZMODO.cz

Over 10 million adults in the UK alone are affected by arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions making it extremely difficult to even do basic household activities as they get older. Regular home appliances are not always designed keeping in mind the independence of our aging generations and cleaning is a tedious task for those who are in pain with the slightest movement. Vacuuming causes wrist ache, back pain and is heavy to push around – Vivo aims to solve this problem with a concept vacuum cleaner built on the ethos of inclusive design.

Its ergonomic build reduces load and strain on the user. The two handles were specifically put in to reduce the force required when pushing the vacuum – it enables the person to use hands, arms, and even their body weight as they will be standing right behind the machine. It includes two brushes, the forward brush dislodges the dirt and the rear brush sweeps it, effectively reducing the “push-pull” into just one push for cleaning.

The Vivo Vac will automatically charge when put back on the dock. It also solves the issue of taking the debris out – once docked, the dust hole on the dock aligns itself with the dust deposit hole on the vacuum and the dust from the device is sucked into a bag inside the dock. The dust bag container is up high on the device so there is no need for bending and it works for several sessions before needing a replacement. I am truly hoping this concept vacuum cleaner is a real product soon because inclusive design has the power to gift independence.

Designer: Alex Worthington

You know when you’re wandering in the wild outdoors, merrily camping or hiking, and your phone dies? And there’s no immediate power source? (not that you should have been expecting one.) And your portable battery pack’s acting problematic too? For those very tricky situations, product designer Alex Worthington created ‘Freflow’. Freflow is a portable generator powered by the natural elements; water and wind!

At first glance, it looks like, well, a flask or a travel mug, which is what contributes significantly to the generator’s portable factor. Resembling a dark grey to-go coffee flask, the generator is covered by a plastic cap on top. Removing the plastic cap reveals a conical 3 blade Archimedes’ turbine, in a bright stark yellow color. Place the generator in an active stream, or mount it on its accompanying stand and position it facing a windy direction, and watch as the turbine gets moving. The turbine channels water and wind from up to a 60-degree angle of the central axis, making it more efficient than traditional turbine designs. The generator stores up the water-and-wind-generated energy for future use.

Now, whenever you’re low on juice, simply pull apart the generator into two sections. The second half functions as a charging pad with USB ports for your smartphones, tablets, iPods, laptops, etc. The bottom circular end of the generator also functions as a flashlight for those dark and dim corners.

Freflow is perfect for whenever you feel completely disconnected from the world and need your digital dose, charging up your vital devices, using only what nature has to offer! Freflow is the sidekick you need on your next adventure in the wilderness.

Designer: Alex Worthington