The Suncubator’s greatness lies in its simplicity. Built for babies in the harsh climate of Africa, the Suncubator allows babies to have a warm bed to sleep in at night by harvesting heat during the day. Africa’s barren lands see temperature differences of 30 degrees from noon to night (imagine having to switch between bare clothing and woolens in a single day, everyday). Even a drop in a single degree can reduce one’s immunity by 30%, so imagine how susceptible infants are to the host of diseases out there.

The warm and cozy haven provided by the suncubator is all thanks to the choice of material. A soft-foam outer layer on the outside allows the toddler to sleep comfortably within the crib. Under that lies a layer of polymer gel that retains and radiates heat, both from the sun as well as the infant’s body heat. Adding that wonderful touch of interaction design to the product is a little sun symbol on the cot, coated with heat-sensitive Zion ink. When the incubator gets warm enough, the sun changes color indicating that it is ready for use, therefore adding to the already brilliant user-experience!

The Suncubator is a winner of an IDSA Award in the Social Impact Design category for the year 2016.

Designers: Joon Kwon, Jihye Hong, Insup Yun, Minha Kwon, Keunhee Kim, Usuk Lee & Jihoon Park.