Cross Pod Ffon Hunan-Sefyll by Koji Sato

Cross Pod Ffon Hunan-Sefyll by Koji Sato is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award in Ategolion Competition Category.

EfyddAtegolion· 2026

Cross Pod Ffon Hunan-Sefyll

by Koji Sato

Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award Winner in Ategolion Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Cross Pod Ffon Hunan-Sefyll

Mae'r cynnyrch hwn wedi'i ddylunio i wneud defnyddio ffon un pwynt yn fwy cyfleus. Wrth gerdded, mae'r adran goes ar flaen y ffon yn cau, gan alluogi trin ystwyth sy'n cymharu â ffon un pwynt safonol. Pan yn llonydd, mae lledaenu'r goes yn caniatáu iddi sefyll yn sefydlog ac ar unwaith. Mae'r coesau plygu, a ddyluniwyd i osgoi rhwystro cerdded, yn darparu cefnogaeth sefydlog dim ond pan fo angen. Mae cyfleustra a dyluniad soffistigedig yn dod â'r hwyl. Mae'r dyluniad hwn yn gwneud iddi deimlo fel mwy na dim ond cymorth cerdded. Mae'n teimlo fel cynnyrch sy'n cefnogi ffordd o fyw.

The Recognition

About the Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award

Mae Cross Pod Ffon Hunan-Sefyll yn enillydd Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award, cydnabyddiaeth hynod fawreddog a roddir i ddyluniadau rhagorol sydd yn nodedig am greadigrwydd, dyfeisgarwch a chraffter. Mae enillwyr Efydd yn arteffactau medrus iawn a thrawiadol o greadigol sydd yn dilysu profiad helaeth, dychymyg a dyfeisgarwch eu dylunwyr. Disgwylir i Cross Pod Ffon Hunan-Sefyll fod yn wrthrych uchel ei fri, a edmygir ac a anwylir, sydd yn nodedig o broffesiynol ac arloesol. Mae'r dyluniad buddugol hwn o Wobr Efydd A' Design Award yn ymgorffori arferion gorau mewn celf, gwyddoniaeth, dylunio a thechnoleg, ac yn rhagorol am ei sylw i fanylion. Mae Cross Pod Ffon Hunan-Sefyll yn bodloni anghenion yn odidog, yn cyffwrdd â dyheadau, yn swyno teimladau ac yn apelio at chwilfrydedd.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: CrossPOD is a one point cane stably standable anywhere. Just open its four legs attached to the tip of the cane to allow it stand anywhere in situations you need to have your hands free.
When walking, you can close your legs to use it as a one point cane, allowing you to walk smoothly.
It was small and lightweight, and it was designed so that switching of the legs can be done with simple operation.
The pure one-point cane that can be stand is an unprecedent.
Dimensions & Packaging: Wide: 130mm
Depth: 50mm
Height: min750mm max 970mm /10 level adjustment
Weight: 360g
Material: aluminum,Wood,Resin
Tags: Cane, Health, Care, Wellness, Rehabilitation, Independence, Standing, Walking, #Senior, SDGs, CrossPOD, Onepoint
Production Technology: A one point cane is a portable item, it must be lightweight.
Therefore, complex mechanisms cannot be added.
It also requires simple and easy operation.
Considering this balance, we designed it using a spring and link mechanism.

The result is:
* Simple manual operation/ two actions: twist and slide
* An easy-to-grip handle
* A slim form that doesn't get in the way when closed like a bud before it blooms
* A wide leg span when opened
Furthermore, while maintaining a minimalist overall appearance, we incorporated vivid accent colors to create a fun and enjoyable product.
Design Challenge: The following are important for this product to be enjoyable.

*Comfort
*Stability
*Ease of Use
*Lightweight
*Form
*Cost

However, there are conflicting aspects, so we focused on balancing them when designing.
Research: *Type of Research
Design Proposals for the Ageing Society Ahead.

*Research Objectives
Enriching the lives of those with walking difficulties.

*Methodology
Fun to use!
Make the 1 point cane easier to use.

*Data Collection
Interviews with practitioners, workshops, etc.

*Participants or Experiments
Conducted load testing and other safety verification experiments.

*Results
Perfectly fine.

*Insights and Impacts,
Positive feedback from purchasers.
Design awards and patent contest accolades.
Export track record to Canada, Germany, Thailand,etc.
It is also commonly used as a gift.
Inspiration: A one point cane is the most common tool used to assist with walking.
However, when you want to let go of the cane, the tip is the point, so it is inconvenient because you cannot stand it up.
There are also canes with four rubber tips, but they make it difficult to walk smoothly, are unstable when standing up, and are a little heavy.
So we came up with the idea of solving this problem by adding opening and closing legs to the tip of the cane.
Project Duration: The project started in April 2018 in Oita Japan and was released for sale in Jan 2020.
Following several internal refinements, it evolved into the current model in October 2023.
Operation Flow: Closing the legs allows you to walk smoothly, and opening them when standing.
Opening the legs is a two step operation.
Slightly twist the grip to unlock, and slide the cane towards the tip to open and stand up.
Closing is the reverse operation.
Patents: Patented in Japan.
Patent No.6590177
Patent Holder. KOJI SATO
Year. 2019
Jurisdiction. Japan Patent Office
Image Credits: N/A