Press Release
AirBuddy Surface Supplied Dive Gear by Jan Kadlec Is Granted the Bronze A' Design Award in Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design
Jan Kadlec honored for sporting goods, fitness and recreation equipment design by the international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design category for AirBuddy Surface Supplied Dive Gear by Jan Kadlec, designed for AirBuddy, OXY Pty Ltd. The recognition forms part of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About AirBuddy Surface Supplied Dive Gear
From a distance, AirBuddy resembles a miniature inflatable boat - a marine motive that creates emotional connection with the main customer segment, the boaters. With the vision to create the smallest, lightest, and most powerful recreational SSBA unit, the design is functional and naturally respects the laws of physics. Hence why the air reservoir (float) is using toroidal shape, the second-best shape (after sphere) to distribute the hoop and longitudinal stress created by the air pressure in its walls. AirBuddy's design conveys ease of use, yet robustness and technological excellence.
About Jan Kadlec
Technology enthusiast, experienced business professional and a passionate diver. Inventor of AirBuddy, a small, lightweight and easy to use equipment for recreational diving. My vision is to bring the ease of snorkeling into the fascinating world of diving, so that more people can explore and appreciate the beauty of our marine life.
Award Record
This recognition makes Jan Kadlec a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design Award
The A' Sporting Goods Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good sports equipment designs by leading designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to sporting goods designers, fitness equipment designers, recreation equipment designers and industrial designers from all countries. Typical entries include basketballs, tennis rackets, yoga mats, running shoes, dumbbells and bicycles. The awarded sports equipment designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/sporting-goods
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/123807
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/123807
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!123807
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/304927
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.airbuddy.net
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- AirBuddy Surface Supplied Dive Gear
- Function
- Surface Supplied Dive Gear
- Category
- Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Sports
- Colors
- Brown, Maroon, Sienna, Midnight Blue and Indian Red
- Images
- 5
- Client
- AirBuddy, OXY Pty Ltd
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Jan Kadlec
- Country
- Australia
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2020 - 2021
- Design ID
- #123807
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- AirBuddy bridges the gap between snorkelling and Scuba diving. The battery-powered floating dive compressor can be recharged from a socket, i.e. does not require any air refills, rentals, complicated logistics or bulky gear. It enables diving for almost an hour to one diver (up to 12m deep) or two divers (up to 6m deep) and weighs about 50-60 percent less than other dive gear on the market. The battery recharge costs only about 0.1 dollar (vs. 20 dollar for single air tank hire).
- Inspiration
- Unlike many other sports, Scuba diving is not a grab-and-go activity. It requires preparation and logistics. Renting (or filling) air tanks at a dive centre takes time and costs money. The gear is heavy and bulky. It becomes a logistical nightmare when there is a significant distance to the dive centre, outside of opening hours, when on a boat, etc. We set out to design a small, lightweight, and user-friendly dive gear that provides independence of the infrastructure and is travel-friendly.
- Research
- AirBuddy is a result of 4 years of research and development, 10 generations of working prototypes and hundreds of modifications and test scenarios. We studied various aspects of diving physics and human anatomy that we then turned into functional, technical and safety requirements that formed the base for AirBuddy design. Our team of divers and engineers performed hundreds of bench tests and test dives in ocean to develop the key features, such as the emergency air reserve, capsize protection, underwater notification system, secure detachable switch, position control, etc.
- Challenge
- The combination of size, weight, functional features, and aesthetic expectations from the customers, coupled with the safety aspects and regulations were impossible to achieve with the use of standard materials and conventional production technologies. We worked closely with the STU University of Technology and several expert plasticians and moulders to develop specialised mold and custom blend plastic resin to achieve strict tolerances and correct stress distribution as observed in the FEA models.
- Realization and Technology
- Designed with portability and stowability in mind, AirBuddy became the world's smallest and lightest recreational SSBA, yet significantly exceeds the performance and safety of other, larger, units with its 75lpm air flow, 38 psi pressure and 55 plus 10 min runtime. It features large 16l emergency air reservoir, water-cooled compressor, low battery underwater notification system, secure detachable magnetic switch, capsize protection, etc. - unique features previously not found in other SSBA units.
- Operation and Interaction
- AirBuddy is a small, portable surface supplied dive gear (hookah) for recreational, self-guided shallow water diving. AirBuddy provides a lightweight, compact and hassle-free alternative to air tanks. It runs off a rechargeable, battery-powered air compressor that provides fresh air from the surface for 55 min (plus reserve) at a max depth of up to 12 m (40 ft). Just recharge the battery and dive. No air tanks or bulky gear! AirBuddy is a popular choice for exploring reefs, hull cleaning, underwater boat maintenance, lobster diving or treasure hunting.
- Project Duration and Location
- Our team of passionate divers, mechanical engineers and experienced entrepreneurs is based in Sydney, Australia. AirBuddy evolved from a passion project that started in 2014 and since then made splash winning several business competitions, receiving multiple grants, attracting the attention of global media and joining the ranks of top 1 percent of crowdfunding campaigns.
- Specifications
- 533 x 397 x 540 mm (300mm excl. the dive flag)
- Keywords
- Surface Supplied Diving Gear, SSBA, Hookah, Innovative Dive Gear, Self-guided Diving, Coral Reef Diving, Lobstering, Hull Cleaning, Fouled Prop Untanglement, Underwater Maintenance, Underwater Treasure Hunting, Underwater Photography
