Gold Product Engineering and Technical Design · 2023
Sim One Monitoring Tsunamis
by He Li, Nankai Cheng and Li Yang
- A' Design Award 2023 Gold Winner in Product Engineering and Technical Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- CLIENT: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 1,242,396
- Verification code 3965911E85 · Verify this award
About Sim One Monitoring Tsunamis
Sim One is a monitoring device designed to detect tsunamis in the open sea. Existing warning methods rely on simulations of earthquake data, which are delayed and often inaccurate. Sim One measures the internal dynamics of the ocean in real time. Several units are anchored along a chain, 30 to 50 kilometres apart, forming a monitoring network. When a dangerous ocean current is detected, a communication buoy is released and sends warning signals from the surface. The shell is made of aluminium bronze and titanium with an anti-corrosion coating.
He Li, Nankai Cheng and Li Yang's Sim One Monitoring Tsunamis represents a distinguished achievement in the intersection of marine engineering and industrial design, embodying the contemporary movement toward seamlessly integrating advanced technological functionality with considered aesthetic refinement, this autonomous underwater vehicle demonstrates how protective environmental monitoring systems can achieve visual coherence that communicates both technical capability and purposeful elegance, the design team appears to have drawn upon the rich heritage of hydrodynamic form language developed across decades of submarine and autonomous vehicle engineering while introducing distinctive formal innovations in the integration of sensor arrays and propulsion systems, the saturated yellow coloration serves multiple functional purposes including high visibility in marine environments and psychological associations with caution and attention while simultaneously establishing a warm approachable visual identity that distinguishes the design from conventional utilitarian marine equipment, compositionally the vehicle achieves remarkable balance between the streamlined torpedo form inherited from naval traditions and the articulated complexity of its sensor and propulsion appendages creating visual interest across multiple scales of observation, the bilateral symmetry of the propulsion nacelles provides stable visual grounding while the asymmetrical placement of sensor elements and access panels introduces subtle dynamism preventing static rigidity, technical execution in this rendering demonstrates masterful command of material representation with convincing differentiation between polymer body panels metallic structural elements and transparent or translucent sensor housings, the presentation against neutral white ground follows established conventions of technical visualization allowing unimpeded examination of formal qualities while the careful lighting reveals surface modulation and material properties with clarity, thematically this work engages with humanitys ongoing relationship with oceanic environments and the development of technological systems designed to provide early warning of natural phenomena that threaten coastal communities, viewers might contemplate how the aesthetic refinement of such protective technologies reflects broader cultural values regarding the integration of advanced engineering into humanistic service missions.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Tsunamis can cause tens of thousands of casualties. Due to the nature of tsunamis, humans do not have equipment that can directly detect tsunamis. The current tsunami warning is based on the simulation results of earthquake data, which has a lag and is inaccurate. This design is designed to monitor the internal dynamics of the ocean in real-time and directly detect tsunamis, with high warning accuracy.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- SPECIFICATIONS and DIMENSION: 1050mm*1000mm*2050mm
PACKAGE: High-carbon steel
TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Max. dive depth - 150 m; Max. speed - 20 km/h; Max. range - 100 km - Tags
- Tsunami early warning equipment, Engineering Design, Technical design, Product Design,
- Production Technology
- The equipment is anchored in the open sea by the offshore work vessel and fixed by special ropes. The empty compartment inside the device provides buoyancy, allowing the device to be suspended at a fixed depth. The overall structural shell is mainly made of aluminum bronze and titanium. The surface coating adopts inorganic seawater anti-corrosion coating.
- Design Challenge
- Harsh sea conditions introduce additional challenges to designing and applying deep-sea-based equipment. Such challenges include wave spectrum monitoring, anchoring in deep waters (100-200 meters), monitoring data modelling and analysis, and reliable and long-time functioning. A feasible and applicable solution copes with all the challenges mentioned above is finalised by a completed design.
- Project Duration
- The project started on February 2020 in China and finished on January 27th, 2023, in Lisbon.
- Operation Flow
- Several devices are anchored in the ocean along a chain distribution, and each device is separated by 30-50 kilometers. Form a monitoring network for the internal movement of the ocean. When the device detects dangerous ocean currents, it releases the communication buoys. The buoy floats to the sea surface to send out early warning signals and data. If several adjacent devices emit tsunami signals almost simultaneously, an alert is issued to coastal areas.
- Research
- This project constructs the tsunami early warning system and provides guiding significance and a theoretical basis for the new design. It also maps tsunami propagation properties and discovers critical points for tsunami monitoring with the assistance of analysing tsunami dynamics. Finally, an accurate and reliable tsunami early warning system is designed.
The system can reduce the threat of marine disasters, for instance, tsunamis, to coastal residents. At the same time, the system extracts comprehensive ocean state data, which will provide a better understanding of the oceans of human beings. - Inspiration
- The device was initially designed to decrease the likelihood of marine disasters such as tsunamis caused by the warming of the climate and the rise in sea level. The design is inspired by the shape of Aeoliscus strigatus (an upright diving creature in the ocean). The colour is yellow, as it stands out against the marine background.
- Image Credits
- Image #1, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
Image #2, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
Image #3, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
Image #4, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
Image #5, Creator Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang
The copyright belongs to Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang. - Patents
- The copyright belongs to Nankai Cheng, He Li and Li Yang, 2023.