Jury Chair Andre Hoek presented the DAME Design Award 2022 to Ocean Signal for their RescueME PLB3 AIS Personal Locator Beacon.
Six products took Category wins, 13 more received Special Mentions and the Jury named its first Environmental Design Award.
The compact PLB3 is a combination of an AIS man overboard device and GPS with a Cospas-Sarsat personal locator beacon, Galileo Return Link Service and incorporation of visible and infrared signal lights.
In a rescue situation speed is always of the essence and this unit provides the very best chance for survival through this blend of long- and short-range detection technologies. The design detail goes even further though, in accompanying features like the well-illustrated instruction manual and in a Near Field Communication app that enables you to test the PLB3 using your mobile telephone.
In reaching its decision, the Jury recognised that the harnessing of multiple technologies in such a small unit, attention to design in every detail and Ocean Signal’s determination to make already good products into better ones to maximise the chance of saving lives made the RescueME PLB3 AIS Personal Locator Beacon its DAME Design Award 2022 winner.
Each year at METS the DAME Design Award celebrates all that is important about marine equipment design, from aesthetics to functionality, integration to packaging and price efficiency to lifecycle management.
It offers opportunities for all Show exhibitors from around the world to submit their latest products and have them judged by experts spanning all areas of design. Because of this wider focus, the competition encourages the whole marine industry to continuously improve its design efforts, to the last detail. Entrants are not just judged against their global peers, but the Jury recognises improvements from year-to-year within individual companies too.
Commenting on this years result, Chair of the Jury, Andre Hoek stated: “As time passes, the boundaries of products that we examine in the DAME Jury room get ever wider. This year, we assessed everything from a tiny boat and outboard tracker to a 65-tonne travel hoist. Whatever its size, price or complexity though, the Jury remains very focused on examining the design of products in all aspects, from function, form, environment, innovation, and price to performance. All 48 nominees are to be congratulated on meeting the scrutiny of this process.”
“Our overall DAME Design Award winner is an excellent example of how you can never stop pushing to make new improvements, even in a segment of the marketplace where products are already impressively advanced in what they achieve for the size and price.”
Serviceable battery named first DAME Environmental Design Award winner
For its first citation in this new discretionary award, the Jury chose a product that addresses a rapidly growing concern about end-of-life disposal in a world heading for batteries with everything. The Aceleron Essential is a cobalt-free lithium iron phosphate battery with replaceable and upgradeable parts. A faulty cell no longer requires the replacement of the whole battery. Returned parts are redistributed or remanufactured for second life use.
Speaking about the Jury’s decision on this award, Andre Hoek explained: “Notable iterative design steps towards a sustainable future are those we hope to highlight with this discretionary award. For that reason, we commend Aceleron’s efforts with modern battery technologies to break an unwelcome norm for whole products to be disposed of when just one component is broken.”
Dame Design Award 2O22 Overall Winner
Ocean Signal RescueME PLB3 AIS Personal Locator Beacon by Ocean Signal
Category Winners
- YachtSense Link 4G Marine Router by Raymarine
- MarineShift360 Lifecycle Assessment Tool by Marineshift360
- Arya by Amare
- Aquafleece Robe by Rooster Sailing
- Integrel….The Next Generation by Integrel Solutions
Environmental Design Award Winner
Essential by Aceleron
Special Mentions
- IC-M510E (with AIS receiver) by Icom
- MAX Mini by Sailmon
- Aqua superPower marina fast charging system by Aqua superPower
- FXe 4500 Electric Code Sail furler by Facnor
- Karver Sharing Center by Karver Systems
- KJSK – Karver Jammer Staysail Kit by Karver Systems
- Rollable Boat Hook by Seaview Progress
- X-Over Eco Cork by Forward WIP
- GlobalFix V5 AIS EPIRB by ACR Electronics
- Regatta Safelock by Regatta and Aalesund Protective Wear
- FURIO by SECUMAR
- Seakeeper Ride by Seakeeper
- ZF POD 4600 by ZF Group