DAME Design Award 2022 Winner Showcases Best Practices in Design Improvement

Jury chair Andre Hoek presented the world-renowned DAME Design Award 2022 to the Ocean Signal RescueME PLB3 AIS Personal Locator Beacon at yesterday’s METSTRADE Breakfast Briefing. Six products took category wins, 13 more received special mentions and the jury named its first Environmental Design Award.

The headline news of the compact PLB3 is its 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 standout DAME Design Award 2022 winner.

Commenting on the 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, 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.”

€15,600 raised by DAME entrants for worthy causes

Each year the organisers of METSTRADE donate the combined registration fees for the DAME Design Award to a selected charity as a way of giving back to society. For 2022 the METSTRADE Exhibition Committee selected World Sailing Trust to receive the donation. This organisation’s objectives are to promote and enhance sailing in all its forms and protect the waters the sport depends on. See worldsailingtrust.org for more information.

All the DAME Design Award 2022 winners

Overall winner

Ocean Signal RescueME PLB3 AIS Personal Locator Beacon by Ocean Signal

Category winners

Marine Electronics and Marine Related Software: YachtSense Link 4G Marine Router by Raymarine 

Interior Equipment, Furnishing, Materials and Electrical Fittings used in Cabins: In accordance with the rules of the competition, the jury did not award a winner in the Interior Equipment, Furnishing, Materials and Electrical Fittings used in Cabins category this year after carefully considering the standards presented against the level of other categories.

Marina Equipment, Boatyard Equipment and Boat Construction Tools and Materials: MarineShift360 Lifecycle Assessment Tool by Marineshift360

Deck Equipment, Sails and Rigging: Arya by Amare 

Clothing and Crew Accessories: Aquafleece Robe by Rooster Sailing

Lifesaving and Safety Equipment: Ocean Signal RescueME PLB3 AIS Personal Locator Beacon by Ocean Signal

Machinery, Propulsion, Mechanical and Electrical Systems and Fittings: Integrel....The Next Generation by Integrel Solutions

Environmental Design Award winner

Essential by Aceleron

Special mentions

Marine Electronics and Marine Related Software: IC-M510E (with AIS receiver) by Icom and MAX Mini by Sailmon

Interior Equipment, Furnishing, Materials and Electrical Fittings Used in Cabins: In accordance with the rules of the competition, the jury did not award a Special Mention in the Clothing and Crew Accessories category this year after carefully considering the standard against other categories.

Marina Equipment, Boatyard Equipment and Boat Construction Tools and Materials: Aqua superPower marina fast charging system by Aqua superPower

Deck Equipment, Sails and Rigging: FXe 4500 Electric Code Sail furler by Facnor, Karver Sharing Center by Karver Systems, KJSK – Karver Jammer Staysail Kit by Karver Systems and Rollable Boat Hook by Seaview Progress

Clothing and Crew Accessories: X-Over Eco Cork by Forward WIP

Lifesaving and Safety Equipment: GlobalFix V5 AIS EPIRB by ACR Electronics, Regatta Safelock by Regatta and Aalesund Protective Wear and FURIO by SECUMAR

Machinery, Propulsion, Mechanical and Electrical Systems and Fittings: Seakeeper Ride by Seakeeper and ZF POD 4600 by ZF Group