Ko Me Rice Cooker by Hua Hsiang

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DESIGN DETAILS

DESIGN NAME:
Ko Me

PRIMARY FUNCTION:
Rice Cooker

INSPIRATION:
The goal of this project is to design a system that is able to fully automate cooking rice. Taking inspirations from the espresso machine, blender, induction heating stove, and many more kitchen appliances, I want to build a smart rice cooker that can Measure, Rinse, Wash, and Cook the rice, along with functions like scheduling ahead, customize rice texture, adjusting pressure and moisture, and many more!

UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Ko Me is the future of rice cooking, combining the function and atheistic, Ko Me is able to fully automate, customized and time the process of cooking rice. Ko Me is not only useful or delightful to users but also meaningful. This machine fuses traditional culture recipes and innovative technology that will improve our health, the way we cook, and our habits in the culture of eating. With a few clicks in the mobile app, we are able to taste the supper from another culture.

OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION:
User flow: It's simple, The Ko Me Rice Cooker is a smart device that is able to fully remote-controlled by the accommodated app from the phone. User is able to quickly select the best recipe for their rice or fully customize to their needs. System operation: 1. The top part of the machine is the storage of the new rice grain, where the user is able to add rice easily through the circular door. 2. The rice grains are then controlled by the valve under the funnel. The exact amount of rice will drop to the inner pot. The diagram shows that the inner pot is specially designed that there are holes to drain water out. 3. When the rice is in the pot, the pressurized waterjet will start rinsing and washing the rice. The spiral shape tube designed to ensure all area is covered. This process is customizable through the app. 4. The Stirrer is designed to mimic hand gestures when washing the rice. Each claw is attached to a small ultrasonic vibrator. This is to ensure the deep cleaning of the rice. 5. The wastewater can be drained out from the contractible draining holes at the bottom of the inner pot. The wastewater will be collected by the funnel at the bottom and exhaust to the sink through a tube. 6. Lastly, to cook the rice, Ko Me uses an Induction Heating system that ensures efficiency and safety. During cooking, the pot will be pressurized for better rice texture and faster heating.

PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION:
San Francisco, CA

FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY:
Home Appliances Design

PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY:
Exterior - ABS plastic. Interior - Water jet, power stirrer, ultrasonic vibrator, water pump, induction heating.

SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES:
424mm / 320mm / 320mm

TAGS:
Rice cooker, kitchenware, home appliance, Human centered, automated, Mobile app, Rice, futuristic

RESEARCH ABSTRACT:
- Using primary and secondary research on the current user and existing product I found a few pain points, which include the frustration over the process of cooking rice, time-consuming, types of rice, cultures of eating rice, textures, and more. - From the findings I got for research, I conclude them into a few insights, To properly cook rice is time-consuming and need to plan ahead, Rice is not just food but also a representation of a culture, Younger generations are aware of the health issue eating rice might have, Process of cooking rice is crucial to the accompanying dishes. - Using these insights I get opportunities of redesigning the rice cooker. Using these guiding questions: "How might we automate the process of cooking rice?", "How might we cook rice in different styles?", and "How might we understand how we eat rice?" - Then, redesign the current rice cooker with better functionality and stylish exterior. the minimal outlook of the Ko Me rice cooker is inspired by the rice grain itself, simple and elegant.

CHALLENGE:
As technology advances, our lives pace become faster. We are starting to require more useful and delightful systems to help us in the day to achieve more goals. Having meals is essential in our everyday life, but cooking a meal can sometimes be a hassle. Rice, one of the most important parts of the meal in many cultures. In fact, it is the third-highest worldwide production of agricultural commodities and one of the main food sources in the world. Cooking rice requires a set of procedures. Although different cultures have different cooking methods, they are often very time-consuming and troublesome.

ADDED DATE:
2021-03-02 23:16:29

TEAM MEMBERS (1) :
Ryan Hsiang

IMAGE CREDITS:
Hua Hsiang, 2020.

CLIENT/STUDIO/BRAND DETAILS

NAME:
Ryan Hsiang

PROFILE:
Ryan Hsiang is a multi-discipline designer with a background in jewelry design and industrial design. He is now pursuing his passion for UX design in the master's degree. With the hybrid cultural experience, he learned that inclusive design is the key to usability. Therefore he focuses his design practice on connecting humans and computers in different forms and creates a positive impact on the society

AWARD DETAILS
	Ko Me Rice Cooker by Hua Hsiang is Runner-up for A' Design Award in Home Appliances Design Category, 2020 - 2021. · Read the interview with designer Hua Hsiang for design Ko Me here. · Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with Hua Hsiang. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by Hua Hsiang.