Research group for Media, Innovation and Contemporary Technologies

Design research for Smart and Circular Products - SMART Lab

#DesignResearch
#SmartProducts
#CircularProducts
#UserExperience
#InteractionDesign
#SustainableDesign

"Smart products" are advanced, connected devices that leverage technologies like sensors, AI, and data analytics to offer enhanced functionality and personalized experiences. They adapt to changing needs, communicate with other devices, and continuously improve their performance, making them more intuitive and responsive than traditional products. However, as smart products replace their "dumb" predecessors, they contribute significantly to the growing e-waste stream—the fastest-growing domestic waste globally. This surge in e-waste is driven by planned obsolescence, increased consumption, and the limited repairability of these devices, raising important questions about the true impact of the rise of smart products.

This lab explores the integration of digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), smart materials/sensors via computational design and digital (re)manufacturing within the domain of integrated product development. The goal is to measure and validate different hypotheses in which this integrations lead to improved User Experience (UX), e.g. alignment with individual consumer needs in different contexts (custamization) and better alignment with the Circular Economy (CE), focusing on modularity and upgradability to support sustainable business models.

SMART Lab

Goal/Mission

Our research would like to contribute to MICT’s mission for a more sustainable society, empowering people and industry via modular approaches that support profitable circular product-service-systems. We explore the potential of computational design in creating more modular products addressing changing consumer needs. By integrating smart technologies as replaceable building blocks, we aim to enhance product interactions, making them more intuitive and adaptable across various contexts of use. We investigate the role of these design strategies in advancing digital manufacturing techniques that emphasize modularity and adaptability, promoting reuse and supporting circularity.

Our vision is to redefine smart products not as static, disposable items, but as dynamic, collaborative, and upgradable systems that evolve over time—akin to the iterative nature of software development and platforms like GitHub. This approach challenges traditional ownership models, shifting from the idea of consumers owning products to a model where they access product functionality as a service, unlocking new possibilities for innovation and sustainability.

Topics

  1. Modular and Circular products (focus on Sustainability)

How can we design for modular product (architectures) that facilitate repairability and upgradability for electronic products?

  2. Smart and Interactive products (focus on UX)

How can we improve the overal user experience when designing connected (IoT) products and services?

Contact

This lab is part of the department and research group of Product Development at the University of Antwerp and works in close collaboration under imec-mict.

For more information contact jelle.saldien@uantwerpen.be