Össur and KD (Kinneir Dufort) win 2019 Red Dot Design Award for RHEO KNEE® XC
BRISTOL, UK and REYKJAVIK, Iceland, 25th March 2019 – Össur, the global medical technology leader renowned for its advanced prosthetic and orthopaedic innovations, announced today that it, along with Innovation and Product Development consultancy KD (Kinneir Dufort), won an award in the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2019 for Össur’s RHEO KNEE XC, a flagship product in the company’s award-winning Bionic line of prosthetic technologies for lower-limb amputees. The RHEO KNEE XC received the Red Dot, which the renowned jury awards only to products that feature an ‘outstanding design’.
Innovative Design in Next-Generation Bionic Prosthetics
Among its many design features, RHEO KNEE XC features a distinctive weatherproof cover design that was created by the British design firm KD.
““Össur is honored to share this Red Dot Award with KD for our RHEO KNEE XC. For over four decades, we have pursued the development of new technologies to help more people around the world live a life without limitations. We are humbled at our legacy as one of the world’s most recognized prosthetics innovators, and at the impact our efforts are making in the lives of others, especially people with limb loss and limb difference.””
Jon Sigurdsson, President & CEO, Össur
Design quality is the common factor for award-winning products…
““I would like to congratulate the laureates sincerely on their wonderful success. The fact that their products were able to satisfy the strict criteria of the jury bears testimony to their award-winning design quality. The laureates are thus setting key trends in the design industry and are showing where future directions may lead.””
Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot, in reference to the winners.
Success to be celebrated at the award ceremony…
On 8 July 2019, KD & Össur will celebrate their success during the Red Dot award ceremony, as the honorees and the international design scene will gather in Essen’s Aalto-Theater as part of the Red Dot Gala. At the subsequent Designers’ Night party, the Red Dot laureates will receive their certificates and RHEO KNEE XC will join the exhibition “Design on Stage” in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen, which presents all of the award-winning products. From that date, RHEO KNEE XC will also be on show in the Red Dot Design Yearbook, online and in the Red Dot Design App.
Find out more about RHEO KNEE XC
A weatherproof, high-impact microprocessor prosthetic knee designed specifically for more demanding above-knee amputees who want to engage in increasingly ambitious activity levels, RHEO KNEE XC features highly responsive magnetorheologic (MR) technology, which utilizes electromagnetic force to rapidly alter the viscosity of magnetic fluid in the knee. This makes the RHEO KNEE XC capable of shifting almost instantaneously from the high resistance required for stability in stance phase, to the low resistance needed for a dynamic, free swing phase, creating a virtual “zero lag” experience that simulates the natural function of a physiological knee joint.
In addition, RHEO KNEE XC is capable of sensing its position in the environment relative to its user’s body, and to enact a fast, accurate responses to changes in direction, speed and terrain. RHEO KNEE XC also communicates wirelessly via Bluetooth with the user’s smart phone or tablet, so knee status and battery charge levels can be checked with ease.
KD‘s design of the RHEO KNEE XC’s outer cover combines strength with aesthetic design, creating a sleek, premium feel that appeals to a range of target audience users. Through clever technical engineering and rigorous testing, the casing is weatherproof and reliable.
About Össur
Össur (NASDAQ OMX: OSSR) is a global leader in non-invasive orthopaedics that help people live a life without limitations. Its business is focused on improving people’s mobility through the delivery of innovative technologies within the fields of Prosthetics and Bracing & Supports. A recognized “Technology Pioneer,” Össur invests significantly in research and product development—its award-winning designs ensuring a consistently strong position in the market. Successful patient and clinical outcomes are further empowered via Össur’s educational programs and business solutions. Headquartered in Iceland, Össur has major operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, with additional distributors worldwide. www.ossur.com
Press contact Össur:
Edda H. Geirsdottir
VP Branding & Corporate PR
[email protected]
About KD
KD is a user-centered innovation and product development consultancy. We focus on designing a better world; creating value through tomorrow’s products and experiences. We fuse creative excellence, technical know-how and user experience expertise, enabling ambitious and progressive companies to deliver successful products and brand experiences globally. www.kinneirdufort.com
Press contact KD:
Vicky Walker
Head of Marketing
[email protected]
About the Red Dot Design Award
In order to appraise the wide scope of design in a professional manner, the Red Dot Design Award is broken down into the three distinct disciplines: the Red Dot Award: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design, and Red Dot Award: Design Concept. With more than 18,000 submissions, the Red Dot Award is one of the largest design competitions in the world. In 1955, a jury convened for the first time to assess the best designs of the day. The name and brand of the award were developed in the 1990s by Red Dot CEO, Professor Dr. Peter Zec. Since then, the sought-after Red Dot is the revered international seal of outstanding design quality. The winners are presented in yearbooks, museums and online. Further information: www.red-dot.org.
Press contact Red Dot:
Julia Hesse
Manager PR & Communications
Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG
Gelsenkirchener Str. 181
45309 Essen, Germany
Phone: +49 201 30104–58
[email protected]
www.red-dot.de/presse