The world's first solar powered ferry and a revolutionary remote control that gives you access to the Internet and interactive content on your television without using a keyboard have made design history by both winning the design industry's top honour of the Australian Design Award of the Year.

"It has been a revolutionary year for Standards Australia's Australian Design Awards with this year's program boasting eight world firsts, resulting in the unprecedented result of a tie for Australian Design Award of the Year," Standards Australia's Chief Executive, Mr Ross Wraight, said today.

"The Canon User Interface Card [uiCard] will enable you to use your television to access the Internet and do your banking, order a meal, send text or video e-mails, check sports results or turn your children onto an e-learning program," he said.

Dr Sharman Stone, MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, who presented the Australian Design Award of the Year to The Solar Sailor Tourism Ferry, said today: "The Solar Sailor represents a fully commercialised environmentally friendly design that puts Australia at the leading edge of alternative energy development."

"The concepts and products on show at the Australian Design Awards demonstrate innovation and design excellence that will result in export opportunities for Australian designers and manufacturers," Dr Stone said.

The uiCard was developed by Canon's Information and Systems Research Centre in Sydney. The uiCard utilises smart card technology to communicate with your set top box. Users simply press icons on the cards that represent what they want to do, point to the set and watch.

Dr Phil Robertson, Director, Canon Information Systems Research Australia, said: "The uiCard utilises smart card technology, offering a very secure way to interact over the web."

The Solar Sailor was developed by Dr Robert Dane, Founder and Technical Director, Solar Sailor, in his Milton medical practice: "The concept for the solar sailor came to me while reading a book on insects. Given that 90% of species on the planet are insects and 90% of insects fly, using their wings as solar collectors, it made sense to apply this logic to boats on Sydney harbour where there is an abundance of wind and sun."

The judges in the industrial design category selected the uiCard because it is a revolutionary new product that showcases the very best of innovative Australian industrial design in the global consumer market.

According to Australian Design Award [ADA] judge, Mr Robert Geddes, of PROdesign Australia: "The uiCard has the potential to change global customer and client dealings. It turns the internet into a truly useable and useful everyday tool, creating a new vehicle for organisations to communicate, advertise and deal with their customers."

"The barrier of a computer keyboard is replaced with a friendly and convenient graphical interface on smartcards inserted into an ergonomically designed, outwardly simple handheld device which incorporates sophisticated technology yet has no mechanisms or mechanical buttons."

"Its design ensures the product is used correctly first time and every time. Engineering and manufacturing details have been resolved with minimal complexity, ensuring cost efficiencies, durability and reliability."

Chairman of the engineering design panel and independent design consultant, Mr Cliff Green, said today: "The solar sailor was the best example of how good design can help the planet by delivering environmental sustainability."

ADA judge and adjunct Associate Professor of Mechanical and Manufacturing engineering at the University of NSW, Mr Alex Churches, said the solar sailor was: "One of those rare breakthroughs that encourages engineers to continue to develop innovative solutions to previously intractable problems."

Speaking at the awards presentation night at Melbourne's Crown Casino, Mr George Lewin, inventor of the Triton Workbench and founder of the multi-million dollar Triton Manufacturing, said: "Apart from the international exposure you receive by winning an Australian Design Award you also receive a vote of confidence, in your product, from an expert group which is a great confidence builder for young designers."

The other award winning world first products in this year's program were:

• The IGC Pram - the world's first, fully patented, four-wheel steerable stroller comprising more than 60 different components, all of which are built in Australia.



• The AxcessAustralia Concept Car - A revolutionary hybrid-electric car from the CSIRO that drastically reduces emissions.



• The Hunwick Harrop Phantom 1500 - the first completely Australian designed and manufactured motorbike;



• The TRUSSDEK - an ultra-lightweight steel formwork and reinforcement steel decking system.

Standards Australia International (SAI) developed the current Australian Design Awards program in 1991 to promote Australian design internationally.