Dezeen promotion: an all-electric jet developed to connect city centres with rural areas and a robot street sweeper that was designed to be approachable are among the five New Mobility winners at this year's iF Design Award.

Since 1953 the iF Design Award has been evaluating designs across product design, communication, packaging, service design, architecture, interior design, user interface and user experience.

This year, the awards had over 10,000 submissions, which were evaluated by the 98 international independent design experts from 21 countries on the iF jury.

The winners of this years' subject, New Mobility, include human-centred design solutions that aim to improve urban connectivity and infrastructure.

Below are the five iF gold award winners. Explore more winning designs on the iF Design Award's website.

Mobility Stations Osnabrück

German designer André Stocker created a series of modular units in Stadt Osnabrück, Germany, which can be configured as bicycle parking facilities, shelters or charging stations.

Designed to be "urban landmarks", the paired-back units are colour-coded so that users can easily identify their functions.

"The future of mobility is hybrid and Osnabrück is leading the way with this boldly designed mobility station," said the international, independent design experts of the iF jury. "The striking reduction in design and materials creates anchor points full of character, and is a great model of how cities can reduce their C02 emissions."

Project: Mobility Stations Osnabrück
Manufacturer: Stadt Osnabrück, Germany
Designer: André Stocker, Germany
Category: Public Design

E-PIT Ultra-fast Charger/EV charging station

Circus Design developed the E-PIT electric-car charger for car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group as part of its focus on human-centred mobility.

The charger was designed to improve user experience by addressing common complaints about electric vehicle chargers: bulky cables, unclear charging statuses, hygiene issues, complicated service use and unclear production and maintenance guidelines.

"Taking cues from a traditional petrol station, this charging station puts the needs of the user first with easy operation and personalised interaction," said the iF jury."Beneath the striking silhouette, all details are addressed from maintenance to hygiene."

Project: E-PIT Ultra-fast Charger/EV charging station
Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea
Designer: Citrus Design
Category: Automobiles/Vehicles

Halfway

Halfway is a foldable bike designed by industrial designer Chang Zan Yu and product engineer Ya Jie Rao. It was created as a user-centric solution to meet the needs of today's urban commuter with a "clean and uninterrupted style".

At the front of the bike, attached to the wheel, is a single-sided fork and chain-stay, allowing the bike to become compact when folded. This enables users to carry it on public transport or pack it into a car.

"This folding bicycle is elegant, intuitive and easy to use and maintain," said the iF jury. "The strong yet compact structure has ingenious features such as a sturdy front basket that doubles as a stand and a magnetic catch to hold it together when folded."

"Last-mile solutions have never been more important than they are today, and the new Halfway design is a winning design in every way."

Project: Halfway
Manufacturer: Giant Co., Ltd, China
Designer: Chang Zan Yu and Ya Jie Rao, China
Category: Sports/Outdoor/Bicycles

Interactive Intelligent Unmanned Sweeper / Unmanned street sweeper

Designed by Chinese designer Lan Wei for Jilin University, the Unmanned sweeper automatically cleans streets using precise sensors. The sweeper was designed to be approachable and not present a danger to people.

"Fascinating – this intelligent robot concept promotes the humble street sweeper to a city ambassador," said the iF jury. "The design fully utilises styling, proportion and lighting to humanise mundane algorithms."

"The strength in the concept is how it presents the incredible possibilities of a utilitarian machine with good design and technology."

Project: Interactive Intelligent Unmanned Sweeper/Unmanned street sweeper
Manufacturer: Jilin University, China
Designer: Lan Wei, China
Category: Professional Concept

Lilium/Aircraft

Lilium is an all-electric jet that is being designed to fly up to 300 kilometres in 60 minutes. The aircraft will form part of an electric mobility service designed to connect city centres and rural spaces across the world.

"Beautifully designed, the Lilium electric aircraft marks a giant step towards a new era in mobility," said the international iF jury. "The vertical take-off and landing capabilities and 300-kilometre range promise environmentally sustainable flight at a competitive price. This is a thrilling development in mobility design."

Project: Lilium/Aircraft
Manufacturer: Lilium GmbH, Germany
Designer: Lilium GmbH, Germany
Category: Professional Concept

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for iF Design Awards as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.