Products and Services

Meiden wins Good Design Award 2017 for operation and measurement system unit for automotive test equipment

2017-10-04

Meidensha Corporation (Meiden) has won a Good Design Award for fiscal 2017 for MEIDACS II, an operation and measurement system unit for automotive test equipment. MEIDACS II is used by domestic and foreign customers alike to design and develop cars.

Japan Institute of Design Promotion, organizers of the award program, highly evaluated MEIDACS II’s space-saving and comfortable design, which also lets users operate the system unit with ease.

In designing MEIDACS II, Meiden has harnessed roughly 100 years of know-how acquired from supplying automotive test system units to carmakers in Japan and abroad. Meiden will use the award win as a springboard to further improve the quality of its product line and strive to provide optimal solutions to its customers.
 
Product name: MEIDACS II

Outline: MEIDACS II
MEIDACS II is an operation and measurement system unit for automotive test equipment, which requires engine-testing benches for testing vehicle exhaust gas emissions, fuel efficiency, and durability. The modular system can be configured as a desk, standing desk and a control panel. All are designed so that users can conduct maintenance work from the front. The unit’s design thus eliminates space for conducting maintenance tasks from the rear – i.e., between a wall and the rear of the equipment – allowing more user space for operations and, as a result, more comfort. The standing desk can accommodate equipment equivalent in size to that of the control panel but operates similarly to that of the desk. The system functions well as a terminal for durability testing and centralized control.

Background for designing MEIDACS II
Operation and measurement system units for automobile testing equipment need to carry out several tasks associated with the testing and development of cars for extended periods of time. Constant efforts have been made to improve the performance of such testing equipment units, but not enough consideration has been made for their efficiency and ease of use. Meiden developed the MEDAICS II system because enabling users to carry out tests for extended hours without stress and mistakes and making it easier for them to run maintenance checks will facilitate client experimentation in automobile development.

Comments from designers
“We developed MEDAICS II with a goal to make the unit easy and comfortable to use for customers who perform automotive experiments. The unit allows enough room for a user to extend his or her legs while sitting at the desk. Users have enough room to work even when documents or an additional measurement device – which can be plugged directly into the desk – is placed on the desk. This functionality reduces the probability of making mistakes even when users are tired from conducting experiments over extended periods of time. MEDAICS II lets people use space more effectively, perform maintenance tasks without problems and personalize their unit’s configuration. Please try MEDAICS II for yourself; it is an ideal ‘fort’ for researchers.”

Evaluation from Good Design Award judges
The product succeeds in storing devices and other necessary items within a small working space, while also easing maintenance work processes. In particular, the easy-to-maintain standing panel that can separate the front section from the rear part boasts high storage efficiency. Devices running in the background while users are working are stored inside to eliminate visual noise, improving concentration on the tasks at hand. We have learned about this first-hand. Interfaces involving desktop PC displays are organized in an easy-to-understand manner. From hardware to software, the system is meticulously designed.

Reference link:
Meiden Automotive Test Systems
http://www.meidensha.com/products/automobile/

Joining in GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2017

A one-fifth-size replica of MEIDACS II will be exhibited at GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2017, which showcases the latest in good design, as one of award-winning design from November 1 at Tokyo Midtown.

GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2017
Dates: November 1 (Wednesday) to November 5 (Sunday)
Venue: Tokyo Midtown (Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo)

http://www.g-mark.org/gde2017/

What is the Good Design Award?
The Good Design Award is Japan’s only comprehensive system for evaluating and promoting products using good design. Its origins are based in a system launched in 1957 to select well-designed products. It has since grown into an internationally revered design award due to participation from companies and organizations from Japan and abroad. The G mark, which is a logo given to Good Design Award recipients, is widely recognized as a symbol of good design.

https://www.jidp.or.jp/en/gooddesign/award

Press contacts:

Meidensha Corporation
General Affairs & Public Relations Division
Tel: +81-3-6420-8100