Press Release
Unisync Microscopic Control Handle by Chen Xu Wins the Silver A' Design Award in Scientific Instruments and Research Equipment Design
Chen Xu honored for scientific instruments and research equipment design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 25, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Unisync Microscopic Control Handle by Chen Xu, designed for Widgtech, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Scientific Instruments and Research Equipment Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
About Unisync Microscopic Control Handle
Unisync is a control handle designed for microscopes in artificial intelligence based cell morphology inspection systems. The handle allows one hand to move the microscope stage along three axes, leaving the other hand free to operate the computer. Unisync connects directly to the microscope instead of working through software, which keeps latency low and control precise. The joystick increases speed as it is moved further from the center. The symmetrical form suits both left and right handed users. The body is made of injection molded ABS with a silver gray finish.
About Chen Xu
As a design studio in China, “SX” stands for Chinese “ShangXiang” which taken from “Yi Chuan”. The name expounds our core opinion: To build significance of daily life through the observation, extraction, abstraction and reorganization of phenomena. sxdesign creates and values languages and ideas of client and user, such as requirements, knowledge, or the attitude of sxdesign itself.
Award Record
Chen Xu is a winner of 17 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards were granted between the 2020 - 2021 and the 2024 - 2025 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Scientific Instruments and Research Equipment Design Award
The A' Scientific Instrument Design Award is an international competition recognizing good scientific instruments by leading designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to scientific instrument designers, research equipment designers, industrial designers and mechanical engineers from all countries. Typical entries include microscopes, spectrometers, chromatographs, centrifuges, oscilloscopes and telescopes. The awarded scientific instrument designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/scientific-instrument
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/169738
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/169738
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!169738
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/304255
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Unisync Microscopic Control Handle
- Function
- Microscopic Control Handle
- Category
- Scientific Instruments and Research Equipment Design
- Discipline
- Service Design
- Industry
- Manufacturing and Education
- Colors
- Light Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Dark Gray, Silver and Dark Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Widgtech
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Chen Xu
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #169738
Credits
- Team
- Liu Beibei, Chen Xu, Li Shulong, Zhang Mingjie, Dr. Zhang Rong, Hao Qian, Huang Hao and Wu Fangbo
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This handle is designed for AI cell morphology inspection system, aiming to enhance medical staff efficiency and reduce fatigue in a more accurate, reliable, and user-friendly way. Low latency and precise control are ensured by connecting directly to the microscope rather than using software. The design combines a single-handed grip with intuitive, fluid interaction, meeting the need to operate the computer simultaneously and reducing healthcare worker fatigue.
- Inspiration
- Traditional microscopes present cumbersome operation in cellular morphology examination, hindering AI system efficiency. To optimize workflow and reduce operator fatigue, this control handle integrates tri-axis movement into a single-handed design. Furthermore, direct connection to the microscope ensures low latency and precise human-machine collaboration. Speed control is achieved through intuitive joystick offset, providing a more user-friendly and simplified interaction.
- Research
- Cell morphology testing is crucial in disease diagnosis. Through communication with pathologists and technicians, we found the traditional microscope operation cumbersome and inefficient, limiting AI system performance. Additionally, intelligent microscopes with software introduce latency and store unscreened data, wasting resources. This project effectively integrates pathologists' real needs into the microscope control handle design, improving operational efficiency.
- Challenge
- The core challenge of the project is how to integrate tri-axis control within limited space, ensuring independent and non-interfering operation of XY and Z axes. In addition, the ergonomic design is also a challenge with the need for microscope precision and stability. The design of the handle also needs to harmonize the comfort and aesthetics of the medical device to create an innovative product that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
- Realization and Technology
- ABS injection molding. Silver - gray metal spray painting.
- Operation and Interaction
- The control handle can be directly connected to the microscope within the AI Inspection System, with an indicator light showing the data transfer status between the microscope and the computer. The symmetrical design does not limit the user's dominant hand. While holding the handle, the thumb and index finger naturally rest on the joystick, enabling easy operation of the microscope stage's tri-axis movement. The speed increases as the joystick is offset further.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in July 2024 in Beijing and finished in January 2025 in Beijing.
- Keywords
- Microscopic Control Handle, single-handed , user-friendly, convenient Interaction
