Press Release
Bronze A' Design Award in Street Furniture Design Goes to Sympole Smart Interactive Light Pole System by Rooster Lighting Co., Ltd. and Tcid Ltd.
Rooster Lighting Co., Ltd. and Tcid Ltd. recognized for street furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 15, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Sympole Smart Interactive Light Pole System by Rooster Lighting Co., Ltd. and Tcid Ltd., designed for Rooster Lighting Co., Ltd., has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Street Furniture Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 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 evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About Sympole Smart Interactive Light Pole System
Sympole is a modular smart light pole system for streets, residential areas and public spaces. The pole is 5000 millimeters tall and 180 millimeters in diameter, with an anodized aluminum alloy casing, while module housings are made of recycled plastic and low carbon steel. The modular interface accepts smart lighting, network base stations, sensors, cameras, screens or furniture. Sensors and network connections allow the lighting to adjust automatically, for example guiding light for crowds and warmer tones in ecologically sensitive areas.
About Rooster Lighting Co., Ltd. and Tcid Ltd.
Tang-cao Design, founded in 2000 and based in Tainan, Taiwan, is a multidisciplinary design company with integrated capabilities in engineering development, industrial design, spatial planning, and exhibition curation. Guided by a human-centered design approach and supported by over two decades of professional experience, the firm provides systematic and integrated design services to clients both domestically and internationally. Tang-cao Design specializes in design strategy, connecting market insights with industry needs to develop comprehensive solutions that balance communication, aesthetic expression, and manufacturability.
Award Record
With this recognition, Rooster Lighting Co., Ltd. and Tcid Ltd. is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Street and City Furniture Design Award
The A' Street Furniture Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good street furniture designs by leading designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to street furniture designers, industrial design studios, street furniture brands and street furniture manufacturers from all countries. Typical entries include benches, bollards, bus shelters, bicycle racks, litter bins and planters. The awarded street furniture designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/street-furniture
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/176932
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/176932
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!176932
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/373102
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
###
Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Sympole Smart Interactive Light Pole System
- Function
- Smart Interactive Light Pole System
- Category
- Street Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Social Impact
- Colors
- Dark Gray, Dark Slate Gray, Gainsboro, White Smoke and Silver
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Rooster Lighting Co., Ltd.
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Rooster Lighting Co., Ltd. and Tcid Ltd.
- Country
- Taiwan (China)
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #176932
Credits
- Team
- TU,WEN-CHIEH, LI,YUAN-WEN, CHIU,WAN-JU, YEH,YAO-CHUNG and LU,I-AN
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The SymPole redefines urban infrastructure. With real-time AI analysis and low-latency network connections, it can sense and respond to its environment, proactively detecting and addresing needs of residents and guiding crowds. Unlike traditional light poles, the SymPole focuses on the pulse of the city, turning raw data into a modular, human-centric interface that enables cities to become smart entities capable of self-adjustment and modular expansion.
- Inspiration
- The design of SymPole is meant to address pain points in cities through real-time sensing and action. By focusing on transforming the city (so it can understand and respond to its surroundings) instead of just linking data, the SymPole injects emotion into urban environments, integrating AI, sensors, and low-lag networks to become the neurons of the city. This modular design, inspired by a human nervous system, allows SymPoles to work together to perform tasks such as adjusting illumination.
- Research
- Analyses of similar projects from around the world found that traditional light poles lack a cohesive environment and interactivity. A workshop with 30 participants from a variety of sectors was held to determine the requirements and applications for this project. A prototype, developed through simulations and 3D printing, was created for proof of concept of the lighting, modules, and interface. The results showed how data-oriented platforms can become collaborative, expressive infrastructure.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was to transform light poles from single-purpose lighting facilities into the neurons of a city, striking a balance between technology and emotion. Design thinking and cross-sector workshops were used to determine the system framework and modular interface, and ensuring compatibility, maintainability, and expandability. The result was a modular urban neuron that is flexible, simple, and smart, forming the basis for sensing and lighting in the cities of the future.
- Realization and Technology
- The technology of SymPole is centered on modularity and sustainability. With an anodized high-strength aluminum alloy casing as well as module housings made of recycled plastic and low-carbon steel, the structure encompasses both durability and low carbon emissions. CNC precision machining and modular connectors enable quick assembly, and plug-and-play components enable easy upgrades. The lighting system uses high-efficiency LEDs. The design ensures durability, scalability, and circular economy.
- Operation and Interaction
- The SymPole works intuitively, with no learning process needed for users. Instead, it automatically makes adjustments as needed: Red lights and notifying the authorities in an accident, white lights and health reminders during severe air pollution, guiding lights when there are crowds, and dimmer and warmer light tones for ecologically sensitive areas. The interface can also be used for inquiries, and the system can automatically and actively detect when expansions or upgrades are needed.
- Project Duration and Location
- This project was initiated in July, 2023 in Taiwan, and design was completed in September, 2025 in Taiwan.
- Specifications
- The SymPole is 5000mm tall, 180mm in diameter, and has a 350*500mm base. It is suitable for streets, homes, and public spaces. The modular interface can accept 40-120W smart lighting, 5G/6G base stations, sensors, cameras, screens, or furniture, and is also compatible with Wi-Fi 6E, LoRa, and NB-IoT. It uses 110-220V AC power but is also compatible with solar panels or batteries. The aluminum alloy structure features IP65 protection, 45m/s wind resistance, and weather resistance of 10 years.
- Keywords
- SmartPole, CityEmpathy, FutureUrbanLife, UrbanForesight, AIoTDesign, SmartModularity, FutureProofDesign
