The IKEA LAGA unit is an interactive surface used both as a touch-screen and as a stove. Its purpose is to reduce the impact our food habits have on the environment, it does so by showing how to cook with seasonal ingredients and/or using other ingredients we have at our disposal.
The brief was to develope a concept of what the kitchen could be in the year 2025. What function will it have in our lives? Will there still be a need for a kitchen as we are heading towards a “take-away” society?
Concept sketches
We chose to work on a concept that focused on helping people cook seasonally and make the cooking experience a social activity. The social factor was a recurring topic during interviews as one of the strongest motivation for people to cook.
The design consists of an interactive working surface that acts as both a stove and a touch screen. This unit can replace part of or the full working bench/surface in the current kitchen and thereby limiting the work neccessary to upgrade the kitchen. The software then connects to a network ready to inspire and assist users in the cooking process.
By offering audio and video interaction users can either connect to cooking classes led by professional chefs or cook together between units with friends and family from anywhere in the world.
Users are guided through the cooking process by showing them how to successfully cook and follow recipes. This is done by using weight sensors and cameras that analyze items placed on it, from this it indicates the amount needed of each ingredient, temperature required, time, and even instructs where to chop, fillet, or how fast to stir.
This overview shows the user flow throughout the system. Each part connects back to a social aspect of the cooking process, this is to help encourage users to plan, explore, and cook meals together.
The project was further development by IDEO and displayed at the Milan Design Fair in 2015. In the video you can see how the high-end prototype looked and worked.
