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Morphing Dinner Trays

The Smart Tray Transforms into Whatever Dishware You Need

— July 24, 2013 — Art & Design
The Smart Tray is a portable morphing surface that transforms into whatever dishware you need. Created by designer Ryan Jongwoo Choi, the Smart Tray has a surface that raises to form plates and bowls in any arrangement. As a result, there's only one thing that you have to clean at the end of every meal.

Choi developed the Smart Tray in order to help young single professionals save time and carry their food efficiently. Since these people often eat alone, having a tray that meets all of their needs allows them to conserve space while saving on cleaning time.

The Smart Tray works by using multiple shape memory alloys to transform the surface of the tray. Coating the surface of the tray is metal rubber.
Trend Themes
1. Portable Morphing Surfaces - The Smart Tray demonstrates the trend of portable morphing surfaces, offering opportunities for innovative products that transform into various forms and meet different needs.
2. Space-saving Dishware - The Smart Tray highlights the trend of space-saving dishware, suggesting potential for disruptive innovations that provide compact and customizable dining solutions.
3. Shape Memory Alloys - The use of shape memory alloys in the Smart Tray indicates a trend towards smart materials that can change shape and form, presenting possibilities for disruptive innovations in various industries.
Industry Implications
1. Food and Beverage - The food and beverage industry can explore the use of portable morphing surfaces like the Smart Tray to provide convenient and customizable dining experiences for customers.
2. Home and Kitchen Appliances - The home and kitchen appliances industry can leverage the concept of space-saving dishware showcased by the Smart Tray to develop innovative and compact kitchenware products.
3. Material Science - The field of material science can further research and develop shape memory alloys to create smart materials that have applications across industries, including dining, medicine, and robotics.
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