Hankook Tire's "iFLEX Gen 2" and "Medi Buddy" Win Best of the Best at Red Dot Award
Sweeps Two Best of the Best and Four Main Awards
Presents an Innovative Vision for Future Mobility
Hankook Tire & Technology announced on August 26 that it won two Best of the Best awards and four main awards in the Design Concept category at the highly prestigious "Red Dot Design Award 2026."
The "iFLEX Gen 2," which received a Best of the Best award, is a next-generation airless concept tire optimized for future electric vehicles and autonomous driving environments. Building on the first-generation iFLEX unveiled in 2015 through continuous research and development, the design has been enhanced with the industry's first circumferential spoke structure. This innovation not only achieves aesthetic completeness but also reduces noise and improves driving stability.
Medi Buddy, a futuristic medical mobility design developed through an industry-academia collaboration between Hankook Tire and the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, also received a Best of the Best award. By utilizing autonomous driving and AI technology, this smart IV device interacts with pediatric patients to alleviate anxiety and promote psychological stability. Its innovation and potential as a future mobility solution have been widely recognized.
The "Bladder Upcycling Series" from the upcycling project "REMOVE," "Concept S," which envisions the future of tires made entirely from eco-friendly materials by 2050, the spherical concept tire "Wheelbot2" capable of omnidirectional 360-degree movement, and the smart urban canopy design "Bloom" each received main awards.
Concept S (from the top left clockwise), Wheelbot2, Bladder Upcycling Series, Bloom. Hankook Tire
View original imageThese award-winning works will be featured in a special exhibition at the "Red Dot Design Museum" in Singapore.
Hot Picks Today
[Exclusive] "Are We Supporting Chinese Families Too?"... National Pension Handouts Extend to Overseas Parents and Children of Foreigners
- "Banks Roll Out 'High-Interest Specials' Offering Up to 7-13% a Year: 'Why Not Choose Savings Over Stocks?'"
- President Lee Meets Local Government Heads: "No Future for South Korea if Metropolitan Crisis and Regional Extinction Remain Unresolved" (Comprehensive)
- "Prices Plunged by 40%": After Buying from Korea, Japan Faces Crisis Over Surplus Rice
- Having This Habit in the Office... Your Keyboard Gets Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat
Since becoming the first Korean company to win the "Luminary" award at Red Dot in 2015, Hankook Tire has continued its success by winning the "iF" Gold in 2016 (the first in the tire industry), and the "IDEA" Bronze in 2017, thereby sweeping all three of the world's major design awards.
© The Asia Business Daily. All rights reserved. Unauthorized AI training and use prohibited.