Totally Crushed: Redesigned Drink Can is Easier to Smash

The soda can is straightforward enough that it hasn’t been redesigned many times in its history. A subtle tweak here and there, of course, but nothing has really revolutionized the can. Whether it needs it or not is a question for another day, because designer Arman Emami has created something he calls the Handycan.

Shaped to conform to the average human hand, the Handycan may very well prevent condensation-coated cans from slipping and falling. But the focus of the design seems to be its ease of crushing and transportation.

The new can is meant to be easier to crush when empty thanks to the unique shape. Unlike traditional cans which bend into all sorts of weird shapes when you step on them, the Handycan always compresses into a predictable shape. That means that more of them should be able to fit into standard containers to take them to recycling facilities, cutting down on the fuel to get them there.

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See more in Industrial Design or under Technology. August, 2012.