HAMK’s smart sleeve wins gold in European design competition and silver at global level
The Spiritus Ludi smart sleeve developed at Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) has won a Gold Award at the European Design Awards 2026. The award was granted in the Product Design – Concept (International) category. Following this recognition, the smart sleeve advanced to the international World Design Awards programme under the Better Future Awards framework, where it received a Silver Award.
Spiritus Ludi is a smart sleeve combining intelligent textiles and a digital service. Its purpose is to strengthen team spirit and interaction among remotely operating esports teams. Through the sleeve, players can send encouraging touch gestures, such as digital high-fives, to one another in real time, even when they are not physically in the same location.
The awards are part of the Better Future Awards, an international design awards programme focusing on future-oriented solutions, technology, sustainability, and social impact. The European Design Awards represent the programme’s regional European level. In addition to design quality, the competition evaluates the underlying thinking, research foundation, and development potential of the solutions.
“The international design award is a meaningful recognition of our high-quality, multidisciplinary, long-term, and human-centred design work. It is especially valuable that our solution has been recognised in a competition where design quality is assessed from multiple perspectives. The award encourages us to continue our work with even greater ambition”, says Satu Jumisko-Pyykkö, Lead Principal Research Scientist from Häme University of Applied Sciences
Spiritus Ludi has been tested in collaboration with several esports teams. According to user research, technology-mediated touch can strengthen a team’s sense of belonging, the sharing of positive emotions, and a constructive team atmosphere, all of which contribute to effective teamwork in digital environments.
It is especially valuable that our solution has been recognised in a competition where design quality is assessed from multiple perspectives.
Satu Jumisko-Pyykkö, Lead Principal Research Scientist, Häme University of Applied Sciences
The Product Design – Concept category recognises solutions that are in an early stage of development and not yet widely available commercially. In the case of Spiritus Ludi, the award coincides with a phase in which the smart sleeve is progressing from research towards product development and market readiness.
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