In the not-too-distant future, you'll be able to wash your dishes without water, cook dinner right at your table, and wash and dry your clothes in the same machine. At least, that's what an international group of design students thinks. As part of a competition called Design Laboratory, sponsored by Electrolux, students from nine leading design institutions worldwide, including the U.S. University of Notre Dame, were asked to create appliances that might be commonplace in the year 2015. Rather than taking flights of futuristic fancy, the students conducted in-depth research into consumers' needs and designed practical appliances that could serve dual purposes, fit well in compact urban living spaces and help conserve environmental resources. The entries, unveiled in New York City in November, provide a glimpse of what appliances might be like in the years to come. They included: The Rockpool. From the design team at the University of New South Wales in Australia comes this washerless dishwasher, which took top honors in the competition. A radical shift from traditional box or drawer-system dishwashers, the Rockpool emphasizes ease of use and a unique design. Dish racks surface from a washing chamber for easy loading and unloading. Liquid carbon dioxide is used as the cleaning agent, eliminating the need for water and chemicals. The Washman. Second place went to design students from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who geared their invention toward men 25 to 40 years of age. In an effort to simplify the clothes-washing process, the students designed a combination washer and dryer, which they call the Washman, that will automatically scan clothes for fabric types and stains, choose an appropriate washing program, and wash and dry the clothes. The machine's washing drum doubles as a detachable laundry basket, which slides out with clean clothes, ready to be carried away. The 2015. Taking third place was a multifunctional table, called the 2015, that is a combination cooktop, worktop, eating area and desk area. Components include an inductive table, which powers appliances that are placed on top of it; a ceramic cooking tablet, so food can be heated right at the table; and a micro-ecology air unit, suspended above the cooking area, which converts steam and odors into plant food via specially engineered bio-organisms. Other entries included the Soho line of lightweight, stackable appliances from the Notre Dame team and the FooZoo fruit-and-vegetable storage unit from the Swedish team. Whether any of these appliances makes it to the consumer market remains to be seen, but they give us a glimpse at what is possible if designers are free to think outside the box. For more information, visit the Design Lab's website at http://designlab.electrolux.com">http://designlab.electrolux.com.