FM radio that looks like a robot toy, signal tower or weathervane? that’s anomalo

Battery-powered Anomalo FM radio resembles robot toy

It’s rare for a battery-powered FM radio to appear these days, but Shinkogeisha brings back its golden days with its Anomalo series. The design studio crafts its device as if it were a transformable robot toy, signal tower, weathervane, or a combination of all. It is bright and colorful, unlike the traditional FM radios. The Anomalo device has five layers, each serving a specific function. Let’s start at the bottom. Not the circular base, but the first limb from below. It resembles a rocket or a flashlight, and when the user pulls the tab, it reveals the battery’s casing.

The second limb, the one with a bright yellow grille, is the speaker of the Anomalo FM radio. On its upper left, the third limb, there’s a compass-like dial with numbers imprinted on it. Beside it, a red spinner sits, the control of the dial. These two work together to switch Anomalo FM radio’s frequency. As for the volume of the device, it’s the role of the fourth limb and its red slider. At the top, there’s a blue hat. It holds the body together, and it’s the home to the stowable antenna (yes, the device isn’t wireless, unlike, again, traditional radios).

all images courtesy of Shinkogeisha and New Craft Shop

There’s also a clock that looks like it’s hovering

Shinkogeisha first introduced its Anomalo FM radio in 2024. The design studio says that it only produces the product based on orders (the delivery usually takes one or two months). The word ‘Anomalo’ is not just for the radio. It’s a series that focuses on making products using digital tools like 3D printing or laser cutting. The studio’s idea is to steer away from mass-produced technology: copying and producing the same device in hundreds of quantities. Under Anomalo, the objects are only made when ordered, like the FM radio.

The radio isn’t alone in the series. There’s also a clock made of three stacked slabs. Only the first two move: one indicates the hour while the other tells the minutes. They seem to hover in the air as these two slabs are attached to the main stem. It is also battery powered, and its style echoes what Shinkogeisha does with its Anomalo series: giving a modern flair to traditional designs. For the studio, artisans and small-scale creators don’t have to follow the typical image and designs posed and imposed by brands and other high-end products.

the red spinner switches the frequency

the stowable antenna hides in the middle

the battery is in the first ring from the bottom, the one inside the flashlight-like green tube

there are four limbs or sections in the radio design

detailed view of the limbs’ design

as seen, view of the frequency

project info:

name: Anomalo FM radio

design: Shinkogeisha | @shinkogeisha

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