xBand is an ultra-low-cost flat-packed leg splint system for use in disaster situations. In natural disasters, medical supplies are often in short supply due to their high unit prices and the difficulty of shipping them to the disaster site. In order to address these problems, xBand uses high-speed die-cut manufacturing and a flat-pack design to maximize the number of units in each shipment. Production to delivery and use can be achieved within the critical first 72 hours of a disaster.

Credits: University of Houston and Leo C.H. Chen
Contact: Leo Chen: leochen.uh@gmail.com

Too often, communication barriers exist between those who can hear and those who cannot. Sign language has helped bridge such gaps, but many people are still not fluent in its motions and hand shapes.

2011 SMA | Leo Chen, IDSA | University of Houston

When 14-year-old Leo Chen began dissecting computers in his native Taiwan, he had only a faint idea of what design was. His Chinese upbringing did predispose him to understanding harmony. With that deep appreciation of how things flow together, he has emerged from the University of Houston (UH) as a certified problem solver.

Its Dynamism and Efficacy

EunSook Kwon, Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture | University of Houston, Cheryl Becket | University of Houston, Ty Rarick | Pacific Design, Austin, Texas

Introduction

File attachments: 

Kwon_Beckett_Rarick-Connecting_Design_Industry_and_Education.pdf

EunSook Kwon, IDSA | University of Houston

Arvin Abadilla, IDSA | Essential Design

Arvin is currently working out of Boston, Massachusetts for Essential Design.

Originally drawn to industrial design by an interest in people, Arvin is a generalist who combines creative tools and technical skills to create simple solutions for systems-level design problems. He is an explorer in pursuit of discoveries that reveal opportunities for innovation.