Some women face complications during pregnancy that force them to make frequent hospital visits for ultrasound testing. The Peapod Home Ultrasound System is a prescription-based product that alleviates any accompanying anxieties by communicating data to doctors and qualified technicians around the clock from the comfort of the mother’s own home.

Credits: Gregory H. Schultz of California College of the Arts
Contact: Gregory Schultz: greg@gregschultz.me

Haptica is a moveable Braille timepiece that provides a quick and accurate time reading. Current Braille timepieces only help the user orient the watch hands in relation to the watch face but can lead to an inaccurate time assessment. Digital devices use sound to communicate the time, thus inhibiting the user from checking their watch unnoticed. Haptica provides the perfect solution by displaying a real-time readout in Braille using a military time format. The wearer simply scans along the Braille channel with their finger to check the time.

During the cycling portion of a triathlon, athletes are constantly switching between two different handlebars, depending on the terrain. SplitStream has simplified this process by combining the functionality of separate handlebars in one unit. A hinge mechanism at the center reconfigures the handlebars between a wide configuration for accelerating, decelerating, climbing and turning through corners and a compact, elongated position that optimizes aerodynamics for flats and straightaways.

The U-Cap solves the difficulties many users experience when trying to open a plastic bottle. The soft asymmetric curve of the U-Cap provides enough torque to allow even users with limited strength to open it. Furthermore, the use of biodegradable plastic makes the U-Cap more eco-friendly.

Credits: Jeong-Hoon Cha and Jung Chan-Min of Ulsan University and Cho Hun of Seoul National University
Contact: Jeong Hoon Cha: vision5555@hanmail.net

Close Up is an art lab table that provides a collaborative learning experience by stimulating children’s curiosity when drawing. With pleasant organic qualities, it has an inviting light feature that facilitates tracing, sketching and observation. Even more attractive for kids, Close Up has portable containers for gathering samples, such as bugs and leaves. Embedded in each container’s lid is a magnification lens, giving children the chance to get a closer look at their finds.

The Stopener is a great leap forward from conventional pull-tab mechanisms on metal drink cans. Besides opening the can, the stopener can protect the unconsumed contents. Previously, you have to be careful that nothing falls into the can to contaminate it when you're drinking. You also have to make sure to keep the can upright so the contents don’t spill. The Stopener relieves all these concerns. Simply turn the tab halfway to seal the opening, and your beverage will be fresh for when you next need to have a drink.

Existing radiation treatments for prostate cancer can damage healthy tissue. Calypso, a medical start-up, had a revolutionary idea. By injecting a transponder into cancerous tissue, radiation could be better targeted at the tumor, sparing healthy tissue. However, Calypso’s innovative technology needed to be packaged into a product and a procedure that oncologists would accept as a viable alternative to existing methods.

Respiratory system diseases are a huge health problem in Colombia. Los Andes University of Bogota and the Colombian Pneumology Foundation developed a system to acquire and store information about the essential parameters of a patient’s respiratory mechanics when on ventilator support. Interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering, medicine and design produced the Medivent, which measures respiratory flow and pressure, the electric activity of the respiratory muscles and other metrics.

Infusion therapy is not about pumps and solutions. It is about delivering care and the broader customer experience. The purpose of this design research initiative was to build a stronger connection between Cardinal Health and the people who use its technology. The research changed the definition of Cardinal's business and redefined success in the eyes of executives.

Credits: Robert Marchant, Goo Sung, Homer Fairley and Arthur Wu, IDSA of Modo Inc.
Client: Cardinal Health
Contact: Bob Marchant: b.marchant@modocarts.com

This performance study provided the basis for the development of a new global design standard for commercial air travel that will enhance every aspect of in-flight food service, including logistics, menu planning, ground-based food preparation and handling, aircraft catering, and the activities and experiences of flight attendants and passengers.