A shark detecting "security guard in the sea" and a portable dialysis machine are just two potentially life-saving devices designed by UNSW Industrial Design graduates.
A shark detecting "security guard in the sea" designed to preserve marine and human life, and a portable dialysis machine are just two potentially life-saving devices designed by UNSW Industrial Design graduates.
Triton ASV, designed by final year Industrial Design student Peter Calaitzopoulus, is an autonomous water vehicle that uses dual frequency identification sonar to relay high definition images to surf life-saving patrol towers, alerting life guards to sharks in the area.
Equipped with GPS and obstacle avoidance acoustics the vehicle can scout the surf unpiloted up to 5km from the shoreline offering an affordable and accurate alternative to aerial surveillance.
"Triton ASV has the capacity to prevent shark attacks without the destruction of by-catch and shark culling."
“Triton is a drone for the water, I call it the ‘security guard in the sea’,” said Calaitzopoulus who was determined to develop an environmentally friendly design to replace shark nets and drum-lines.
“I spent my childhood snorkelling in Jervis Bay where I developed a huge respect for the local flora and fauna. That’s what inspired me to design Triton ASV, it has the capacity to prevent shark attacks without the destruction of by-catch and shark culling,” Calaitzopoulus said.
Graduating student Marcus Lee has designed a potentially life-saving device called Vita, a user-friendly, portable dialysis machine for kidney disease patients living in remote communities.
The affordable and portable haemodialysis machine operates without power or purified water and can be used in the comfort of a patient’s home.
Kidney disease sufferers in remote communities could use the portable Vita dialysis machine, designed by graduate Marcus Lee, in the comfort of their homes.
The industrial designer travelled to remote communities in the Northern Territory to research his design idea. Supported by Western Desert Dialysis, Lee spent a week visiting patients in hospitals and at home and met with medical staff.
Lee said he wanted to provide a solution to the poor treatment outcomes and low survival rates that result from patients with kidney disease living in remote areas.
“It’s literally ‘plug and play’ with five main components connected to a digital interface,” says Lee.
“Once a patient has been trained to use it they can manage their treatment independently.”
“Patients were either skipping their dialysis treatment because it was too far to travel or they had been forced to leave their communities to live closer to a hospital which had a devastating effect on them emotionally."
“Patients were either skipping their dialysis treatment because it was too far to travel or they had been forced to leave their communities to live closer to a hospital which had a devastating effect on them emotionally. I realised I had to find a way take the dialysis machine to them.”
Discipline Director Stephen Ward said this year’s graduating students were focused on design proposals that contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and the community.
“Design for social good has emerged as a theme in recent graduate exhibitions. I think students are becoming increasingly disillusioned by the idea of a career redesigning consumer appliances and would rather make a difference in the world.”
More medical designs from UNSW Industrial Design students:
Liftsie – an assistive lifting device that reduces the risk of back injury for home carers
Speaksee – a kit of wearable bluetooth microphones that visualise conversations for those with profound hearing loss
Respia – a wearable asthma management system that tracks and records respiratory health and medication use
Navi – a wearable assistive device to help people with poor vision avoid obstacles
The Industrial Design exhibition has long been a launching pad for up and coming designers. UNSW alumnus Alfred Boyadgis started his own company Forcite Helmet Systems on the merits of a high-tech police motorcycle helmet he developed in his final year at UNSW, while many other graduates, including Boyadgis, have gone on to win prestigious Dyson design awards.
To view all the graduate designs download the catalogue.