E XH I B ITION H IG H LIG HTS 12-15 JUNE 2014, BARGEHOUSE, OXO TOWER, LONDON
About 12-15 June, Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, London
Established in 2006, Made in Brunel is a student led showcase of creativity from Brunel’s designers, engineers and innovators. So far this year we have hosted a series of networking events and taken steps to strengthen our links with industry, but the highlight will be our summer exhibition in Central London. The projects will range from human-centred designs to innovations in transport, sustainability and behaviour change. We will also be presenting our thoughts on the future directions of well-known brands, based on predicted contextual issues in society over the next 15 years. Join us to meet the people behind the projects featured in this newspaper, who will be amongst the 200 exhibitors at the show, and gain further insight into their development process. We are open dailiy 11am - 6pm.
Special Events Thursday 12th June 11:00 - 16:00 School Workshop
18:30 – 20:30 Pecha Kucha Presentation Evening
A workshop run by the James Dyson Foundation to encourage students to pursue a career in design and engineering. (Invite Only)
Presentations from renowned speakers in Design, Engineering and Digital Media.
Friday 13th June 12:00 – 14:00 Co-Innovate Networking Lunch How SMEs can access Brunel talent to support innovation and business growth, including stories from successful Brunel graduates.
15:00 – 17:00 Brand Visions Concepts for future products and services will be presented and discussed by the next generation of designers and innovators.
Saturday 14th June 14:00 – 17:00 Design Masters 2025 An alumni retrospective on 20 years of Brunel Design Masters together with discussion on the future of Design Strategy.
18:00 – 20:30 Made in Brunel Alumni Networking Evening A networking evening for graduates of Brunel University, along with staff and current students from the University.
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
Exhibition Plan How to Get Around
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7 Masters 8 Brand Visions 9 Presentation Room
New Designers 02-05 July, London Business Design Centre New Designers is the UK’s most important graduate design exhibition, full of innovation and fresh thinking. The show sees over 3,000 of the most talented, newly graduated designers from the UK’s leading universities come together to exhibit in one spectacular venue - the Business Design Centre, London. New Designers will feature some of Brunel’s brightest design students exhibiting their work at the Business Design Centre. Students will be displaying a variety of projects ranging from innovative solutions to real world problems through to future concepts for well known brands.
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MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
Only the Beginning The Made in Brunel Team Managed by a select group of final year volunteers, Made in Brunel 14 has been taken in a new direction as we aim to reflect the unique values of our year group. Focused on the aspirations of the soon to be graduate designers, engineers and digital media students across the University, the introduction of a new theme has provided a foundation for much of our work this year. We see this opportunity to exhibit our work not as the conclusion of our time at Brunel, but rather as the start of our careers. Graduating from Brunel is not the end of our journey; it is Only the Beginning.
Jo Barnard
Rob Bye
Managing Director
Managing Director
Rebecca Ash
Rhian Bache
Publications Manager
Events Manager
Rob Millar
Charlotte Hickey
Marketing Manager
Communications Manager
George Smart
Mario Vassiliades
Brand Manager
Web Manager
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
Contents
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Safety in Aboriculture
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Inclusive Food Preparation
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Encouraging Wildlife Engagement
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Diagnosing Concussion in Rugby
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Courses at Brunel
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JCB Cab Lighting
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Screwless Glasses
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Flexible Cycling Shoe System
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Recycling Plastic for 3D Printers
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James Dyson Foundation
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Design at Brunel
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Tripod Head for Wildlife and Sport
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Reconnecting People With Food
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Passive Speech Transmission
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Bio-reactive Tactile Expiry Label
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24hr Design Challenge
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Enabling Education in Africa
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Brunel Facilities
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Made in Brunel
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Exoskeleton For Older People
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Multi-Sensory Learning Toy
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Made in Brunel Exhibition
Gabe Oliver
Enya Williams
What people study
Neethu Mathew
Matthew Buckland
What we learn
Alex Godbold
Solveiga Pakštaitė
Rob Bye
Rob Bye and Jo Barnard
Arooj Hussain
Siân King
Tom Adcock
Rob Millar
Jack Gover
Fiona Spencer
Rob Stokes
Sam Whyman
Dave Walker
Our Workshops and Studios
Rory Southworth
When to visit us
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
Safety in Aboriculture Gabe Oliver
Arboriculture is a dangerous business. The UK severe accident rate is 60 times greater than the average industry, largely due to falls from height during tree work. This project principally focused on trying to find a way to alter existing rope systems used during tree work to try to manage this level of safety without affecting the arborist’s ability to move freely within the tree. Previous attempts to meet the legislative requirements have failed to address the arborist’s inherent need to make their job as easy as possible. Research into the industry indicated that older, more experienced users are more liable to accidents due to psychological overconfidence and therefore less focus on safety in favour of freedom of movement. The majority of the project focused on the development of a rope locking mechanism that could be applied to a two sided, independently adjustable device. Due to the nature of the arboriculture industry, the function of the product was by far the most important and interesting aspect, and therefore required the most attention. This design process led to the generation of an auto-locking mechanism that can be clipped into by the user, utilising an opposing
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friction surface to trap the rope but, when rotated, will gradually release and lower the user. The theory was that if the device could provide a means of using two ropes that were independently adjustable by the user, then two points of contact could be maintained without affecting the user’s manoeuvrability around the tree. In this way, if one rope was to fail for any reason, such as accidental severing during chainsaw use, the other rope will still be fully functional and capable of preventing an uncontrolled fall. Through testing and evaluation, several versions of this mechanism were developed in order to find the best function possible. Using a staggered system of weights and, in accordance with relevant legislation, the prototypes were tested by up to 100kg on a single side of the device. This provided a significant safety factor well above the actual requirements of the device. The final design requires extensive user testing to refine the functional details, but by being centred around the device function, the project has the best possible chance of success. For more information please visit: www.behance.net/GabeOliverDesign
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Encouraging Wildlife Engagement Enya Williams
“My wireframes are covered in mud, there are bits of cardboard and plastic prototypes littered around the classroom, the ten yearold occupiers of which are busy pointing out the flaws in my designs and what I can do to make it much better.” This is a note made in my Logbook, written after a school workshop session three months into the project; it sums it up rather well. Citizen science can be a very useful ‘tool’ for undertaking research and monitoring, whilst also engaging the public. Due to the diversity of available schemes there are many ways for volunteers to be a part of doing real science. Initial research pointed out the need for a system which Biodiversity Record Keeping bodies can adapt to their needs, standardising the way schemes are presented to schools. Little Big Finds is rooted in providing children with a deeper sense of connection
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with wildlife by sparking that initial interest. Intended to be a sustainable platform, it was developed with users in mind. Through a series of school workshops and contact with the National Wildlife Trust, the requirements and intent of various elements were defined. The proposed design challenges children to take control of their learning experience by teaching practical skills of making, fostering a closer connection with the natural environment and providing a platform for reciprocal learning between users. Playing on the use of transects in monitoring wildlife, children mark out their own ‘Square’. This will be replicated digitally with the app. Activities curated by the users and Wildlife Trusts challenge them to explore and record the wildlife within the Square. ‘Finds’ are logged and added to a digital avatar, and can then be shared online. As different localities make different discoveries,
the concept focuses on using self-directed learning principles to encourage children to pursue their own learning journeys.
The proposed design challenges children to take control of their learning experience Makerscopes are a series of 3D printed compound microscopes, intended as a cheap and accessible way for primary school classes to have a closer look at the natural world. The Makerscopes provide a crucial element of ownership. Built by children, their purpose is to teach practical skills of assembly and an experimential knowledge of how things work. For more information visit: www.behance.net/EnyaWilliams
FIND THIS PROJECT IN ROOM 5 - LIFESTYLE
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
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Courses at Brunel Number of Students
Electronic Eng. 83 63
Digital Design
59
Aerospace Eng.
65 121 46
23 Design
Mechanical Eng.
Civil Eng.
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Motorsport Eng.
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
Hingeless Glasses Neethu Mathew
“Screws are the bane of the optician’s life� - Optician, 2013. This statement is something that resonates with many spectacle users who at some point have experienced the frustration of the fragility of glasses. Screws are known to work themselves loose due to spectacle frames being constantly opened and closed. The size of the screws makes the reassembly cumbersome and this ongoing exasperation is the inspiration behind this project. Through the use of super-elastic temples made from a material called Nitinol, the need for screws and their maintenance is made redundant. Nitinol is an alloy made from nickel and titanium. Nickel is one of the most common materials that can create allergic reactions to certain users; therefore, the spectacle
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construction is coated with a supplemental Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating, which is an ideal candidate for biocompatible coatings to protect the wearer from the underlying materials. It is used in numerous applications from coronary artery stents to coating drill bits for increased durability. The final hinge mechanism has been developed through a process of iterative physical prototyping, from cardboard modelling and working with stainless steel, to the specified material itself. The DLC coating has never been applied onto a similar shape of the proposed spectacle side frame design, so it has been an interesting and exciting journey experimenting and developing the process. Through the advice of Professor Tony Anson, a leading
expert in this field, and Nico Nelson, a PhD student at Brunel University, we have been experimenting with the DLC coating process to find the optimum parameters that will create an ideal and uniform coating. Early test runs have shown promise, but developments are still being carried out to find the optimum coating parameters. The final concept and prototypes have been tested with users, opticians and eyewear manufacturers and have received positive results, proving the concept to be a credible and innovative addition to the eyewear industry. For more information visit: www.behance.net/N-Mathew
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Recycling Plastic for 3D Printers Matthew Buckland
Desktop 3D printers have now become commonplace in businesses, schools and even the home. The majority of these machines employ a process called Fused Deposition Modelling to manufacture objects. This involves melting a plastic filament and extruding the molten material, layer upon layer, to build up an item. The final products tend to be prototypes or small models. However, unsuccessful prints and unwanted models are likely to end up in landfill. With the increased adoption of this technology, a more sustainable end of life scenario is necessary for these printed objects. The aim of this project was to investigate methods of recycling plastic waste into filament feedstock for desktop 3D printers. Plastic waste could include old 3D printed models along with common packaging plastics such as PET and HIPS, as
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these plastics have proven to be extremely reliable for 3D printing.
The main focus for this project was on a system to break down plastics for re-use. After initial research into industrial recycling methods, it was clear that a staged process of material reclamation was needed. These stages would be shredding the objects down to a suitable size for extrusion, separating and storing the different plastics, extruding the material into a filament and winding the filament onto a spool. The main focus for this project was on a system to break down plastics for re-use. This was developed through a process of
iterative physical prototyping. Starting with scaled mock ups, concepts could be tested quickly to observe which aspects worked well and where modifications were needed. The prototypes progressively improved providing a good basis on which to develop a final design. The development of Refil opens the possibility for individuals and businesses to recycle their everyday plastic waste into a form they can reuse. Not only does this product make desktop 3D printing more environmentally sustainable, but it also reduces the running costs, making this technology more attractive and deployable in the wider marketplace. For more information please visit: www.behance.net/Matthew_Buckland
FIND THIS PROJECT IN ROOM 1 - TECHNICAL
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
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Design at Brunel Rebecca Hodge and Enya Williams
Design at Brunel is versatile and varied, and many skills can be gained. Right from the first year at Brunel, everything from industry-standard software to workshop skills are taught. These are built on in the following years with intriguing and live briefs from external companies. A key part of the journey through Brunel is the placement year. Through the many links Brunel has with external companies, the opportunities for placements are vast. Placements range from in-house to design studio, from innovation and creation to
engineering and manufacture, and in all disciplines including car manufacture, toy production, lighting, and designer brands. When design students return from placement, a range of module options enable them to focus their education. Available modules are Human Factors; to learn about the ergonomic and cognitive factors that influence design, Contextual Design, which focuses on the future of society and design, and courses that look at the environment, innovation, lighting, CAD and electronics.
The final stage in the journey through Design at Brunel is the undertaking of the Major Project. A number of these are collaborative projects supported by external companies. The Major Project can be based upon any design brief, challenge or problem. Selected by the student, these range from medical devices, inclusive design solutions, redesign opportunities and many more. All of these strengths, both academically and socially, uphold Brunel’s reputation for providing the best experience possible, and Brunel continues to inspire students year after year.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
All Courses: - Design process 1 - Workshop Products - Multidisciplinary Project - Graphic Communication 1
All Courses: - Design Process 2 - Design For Manufacture & Comms
All Courses: - Major Project - Innovation Management
Industrial Design: - Design Applications - Systems Design
Additional Modules: - Contextual Design - Human Factors - Environmentally Sensitive Design - Graphic Communication 3 - Lighting - Embedded Systems - Computer Based Design Methods
Industrial Design: - Creative Engineering - Product Analysis Product Design & Product Design Eng.: - Mechanics for Design - Electronics & Mathematics
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Product Design & Product Design Eng.: - Electronics, Programming & Interfacing - Dynamics, Mechanisms & Stress Analysis
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
Reconnecting People With Food Alex Godbold Patch aims to reconnect consumers with the source of their food by providing a disposable grow packet that when watered grows edible microgreens directly from the packet. Microgreens are very young salad vegetables, containing up to 40 times the nutrients than their adult selves. With some microgreens taking as little as 10 days to fully grow indoors, it was essential that the product had the least environmental impact. The project focused on material science, selecting environmentally friendly materials that allowed simple growing and disposal. A product aimed towards the office market, that featured new biodegradable and compostable materials, was created. To house the grow packet a simple yet playful pod was created, designed for use on a desk or on a wall mount, engaging consumers with fresh food. For more information please visit: uk.linkedin.com/in/AlexGodbold
Bio-reactive Tactile Expiry Label Solveiga PakĹĄtaitÄ— Bump Mark is a food expiry label which reacts to environmental conditions around it and uses a calibrated biological substance which tracks the decay rate of the food inside the packaging. It is a tactile solution, enabling the condition of a product to be assessed by the swipe of a finger. The project aim was to design accessible expiry information for visually impaired consumers, but this also means that it can improve the experience for everybody. Indepth interviews were conducted with expert users and most of the development of this product was in refining the accuracy of the bio-reactive mechanism and also focused on creating a human-centred solution. However, this is not just the end of a project, but possibly the start of something new. It is about time that our expiry dates got smarter. For more information please visit: www.behance.net/SolveigaPakstaite
FIND THESE PROJECTS IN ROOM 5 - LIFESTYLE & ROOM 3 - INCLUSIVE
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Enabling Education in Africa Rob Bye
I believe design can really make a difference in our world and the skills we have can be used for so much more than our own benefit. Because of this, I have spent the last year working with a charity developing a bicycle frame for Africa. The charity currently ship donated second hand bikes from the UK to Africa and these are then leased to children enabling them to attend school. Most live too far away to walk, so without a bike they would receive no education. However these bikes are already decades old and are nearing the end of their lives, and as
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replacement components are very hard to source locally they often get dumped as they cannot be used any more. The frame design is also completely inappropriate for the extreme usage scenario in Africa. The project began by researching how to design for people in emerging markets and this then made me realise how little I knew about these peoples’ lives. I was lucky enough to receive funding from the James Dyson Foundation and this allowed me to build an initial prototype and then take this with me to Africa to test it over a week.
Whilst in Africa, I spent time with local bike mechanics, talked to the school children who will use the bikes and even lived with the locals. This ethnographical research gave me insights that I would never have been able to reach in any other way. The findings from this experience were then fed into a final prototype that has a structural pannier rack and uses components that can be purchased locally making it easy to repair. For more information please visit: www.robertbye.com
FIND THIS PROJECT IN ROOM 5 - LIFESTYLE
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
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Made in Brunel Rob Bye and Jo Barnard
Made in Brunel offers a rare opportunity for students to build links with industry and promote their work even before graduation and many prospective students come to Brunel for this very reason. The brand’s reputation has grown since it was established in 2006; each year reaching out to an even wider network of professionals. As a result, students undertake collaborative projects, receive support and ultimately get job offers from companies all around the world. Last summer we made the decision to apply together for the directorship of Made in Brunel 2014. The final year of a design degree at Brunel is a busy time. With five modules, an eight month Major Project to complete and prototypes to manufacture, most people would not even consider taking on any extra work. However, we feel passionately for the brand and believed we could refresh Made in Brunel, building it into something new.
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Often donating over 30 hours a week to the cause, we have worked hard to implement the plans that ourselves, our team and the year group put in place at the beginning of the year. Since October, we have seen the introduction of a new brand image, the publication of two magazines which follow the development of the students’ work and the hugely successful 24hr design challenge. This has been a fantastic opportunity for us to gain experience managing a team under pressure, a chance to meet and learn from industry professionals and to develop skills that we could not have gained from the course alone. We are very proud of Made in Brunel and the work that the team have done this year. It has been a privilege having the chance to represent a fantastic group of young designers and engineers. We hope you will join us at the exhibition to celebrate another successful year for Made in Brunel.
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
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Multi-Sensory Learning Toy Arooj Hussain
Oliver is a multi-sensory learning toy developed to encourage a collaborative approach to play for children on the autistic spectrum. The primary function of the interactive toy is to provide children with a platform where they are motivated to develop their social interaction skills, specifically focusing on turn taking and sharing. A comprehensive research study was conducted to gain a deep understanding of autism, adopting a range of research methods including user observations, expert interviews and stakeholder questionnaires. The insights generated were analysed through a literature review. This allowed for key characteristics to be identified that were incorporated into the product to ensure it would engage the user group. The stakeholders of the project included toy designers, teachers, autism consultants, speech therapists and the target user group to ensure the product was meeting the needs of the user.
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These core features were validated and verified by the key stakeholders using a research triangulation method. The research triangulation method was applied to core design decisions. This approach combined a three-stage evaluation where three core experts were asked for their opinions and insights on the key project directions. The game play involves children taking turns to position Oliver’s legs in place on each illuminated base. The child has to keep both hands in place in order to receive the final reward. As a result, two children are required to play at any one given time. When all four legs are placed correctly, Oliver’s head pops up and the LEDs change configuration allowing the game to be played again. This interactive game play encourages children to work together to achieve a common goal by rewarding them on the successful completion of the overall game. For more information please visit: uk.linkedin.com/in/AroojHussain
FIND THIS PROJECT IN ROOM 3 - INCLUSIVE
Inclusive Food Preparation Siân King
The focus of my project was to aid the food preparation process for young people with hand weaknesses. With the project being in collaboration with Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, I was able to meet a variety of young people with hand weaknesses; allowing me to find out how their conditions affect their ability to complete food preparation tasks. Stabilising food in place when chopping with a knife was found to be a significant issue. It also highlighted how everyone is different; two people with the same condition can be affected in completely different ways, this meant that the design needed to be adaptable to allow for the widest range of inclusivity. Research and testing of existing products was important to further understand the current problems faced. Existing assistive and medical products for people with weaknesses are unappealing and create a stigma that screams ‘I have a disability’; assistive products should not be seen as ‘disability products’, they should be inclusive products that can be used by anyone. Young people
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with weaknesses can often feel segregated from others during food technology lessons within schools. This meant that a key part of the project was to remove these barriers by designing inclusive products for any young person, regardless of their ability. During the design and development stage, an iterative process was undertaken where prototypes were be made, tested, adapted and then reassessed. This was crucial to ensure that the designs were ergonomic and flexible, allowing them to be used by the widest range of people to stabilise food in place. The result of this was two distinctive products: the Tri-grip and the Prep Guide, which enhance the food preparation process. These products are inclusive and can be used by any young person regardless of their ability. They remove the stigma associated with assistive devices whilst providing effective solutions to hold food in place during preparation. For more information please visit: www.SianKingDesign.co.uk
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Diagnosing Concussion in Rugby Tom Adcock
Advances in sport science and nutrition have seen rugby players growing bigger, stronger and more powerful every season. The average rugby player is now 16kg heavier than 40 years ago, the obvious side-effects of which are the herculean collisions we are now used to seeing in rugby. So what damage is this doing to the players? Well, all of this impact force has to go somewhere, so it is unsurprising that concussion is now the most common injury in rugby. Concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury caused by an impact to the head or upper body. Continuing to play rugby in the weeks following a concussion can lead to ‘chronic traumatic encephalopathy’ (CTE), dementia and, in some cases, the fatal ‘second impact syndrome’. With the Rugby World Cup coming to England in 2015 the sport should be thriving. However, the concussion problem has recently come to a crisis with more and more players being injured and many being forced to retire due to concussive injury. The rugby world is at tipping point; something needs to be done before participation levels drop and the sport suffers irreparable damage. With the press pushing rugby to be more proactive when it comes to the concussion crisis and medical protocols
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failing to perform adequately, good design could be the solution to rugby’s problem. For this project, I really wanted to focus on the whole ‘experience’ of diagnosing concussion in amateur rugby, rather than simply designing a product. By designing a product to facilitate an improved experience, the final design would prove a better rounded solution to the concussion crisis. Currently, amateur rugby players are rarely diagnosed for a concussion. Should a player take a big hit, or get knocked out, it is likely that they will return to play the following week, if not in the same game. However, following a concussion it is advised that a player should follow a 21-day ‘graduated return to play’ scheme. This exposes a player to graduating levels of exercise and impact - ensuring the brain has time to heal before it is exposed to dangerous consecutive concussions.
Currently, amateur rugby players are rarely diagnosed for a concussion. The issue with amateur rugby is that the players have no way of knowing whether
or not they are concussed following a match, often blaming the headache the next morning on post match beer rather than a concussion! This ‘choice’ to ignore the injury and return to play in the following weeks is a choice made biased by rugby players’ macho attitudes and a general lack of education on concussion within the sport. Good design can ensure this decision to ‘ignore’ the injury is taken out of the players hands. By presenting the player with solid evidence of a concussion, the injury would become much harder for a player to ignore. The final concept is a headwear garment containing impact-sensing technology which pairs with a smartphone app to present a player with their own unique ‘impact profile’ following a match. This shows the number of impacts (and the subsequent risk of concussion) alongside advice to seek a professional diagnosis if impacts above set thresholds have occurred. Prototyping has been split between functional (using the Arduino platform) and aesthetic (using fabrics and protective foam) to produce two headwear prototypes - both of which will be on display at Made in Brunel. For more information please visit: www.behance.net/TomAdcockDesign
FIND THIS PROJECT IN ROOM 1 - TECHNICAL
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
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JCB Cab Lighting Rob Millar
The quarrying and mining industry is one of the world’s most hazardous industries, where workers are constantly faced with dangers. With economic demand pushing the industry to work night and day, employees are often found operating construction and mining vehicles in complete darkness. Poor or inadequate lighting has been shown to account for over 30% of fatalities associated with visibility and construction vehicles. Wheel Loading Shovels (WLS) are one of the most popular machines within the industry, being favoured for high levels of versatility and productivity output. In collaboration with JCB this project, VISION, developed the next generation of WLS exterior cab lighting, providing increased visibility, productivity and health and safety benefits; enhancing the overall machine capabilities. By combining a human centered and technical design approach, I was able to ensure operator needs and well-being were met whilst also providing a technically superior product to the market.
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Through incorporating the latest LED technology and custom thermal management solutions, an extra wide beam coverage was achieved. This provided constant light coverage from the minimum to maximum bucket heights, reducing the need for operator adjustment. Research into operator well-being and daily circadian rhythm revealed that altering the colour temperature of the light source to a cooler white would help to significantly improve visibility. This is due to reduced eyestrain and suppression of the melatonin hormone, helping to keep the operators more alert and productive. Live machine testing was used throughout the project to gain important insights and verify the final design performed as expected, confirming the projects success. VISION delivers a superior lighting solution capable of withstanding the harsh environment of the quarrying and mining industry. For more information please visit: www.linkedin.com/in/RobMillar4
FIND THIS PROJECT IN ROOM 1 - TECHNICAL
Flexible Cycling Shoe System Jack Gover
As a keen cyclist and triathlete, the compromise between an enhanced cycling experience and walking comfort when using a clip-less pedal system is clear. The brief aims to overcome this compromise; offering a cleated cycling shoe capable of achieving the performance benefits of similar products, with the added value of walking comfort. This would offer a product with far greater usability, appealing to a wider market within the cycling industry, with specific benefits to sectors such as the commuter and cyclocross markets. The FLEX system exploits the interaction between the cleat and pedal to provide flexibility in the sole to enable a natural walking motion when disengaged from the pedal. Upon engagement, the carbon composite sole instantly becomes rigid,
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providing efficient power transfer and improved cycling performance. Crucially, the adjustment in sole rigidity is completely automatic upon interaction with the pedal, simultaneously adjusting the sole properties without the need for additional user input. Because of the fine tolerances associated with this interaction, it was necessary to exploit 3D printing for prototype creation. This iterative process resulted in over 30 3D printed parts in order to firstly prove the mechanism, before adding design detail. Following considerable design development, the final design required both rigid and flexible material properties within a single component. In mass production, the twoshot injection moulding process could be used to achieve this, however it was crucial that this function could be replicated at the
prototype stage. Thanks to a scholarship from The James Dyson Foundation, it was possible to recreate the final solution using the Connex500 multi-material 3D printer. This machine allows for several material properties to be printed in a single build enabling the manufacture of a fully functional prototype. Development of the FLEX system used an iterative process to progress the design from an initial mechanism into a considered working prototype, offering a solution with both functional and commercial viability. I am currently seeking collaboration for further development of the design. For more information please visit: uk.linkedin.com/in/JackGover
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James Dyson Foundation Scholarship Fiona Spencer
Rory
Matthew
The James Dyson Foundation is a charitable trust aiming to get young people excited about engineering – to think differently, makes mistakes and invent, bringing engineering alive in the classroom through workshops and free resources for schools and teachers. Globally, the Foundation’s resources have reached over 180,000 students in over 1,500 schools throughout the world. It also runs the James Dyson Award, a student design and engineering award to design “something that solves a problem”.
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Solveiga
Taalib
Studying an engineering degree can be expensive. The Foundation donates over £400,000 annually to support students worldwide. Dyson has a very strong relationship with Brunel University, with some of our most senior, longest serving, engineers studying there. We look for designs that demonstrate a significant and practical purpose, employ clever yet simple engineering to offer real benefits and are viable – technically and
Jack
Rob
commercially. It is also about the person behind the design. How do they approach the problem, and what made them want to be an engineer? The Foundation’s bursary students are ambassadors for design engineering, so winners, like Brunel’s Sam Etherington – a scholarship holder in his final year and winner of the UK leg of the James Dyson Award for his wave power design – are often students who can inspire.
Rory’s Project - Page 25
Solveiga’s Project - Page 9
Jack’s Project - Page 19
Matthew’s Project - Page 6
Taalib’s Project - At Exhibition
Rob’s Project - Page 10
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
Tripod Head For Wildlife & Sport Rob Stokes My project was centred on the design of a tripod head for wildlife and motorsport photographers. The aim was to make the head intuitive to all users, providing the ability to release the camera instantly, allowing the photographer to keep track of the subject and never miss a shot. The project was multifaceted using a number of techniques including user testing and stress-modelling simulation to inform and influence design choices, as well as a range of other techniques. One of the most interesting elements of the project was designing the female half of the ball joint. By necessity it needed to be manually machined, so the design and assembly technique were critical. The final solution works well to allow for a sufficiently wide manufacturing tolerance whilst still functioning flawlessly. For more information please visit: www.behance.net/rwstokes
Passive Speech Transmission Sam Whyman In collaboration with Avon Protection, this project focuses around the development of a sub-assembly within a full-face respirator designed to improve speech communication without the need for electronic amplification. By tackling an often quoted area of frustration regarding personal protective equipment, user confidence and overall safety can be optimised. Based on understanding where current respirators fail to transmit specific frequencies used in speech, iterative technologies were implemented into a host respirator and rated using a bespoke test method. Since the last article, the best performing prototype from preliminary testing has been validated using standardised NIOSH Modified Rhyme Testing (MRT) with encouraging results. Avon Pure achieves a 30% improvement over existing masks, enabling the perception of words with higher frequency components. MRT results show words ending in “t” and “ck” were much less
FIND THESE PROJECTS IN ROOM 1 - TECHNICAL
likely to be misheard with the addition of Avon Pure with no other negative effects. Shown at Made in Brunel as a proving principle prototype and rapid prototyped assembly, both the technological advantage and its use can be seen. Rapid prototype and technical drawings show assembly and
technical integration whilst sketch renders show visual synthesis with Avon’s long standing brand heritage. For more information please visit: www.behance.net/SamWhyman
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MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
24hr Design Challenge Dave Walker
Each year, Made in Brunel attempts to express and showcase the students’ talents in new and innovative ways. This year one of the largest and most ambitious of these events was held and the precedent for Brunel creativity was set. 157 design, engineering and media students came together for a day of intense creative development. Without a break, eight briefs were tackled for seven well known brands with each team having only three hours to develop a solution. Lego, Rolls-Royce and Tesla provided commercially relevant briefs with strong brand requirements; whilst IDEO, Therefore,
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
Seymourpowell and Cambridge Industrial Design tested the students’ creative thinking and idea generation. More than 2000 individual users watched the event as it was streamed live, and a team of committed film makers captured the best moments throughout the day. With pressures high and time short, teams were able to produce 24 unique design concepts to an incredible standard. Sketches, prototypes and videos were produced by teams devoting themselves to quick and responsive idea generation. The event pushed the skills of everyone involved and truly emphasised the creative abilities of Made in Brunel.
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Brunel Facilities Workshops & Studios
From the very beginning, all students within the School of Engineering and Design are trained to use the vast number of facilities we have. These facilities are utilised to great extent throughout our time at Brunel. From creating quick foam models to fully finished products, everything is possible. There are workshops in specialist areas such as model making, woodworking, plastic, metal fabrication and metal machining. There is also great expert advice at hand
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from our specialist technicians. In addition to these, research tools are used to gain further insight into specific areas. These include wind tunnels to recognise the effects of aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics to understand fluid behaviour and electronics to discover the feasibility of our generated concepts. We also have a plethora of media facilities to allow broadcast and multimedia students to focus their skills and implement their
projects through film, TV and animation. These facilities enable all students, across the School, to constantly develop their subject knowledge; to gain an understanding of the form, function and feasibility of a project that can then be presented to live clients. Through this, all students have a clear understanding of how ideas can be implemented which in turn will support our future careers.
MADE IN BRUNEL EXHIBITION JUNE 12-15 2014
Exoskeleton for Older People Rory Southworth
Hip fractures, predominantly from older people falling, cost the NHS £6 million a day; this needs to change. However, the first challenge is to convince a group of people who are normally so against change to accept a product that is full of technology, such as an exoskeleton for older people. This requires a different approach from designing something merely for function. This is a problem where technology and acceptability must be considered in parallel in order to produce a product that is not only functional but one that people will actually want to use. In collaboration with Blatchford Ltd and the EXO-LEG consortium, I have been working to understand how an exoskeleton can be designed to be accepted and trusted by older people. There is no one-size-fits-all application to make a product “acceptable”; it is too dependent on the context and the user. This led me to develop a Design Principles for Acceptability booklet through user-centered
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research, expert interviews, literature reviews and testing. These principles were not only created to help develop my exoskeleton design but can be shared with others looking to design products which also focus on acceptability. Once a product has been accepted, its continued use is reliant on trust. Therefore, a Design Principles for Trust booklet was also created. My research has helped to create principles that were then iterated to work for both digital and physical interactions. The outcome is an exoskeleton design that has been validated by prospective users and experts, as well as a set of Design Principles booklets. The vision is that many more people will use these principles to create better products that people actually want to use, rather than being forced due to a lack of other acceptable products on the market. For more information please visit: uk.linkedin.com/in/rorysouthworth
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O N LY TH E B EG I N N I N G
G R A DUATE D E S I G N & E N G I N E E R I N G E X H I B ITI O N
NEW D E S I G N E RS
12 - 1 5 J U N E 20 1 4
02 - 0 5 J U LY 20 1 4
Open daily, 11am-6pm, with free admission.
Open daily from 11am
The closest tube stations are Waterloo, Southwark and Blackfriars each about 8 minutes walk from the venue.
The closest tube stations is Angel with a 4 minute walk. Or a 15 minute walk from Highbury & Islington station.
Oxo Tower Wharf Bargehouse Street South Bank London SE1 9PH
Business Design Centre 52 Upper Street Islington London N1 0QH
Bargehouse is owned and managed by Coin Street Community Builders: www.coinstreet.org