Strong intergenerational relationships can provide emotional support and stability for both grandparents and grandchildren. Technology tools have been proven to be beneficial in connecting grandchildren and grandparents. Prior work mainly examined how to use technology to connect children and their grandparents over a distance. Those collocated grandparents and grandchildren who keep regular physical contact are often neglected in the research.It is essential to understand technology’s potential in bonding them in physical meet ups considering the trending of multigenerational families.

This graduation project aims to foster connectedness between children aged 8 to 12 and their collocated grandparents in the Netherlands through physical interactions. Adopting a holistic approach, we explored moments of togetherness, identifying desired qualities of these interactions and defining promising shared experiences for the future.

The research involves three phases of empirical investigations. This research begins by examining how technology could positively impact their bond. Using participatory cards during interviews, this phase captures participants' perspectives, employing mixed methods including sentiment analysis, group clustering, and thematic coding to identify key elements in shared activities that promote or impede intergenerational connectivity. This analysis informs a framework to guide the development of technology aimed at supporting connectivity. Next, the second phase, insights from two design workshops are synthesized into a series of design concepts, which are then visualized through storyboards. The final phase involves evaluating these concepts by presenting the storyboards to both experts and child-grandparent pairs. This step is intended to refine our understanding of how these technological solutions can be leveraged to strengthen family bonds.

The smart safety shoe is a concept safety shoe that has been in development as a collaboration between Allshoes safety footwear and TU Delft since 2020. Previous work on the shoe consisted of 2 graduation projects and a student course which resulted in the current concept of an injury preventing safety shoe focused on preventing lower back pain in the logistics sector. The shoe works by using pressure sensors and machine learning to detect unhealthy postures while its wearer has to lift various objects as part of their job (manual handling).
This project focused on further developing the concept of the smart safety shoe and evaluating the prototypes from the last two projects. Previous projects provided two different pressure sensor layouts which are evaluated using a high-end pressure sensing insole.
A manual handling experiment was set up and performed on 16 different participants from a lab and a warehouse. During testing participants were instructed to perform manual handling while holding 5 different postures. It was possible to train a machine learning model using the various pressure profiles gathered from the experiment. Using this model, the two sensor layouts from the previous projects were evaluated for their ability to detect the 5 predetermined postures. It was found that the latest layout outperformed the previous one and was therefore selected for further development of the smart safety shoe.
The integration of various other sensors and actuators was evaluated, and the core functions of the shoe were defined with an indication towards future improvements of the smart safety shoe.
The shoe has now been publicly presented by Allshoes and the goal is to have the product on the market by the end of 2025. In order for this to happen further prototyping is needed to create an improved machine learning model based on the selected sensor layout. The shoe shows promising responses from current safety shoe clients. When finally launched it will be part of a new type of protective equipment focused on prevention.

Almost every adult human being is drinking coffee, a caffeine rich, bitter drink to get through the day. To top up caffeine levels during a short break at work or to authentically enjoy the distinctive taste and aroma of freshly milled coffee beans. To sweeten up the coffee, milk and milk alternatives are added to counter the bitterness by adding sweetness and fluffy texture. Before the milk can be poured over the coffee it needs to be prepared, from cold storage, it needs to be heated and aerated, also known as frothing.

Quooker, a company that developed and sells a water tap, which can serve cooled, carbonated and boiling water, without any hassle. The innovative mindset from the start of the company is ever so present and is therefore looking into opportunities to broaden its kitchen portfolio.
During this project the possibilities for a new type of milk frother is explored that makes use of the existing boiling water ecosystem. Which will theoretically provide several key benefits when competing with regular milk frothers.

In the first phase of the project the coffee context is researched, and existing solutions are studied. A list of requirements are drawn up to set specifications for the novel design. The technical specifications could be easily set, however the expected coffee quality is a highly subjective topic. Even with professionals the perfect cappuccino does not exist.

With the gathered knowledge solutions that incorporate the potential benefits of the integration with the Quooker reservoir are explored. Resulting in three potential concepts that are evaluated with potential consumers. There could be concluded that certain aspects of all the concepts would form a promising combination of solutions.

The optimized concept is further developed to prove its life worthiness as a product. A high-fidelity integrated prototype was created to show the feasibility of the solutions and to gather opinions of the frothing principle, aesthetical language and interaction. Giving a head start for further future development if the need for a milk frothing addition is deemed necessary.

The amount of Heat pumps in the Netherlands is on the rise mainly because of the climate accords that hope to abolish the use of natural gas. This project aims to improve upon the current design of heat pumps to answer to this increased market. This is done in collaboration with ThuisBaas and more specifically Errico Garofalo who created the concept design The Tree. This concept design is expanded upon and simulated in this master thesis.

The warehousing sector is among the top when it comes to the risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), in particular low back pain (LBP). In this sector, LBP is a prevalent issue, due to the nature of the job of lifting and moving (heavy) objects around. The issue has significant implications for the workers’ health, in terms of quality of life. Companies and society feel the consequences in terms of financial costs. This issue could be tackled by introducing smart technology in the form of a smart safety shoe. The concept has been developed by a strategic product design student and the strategic direction has been determined. This project explores the concept further and validates the idea of smart safety shoes to reduce the risk of LBP during manual handling, through technological means.

To understand the problem of LBP in context, extensive literature research was conducted on ergonomics. Understanding what causes it and the current methods to reduce the risks. Further, looking into the possibility of detecting causes through technology. The research results were used to build a prototype for validation of the concept.

The causality of LBP is not easy to point out, as multiple factors (physical, psychosocial, and individual) play a role in its development. Research does conclude that physical factors play a major role, which is related to heavy lifting, repetitiveness, and awkward postures. Manual handling can be performed safely as long as the weight is below 23 kg and correct postures are adopted. Though not all workers adhere to correct posture, and it is hard to track through observational methods.

Postures can be tracked or detected through plantar pressure distribution (PPD), by using pressure sensors. These sensors can be placed within safety shoes and will collect PPD data of workers. The PPD data shows certain patterns and have characteristics that can be linked to different postures. The data can be analysed using machine learning, to automate the process and could be able to give feedback to the user when a risky posture is adopted.

A pressure insole has been prototyped with the conducted research to collect PPD data of different postures (stoop lifting, lifting above shoulder height, and asymmetrical lifting). The collected data were manually analysed to understand how patterns may look like. A machine learning model was made, using a tree algorithm, to analyse the data as well. It can classify all the measured static postures with 100% accuracy. Dynamic lifting data were not analysed by the model yet as it needs additional data preparation. At this point, the concept needs more development to analyse dynamic data and to implement the hardware in the safety shoes.

Based on the results, the core components of the concept have been proven to work and able to detect different postures with great accuracy. The idea of a smart safety shoe that can detect and warn the worker of potential injury is not far-fetched.

This project is the first step in the development of the concept. Due to the complexity of the issue and required knowledge, additional research is needed for the continuation of the project. The posture database has to be set up, improving the machine learning model for dynamic lifting data, hardware design and a live feedback system. With these developments, a smart safety shoe could be brought to market that could improve workers' lives and save additional costs for companies.

Energy saving is becoming a topic that has been widely discussed. By 2050 all office buildings according to EU plans should be energy neutral. This implies a large potential for more efficient solutions, such as occupancy-aware local heating. Based on this idea, OfficeVitae developed a vertical heating panel for use in offices using carbon infrared heating film. This thesis collaboration between Office Vitae explored the possibilities of implementing person detection technology into the local heating system. Implementation of the smartness and the control unit interaction are main problems. To develop the standalone concept, extensive user tests were conducted to collect sufficient data for further development. There are 4 design lean cycles conducted in total after chose the design direction. The final heating strategy, overall ergonomics preference, and the interaction method were defined and elaborated. The project is finished with a standalone conceptual product that could sense occupancy presence with one PIR motion sensor and provide heating accordingly to avoid unnecessary heating in winter. The product is controlled by a reachable, simple, and direct control unit that allows workers to personalise temperature around the working area to have higher control of the workplace while saving energy by lowering the ambient temperature. Although a working prototype is not built in this project, extensive evaluations and tests with low fidelity prototypes validated the feasibility of the final design. To conclude the research, a list of generic findings, limitations of this project, and recommendations for further development are provided.

The construction and logistics sectors in the Netherlands are rapidly increasing in size, but unfortunately are also part of the most hazardous industries. One part of safety which needs to be addressed is manual handling related incidents. The moving of objects around a worksite through utilization of an employee’s body increases the exposure of the employees to hazards, especially if done incorrectly, and will increase costs for both employee and employer. This thesis explores the possibility of transforming the passive and reactive role of safety shoes into safety shoes that are capable of proactive (manual handling related) incident prevention, through utilization of smart technology. To gain insight into the problem, its context and the possibilities for the implementation of smart technology, an extensive literature review was conducted. In addition, practical field knowledge was gained through multiple series of semi-structured interviews and analysis of relevant cases. Research results show that the human factor plays a major role in the causation of occupational incidents and can be divided into three categories: the individual, the task and the organisation. As this human factor is either the leading cause or part of the cause for around 80% of all incidents, it is vital for incident prevention. Furthermore, current methods for detection and prevention (e.g. manual handling training and safety programs) have serious shortcomings which make them less effective tools for the reduction or elimination of manual handling related incidents. In addition to this, studies indicate the opportunity for (smart) technology to aid in overcoming these shortcomings. The above mentioned insights served as input for the synthesis of a concept design (smart safety shoes), which uses sensors and data analysis tools (e.g. machine learning) to identify and detect leading and lagging indicators for manual handling related incidents and subsequently is able to effectively communicate those insights to different parties: employees, employers, supervisors and training providers. The smart safety shoes can, in this manner, support current detection and prevention methods in their shortcomings. The before mentioned parties deploy the insights through a hybrid system: reactive incident prevention (improve the individual) and proactive prevention (improve task design and organization), which both, increase incident prevention. The concept design is accompanied by a roadmap outlining the general steps for the development of the concept. To conclude, smart safety shoes are the next step towards occupational incident prevention and potentially the first step towards smart, ubiquitous, occupational safety. However, further research is needed for the development of the smart safety shoes and the exploration of further possibilities. In addition to this, the principles behind the smart safety shoes could serve as a basis for further design research, to address other occupational safety issues and other industries.

This report presents a design proposal for a product that will suppress the tremor of patients diagnosed with Essential Tremor (ET). People suffering from ET are restricted in their ability to function in everyday life, due to a constraint of performing delicate movements. Simple tasks, such as drinking and eating are a great challenge for individuals diagnosed with ET.

STIL B.V. works on the development of an alternative solution to dampen a forearm tremor. STIL B.V. is developing a product that dampens the tremor by actively counteracting the movement of its users. With this, the product offers tremor patients a solution that does not involve surgery or use of medication.

The project focuses on finding improvements for the STIL product by developing a solution for recently diagnosed ET patients with an invalidating forearm tremor. The final goal was to create a product that would improve the life quality of its users, by giving individuals with ET back control over their arms. ET patients often mentioned that it is difficult to be in a group or participate in a social activity. Awkward situations occur frequently, making them socially shy. The objective was to help patients regain social confidence by making use of the product.

The final product proposal exists of two parts, a brace and an active dampening element (Exshell). The brace is used to connect the Exshell to the arm. The Exshell contains an active dampening element to stabilize the arm. At the start of this project, the development of the brace, the part that has contact with the skin, was not yet started. A simple elastic band combined with a coarse vibration measurement principle was used for the prototypes.

An efficient attachment method to the users arm and a connection to the Exshell have been designed, made and tested. Additionally a set of different brace sizes has been developed to create a comfortable design for an as large as possible target group.

To stimulate the use of the product, a brace has been designed that is as comfortable as possible. This has been done by making an optimized ergonomic design for ET patients. The brace can be worn all day by the user and when needed the Exshell can be slid over the wrist and actively counteract forearm tremors.

An ergonomic test on healthy individuals has been conducted in order to discover the fit of the different developed brace sizes. The used scaling method for different sizes proved to be effective and by offering five different sizes a comfortable fit can be offered to almost everyone.

The usability and functionality of the brace design has been validated during a patient test. The test showed that the brace is easy to use for tremor patients.

The final design result presents a proposal of how the future product of STIL BV. might look like. The results from the analysis and validation phase have been combined and a future vision of the products embodiment is presented.

Virtual assistants are rapidly growing in popularity, triggering businesses around the world to explore their applicability. From a user perspective,, having a conversational interaction with technology has certain advantages, as it is easy to use, hands-free and eye-free. Despite the fact that Transavia already released its first steps with the assistant, there is still minor knowledge about how it can be used effectively to engage with the customer. A techy, social and young customer group - often referred to as Generation Z - is interacting with technology and brands in a very different way than Millenials. As a starting point, a preliminary design goal is formulated which links the technology and the user to an early touch point in Transavia’s customer journey: ​“Design a virtual assistant for Transavia that offers added value in helping Generation Z with finding and/or booking flights”. The contexts of four aspects are analysed: business, process, user and technology, which together lay the foundation for the subsequent user studies. The studies show the flight finding and -booking behaviour of Generation Z, as well as their current and preferred interactions with virtual assistants. Based on the outcomes the witty assistant ‘Tracy’ is conceptualised and piloted using the Google Assistant and Lenovo Smart Display. Tracy focuses on the moment right before booking called pre-booking, and recommends Generation Z affordable trips based on their availability. Alongside user tests the prototype goes through three iterations to optimise various aspects of the design: tone-of-voice, product personality, content and conversational flow. The final design is intended to be feasible for a short term release, and proved there lies true potential in using a conversational interface to engage with Generation Z in the pre-booking phase. Finally, recommendations are proposed for Transavia to support them when continuing with either Tracy or with virtual assistance in general.

Assignment. The Usher Syndrome is a hereditary disorder, where people's sight and hearing degenerates over time. As a result, being socially involved with other people can be challenging, especially in rooms that are low-lit and that include background noise. The project was initiated to help people with Usher Syndrome to still be able to socially involved, regardless of such challenges. Hence, the project assignment is stated:

“To design a non-stigmatizing, portable and affordable product for people with Usher syndrome, that offers enhanced control over lighting and/or acoustics, with the goal of improving their sense of involvement in social contexts.”

Methods
Methods used in tackling this assignment are the classic design cycle by Roozenburg and Eekels, accompanied by the diamond model of Buijs. The design cycle entails evey step of the innovation process where in every step - by using the diamond model - information is gathered (diverging) and narrowed down subsequently (converging), steering many options to a single defined design outcome. Important steps are evaluating ideas and validating concepts with end-users, to ensure a meaningful product is realized.

Results. As a result of the deficits caused by Usher, having conversations with other people can be challenging. Especially, in a dark and noisy context like a bar or pub: the design context in this project. In understanding a conversation, speech contains the most information. By aiding the sense of hearing, speech intelligibility can be improved and in turn the sense of social involvement. Important functions to for a design for people with Usher is this context is separating speech from background noise, reducing the distance between the speech source and person with Usher, allow volume control over the speech source and enable a connection with the hearing aid(s) and/or cochlear implant(s) of the person with Usher. Current products do not offer such functionalities.

Functions and requirements are ultimately translated into a design proposal: a microphone system called Micall. Micall is a system of small microphones that can be divided among friends/family. These Mics can pickup sounds from each person individually rather than capturing an entire scene like current microphone aids do. Speech is now separated from background noise and is made more intelligible. Feedback received from validation tests shows that the project assignment is validated: Micall is a non-stigmatising, portable product with enhanced control over acoustics and improving sense of involvement in social contexts.

Conclusions. After a full design project has been performed, a solution is found to the project assignment: Micall.
Micall proves to assess the main functionalities as stated in the project assignment by the validation of the end-users.

Discussion. A realisable design proposal is made, which can be developed in the near-future. However, more focus is needed on the sound engineering and manufacturing sides. With more advanced models deeper use insights can be gained. Also, investment models should be researched in order to come up with viable ways of developing, producing and selling the product.

This thesis describes the design of the product-service combination called Move on. Move on is designed to stimulate adolescents to be more physically active. This stimulation is done by gamification, which therefore can be considered as serious gaming product. This thesis starts with a literature analysis of the decreasing level of childrens’ physical well-being. Added to this analysis, is a literature research on the increased digitalization among children to see if there is a connection between their increased screen-time and the decreasing level of fitness. A relation between digitalization and emotional behavior, and digitalization and social relationships, has also been taken into account.
It seems that there is no clear proof of the coherency between the increasing digitalization and decreasing physical activity. Which was a positive result, since the advantages of the digitalization could be taken into account when designing a product for children. After finding out that the adolescents, of all children, spend the most time stuck to their screens, the target group for the ideation phase was determined. A target group analysis and a market analysis eventually lead, together with the previous insights, to a full program of requirements and therefore the end of the design brief. The design brief created the base for the next phase: the synthesis phase. Within the synthesis phase of the product development, some concept directions were found. These concept directions lead to some iteration steps which eventually resulted in the embodiment phase of the Move on. The embodiment phase describes the final concept with regard to its materials, production method, and price estimation. An important part of the Move on, is that it is able to recognize the user motion. This motion will be converted to a reward, which the user can use in their favorite game. Since this motion recognition plays a big role in the product, a basic machine learning validation is executed. Data from walking and running sessions is used to actually predict if the user is walking or running. This validation succeeded with a hit rate value of 96 percent. The end of the thesis will describe recommended steps fur future development of the product, together with a project and a personal evaluation.

A proposal of the hyperloop was announced by Elon Musk in 2013. It is a new mode of transportation where vehicles travel in a low-pressure tube to minimise air friction. Hardt Global Mobility is one of the companies developing this new transportation system. One of the main challenges for Hardt is to attain a highly efficient system that also provides a pleasant passenger experience. To this end, this project aims at designing a passenger-centered embarking and disembarking process for Hardt’s hyperloop system, including a relevant passenger environment both in the station and in the vehicle.
The project follows the method Vision in Product Design (ViP). Literature study on pedestrian flow, interview on crowd behaviours and a field study on (dis)-embarking efficiency contribute to insights on (dis)embarking in the past and current context. An observational study and interviews on passengers’ behaviour with their belongings have been carried out in different modes of transportation. Key values for passengers concerning the luggage are discovered. Afterwards, a future vision of global public travel in 2027 is mapped by extensive literature research. Four possible categories of future public travellers are defined as chaser, passionater, criticizer and adapter. The mission of the project is to let criticizers adapt to the unexpected.
With various ideation techniques, four concepts are presented. The Shift concept is chosen to be elaborated further. It is a concept that divides the passenger compartments from luggage space and influences the (dis)embarking flow by the positioning of doors. Multiple doors on both sides of the vehicle allow passengers to embark and drop the hold luggage on one side and disembark and pick up the luggage on the other side.
An iterative testing process is performed to evaluate 12 aspects of the design in terms of concept performance, user experience and feasibilities. By keeping the valid aspects and reshaping the invalid aspects, a final design is presented. Comparing to the traditional (dis)embarking process, the design saves 40% of the time for vehicles to stay on the platform and 50% of the (dis)embarking time for each passenger. A concept video is shown to 13 passengers at Schiphol Plaza for final evaluation. They liked the simple and clear overall process, the efficient and transparent passenger flow and the smooth and safe luggage system. Boarding tolerance, luggage connection for transfer passengers, the height of the luggage belts and preventing luggage from being stuck can be improved.
Recommendations on the other touch points for hyperloop passengers are listed, including guiding passengers to platforms and doors, the interior, facilities for passengers with reduced mobility, the emergency exit and the door-to-door potential of the hyperloop concept.