Is healthy eating simply the intake of correct quantities of certain nutrients, regardless of how and where? This project addresses improving wellbeing within the broad context of eating.

Eating-related guidance products have a hyper-focus on nutrition and/or weight loss, to the detriment of a wider definition of “health”. Wellbeing is not only physical health metrics, but has a deeper psychological foundation. Eating experiences should focus on this in order to achieve a truly healthy relationship with food, and an improved level of overall wellbeing. Positive AI builds on the framework of positive design in order to do this, and this project produces a tangible example of how this can be done.

This project focuses on the issue within the specific context of eating at home. The simplified context retains vital nuance, but simplifies the focus. By gaining an understanding of this and how design and AI can be applied in determined ways, actual results can be obtained. The problem is then to promote mindful home-dining experiences by providing a service in which users can feel both in control of what they eat and closer to their loved ones.

The problem is addressed by designing an app-based intervention system - FoodVibe - which harnesses the power of AI to create a highly personalised recipe and experience recommendation system. It facilitates these with the goal of improving wellbeing based on a psychological wellbeing model tailored to the specific context, and learns based on user trends and past experiences. The wellbeing model, based on design analyses of various apps in the broader eating context in combination with wellbeing theories, gives initial direction. This is then thoroughly scrutinised in an evaluation section, leading to future recommendations becoming clear. ... Read more

This report covers the development of the Flex Cab +, a multi-purpose interior module for Light Commercial Vehicles.
The project aims to prove the technical feasibility of additional functionalities in a Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV). After analysing the target market and picking a specific LCV type, several “must have” functionalities have been selected. The developed product offers a multi-purpose solution that can be installed in the medium LCV segment. This project builds on to an existing product and aims to prove that with relatively minimal engineering a big impact can be made when it comes to added functionalities.
The feasibility of these functionalities is first verified on a theoretical level, after which a physical prototype was built and installed in an LCV for proof of concept. After evaluating the product on safety and fiscal regulations, a list of recommendations for further development was created.
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A new legislation has been introduced by the Dutch government, requiring the outdoor units of ACs and heat pumps to produce no more than 40 dB at your parcel border. In many cases, sound reduction is needed to meet this new requirement.

To reduce this noise, a sound reducing enclosure can be placed over the unit. Van Cappellen Sound Solutions has developed such a product called the Brockx. This company offers products for noise and vibration control. At the core of their business however, the company provides services in the maritime sector. They measure, model and predict noise and vibrations for luxury yachts. Their expertise in the acoustic area, combined with their innovativeness and the new development of the sound legislation has led to the development of the Brockx.

The problem that this project tries to solve, is how to continue with this product. No strategy has been developed yet, and not much is known about the market or how to conduct marketing. Van Cappellen can be classified as a small-medium company (SME), which also needs to be taken into account. To solve these problems, a structure has been created which is shaped by three chapters: SME marketing, 4C-analysis & marketing mix.

The chapter SME Marketing is intended to find out whether the situation of Van Cappellen is unique, what characterises small companies such as Van Cappellen, and how marketing is conducted. Through literature research and primary research it was found that similar situations are recognised among other SMEs. Three themes were also found which characterises SME marketing: networking, customer engagement & digital marketing.

The 4C-analysis consists of competition, company, context and consumers. The main conclusions are that the Brockx can differentiate from its competitors by being the enclosure that is of high quality while offering the perfect balance between sound reduction and size and weight. Next, the company should use its reputation in creating a brand image, to differentiate among other acoustic companies. Context factors such as the growing market of ACs and heat pumps and the sound legislation indicate that the market for sound reducing enclosures will increase. Finally qualitative and quantitative research has been conducted to find out what consumers find important. Selling the Brockx in cooperation with a wholesaler is considered the most viable option, as they have all the required logistical resources. Consumers' attitudes towards the Brockx are positive, as it provides the most sought after benefits. With this information a market positioning has been determined.

Continuing with these findings, the marketing mix is determined by filling in the 4P’s: product, price, place & promotion. The ‘product’ chapter describes the Brockx in more detail. Manufacturing the Brockx can be done in the Netherlands first, and later in Central Europe as this will be cheaper. The price of the Brockx is determined through a competition-oriented method. The place of the Brockx is in the Netherlands, and made available through channels of a wholesaler. For the promotion, offline and online marketing methods have been proposed, together with an implementation plan.
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This study is about young adults who cannot work or study due to mental health problems. When they turn 18, they have to wait for new care because of the transition from youth care to the adult social domain. This is why they are referred to as the W18 (waiteen) in this report.

Besides waiting time, this study outlines four other problems that make this transition difficult: (1) Budget deficits in the social domain and a sharp drop in the young person’s budget after the transition from youth care to WMO; (2) There is a different human view (mensbeeld) per law and organisation, complicating transitions between services; (3) If a citizen has a complex problem, more domains, laws and counters are involved and (4) The W18 do not understand why the system is so complex, which leads to distrust towards the government.

The research question of the thesis is: How can the municipality of The Hague improve its interaction with mentally vulnerable young adults around the life event of turning 18, using proactive design principles?

The research was conducted from the human-centred design perspective. Six needs were defined from interviews with W18’ers.

They need:
1. Someone to help and guide them;
2. Information on what to expect;
3. Customised contact;
4. More room to make and fix mistakes;
5. A positive approach with a focus on what they can do;
6. To be treated as human beings by the system.

The design goal is to improve the perspective of young adults with mental health problems by creating clarity in their interaction with the municipal service. A journey of the current interactions was made. In examining the current journey, it was visible that the intake interview in particular evoked many negative feelings.

As a result, the IMprint was developed: a matrix that can be used as a conversation tool and indication tool during intake interviews (Figure A). A score from 1 to 5 can be given on 5 life areas:
- Social support,
- Housing,
- School and work,
- Income,
- Well-being.

In addition to the IMprint, the MIrequest website has also been designed for making a notification or application for care (Figure B). All notifications for care and support can then be made through one digital portal. On this portal, the young person can do a kind of self-test. The result is a completed IMprint. Based on the score in the 5 areas of life, the young person is referred to the appropriate counters and facilities. This ‘self-test’ could also be the start of a single file that grows with the young person over the years.

The IMprint could be implemented in the current system as a conversation tool at an intake interview of the WMO or youth care, or at a cross-domain special case manager for the 16-23 years target group. The next implementation step is to start using the digital portal. Per area of life, the young person can find facilities. In this way, they can search by type of age, life area and problem for facilities.
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Only 35 percent of the recent graduates are women. The figures are even lower for traditionally male dominated workforces such as engineering and robotics as women constitute only 12 percent of the engineering workforce. It is quite evident that we cannot ignore the gender equation when it comes to bringing in more equity in the workforce. As even the toys are heavily gendered, to take an example. Right from the way girls are prompted to play with Barbies and boys with G.I. Joes, this societal conditioning influences their future interest towards professions. In order to counter act the disparity in the STEM professions, a play based learning approach through the medium of soft robotics is used to get preschoolers equally interested towards the field of robotics in a gender-accessible manner. Silly Stompers consists of a reconfigurable base to which wide range of soft actuator blocks could be connected in various ways to create custom body movements. This provides a very tangible, screen-free, open ended experience for pre-schoolers through a fun way by allowing creating to create various pumping patterns. This provides compatibility with LEGO providing more open-ended outcomes. The learning outcomes mainly focus on constructive play and role play for pre-schoolers through the medium of soft inflatable actuators. ... Read more

The Meta-Grip is a tool for climbers to measure hand and finger strength. A climber uses the Meta-Grip by hanging on either a sloper or crimp. The Meta-Grip measures the force through a load cell and transfers the data to a computer where the data can be viewed and analyzed. The current Meta-Grip is built for research. Because of this, the current Meta-Grip cannot be used unsupervised, the embodiment needs improvements and the price of 2520 euros for the costs is too high for the intended market. The current Meta- Grip can only do measurements, an addition to its functionalities would be the ability to also train on the Meta-Grip. This let to the following goal for redesigning the Meta-Grip: “Redesign the Meta-Grip in such a way that it becomes an affordable and recognizable tool that measures finger and hand strength and provides immediate and understandable feedback to the climber, that can be used unsupervised by climbers and is an addition to the currently available training tools.“.

To redesign the Meta-Grip, the design process is structured in four phases: analysis, ideation, concept design and final validation. The following methods were used: literature research, online market research, online surveys, sketching, prototyping, user testing, hosting creative sessions and expert interviews.

The redesigned Meta-Grip is a product-service system. The Meta-Grip, made for fanatic climbers, has a range in holds that differ in type and difficulty. Holds are available in alder wood for skin friendliness or polyurethane coated with quartz sand for high friction, to the user’s discretion. With two load cells and a Bluetooth module , a connection can be established to the mobile phone application of the Meta-Grip. This application, the service, is used to execute measurements, follow exercises and training plans and determine climbing goals. A button on the Meta-Grip allows users to turn the Meta-Grip on and connect the Meta-Grip via Bluetooth to the application on their phone. To instruct the user on how to use the Meta-Grip before the Bluetooth connection is available, instructions are placed on the left side of the Meta-Grip. The system is powered by a 9V battery. The installation of the Meta-Grip is made such that it will fit any normal climbing gym with two M10 bolts.

This research has shown the potential of a redesigned Meta-Grip. Through the application, the Meta-Grip can be used unsupervised and changing the design has made the Meta-Grip more versatile and recognizable for climbers. The cost price is estimate at 120 euros, making it a large price reduction. The next step is to further elaborate the concept and all parts of the product-service system to make it ready for launching the Meta-Grip to the market.
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Slamp spa is an Italian company, so far known for the design and production of decorative handmade lamps and lighting systems. Most of their current products are intended for indoor use. However, their plan for the coming years is to expand its portfolio with products also intended for external use. Due to the generality of the topic, extensive research was carried out in order to narrow down the issue. The outdoor lamp market, trends, materials, and the production possibilities of Slamp were carefully analyzed. Interviews with users of outdoor lighting were also conducted. The analysis resulted in the selection of private use, portable lamps as a category for the designed product. The first stage of the project was summarized by defining the target group, personas, and scenarios.

The concept development stage was carried out. It was characterized by a large amount of generating ideas through simultaneously trial and error, testing, searching for the form, application, and proper operation of light. It was a process that combines the features of a structured, methodological approach to the work of an IDE and the work of an artist looking for inspiration and a starting point through continuous experimentation. The stage was completed with the evaluation of the best concepts and the selection of one, which was then subjected to further development and embodiment design.

The result was a wireless lamp designed for indoor and outdoor use. The product directly responds to the needs of the interviewed users who emphasized that despite the installed external lighting, they used additional light sources such as candles, LED lamps, lanterns, etc. The lamp’s purpose is not to fully illuminate, but rather to provide additional or intimate illumination of the surroundings and a space in which the users are located. The lamps allow them to tune the mood and atmosphere, especially in a garden, on a terrace or a balcony. Furthermore, there is full freedom of how to use the lamp. It can stand horizontally, vertically, on the side, however users want, depending on their needs. It is recommended to buy not one, but two or three lamps to achieve optimal flexibility and optimal space illumination possibilities.
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The world is becoming more and more technology-driven. The consumption of electronic products leads to an increase in electronic waste (e-waste). More than half of all the e-waste that is generated in the Netherlands originates from domestic appliances (WEEE register, 2019) and only 9% of all the e-waste will be recycled (Renewi, personal communication, 2019). The remaining waste will be dumped into landfill sites, and the energy and resources used to make the products will get lost, therefor products need to be designed with a ‘circular approach’. The goal of the circular economy is to use products, equipment and infrastructure for a longer time, and to improve the productivity of these resources. (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). One of the strategies of extending the life time of products within the circular economy is refurbishment: “A process of returning a product to good working condition by replacing or repairing major components that are faulty or close to failure, and making ‘cosmetic’ changes to update the appearance of a product” (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). Right now, refurbished products are not a common consumer choice. Therefor the question that is answered in this master thesis is: How can the design of a household appliance be optimized to increase the consumer acceptance with regard to the refurbished product? The research was divided in three parts. First the motivation of the consumer was investigated by means of a literature review and a survey amongst consumers. Then the preferred aesthetics of refurbished appliances were researched through literature and doing in-dept interviews. Lastly a research was done in order to optimize this process of refurbishment. Interviews and observations where done with repairers and refurbishers. Based on the results of the consumer research three different target groups were identified; the ecological buyer, the economical buyer and the secure buyer. Consumer research shows that the three aspects reparability, cleanability and timelessness cause a more efficient refurbishment process and a greater customer acceptance of the refurbished products. These aspects are turned into a set of guidelines that will serve as proposed requirements to design for refurbishment. They must be taken into account when designing the product, choosing materials and maintaining the product. However, only incorporating these guidelines would not be sufficient to enhance the consumer acceptance of refurbished products. Research showed that not only performance of the product plays a large role in the acceptance of the product. Awareness and trust should also be created. In addition, the experience of buying a refurbished product should be as fun and exciting as buying a new product. It was found, that when the product still looks like new, the customer is more likely to trust the product. The concept ‘looking good, feeling good’ is created on this insight. The core of the concept is that part of the cover can be replaced or refinished. Therefor the machine looks new while preserving the internal components and 80% of materials used in the cover. The customers can compose their own refurbished product by starting out with a refurbished base and then choose their own new or refurbished cover to create a stronger product attachment. All findings where combined and translated to a redesign of a fully automatic coffee machine. This was done by improving the accessibility of internal components and to create a modular structure on the inside of the coffee machine in order to make the process of repairing and cleaning more efficient. Moreover, three different front designs were created that meet the requirements of the aesthetics that are preferred for refurbishment. Combinations of colors and materials were tested with the target groups and the result were evaluated. ... Read more

Ice skating is (still) very popular in the Netherlands, and it is gaining popularity across the globe. Temporary ice rinks on squares and in parks is an increasing solution in order to attract visitors in the winter and holiday season. Ice-World International, the world leader in temporary ice rinks since 1992, has experienced a significant increase in demand for temporary ice rink rental in the Netherlands. As a premium supplier, Ice-World wants to keep offering its customers high quality and innovative solutions. Therefore, Ice-World asked to explore opportunities for updating the boarding systems with a new modular boarding system that fits every rink dimension and could replace current systems. This graduation project has resulted in a redesign of the wooden boarding system. A boarding system is used as a barrier around an ice rink to prevent ice skaters from sliding or falling off the ice. It is a modular system, as every ice rink has different dimensions. Currently, Ice- World carries two different types of boarding systems: a transparent boarding and a wooden boarding. The wooden boarding is preferred by European customers, while international customers prefer transparent boarding. Existing problems with the boarding especially relate to the wooden system. The focus of this project was set to the wooden boarding because of increasing market demand (within the Benelux), and it is the core business of Ice-World. ... Read more

Urinary schistosomiasis is with over 110 million infected people one of the most common parasitic infections worldwide, most commonly found in Sub-Saharan Africa. Urinary schistosomiasis is caused by the Schistosoma Haematobium (SH) parasite. The most common diagnostic method is manual microscopy, in which urine is manually examined to see whether SH eggs are present. This method requires expensive materials and well-trained staff, and is therefore often not available in remote areas. Therefore, a more accessible and automated method is being developed at the Delft University of Technology, based on the automated flow-based holographic analysis of urine samples. As the technology and its algorithms have become well developed and a context analysis for a diagnostic device using this technology has been performed, a clear need presents itself for developing the experimental setup into a functional and interactive diagnostic device and prototype.

To do so, the different components within the development of the diagnostic technology and product interaction have been separately developed in parallel design processes. Once the components were deemed sufficiently developed to meet the lists of requirements set out, they were combined into a single product embodiment design and prototype. This integrated prototype was designed to be both functional interactive, and all software required for this purpose was created.

The resulting integrated prototype was validated and optimized at the facilities of the Delft University of Technology using SH eggs in saline solution provided by the Leiden University Medical Centre. After this, an extensive field research was performed in Ivory Coast. In this, high quality data of urine samples was obtained using the prototype, and diagnosis was performed via manual microscopy to determine the number of eggs that could be potentially observed by the prototype. Aside from this, the overall performance of the prototype and its interaction in the envisioned context were assessed. The data gathered can be used in the future to reassess the diagnostic potential of the holographic technology, and optimize the reconstruction and classification algorithms within the existing prototype to turn it into a fully functional diagnostic device, capable of providing reliable and accessible diagnoses to rural areas of Africa.
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Change can be defined as deliberate activities that move an organisation from its present state to a desired future state (Harigopal, 2016). A form of facilitating change is to organise a creative session, which is a group process of applied creativity with the ultimate goal to create a product. The product is the desired future state of a creative session and does not have to be tangible. Most importantly, the product has to be further developed or implemented after the creative session in order to achieve a successful process of change.
LEF Future Center facilitates breakthroughs by organising creative sessions for the Dutch Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat). LEF is the context of the research and the aim of this thesis is to enhance change in their creative sessions. The scope of this research is set on creative sessions of which the problem owner desires an outcome that requires implementation into the associated organisation.
First, complete understanding is created on how a creative session facilitates change. Organisational change management and integrated Creative Problem Solving (iCPS) were compared in a literature review. Revealing that iCPS follows similar steps to organisational change management. Afterwards participant observations complemented the research to understand how LEF facilitates change in sessions. The most promising opportunities that resulted from the research are; (1) Ensure a thorough understanding of the problem as given by the problem owner. (2) Define and phrase the goal of the session. (3) Compose a diverse and balanced resource group. (4) Document creative sessions. (5) Inform the problem owner on its role as a change leader.
To ultimately influence the implementation of change over the full process, the design focuses on the beginning of the LEF-process. The intake meeting is chosen as the specific context for the design.Considering this meeting could educate all partakers on their respective roles regarding the goal of the creative session, whilst engaging in all elements of an intake meeting. The partakers of an intake meeting are the facilitator, problem owner and account manager.
The final design resulted from three evaluation sessions, performed during actual intake sessions at LEF. The Intake Session is the new form of starting the preparations of a LEF-session.
The Intake Session is a combination of context specific table and clear instructions, which supports all partakers to fulfil the meeting in three phases. The first phase is introductory. The second phase critically identifies the purpose and reason for the LEF-session. Hereby the partakers give shape to the LEF-session together. The tangible aspects of the table, remind the partakers of all intake elements. During the third phase of the Intake Session, all partakers will evaluate what is in their power to reach the goal of the session and wrap-up with a picture of all that has been written on the tabletop.

The physical aspects of the Intake Session fit with LEF’s identity and support all partakers. LEF is aware of their prominent opportunities to enhance change. However, LEF lacks a sufficient intake where these opportunities are used. The ‘Intake Session’ provides an essential physical and visual reminder of how to make a good start in the LEF-process, so LEF can flourish during the creative session and facilitate a breakthrough. ... Read more

In the competitive road race-cycling sport, having a frame that is lighter and aerodynamic, grants a competitive advantage. If we look at the market, the lighter and expensive bicycles are made from carbon where the cheaper models are made out of metal-alloys. This makes the consumer biased towards metal-alloy frames, mostly about the weight. To make a optical and physical change in weight, the connection points (lugs) in between tubes are chosen. Using a topology optimised lug in frames improves production speed whilst maintaining conventional production methods and technologies. This lug has the opportunity to make the frame lighter and stiffer compared to a frame without lugs. The final product is a result of a marriage between craftsmanship and cutting edge technology. This product incorporates the characteristics and core strengths of the Braun-cycling company and the developments of CAD modelling software and additive manufacturing into a unique and high-quality product. It shows that metal-alloy bicycles are in no way outdated, but are futureproof. ... Read more

Plastic is a material that has greatly improved well being for the masses. However, it also contributes significantly to pollution of the natural environment and depletion of natural resources. So far only a small percentage of plastic is recycled and used for the production of new products. Inferior material quality and the inability to make a profit out of plastic recycling has led to little development in the utilization of this material. Umincorp is a company that developed a separation technique called magnetic density separation. With this technology they aim to make a profit from recycling and deliver high purity monostreams that can be used for a wide range of applications. This report describes the process of the development of a showcase product for Umincorp. The product aims to convince designers and producers of injection mould products, that Umincorp’s material can be used as a valuable resource for mass production. The research creates an understanding of what value this high purity material has to offer and what role designers and producers play when trying to increase the demand for this material. Next to injection moulding; rotomoulding, blowmoulding and extrusion are looked into to find opportunities to utilize the recycled flakes directly. Injection moulding was found to be the most accessible production method for processing the recycled flakes. The production of keychains in an existing mould using recycled PP was an important part of this conclusion. The choice for production in a 3d printed mould at the company P3d was made to establish a product design and production within limited time and costs. 3 concept proposals were made for products that could be presented in the context of a business fair. A business cardholder that can also be used as a nametag in multiple ways was chosen as the final product. It gives multiple qualitative examples of injection mould features, aesthetic and mechanical properties. It was produced with 99+% purity recycled PP flakes from household waste with 6 different colour separated batches. P3d noted that the material can be processed without complications. Unfortunately, the cardholder’s geometry was a bigger challenge to produce in the 3d printed mould than was expected. This resulted in an early failure of the mould, leaving only 14 products that are unable to close because of unusable clickfingers. The surface quality of the products do not show much imperfections and 6 different colours were obtained. 4 interviews were conducted with developers of injection moulded products to come to the final conclusions for the results of this project. It shows that the target group is partly convinced about the value of this material. Using the flakes directly for the production seems to surprise people when they see the surface quality of the products. The developed products seem to be a step forward in opening up the conversation about possibilities for recycled plastics from Umincorp. Next to these products, quantitative data should be available in the form of reliable data sheets and test samples in order to take away more insecurities from designers and producers of plastic products. ... Read more

The aim of this graduation project was the design of a compact, simple, and effective means of transport for the last mile, suitable for an environment with a system of shared usage. The focus of the project lied on the design of the vehicle itself, while the design of the marketing strategy and the sharing system were left out the scope.A university campus environment was chosen as context for the research and development of the product, due to its medium-large scale, its enclosed nature, and the wide variety of users. This combination of factors made the design feasible in the timeframe of the graduation project, while keeping it open for possible future applications in other environments such as factories, hospitals, and airports.The vehicle typology to design was not set upfront or arbitrarily chosen in the beginning, but it was determined by process of analysis, during which a design vision and a set of requirements were created.In a cycle of three iterations, concepts were created by following an incremental process in which insights from one idea served as a starting point for the next, leading to well-defined product architecture. This was built with simple prototyping techniques to generate a proof of concept, ready to be tested by users.Finally, the embodiment design phase elevated the product architecture to a detailed state, defining construction, mechanisms, materials and form through the use of a variety of techniques, ranging from sketching, digital visualisation and simulation, physical prototyping and user testing.The result is a dynamic, elegant and robust kickscooter with a stable three-wheel tilting and steering mechanism, an expandable compact cargo solution and a nestable configuration, specifically designed to answer the demanding requests of a chaotic shared mobility environment. Its name is Flo. ... Read more

This report present Bitstory: a new methodology for caregiving to support parents of autistic children by building a strong support network. Bitstory was designed to be implemented in the caregiving processes of De Buitenwereld. De Buitenwereld is a Dutch healthcare institution which provides care to families of children with (suspicion of) a psychiatric condition, aged 0-18. In 2015 De Buitenwereld was forced to change their caregiving processes due to the healthcare transition for the youth that was made in that year. This transition had several transition goals which healthcare institutions, such as De Buitenwereld, had to meet. One of the transition goals was to develop solutions that would support families in using their own support network, so that they would be less dependent on institutions. A great part of the families that receive care at De Buitenwereld are families of a child with autism. For this project, a focus was set these clients: parents of children with autism, aged 4-12. These parents suffer from high levels of stress and would benefit greatly from a strong support network. In an extensive exploration phase, lots of analyses was done into technologies, trends, parents’ needs and the company’s needs. In an extensive user research with a group of five parents of autistic children one main insight was distilled. This was the insight that parents lacked understanding from their network (family members, professionals, neighbors, friends, etc.) which let to having difficulties trusting them and thus building strong relationships. This ultimately resulted in parents not having the strong support network they need. But in order to get understanding from their network, parents have to explain and share lots of information with these others which costs them a lot of time and energy while they lack time and suffer from high levels of stress. All these factors hinder creating an understanding. Thus the solution had to support the parents in enhancing understanding of others so that they can build a stronger support network. In a conceptualization phase in which ideas were generated and transformed into design proposals, one proposal was chosen and further detailed into the Bitstory methodology. Bitstory is a new methodology for caregiving to empower parents of a child with autism (4-12 years old) by using tools to effectively capture, describe and structure important personal information into a visual story which can be shared at anytime and anywhere with any other who is involved in caregiving to enhance their understanding, strengthen relationships and build a strong support network. ... Read more

Due to the recent advancements in artificial intelligence based sound analysis, digital stethoscopes soon will be ready to leave behind the clinics of general practitioners, cardiologists, and pulmonologists and move to the homes of patients. But which patients could benefit the most from the technology and how would this step affect the design of stethoscopes? The current project focused on answering these two questions with regards to cardiovascular patients.

The analysis phase of the project focused on exploring the most promising disease – use case combination. The following two scenarios were identified:

Heart failure is a condition where patients’ heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s necessities. This can lead to pulmonary edema – fluid retention in the lungs. If pulmonary edema remains undetected, it can lead to severe acute events. Using digital stethoscopes the development of pulmonary edema can be detected in time.

COPD is a progressive disease leading to permanent lung damage. Lung infections pose a great threat to these patients as they speed of the progression of the disease. If lung infections are spotted at an early stage, they can be treated before the acute worsening of the patients’ state. However, no current technology can support patients in this early detection. Thereby, digital stethoscopes are highly promising for early detecting lung infections in COPD patients.

The developed solution is a strap based self-monitoring device. The device has a double stethoscope set-up, which enables patients to listen to the sounds of both of their lungs at the same time. This halves the measurement time. During the project, the inner structure of the device was elaborated as well. The device is stored on a wall-mounted charger. Hidden lights in the strap help patients to remember measurements and provide feedback about measurement accomplishment. The fabric-based strap design provides a friendlier and more comfortable look and increases the comfort during use. The wall mount is equipped with a holder that supports patients in the easy and accurate placement of the device on their back. The vision on the use integrates breathing exercises to measurements. By conducting the measurements, users can unlock new exercises. This way the use can stay more diverse over time.

The design solution was evaluated with the involvement of COPD and heart failure patients. All participants were highly satisfied with the ease and comfort of the use and the involved measurement reminding features. Participants found the device highly reliable and hygienic looking, friendly and moderately medical looking. Thereby, the aesthetic goal of balancing between a medical and a friendly appearance was met. The opinion of patients greatly varied regarding the envisioned rewarding system. While some participants found it childish, other found it rather interesting. This aspect of the device is recommended to be improved via the integration of various use encouraging features that patients can personalize to their own motivational aspects with ease.
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People whose hands suffer from CMC Arthritis are prescribed a hand brace. For multiple reasons, these people are discouraged to wear them sufficiently. This project focusses on the aesthetics in these braces and their stigma. The result is a medical aid which is not perceived as a crutch but as a clothing accesory. By giving people who have been afflicted with CMC Arthritis the ability to choose which brace fits their style, they have been given the ability to brace themselves.
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The problem encountered by TIM Solutions was mainly based on experiences of their own in different hospitals. The project was therefore started with mapping the wishes of possibile users and mapping the current context. Already in the beginning it turned out that fluid balance measurements are well based estimations as not all aspects are being monitored and recorded. Aspects like sweating, vomitting, heavy diarrhoea were not taken into account. Frustrations about the paper fluid lists getting lost, not knowing when to replace intravenous (IV) bags and communication between different care takers became clear. The different departments more or less created a way to work aournd the issues. For example, replacing of IV bags at the geriatrics department was sometimes done far before the bag was really empty to avoid forgetting to replace it. This means that the old IV bag will be thrown away before it is fully used.

Another important aspect was the division in responsibility around registering the fluid balance. It turned out that there is a big difference between involving the patient and giving the patient responsibility. Involvement is preferred by both patient and nurse, but responsibility needs to be avoided at all times. Most patients from whom an (hourly) fluid balance overview is required are quited ill and therefore incapable (mentally or physically) to take over tasks that contribute to their recovery. Patients need to have insight in how to contribute to a quicker recovery in a positive way (involvement), but the nurse is responsible in the end.

The product-service-system was divided in different system parts. These different system parts were eventually combined to several concepts that were discussed with multiple nurses at the following wards of the UMCG: geriatrics, nephrology, cardiology and intensive care. Furthermore three nurses from the Haga hospital and the RDGG provided feedback throughout the process.

Most wards preferred to have a product-service-system that is being controlled by the nurse (and assistant) and can be used by the patient when the nurse approves. The final product-service system consists of one tablet (including tablet holder), one adapter, multiple hooks and multiple FluidBalance hangers.

Interaction wise it was prefered to assemble as much functionality into one place at an ergonomic height, meaning that the FluidBalance hanger only requires interaction when (un)installing. Further interaction will happen on the FluidBalance tablet and computer on wheels (COW).

The FluidBalance hangers will gather information about their attached bags. This information will be send to the tablet using Wi-Fi. The tablet will be a central entrance point for all other gained and lost fluids and will calculated the patient’s fluid balance. This information will be send to the COW which means that it will be added to the patients electronic hospital file (EPD). (figure 1)

After defining the overall product-service-system the focus shifted to the conceptualisation and embodiment of the FluidBalance hanger. Both internal and external embodiment were investigated and tested. Several prototypes were used to investigate: accuracy, how to control influences due to movement of the patient, how to attach the product somewhere around the patient’s bed and how to compile the right components to make sure that the product will last for a few months. Findings based on interviews with nurses and trials with different Arduino codes have led to the first working model of the FluidBalance hanger (figure 1).
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The Netherlands aims for a circular economy by 2050. One of the major challenges is using waste as a resource. Midwaste, a cooperative association that manages waste streams and covers around 130 municipalities for the plastic waste dossier, is contributing in working towards a circular economy. As the client of this project, it requested looking into creating a valuable product out of the leftover mix fraction out of domestic plastic waste.
Municipalities in the Netherlands are separating domestic plastic waste, PMD, from residual waste. After collection, it is separated further into mono streams to bring these back in the circle. However, not all the plastics can be separated yet, which results in 25% leftover mix fraction, consisting out of polyolefins and impurities. The composition and quality of the mix fluctuates, which makes it a challenging material to work with. Half of the mix is still burned and half of the mix is recycled into new products. However, there still is variety of possibilities and challenges for implementing the mix into products.

The initial goal in this project was to develop a valuable product with the mix to show its potential value. It appeared that the mix was not processed with rotational moulding yet. By doing some tests with agglomerate, both with producing powder out of agglomerate and rotomoulding this powder, the potential of this material using rotational moulding has been proved. The characteristics of this material processed by rotomoulding are still unknown. The biggest challenge in further development is producing suitable powder out the agglomerate that is made by the recycler. The impurities are challenging, both in damaging the grinding system and constipating the sieves of the machinery. Besides the impurities, there is another challenge in finding the right additives for this material to improve the characteristics.

Besides proving the potential of the leftover mix using rotomoulding, CirculEm has been developed. CirculEm is a small rain barrel, partially made out of the mix, that responds to two aspects regarding a circular economy. First, using waste as a resource, and secondly CirculEm responds to climate adaptation on a local level. The outside layer of the barrel is made out the mix that shows the expression of the recycled material. The inside layer of virgin PE provides strength and stiffness to the product. However, it is discussable to blend the mix with virgin material regarding to the end of life aspect of CirculEm. When characteristics are known, this multilayer construction could be optimised.

Research showed that products made out of the mix tell a good story. Combining ‘using waste as a resource’ with creating products that respond to other aspects that work towards a circular economy, like climate adaptation and energy transition, makes this story even stronger. The municipality of Breda and Rotterdam, seem interested in CirculEm, because they are looking for solutions regarding water management on private area. CirculEm might be the missing link between municipalities and the commonality by starting the collaboration in tackling climate adaptation on private areas.
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