In this thesis, a new method towards enhancing the quality of field prepared malaria blood smears is developed through the use of a newly designed, innovative tool. Malaria is a life threatening febrile illness caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through bites of infected mosquitoes. If the symptoms are not treated within 24 hours, malaria can progress to severe illness, often leading to death. The golden standard of malaria diagnosis, microscopy, requires a high quality thick and thin blood smear. The smears enable distinction of the parasites and assessment of the infection rate. However, currently there is no standardized way to prepare these smears, leading to inconsistencies in quality.

The field context shows to be the context with the lowest smear quality output, due to difficulties and errors in the process. The high proportion of low quality smears lead to misdiagnosis, wrong treatment and indirectly to preventable fatalities. Estimates show that 25-50% of the smears prepared in this context is of poor quality. To get an understanding where this problem comes from, the most impactful errors on the smear quality have been mapped; uncontrolled variables in the preparation process, a lack of experienced medical staff, degradation of the smears during air drying and unavailability of proper and clean (local) resources and equipment.

The Malaria Blood Sampling System (MBSS) has been developed with the aim to increase the quality of field prepared blood smears, by reducing the impact on the quality that is caused by the human, environment and available resources. The MBSS is not just a newly developed device, it is a new system and a new approach to blood smear preparation. It provides a more precise, effective and efficient way of preparing blood smears in the field.

The MBSS makes blood smear preparation more accessible for inexperienced people, this tackles the current problem of the lack of experienced staff and reduces the human impact on the quality. The increased accessibility is achieved by eliminating two of four uncontrolled variables; angle and pressure. In addition, the MBSS minimizes the impact of the blood volume variable, leaving the movement speed the only human controlled variable in the process.
The environmental impact on the smear quality is reduced by eliminating the possibility of dust, ants, flies and other debris to settle on the smears. The ability to dry the slide inside the device enables protective air drying. This makes diagnosis easier and more efficient, by avoiding that unwanted particles colour the stain, which would lead to much noise, possible interpretation errors and misdiagnosis.

One of the key aspects towards preparation of high quality smears, is making use of high quality equipment. Since the MBSS includes a high quality glass slide and a capillary tube, the impact of the equipment on the smear quality is controlled and the quality of the smear can be guaranteed. These items are included in the MBBS package; they eliminate the risk of using non-sterile, unclean or contaminated equipment.

The MBSS has proven to deliver high quality thick and thin smears. Data from tests with experts and amateurs shows that the MBSS scores higher on all aspects compared to the convention smear preparation method. There is an increase in ease of preparation, ability of preparation by inexperienced people, presumed smear quality, quality consistency and time efficiency. The MBSS has potential to be a game changer that will guarantee consistent high quality smears in low-resource and low-expertise settings, such as the field. Deploying the MBSS in the malaria diagnosis ‘infrastructure and system’ will establish and ensure higher efficiency and accuracy in malaria diagnosis, leading to an increase in the amount of correct treatments and fatality reduction.

The graduation project is commissioned by Bayck, a small E-bike start-up which focuses on designing affordable and simple e-bikes. The company is looking for new market opportunities and perceives the Corona outbreak as a potential trigger for behaviour change towards mobility and e-bikes. To find a relevant design direction for Bayck, information is gathered in four steps; First, the pre-pandemic mobility is discussed, then how it is affected by the pandemic. E-bike users are interviewed to understand the new use needs. Finally, future visions from different perspectives are discussed to find a relevant context in which Bayck can design a new product. From the analysis, it is concluded that the new Bayck product needs to be personal, enable multi-usage and invite the user to relax while going from A to B. The conclusions of the analysis are put together in a design brief. An ideation is performed to come up with a design direction fitting the design brief. To conclude the ideation phase, it is decided to design an e-bike that operates on a removable battery(-ies), also usable as a personal power-bank. A storyboard is drawn to depict the ideal use situation. The current Bayck model is taken apart to understand how an e-bike works and what should be integrated in the new design. The concept is toned down to a level of feasibility: Two batteries of 18V are required to enable the user to charge its devices, but also use the 36V e-bike motor. The challenge is made to simplify the e-bike as much as possible and separate the electronics as much as possible from the frame. The whole electronic system will be moved to the front of the bike to be as close as possible to the motor. This also enables the design to be mounted on the bike without modifying the frame. The concept is taken from idea to materialized product through a fish trap process. During the materialisation, a functional prototype is build to test the set up with two 18V batteries and the working of a new lock system. The fish trap process results in a material concept, in which the different components and their assembly are established.

The constantly growing world population has en ever-increasing food supply demand. With the decreasing quality of available agricultural land, innovations in the agricultural sector will play an increasingly crucial role. Increasing productivity, improving quality and increasing the nutritional values of the end products are key in combating the problems. In the seed industry, several germination tables and cabinets have been used for decades (figures on next page). These are used to determine the quality and germination power of seeds, and to find optimum germination conditions. These devices are low-tech, labor-intensive and prone to inconsistencies in results caused by subjective human classification.

The company Quantified from Leiden, along with the companies M91200 and Idematica, saw an opportunity to develop the germination table of the future; The QIEM-Array. It aims to automate some of the steps of germination research and provide advanced data to the user. This graduation project was conducted in the first phase of the QIEM-Array project. After a problem analysis, literature review and interviews with users, a first prototype was developed. This prototype has nine individually-controllable cells in which germination tests can be done. In these cells the temperature and light can be controlled, the moisture can be measured and pictures of the seeds can be taken. The data and pictures can be used for advanced analysis with machine learning algorithms.

The company introduced their new circular economy objectives for 2025 with the statement that they will close the loop by offering a trade-in on all professional medical equipment and taking care of responsible repurposing. Recycling has the least amount of value according to the circular system diagram of the company which means that a lot of valuable material will be lost in this process. The main goal of this study is to propose a redesign that reduces the total amount of waste and generate more value for the current closed-loop system by 2025. Product X has been taken as a use case throughout this study. A literature study on the Materials Flow Analysis in combination with Sankey’s diagram has been performed to develop a visual representation of the life cycle of Product X. The goal is to provide insight into the End of Life practice of Product X and identify new circular opportunities for the company. The results led to a focus on refurbishment and part harvesting to increase the repurposing value of Product X. The identified obstructions have been rewritten into design challenges which were the guiding principles for the redesign Product X. The redesign of Product X has an optimized architecture that facilitates material reuse up to 82%. Three different business cases have been performed concerning the lifespan of Product X to estimate the potential circular revenue of Product X in time. The results indicated that the early and mid-stage of the redesign are feasible for the current refurbishment process and the late stage of the lifecycle should be dedicated to part harvesting process to capture as much material value as possible. The summarized business case indicates that the current revenue income of the redesign could be increased by 11% of circular revenue if it would be implemented. A final Material Flow Analysis is performed on the redesign of Product X to gain insight on the impact of switching to a strategy like refurbishment that increases the material value for the closed-loop system.

The design of Swapfiets’ first electric kick-scooter, the e-Kick 1.0, is not specified on the Swapfiets user and Swapfiets operations. Therefore the new e-Kick model needs to to comply with the lifestyle of the end user and improve his daily routines. For the Swapfiets mechanics the solidity and repairability is an important objective. The kick-scooter manufacturer must be able to make it, delivering high quality products. Looking at the timeframe of the project, the aim for the launch of the new e-Kick design is around Q1 2022. The target user lives in a big city using the e-Kick in combination with other transportation. He wants the e-Kick to be safe, carryable and reliable. For the mechanic multiple bad quality parts need upgrading and the steering console is repair unfriendly. Next to that, the waterproofing of the e-Kick is not according to standards. This thesis contains the new e-Kick 2.0 design ready to be ordered at the manufacturer. Next to that, the e-Kick 3.0 is shown which is the next generation e-Kick design with future possibilities for Swapfiets operations.

As the oldest zoo of the Netherlands, Artis aims to provide her visitors with a carefree experience. Artis offers mobility support by means of freely available carts to ease the visit of young children and their caregivers. The identified shortage of children carts influences the visitor experience negatively. Increasing the number of carts is not considered an option because of the lack of space in the park and high costs per cart. Furthermore, the cart retains an iconic status within the park, which makes Artis hesitant to change. This research aimed to redefine the mobility support service for children and caregivers in Artis. The goal was to design a product-service combination that fulfils both the needs of the visitor, Artis staff and management. Wide-ranging research including interviews, observations and desk research brought together the views of the internal stakeholders and visitors. Synthesis of data points and insights showed that there is not only a shortage of carts and a lack of space, but that the current service does not meet the expectations of the visitor. The service was thought to be unpredictable, inaccessible and unavailable and the cart was considered unsafe, not suitable for all relevant ages, and had many physical shortcomings. Also, the service blueprint showed that the service challenges the organization by high demand for maintenance, unpredictable daily servicing and unwanted involvement of the front office. Concluding, both the service and cart needed to be redesigned to tackle the identified problems. Key challenges and design criteria were formulated to guide the design process; the service-product combination should provide suitable and safe mobility support for caregivers and children aged 1 up to and including 3 years of age which can be picked up, left and parked any time. A self-service is sought that is predictable and accessible. The service should provide sufficient capacity, require minimal (daily) maintenance, fit the park vision and should use minimal space in the park. An intensive design process followed and resulted in a product-service proposal. The proposed service provides readily available and predictable mobility support that fits children and their caregivers with different age-dependent needs. A large number of inviting and safe, one person pullcarts is offered which can be picked up and left at any of the ten compact stations throughout the park, thus stimulating intermittent use. It is a nonsupervised self-service using tokens. The cart is made of simply bent powder-coated steel tubes and weather-resistant wood, making the cart durable, relatively easy to produce and maintain. The carts nest in stations allowing for minimal use of space, they are unobtrusive and can be scaled up easily. The proposal was evaluated with visitors and main internal stakeholders. Visitors saw value in the possibility to take and leave a cart at the different stations and the availability of information made it accessible. Furthermore, the cart was considered safe. The Artis staff considered the concept valuable in the short term and long term and concluded that implementation of (parts of) the concept would improve the visitor experience. Review of the newly designed product-service concept leads to the conclusion that the proposal is an improvement on the current service. Time restrictions limited further development of the concept. Before the cart is production-ready, several parts need further development and testing with 1:1 scale prototypes. Meanwhile, elements of the proposed service can already be integrated to improve the current service. Interactions with new service touchpoints can then be validated in the park. When the new service is launched, practice must show if the stations are located in the right place and if the number of the proposed carts and stations suffices to stimulate the sharing of carts.

The carbon emission of fossil fuels contributes to global warming. The start-up ZEF develops a sustainable alternative to create fuel. By capturing CO2 and H2O from the air, the energy from PV solar panels, and the right technology, they create methanol. Methanol can, among other things, be used as a fuel or to create plastics. This product is called a micro plant. With the development of large PV solar farms with 40.000 solar panels and 13.000 micro plants, methanol will be produced on a large scale.
The micro plant is a small chemical factory with about 50 different parts. These parts are individually, or within one of the four subsystems developed at TRL level 4. However, these parts are only developed at a technical level; the integration of these parts into a micro plant suitable for the mass manufacturing of 100,000 pieces has had little thought. Therefore the purpose of this graduation project is to guide ZEF towards an embodiment design for the micro plant. The four main design drivers that influenced the choices are price, functionality, environmental impact, and flexibility.
To get to an embodiment design the influence of maintenance, the architecture design, the insulation and the casing where researched.
Maintenance: The micro plant requires maintenance about every 2 to 5 years. The chosen maintenance strategy is preventive predetermined scheduled maintenance. The two extreme options for maintenance were maintenance at the micro plant’s location or automated maintenance in a garage. Option one was chosen because this allows for the flexibility to make changes in the maintenance schedule. This resulted in the requirement to have access to all maintenance interfaces and six control buttons for the micro plant.
Architecture design: Architecture design is about how the different parts are positioned relative to each other. Size of the parts, their heat and cooling requirements, their maintenance requirements, and their place in the system diagram determined their position.
Insulation: The material used for insulation is stone wool. Stone wool is cheap, durable, and has the proper thermal properties. It can be manufactured in different ways; for this project, the solution of a box made with stone wool plates, placed around the insulation parts and filled with stone wool flakes will be used. The insulation gets a plastic protective layer.
Casing: The core function of a casing is to keep all the parts stiff together and transport the air from the air filter to the air fan. It is unnecessary to have a casing that encloses the whole micro plant because most parts do not require an enclosed to ensure a 20 years lifetime. This design chooses a blow-molded air duct with a steel frame to embody this ‘naked’ casing.
In the end, the total costs of the micro plant were 700 euros, where the target price was 450 euros. The micro plant needs to be suitable for more PV solar panels, cheaper, or it is not feasible.
This project was only a starting point for product design, recommend is to continue the development on the product level, because the product level does influence the technical level. Also, getting from a concept to a product requires time and collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

Introduction
This project is about designing a tailor-made hand orthosis for hand support of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) -Limb onset to increase independence during desired activities. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2014), ALS, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. This results in the wasting away of muscles, by which they are weakened. Patients gradually lose the ability to move, speak, swallow, and, eventually, to breathe unaided within an average of two to four years after the onset of the symptoms (Andersen, P. M., Abrahams, S., Borasio, G. D., de Carvalho, M., Chio, A., Van Damme, P., Weber, M. (2012).
Discover
According to the ALS Association (n.d.), ALS limb onset starts with distal muscle weakness (further away from the heart) and gradually move in the proximal direction (closer to the heart). This means that in most cases, finger strength is lost before weakness in the wrist appears, which is followed by loss of power in the arm. This study starts by evaluating if an arm balancing exoskeleton contributes to performing activities of daily living (ALDs) for ALS patients. However, not being able to control hand movement causes patients not being able to perform essential ALDs. An arm exoskeleton which lacks hand support will not contribute.
Prominent problem
Patients become highly dependent on the care of informal caregivers and assistive aids, which is emotionally and mentally burdensome for both. When patients can perform small tasks like ADLs themselves with assistive aids, it will contribute to the level of independence and unburden the informal caregivers. This study aims to investigate the most prominent problems occurring in the daily life of patients by interviewing four patients. It is found that patients primary prefer to complete dining activities independently because of alleviating their informal caregivers and avoiding home care during these valued times.
Develop
Based on this insight, exploration research is done to find the best way on how to support ALS patients during dining activities. The activity is detailly analysed by dividing dining into smaller actions, which presents the underlying problems. This shows that grasping objects is the first problem which limits patients. A second study compares the applicability of three types of hand support which solve grasp failure: active (dynamic) support, hybrid support, and static support are researched. These supports are discussed with patients and medical experts. The type of support which is operated by patients in the simplest way regarding basic movements and straightforward controlling is chosen to continue for further development. ALS patients can longer operate this type of support, and use this assistive aid immediately without long learning time.
Deliver
A tailor-made static hand orthosis is developed, which provides independence to ALS patients during dining activities. By automatically connecting and releasing to frequently used tableware, no strength of their fingers is required. The orthosis contributes to the level of comfort and addresses the individual differences for patients because it is tailor-made. The orthosis connects to frequently used objects by using a designed connector with magnetic capabilities and a mechanical lock.
Evaluate
This first iteration is evaluated by an ALS patient having mild paralysis in hand. The orthosis is tested while consuming breakfast consisting of fluid and food intake. The orthosis connects well with frequently used objects and operates straightforwardly and simply, which results in performing the dining activities with more independence and ease. Secondly, the results of the study are evaluated with an occupational therapist who agrees that this assistive aid could increase the level of independence for ALS patients. This first iteration can form a base for further development. Still, many iteration steps combined with user tests should follow. The first step would consist of improving the usability of the current connection to cups and other utensils like a fork and a knife.

This thesis tackles the designing of a small-scale alkaline electrolysis cells (AEC) unit for large-scale production. This apparatus is applied for the production of pressurised hydrogen by employing solar energy. The goal is to minimise production costs while ensuring the safety of the unit operation throughout its lifespan. Although the employed technology is mature in the industry, large-scale production of such units still represents a novelty. Zero Emissions Fuel, ZEF, is currently carrying on the development of an electrolyser able to autonomously operate by two standard photovoltaic panels. The study includes the designing of a bipolar electrolysis cell with thermoplastics and its optimisation for injection moulding. Likewise, methods for ensuring the leak-tightness of the unit are investigated and evaluated through distinct experiments. The concept development is focussed on the satisfaction of the main functional requirements for the AEC unit. Hence, operating conditions of stress, temperature and chemical corrosion he been taken into account to identify the material selection of each component.The proposed design is as twice as powerful compared to the previous development, within a much smaller and lighter form factor. Similarly, the unit cost has been reduced by a third.

Ortovox, a mountain sports brand, existing for almost 40 years, is undergoing a rapid change. Through substantial growth, the organization has been pushed into a new position. The niche market was given up for a place among the leading brands in the outdoor industry. The new situation results in fundamentally different market requirements and consumer expectations. A long-term vision for the brand and the development of the product portfolio is more critical than ever. It is, therefore, the central question of this thesis if the organization should expand its offer into new categories. 
A variety of strategic design methods, involving various stakeholders and especially consumers in the process, were conducted to analyze the current situation critically. 
Internally, a clear vision of the strategic setup of the product & service portfolio was missing. Directly linked to that is the understanding of the brand, its uniqueness and positioning in the market, which is not distinct. The uncertainty results in a tentative culture, through which important industry trends or the right longterm decisions might be missed out. 
Reviewing the internal perspective of the brand with external stakeholders revealed that there is a discrepancy between intended brand values and the perceived image. Another discovery was that the growth of sales increased the risk of market saturation and overheating. With the product portfolio getting more and more directed at a broad group of consumers, the brand starts to dilute. 
To further grow in revenue and to establish a leading market position in the next 5-10 years, it is crucial to solving the internal and external problems by a strategic approach. The redefinition of the brand was identified as a suitable solution to tackle future orientation from an overarching perspective. 
The revised brand defines the primary brand purpose and brand promise, which is to enable lighthearted mountain experiences. This purpose can be realized through the harmonic conjunction of three, typically opposing elements: Serious functionality, cheerful style and nature. This specific combination is unique in the market and differentiates Ortovox from the competition. The new brand DNA builds the base for an innovation process, that translates the brand promise and core values into products and services. 
Five concepts with the most promising characteristics and the best brand fit are further elaborated. Care is an after-sales concept that revolutionizes consumer services in the outdoor industry. An emergency GPS is increasing consumers‘ safety during mountain sports. Two typical mountaineering products helmet and harness are enhanced by innovative features, which provide real value in the existing market. The range of concepts is completed by the digital Guide concept, which solves several user needs while broadening the brands‘ value proposition towards many touchpoints in the user journey. An analysis of the commercial viability of three of the concepts is intended to be a basis for decision-making.
By combining a brand-driven approach with consumer-focused methods, this thesis provides strategies and concrete products and services that will help Ortovox to stay successful in the changing context of the next years.

With the rising renewable energy demand, sustainable energy storage systems become more important. Zero Emission Fuels (ZEF) is developing a solar powered methanol micro-plant that produces methanol, using water and carbon dioxide, out of the air. ZEF’s focus this far was on developing the subsystems for the micro-plant. This report is about the integration design of the different subsystems. The main integration challenge was to design a functional micro-plant concept that produces methanol at a low cost. The state-of-the-art subsystem designs were researched, and a base-case cost estimation was conducted. Next, in a scaling research it appeared optimal to implement one micro-plant per three solar panels, instead of one plant per panel. A functional configuration architecture was designed and conceptual mass producible subsystem designs were developed. These designs were used for building a scale 1:1 integration prototype and for conducting a cost analysis of the concept. The microplant concept would produce methanol at a significantly lower cost compared to the base-case. Consequently, the micro-plant reached the target cost. Design guidelines and recommendations are given for further optimising the micro-plant's integration design and costs.

While touch Interfaces have greatly improved the user friendliness and functional possibilities of devices, haptic feedback has been lacking in user interface design. Good Haptic feedback not only gives confirmation of a key press, but also enriches the user interaction and improves the usability of interfaces.
This absence of haptic feedback is is generally not an issue when the users field of view is oriënted at the touch interface (as is the case with Smartphones and tablets), problems arise when features in the interface have to be controlled blindly, as is the case in automotive applications, where distraction of the driver results in safety risks. In terms of HMI design, the unique properties of Aito’s HapticTouch system has shown it can potentially solve these issues and even could enrich the user experience of automotive interiors. In reality however, when clients integrate Haptic Touch in their products, its application is generally limited to replacing traditional buttons, reducing its competitiveness when compared to other technologies. Broadly speaking, there two problems: The first one is that Aito has no demonstrators that show haptic feedback integrated with innovative UI designs. The second problem is that at this time, Aito has little experience in combining audio-visual cues with Haptic Feedback. This graduation thesis explores the possibilities in designing an affordable demonstrator that showcases the unique selling points of AITO®HapticTouch technology for automotive applications. To provide a sound foundation for the design process, internal- and external company analyses were done to identify the sustainable competitive advantages of Aito, trends and developments in the Automotive industry (until 2030) and companies/technologies that compete with Aito. Based on insights from the analysis, the following Design Vision has been formulated: Future automotive HMI’s should adapt themselves to the personal preferences of the user(s), taking into account the context the car is used in and the state of mind of the user(s) in relation to their physical and digital lives. With this vision, Aito’s Haptic Touch is central in making the UI contextual and personal to the user, while also being used as an additional channel of communication with the user in e.g. automated driving modes. The demonstrator presented in this thesis embodies this design vision: A light-weight structure with a wide range of personalised features, a minimalistic projection mapped GUI design, contextual to the driving situation and controls that communicate with the user through Haptic Feedback. To validate the design, a prototype version of the gear shifter panel was built to evaluate the use of projection mapping and the quality of the stack designs. The initial validation brought to light there is room for improvement in terms of HapticTouch integration. The estimated building costs were higher than the target price, but for a demonstrator of this complexity still acceptable.
If Aito would decide to continue developing this demonstrator, would therefore be to start small with the individual panels before integrating them into a fu a demonstrator on the scale of the one discussed in this thesis.

Bundles is a Dutch startup that is working on developing circular propositions by offering products on a subscription model. Bundles already offer high-quality Miele washing machines on a “pay per wash” model to consumers. However, high lifecycle costs hinder the competitiveness of the business. This high cost is a result of the product (washing machine) and service (subscription model) not being developed in tandem with each other. The current washing machine is not designed for the Circular Economy (CE) and not designed for multiple use cycles.
CE, Digital Technologies and Product Service Systems Different academics point out that digital technologies create opportunities for circular propositions (e.g., Ellen MacArthur Foundation,2016; Pagoropoulos et al., 2017; Bressanelli et al., 2018). The connection of products through the internet enables them to sense their own and their environments status, process this information and interact with their users. These capabilities help service providers to extend the useful life of products, maximise the utilisation of products, loop products through additional use cycles, regenerate natural capital from their products, and make sure these products are used efficiently. Bundles currently, uses a smart plug to connect their devices to the internet which generates little insights for users and the service. Washing machines that last forever Through the knowledge of the condition and status of a WM, PSS can increase the useful service life of the WM eternally by enabling lifetime extending strategies like maintenance, service, refurbishing and remanufacturing . With washing machines, proactive service and maintenance is important for the service life of a washing machine. Users are critical stakeholder in enabling proper maintenance and service as if they do not participate in the service and maintenance process, the actions do not succeed. Fogg (2009) describes in his behavior change model three elements needed for a behavior to occur – Motivation, Ability, and Trigger. If a person has high motivation to do an action and the ability to do it and triggered in the right way, the action will occur.

Design Solution
The result of this design project is a User Interface framework for enabling easy and efficient maintenance and service of the WM. The concept looks at the different faults and maintenance actions for a washing machine and describes three different states of a WM.
Green State – the Most desired state where the machine is functioning perfectly and does not require any user action
Yellow State – A state where the functionality is intact but the machine requires maintenance action to be done
Red State – A state when the functionality is seized due to a fault and requires a service action to fix it.
The concept also looks at the transitions between the different states and what causes them and what action is needed to bring the machine to the green state. On the basis of the different actions, and a behavior change model that is aimed at motivating users and giving them the ability to carry out the maintenance and service actions, a UI concept is generated. This concept brings together Digital Technologies enabling circularity in a PSS.

Most cardiac arrests happen within the home and only 10% of these victims will survive. If a victim can receive CPR within the first 6 minutes of a cardiac event then their chances of survival increase to 45%.

LivisOra helps you prepare for this moment. Ora is a CPR training aid that assists anyone to master chest compressions and rescue breaths without attending a lesson. It has electronics that monitor the learner’s CPR performance and deforms to mimic the elasticity of a human chest. The accompanying App provides quality feedback on the learner’s CPR performance.

Ora is design for self-training within the home. There is no more worrying about scheduling and lesson costs. Everyone has heard of the saying “Practice makes perfect”. Training with Ora regularly is the most effective means of learning and retaining skills. Train with Ora to save lives.

Msc. Roos Oosting and the Global Health Design Lab initiated development of affordable and high-quality electrical surgery units (ESU) as a step towards improving surgical care. The ESU is used as an operating tool to assist the surgeon for a high variety of essential surgical procedures. The ESU consists of a high frequency generator with an interface to adjust power settings, a return electrode and an a monopolar handheld that is used to perform the surgery. The main advantages of electrosurgery for low and middle income countries (LMICs) settings is that it is widely applicable, helps to stop and prevent bleeding, allows for precise cutting, facilitates better wound healing in less hygienic environments and has a valuable contribution to time efficient execution of surgical procedures.

A few low-end devices exist that—due to their stripped down, fully analogue and simple design— do not fully meet the demands that are needed for safe global usage of the ESU. As a result, the devices are used inappropriately and this can have serious clinical consequences for the patient, even more in low-resource settings like sub-Saharan Africa (Oosting, 2018).

The design goal of the project has been the development of a reliable, safe and intuitive user-interaction with the ESU system and a tailored design for maintenance in a variety of use-contexts in LMICs. The new design of the electrosurgery unit should be understandable for all electrosurgery users, thus surgeons with limited electrosurgery experience as well as specialists and surgical assistances.

The developed ESU system is designed to capture the primary needs and functionalities to perform surgery according to the 15 essential surgeries stated by the World Health Organization (WHO). These functionalities have been integrated in a safe and intuitive user interaction with both the high frequency generator as well as the monopolar handheld.

For situations where existing equipment and devices cannot fulfil the unique needs of LMICs, the process of designing tailored solutions should involve extensive consultation with end-users, as this is critical to promoting correct device use and protecting patient safety (Ng-Kamstra, 2016). Consequently, substantial qualitive research has been done by interviewing 15 Dutch surgeons that work or have worked in developing countries. This created an holistic framework on the user-interactions and barriers with the electrosurgical unit prior, during and after a surgical procedure and legit assumptions on required functionalities in use and sustainable maintenance prior to designing.

The developed concepts have been extensively tested with the intended target group by means of an explorative study in Kenya. Even though the developed ESU system requires future improvements to create a sustainable success, the designed system empowers the future accessibility of electrosurgery for LMICs. The ESU system increases safety and an intuitive user interaction concerning the limited electrosurgery experience and enhances reliability for maintenance in the variety of use contexts in LMICs. The developed trade-off has shown the great potential this designed ESU system can have on global surgery. Hopefully, this ESU system can in all sincerity make global electrosurgery accessible for everyone and everywhere.

This master thesis analyses and proposes a design for a direct air capture (DAC) unit as part of a small scale, solar powered methanol synthesis plant. This project analyses the existing process and design by ZEF BV and explores solutions for mass manufacturing a direct air capture unit. As a result a concept design solution is found and analyzed on cost and environmental impact. To achieve this, several product design methods have been applied, including idea generation and prototyping, all in an iterative process. Sub-solutions have been designed an tested and are brought together in a system architecture to form a product. A direct air capture unit provides an access point to capture CO2 and water from air and turn air into methanol with the power of sunlight. A viable product design can be achieved by integrating product functions in single components rather than making components fulfill a single function. In this way,
resources can be used effectively. This thesis shows that it is possible to make such a product, however, many aspects leave room for improvement or may need to change depending on other the needs of other systems of a small scale methanol synthesis plant. It provides a base for a next generation of DAC design.

The Need for Renewable Fuels
Global warming demands an urgent and thus dramatic change in the current focus and approach of producing energy. Current renewable energy production is mainly focused on solar and wind. However, for many industries their infrastructure is not adapted to electricity as an energy source. Therefore, a full transition to wind and solar is not viable on the short term. More than 50% of the current industry still relies on fossil fuels. This means there is a strong need for renewable fuels, like liquid hydrocarbons, which can directly be applied in the existing infrastructure.

ZEF: Reinventing the Chemical Industry
Zero Emission Fuels (ZEF), a startup focusing on the production of renewable methanol (also a liquid hydrocarbon), aims for a different approach in chemical industry. Current commercial routes to renewable hydrocarbons have not been succesful so far in the global market. By using a scalable number of microplants, opposed to upscaling an industrial size plant, the advantage in terms of cost per kilogram, saving money and time could be significant, because no intensive research and testing regarding upscaling is required. Instead of upscaling the entire plant, simply the number of microplant could be increased to satisfy the renewable MeOH demand. Hence, a small player as ZEF, with fast and cheap growing potential, is able to enter the methanol market by offering renewable methanol at competitive prices of $350/ton in a mainly fossil fuel driven methanol market. ZEF’s product is a fully automated solar panel add-on which converts air to liquid methanol. The microplant extracts H2O and CO2 from the air and uses it to synthesize methanol. This means that CO2 emitted in the atmosphere can be recycled into a renewable fuel. Hence, ZEF poses a solution to close the CO2-cycle. An advantage of the microplant is that it is location independent because water and carbon dioxide are available everywhere. The system is a series of nine subsystems, all of which are based on existing technologies and powered by solar energy. The aim of ZEF is to reach an overall system efficiency of 55%. The numbering-up approach requires the microplant to be suitable for mass-production.

The challenge
The backbone of the microplant is the subsystem which integrates the eight other subsystems. By integrating the different subsystems, the number of parts and thus cost can be reduced significantly. This is a requirement indispensable to the feasibility of the business idea. Thus, the central question in the perspective of the business case and this thesis is to verify whether a reserved budget of EUR 3,5 per backbone is realistic. Is there a backbone which can be designed to correspond to the technical and financial requirements?

Objective
The combination of technical requirements and a tight cost target demands a smart design of the backbone. Therefore, the focus is on product architecture, material choice and mass-manufacturing at a minimal cost. The result is a feasibility study towards the mass-manufacturing aspect applied on the backbone of an energy system. This should all be carried out within the boundaries of the business plan.
 
Approach
In essence, the feasibility study in terms of a cost analysis is straight forward. A material, volume and production method need to be determined in order to validate the business plan. First, a material needs to be found which is as cheap as possible and complies with the technical requirements. The technical requirements involve coping with aggressive chemicals, elevated temperatures and high pressures. Once a suitable material is found, the volumes are to be looked into. The size of the several subsystems needs to be estimated. Subsequently, a compact layout positioning is needed to minimize the total backbone surface area. Ultimately, the volume is determined by applying a Finite Element Method (FEM) and topological optimization through simulations using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software on the chosen backbone concept. This concept is an approach to integrate all essential functionalities related to the aforementioned other eight subsystems. A prototype of the concept, called the backbone “sample”, has been manufactured by computer numerical controlled (CNC) milling. Finally, a feasibility study was carried out to investigate the possibility for mass manufacturing of the backbone. This feasibility study was based on a cost analysis and on the results of the backbone testing.

Results
The result of this thesis is a product architectural layout applied on a three-plated backbone concept. The CNC-milled prototype (figure c) contains real size partial solutions for all main functionalities of the targeted backbone. These functionalities range from crossing canals subjected to different pressures towards the integration of valves, a buffer and actuators. Hence, the merit of the design is the possibility to copy-paste sub-solutions wherever needed in a future backbone design, even an injection moldable variant. Regarding the cost model, an approach is presented to quickly estimate the material price for a new backbone design. This approach is driven by a fixed amount of material required per functionality. This amount is based upon the material choice and the topology optimization. Regarding testing the CNC-milled backbone sample, the integration of functionalities has proven to be successful. However the custom made seals failed to be leak tight.

Conclusion
The feasibility study of the mass-manufacturing aspect of the backbone based on a cost analysis and results gathered from testing the backbone sample. A cost analysis has been carried out, based on a material suited for mass-manufacturing, design for mass-manufacturing itself and an amount of material necessary. This cost analysis was compared to the target backbone cost defined by ZEF. Based on the developments regarding the entire microplant design of May 2018, the backbone weight is estimated at 7kg and it is made out of the material PET 45% glass fiber (GF). This material is found to be in line with the numerous technical and financial challenges. The weight of 7kg assumes the integration of a 1.3l hydrogen buffer for 1 hour, a 0.7l carbon dioxide-water buffer for two hours, 1.5m piping, 14 one-way partially servomotor controlled valves and three solenoid operated valves. A safety factor of two was applied to guarantee the backbone to be self-bearing and provide support to the subsystems. The final design is a three-plated backbone measuring 200x400mm. Considering a production volume of 500 000 injection mold backbones, one backbone is expected to cost EUR 9,22. Thus, the cost estimation is not in line with the targeted cost of EUR 3,5. Also, regarding testing the backbone sample, the custom made seals have proven not to work. Therefore, the design should be reviewed in terms of weight optimization and detail design. Despite the results, the costs are not far off. Possible opportunities to cut costs are mentioned in the recommendations.

Recommendations
Based on new input of the overall microplant design, the parametric models of the material search and the volume estimation of subsystems, the cost analysis can be adjusted. Hence, these models are a valuable benchmark for further research. Regarding the detail design, it is recommended to work around seals in the next backbone design. These seals are a weak point in the current backbone design and are susceptible to failure. By avoiding seals, the risks with regard to performance and assembly are seriously reduced. Therefore, in a next design step injection molding experts could be approached to help think about a backbone design which is suitable for injection molding without seals.
With respect to the design of the backbone, it is advised to keep cavities as small as possible. For every aspect, which is subjected to higher pressures, ranging from canals to buffers, it must be checked whether it can be reduced in volume. The smaller the pressurized surface area, the lower the stresses on the material, the less material is needed, the lower the backbone cost. Thus, it is recommended to prioritize design for weight optimization in the next backbone design. In relation to weight optimization, design for hybrid materials needs more attention. Other important considerations are mounting the backbone to the solar racking system, cavity creep as a result of a long term load case exposure, permeability of the material with respect to H2 and CO2 and the effect of mutual influences of temperature, chemicals and pressure on the material choice.

Captains are responsible for the medical care of their crewmembers. To do this, they receive one week of training every five years during which they study the knowledge and practice the skills and processes to handle medical incidents on board. The week of training is not enough for the captains to handle medical incidents confidently and they are in need of support.
Currently, the support for captains is limited to phone calls and email with a doctor from the Radio Medical Services. MedAssist.online invented 2-way-AR technology, a unique method of merging two realities into one using tablets and a green screen. The merging of two realities creates the possibility to give instructions to the captain using hands as an overlay on the video. The 2-way-AR video function is put at the centre of a service which is designed to match the treatment journey and increase the number of interactions between a doctor and captain. A service which uses live video with the addition of 2-way-AR technology has the potential to become the telemedicine solution that boosts the confidence of the captains and their treatment performance.
Boosting confidence is essential to help the captain be decisive in his actions. However, the real value of 2-way-AR is in supporting the captain perform medical skills like stitching and abdominal searches. This thesis researched the tablet positions and camera positions on both sides of the communication. For the doctor set-ups for different tablet positions were designed and tested to give him optimal control over his hands to give instructions. On the captain side, the camera position and tablet position were explored, built and tested. The set-up is evaluated on the understanding of the doctor of the captain's situation, his ability to interpret and implement the instructions and the flexibility of the set-up for multiple medical scenarios.
From testing various set-ups, it was concluded that an additional camera on the captain side improves the ease of understanding for the doctor and his ability to give instructions. At the same time, the captain can put the tablet in a position where he can easily switch between the patient and tablet to implement the instructions, without the tablet obstructing his work area.
This thesis has focussed on the physical set-ups of the tablet, camera and green screen on the captain and doctor side. The final test showed improvements in the new set-up design over the old, but there is an opportunity to improve the communication between the doctor and captain.

Behavioral treatment shows long-term success among children with AD(H)D, but is often expensive and hard to bring into practice. Flowy is a wristband that supports behavioral interventions by giving rhythmic vibrations as reminders for behavioral change.
Rhythmic vibrations on the wrist have shown to have a calming effect, and can alert users to think of behavioral interventions. Different vibration patterns can foster self-regulating thoughts such as asking “Am I behaving as I intended to do?” or “Am I still focused?”. This increases the self-regulating ability of a child during individual tasks at school.
Flowy is designed like a buddy for children with AD(H)D. It is like a helping friend that motivates them to study longer. It also gives the child ownership of self-regulation, because it let children create own vibration patterns for activities. This is realized by providing an app that brings the ‘buddy’ alive, explains self- regulation techniques and involves parents to monitor the process to create a positive reinforcement within the family.

Gerrard Street is a company that designs and produces a modular set of headphones called BIRD. The BIRD is not for sell, but is part of a subscription to consumers. If something breaks the user can request a new part for repair as part of the service. In the near future Gerrard Street is going to launch a new Bluetooth, Wired and Noise Cancelling variant of the headphone, but what can they do after?

This project is about MAYER a Bluetooth speaker designed using the Gerrard Street philosophy and attending to the needs of consumers. This project uses the agile bussiness canvas a main methodology.