Incus - Major Project, Listener and home alert for hard of hearing Rating Options

[Robert Curtis]

I haven't posted here in some time, so thought you might like a peek at what I've been up to for the past year

'incus' is the name of my recently completed major project; a personal listener and home alert for the hard of hearing. The project has been undertaken in collaboration with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and seeks to the address the problem of social isolation caused by personal listening products, whereby users are cut off from audible events such as the telephone ringing.

The attached photos are of the working prototype I built, which features visual, audible and physical feedback through use of RGB LEDs, headphone output and a vibration motor. Users are able to adjust the volume, and stop alerts by pressing the screen which doubles up as the dismiss button. Provision is also made for wearing the product with a belt clip, which also features a widget for attaching a lanyard or wrist strap.

*Prototype video*


In the design I've strived to achieve a good balance between an aesthetic that is discrete, yet still desirable as a consumer product considering the niche market and generally uninspired design of products in this market. Comments and feedback welcome

Portfolio

Attached File(s)

 Wear_windows.jpg ( 251.82K ) Number of downloads: 82
 Front_above_PDF.jpg ( 111.64K ) Number of downloads: 40
 Alert_board_PDF.jpg ( 176.25K ) Number of downloads: 29
 banner_alert.jpg ( 33K ) Number of downloads: 37
 banner_3.jpg ( 27.75K ) Number of downloads: 27

 

[Kyle L.]

good design.

[Lilith]

i do admire the idea, great job!
not familiar with this specific market, so dont really know how innovative is this particular device, i just thought the exterior could be a bit more fun but this is just me
how heavy is the object?
ps. why didnt you post this image as well? http://www.coroflot.com/public/individual_...;sort_by=1&

your portfolio is awsome

[Robert Curtis]

i do admire the idea, great job!
not familiar with this specific market, so dont really know how innovative is this particular device, i just thought the exterior could be a bit more fun but this is just me
how heavy is the object?
ps. why didnt you post this image as well? http://www.coroflot.com/public/individual_...;sort_by=1&

your portfolio is awsome

That particular image is a render of the original design, before I changed it; all the images that I've posted here are photos of the real thing.

With regard to weight, my target was around 100g - which I just about met. The heaviest elements internally are the PCB, and the battery; a 6V half AA cell commonly used in pocket cameras. People have commented upon the aesthetics not being radical enough; my target market is largely made up of elderly users (although not exclusively) due to age related hearing loss. For these users, familiarity with existing products such as mobile phones and TV remotes is quite important.

[Lilith]

wow 100g is pretty good ! and yes you do have the point there with the apperance, good luck!

[toodef1]

G'day Robert,

First up well done for working in an area thats too often overlooked by Industrial Designers. I spent a year in designing a transport vehicle for the older age group and know off all the problems you would have faced. ! I think you nailed the design very well, overall size, colour, button size etc. as you probably found out its really important to include as much sensory information as possible, as chronic conditions arthritis, blindness, deafness etc set it .. and we begin to struggle a bit !

My only crit would be its perhaps slightly too big - ans I say that lightly because its important to be able to hold the product . . . it just looks a slightly to big around the neck and in the hand shot.

Top work tho - have you had any commercial interest ?

Cheers.

h

[Skint]

Yeah nice design and a commendable project Robert. Its always good when people design for the disabled. I have designed Door Handles and Window Handles in the past for the DDA, The Disability Discrimination Act so I understand all the requirements that you have set out to achieve, and your right to stick to the elderly for this kind of market.

My initial comments were going to regard the size, these days most electrically / battery operated gadgets can be much smaller due to technical progress. Having read your reasoning above regards the weight and the familiarity of things such as TV remotes I understand bigger is sometimes better.

If you were to design one for the younger age group, then im sure it would be the size of a Pen top and no doubt contain a USB port too haha.

Great Job, I hope you have success with it. I know getting product to market in these specific fields is a mind field of paperwork and Specifications etc.

[Robert Curtis]

G'day Robert,

First up well done for working in an area thats too often overlooked by Industrial Designers. I spent a year in designing a transport vehicle for the older age group and know off all the problems you would have faced. ! I think you nailed the design very well, overall size, colour, button size etc. as you probably found out its really important to include as much sensory information as possible, as chronic conditions arthritis, blindness, deafness etc set it .. and we begin to struggle a bit !

My only crit would be its perhaps slightly too big - ans I say that lightly because its important to be able to hold the product . . . it just looks a slightly to big around the neck and in the hand shot.

Top work tho - have you had any commercial interest ?

Cheers.

h

Thanks for your comments; no commercial interest yet, although this is a very niche market. One reason the RNID instigated the project, was to give current manufacturers a bit of a kick up the bum.

The size of the product is a valid criticism - when I presented my prototype to a focus group, size was the most commonly voiced issue. However, unlike some of my colleagues on the course at Loughborough the functional aspects of my design fit inside the enclosure. I'm reasonable certain that I produced the smallest working prototype at our degree show.

Attached File(s)

 incus_inards.jpg ( 192.81K ) Number of downloads: 9

 

[grasshoper]

good idea. + walkie talkie good for market...

[maumau]

congratulations robert!

this IS industrial design. what a great execution of a such an important and needed product.

to give current manufacturers a bit of a kick up the bum.

eventhough your focus groups and many designers here actually see it too big, i was about to ask if the LCD screen could have been bigger because i just wondered what would happen if Incus was away from the user and vibration was not being felt... (but i am certain you alrealdy walked that road...)

then i read about you meeting to goal of enclosing every part of the device succesfully and also, i took a look at the open case, and then it made pretty good sense. besides, it's a first generation design and a great one at that too.

can i ask how long have you been working in this project, since your very first sketch up to now?

[woli]

Hi Robert,

For a start its a great model! Was the case rapid prototyped? As maumau stated, it is a very well finished, well rounded design. I've been to new designers the last 3 years and commonly see a lot of radical "look at me I'm creative" kind of products. This on the other hand solves problems, responds to needs and doesnt look half bad. Good design. Something to aspire to for my final project.

Oli

[Robert Curtis]

Hi Robert,

For a start its a great model! Was the case rapid prototyped? As maumau stated, it is a very well finished, well rounded design. I've been to new designers the last 3 years and commonly see a lot of radical "look at me I'm creative" kind of products. This on the other hand solves problems, responds to needs and doesnt look half bad. Good design. Something to aspire to for my final project.

Oli

Thanks. The plastic components were modelled in ProEngineer, and rapid prototyped using a 3D printer. I started the project in September, and handed it all in at the end of May.

I've been to New Designers for the last 2 years, and would agree with your statement - but in a way, it's supposed to be about 'look at me' type products. Loughborough differentiates itself by promoting excellence in user centred, inclusive design and utilisation of technology to create working prototypes - which is somewhat at odds with the show. However, having been to both the Loughborough 'Ideation' show, and Brunel's 'Made in Brunel' show I would seek out these projects at New Designers:

- Edward Horsford [Brunel] - Interactive light switch
- Richard Merriam [Loughbroough] - Drinking aid
- Ian Bach [Loughborough] - Portable lights
- Piers Storey [Loughborough] - Adjustable motorcycle helmet
- Takumi Yoshida [Loughborough] - Mobile phone for blind
- Duncan Shotton [Brunel] - Digimech clock
- Ian Mason [Loughborough] - Honeycomb steel chair

The showing from Brunel seems a bit week this year for major projects, but the two I mention are excellent.

[woli]

I agree on that point. Obviously the way to get noticed as a 'creative individual' is to go nuts with your last project but I think it depends who you're trying to impress. I'm always really enthused to see the well finished, commercially viable kind of design even though its not quite as cool/whacky/subversive. I always look forward to Brunel's and Lufbra's stands.. Northumbria too.

Anyways well done again and good luck with the show next next weekend.

Oli

[marshavoc813]

Just a suggestion, but if you tried using surface mount electronic components, you may be able to decrease the size some. Also, LCD screens from cell phones and the like are readily available and rather thin. I know that these screens wouldn't exactly fit the nice curvature of your casing, but you may be able to work something out. Just my $0.02.

[Robert Curtis]

Just a suggestion, but if you tried using surface mount electronic components, you may be able to decrease the size some. Also, LCD screens from cell phones and the like are readily available and rather thin. I know that these screens wouldn't exactly fit the nice curvature of your casing, but you may be able to work something out. Just my $0.02.

Using surface mount electronics would have been better; Loughborough have the facilities in the Design department, but strangely none of the lecturers had used them before this year (they have sat there unused). I hadn't the time to experiment with this, in addition to writing my software etc.

Outsourcing the PCB would have also been sensible. However, outsourcing would have been tricky regarding the tight fit necessary and the direct communication required. The iterations and design changes I made to the board were arguably quicker by myself.

Anyways well done again and good luck with the show next next weekend.

The quality of work this year was so good that I wasn't chosen to go.