Grand Designs

NEW PRODUCT DESIGNS:Product design students are using key life experiences and a keen eye for markets to generate ideas with potential   

Dylan: indoor compost system - Darren Costello (Carlow IT)

DARREN COSTELLO'S undersink composter mechanically treats food waste to accelerate composting.

Costello saw his family composting at home and identified some weaknesses with the system. His solution is based around the concept of a garbage disposal system, common in the US.

It grinds and breaks down the food waste into a mulch, including small bones and meat, in one compartment and then transfers this to a second compartment where a system of conveyor belts and rollers compresses the mulch to extract the moisture.

According to Costello, removing the water can reduce the volume of the waste by around 80 per cent. The remaining material is deposited into a container and emptied "once or twice a week" into a standard compost bin.

"It is based around the idea of a garbage disposal machine but rather than flush the waste down the drain it drains off the water so material can be used to produce quality compost."

doubleloe@hotmail.com

Sherpa Colm Molloy (NCAD)

AS A VETERAN of many music festivals, Colm Molloy was well aware of some of the drawbacks, particularly the hassle of hauling camping gear, crates of beer and food from car to the campsite.

Molloy decided to solve the problem, and a couple of others while he was at it, including mobile phone batteries running out and stereo systems that fall apart.

Sherpa is robustly designed to allow it traverse rough or boggy ground easily while carrying a heavy load. Once the tent is pitched, it can be turned on its end to act as a fridge (with room for a crate of beer in its cooler box), a stereo system and a recharging station for phones and cameras.

Sherpa can charge two devices at once from its battery source and according to Molloy can provide continual recharges over a festival weekend.

Sherpa is waterproof and the wheels and handle can be quickly removed when it is being transported by car or plane. It also has a security system in case other campers try to borrow it.

It has a heavy-duty, high-quality stereo system designed to take the inevitable bumps and knocks.

He says the product can be easily personalised for ease of recognition and he is also exploring branding partnerships with companies seeking to advertise at festivals.

He is currently commercialising the concept and is looking for additional investors.

colmmolloydesign@gmail.com

Cura Martina Moyne (NCAD)

WHILE WATCHING her grandparents struggle to organise their medicines, Martina Moyne had the idea for Cura, a through-the-skin drug delivery system that ensures the patient takes the correct medicines at the correct times.

The concept is a solution to challenging treatment regimes that may require various medicines to be taken at different times over the day. The device contains a supply of the required medicines and uses microneedles to inject the correct dose into the skin of the patient from underneath the "watch".

Cura is also a conventional watch and can be used to record and store essential medical information about the patient in the event of an emergency. It will also issue reminders via text and email when it's time to refill medicines to the wearer, family members and the medical practitioner. A docking station charges the lithium-ion polymer battery via inductive charging, with indicative charging LED light.

The docking station also cleans the device via high frequency UV LEDs. Ease of use was central to the design and it has an intuitive touchscreen interface.

According to Moyne, the device also has potential uses for mental health patients and diabetics, as well as the elderly.

The product is patent pending, and Moyne is making contact with medical-device firms about commercialising it.

martina.moyne@googlemail.com

Shadowman John Paul Hartigan (University of Limerick)

AS A RUGBY player, John Paul Hartigan was aware of the limitations of the equipment used to allow players of all ages and levels to practise how to tackle safely and accurately.

A survey of coaches and players from schools and clubs found dissatisfaction with the current training aid for this skill - the tackle bag - simply a bag held by a team mate during the tackle. "Tackle bags don't provide a target area and do not have a human form so, [they are] not a realistic simulation of the tackle," Hartigan says.

His product, Shadowman, seeks to address this and other issues that emerged from the market research, including movement, resistance and education.

The system has three main components: a harness, a sled and a tackle dummy. The tackle dummy and sled are made from toughened PVC.

Both have inflatable components that can be filled with air and water. This allows differing levels of resistance, while keeping the system relatively simple and light to transport.

According to Hartigan: "Shadowman provides the user with a realistic simulation of a rugby tackle, giving the player a moving and challenging humanoid tackle target." It has an alert system to indicate when a tackle is made in the right place.

Shadowman is patent pending, and Hartigan is in discussions with a rugby equipment manufacturer with a view to developing it. He says it could be scaled to different sizes for different age groups.

Hartigan has also entered Shadowman for this year's James Dyson Award competition.

john.paul.hartigan@gmail.com; shadowman.ie

Airspace Sharon Prendeville (University of Limerick)

AIRSPACE SOLVES the problem of drying clothes in cramped modern accommodation. Sharon Prendeville had the idea after living in cramped flats where hanging clothes on balconies was prohibited and living space at a premium.

The drying solution is faster than air-drying and more economical than using a tumble drier. It uses low-energy, dehumidifying technology to extract moisture from garments and can dry a 5kg load in nine hours. The machine produces water as a byproduct meaning the apartment is not filled with steam, as would be the case drying clothes on radiators.

The product is tall and narrow to maximise the use of overhead space and can be folded away when not in use. It has an ergonomic loading mechanism to make hanging clothes as quick and efficient as possible.

According to Prendeville, a secondary benefit is the system is less damaging to clothes as it does not use excessive heat or tumbling.

prendevillesharon@hotmail.com

Rays bodyboard fins Ashleigh Smith (University of Limerick)

IRISH WOMEN'S bodyboard champion Ashleigh Smith was no stranger to the equipment required for the sport, and its limitations.

She experienced persistent problems with bodyboard fins. She canvassed her sporting colleagues who also complained about fin rub, muscle cramp, poor fit and a lack of power.

She designed the Rays bodyboard flippers to address all these concerns.

The foot socket on her design is lined with 2mm neoprene that eliminates fin rub and reduces discomfort. The blade design employs a change in wide point, providing better leverage for the ankle, and improving efficiency and power. The strapping system avoids the problematic ankle area and harnesses additional strength available from the leg muscles.

Smith has also added vertical rails along the side of the fin to maximise forward momentum. And lastly, a fibre mesh embedded in the supporting braces adds power to the kick.

Ashleigh.smith23@yahoo.ie

Fence Pod (animal management system) Scott Wellwood (Carlow IT)

WITH A background in farming, Scott Wellwood was familiar with the amount of work required to move temporary electric fences - often daily - to ensure a particular herd of animals grazed a specific section of a field.

His Fence Pod aims to remove much of the work associated with such a task, primarily through the use of its spring-loaded wire mechanism. This mechanism means the wire can be stretched taut to fit the space being enclosed and, rather than sagging or breaking when struck by an animal, stretches before recoiling back into place, reducing maintenance.

The system has spikes that can be driven into the ground and handles to make relocating the barrier as simple and time efficient as possible.

To reduce weight the Fence Pod uses white ribbon rather than steel wire and it can stretch for 150 metres.

sjincorporated@gmail.com