Dominic Leatherland
Product Design
Final year project
How can the rescue response time be improved to reduce the… [Read more]
SERVITA - Lifesaving Drone and Inflatable
SERVITA is a rapid response drone designed to assist lifeguards and emergency services with locating a casualty in aquatic distress and deploy a device that inflates upon contact with water. The inflatable provides a highly visible buoyancy aid for a casualty to hold onto whilst awaiting rescue. The product aims to reduce casualty deterioration whilst making it safer for a rescuer to approach the casualty.
SERVITA - Portable Lifesaving Drone
SERVITA is designed to be a highly portable system and deployable from any location with all the required equipment stored in one case. The case houses the folded inflatable, drone, controller, and an LCD screen to display a live camera feed and data to assist the drone pilot during flight.
SERVITA - Exploded View of Drone
The drone alone consists of 140 individual components which makes for an impressive, exploded assembly.
SERVITA - Working Prototype
Working prototypes of the drone and the inflatable were created to demonstrate the technology and feasibility of the product. A diverse range of skills was employed to produce the prototypes which include electronics, 3D printing and textiles.
SERVITA - Inflatable Prototype Testing
The inflatable was dropped into a small body of water by the drone and the device inflated shortly after coming into contact with the water.
HCH-40 Medical Device
During my placement, Avon Protection was asked to design a product to assist with the shortage of ventilators and oxygen as a result of the global pandemic COVID-19. This sparked the development of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device called the HCH-40. The HCH-40 achieved MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) approval and in which 2,500 devices manufactured and distributed to various NHS Trusts.
SWIM X-PRO - Swim coach training aid
Swim x-pro is a device allowing swim coaches to improve the quality of their coaching through the use of an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The ROV allows coaches to view and record their swimmer’s technique underwater to assist with the performance tracking of their swimmers. The project was driven by ideation, conceptualisation and prototyping to create an aesthetic realistic appearance model.
Dominic Leatherland
I am a practical designer who is interested in understanding the workings of a product and the technology behind it.
In the final year of my degree, I wanted to push the boundaries of my knowledge and design skills to produce something interesting and utilise the skills I learnt on placement. My skills and experience include using Additive Manufacturing for prototyping, practical problem solving during physical product testing to achieve a functional end product. Going forward, I am interested in the capabilities and future opportunities Additive Manufacturing offers to designers and its use within consumer products.
Final year project
How can the rescue response time be improved to reduce the deterioration of casualties in aquatic distress?
Awards
Diploma in Professional Studies 2020
Award for Achievement in Engineering 2016 - Sponsored by Red Bull Racing
Work Experience
Completed a 14-month placement as a Design Engineer at Avon Protection which is a world leader in respiratory and ballistic protection, delivering life critical solutions for Militaries and First Responders worldwide. The placement allowed me to gain exposure to a wide range of projects which required a systematic approach to ideation, critical thinking, and validation testing. I developed a variety of skills including Additive Manufacturing techniques, prototyping for design, and manufacturing processes.