Robert Wingate
Product Design
Final year project
Improving communication between patients and users of medical PPE [Read more]
Final year design practice project - Interface
This clear respirator is designed to be part of medical PPE used by medical staff. In comparison with existing respirators, this clear respirator improves communication between staff and patients, ensuring accessible care for all. Traditionally, opaque respirators introduce a barrier in the health care system as they prevent patients from lip-reading, picking up on body language, or clearly hearing their medical practitioner due to the sound being muffled. This affects everyone but particularly discriminates against the very young, those with hearing impairments, or dementia.
Interface - expandable capabilities
The clear respirator is designed for the comfort of both patients and medical staff. From the user’s perspective, an adjustable elastic harness means that the same respirator perfectly fits a wide variety of head sizes, and leaves enough flexible headroom to fit over any other headgear. The solid structure can also be easily adjusted in the same user-friendly way as headphones. The wide soft-silicon seal around the face is designed to ease the pressure on the skin, avoiding the pain and bruising seen with traditional respirators. No hard, non-flexible part of the respirator structure is in direct contact with the wearer.
Interface - filtration
The respirator uses existing FFP3 filters that are inserted into the back of the device by the user at the start of each shift. It also provides active airflow which prevents condensation build-up in the facepiece and makes it easier to breathe.
Interface - an exploded view
The device contains microphones and speakers which project the wearer’s voice out of the front of the device, just as if they weren’t wearing a respirator.
Final year live project - Otto
Otto is a system of devices that help children aged 5 and above to brush their teeth independently. The system comprises a toothbrush and charger, and a display unit. The toothbrush has an accelerometer and an infrared sensor. The display unit emits infrared signals from a fixed position, which enables the device to know the toothbrushes location in 3D space and its angle (think Wii remote). This in combination with receiving data from the accelerometer via Bluetooth, allows the device can know which areas of the mouth have been brushed and for how long.
Otto - scenario of use
There is an illustration of a mouth on the display unit, this turns gradually from white to green as the area of the mouth has been brushed for a sufficient period of time. Once the child has finished they will be rewarded - the whole illustrated face will turn green, music will play and the eyes will blink - turning what could be a chore into a daily game.
Robert Wingate
I believe that the best-designed products unite both function and beauty.
As a product designer, my strengths lie in uniting practical application and creative form development - with particular expertise in visual communication and using CAD to ensure feasible design intent.
Final year project
Improving communication between patients and users of medical PPE
Awards
'21 Diploma in Professional Studies
Work Experience
I spent a year with Jaguar Land Rover, working as a Studio Engineer in the Jaguar Design Technical Department as part of the team developing new, future car designs. I was responsible for collaborating between engineering and design teams on assigned designs, designing prototypes of interior surfaces, administering design package information and benchmarking overall design proposals.