Czero Reducing Viral Infections by Sophia Neill is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award in Wearable Technologies Design Competition Category.
IronWearable Technology· 2021
Czero Reducing Viral Infections
by Sophia Neill
Client: Victoria University of Wellington
A' Design Award Winner in Wearable Technology Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #110895The Design
About Czero Reducing Viral Infections
Czero is a wearable device made to reduce the spread of infections. The ring vibrates when the hand of the wearer comes near the face, giving a reminder not to touch it. An earring or pendant communicates wirelessly with the ring to sense this distance. Inside the ring are a transmitter, a receiver, a vibrator, an optical blood flow sensor, a temperature sensor, a microcontroller and a battery. Health data is sent to a linked application, which also gives reminders to wash the hands. The accessories are small and discreet.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award
Czero Reducing Viral Infections is an Iron A' Design Award winner, a prestigious recognition granted to good designs that meet the professional and industrial requirements expected from well-designed creations. Iron winners demonstrate great skill, high specialization, expert understanding, and creative capacity of their creators. Czero Reducing Viral Infections is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished creation that is practical and innovative. This Iron A' Design Award-winning design integrates industry best practices and has competent technical characteristics linked with know-how and talent. Czero Reducing Viral Infections is respected for its thoroughness and is designed to provide quality of life improvements that help make the world a better place.
Interviews
Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
This concept came about when in lockdown as Covid-19 entered New Zealand for the first time. I sat in my room puzzling how I could change behaviours to reduce the spread of the virus through our interactions with ourselves and other people.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
My goal what to create a device that is something people want to wear rather than feel they have to. This concept is meant to look like any other piece of jewellery, however have the function like no other. The function of the ring is quite the opposite, it changes behaviours and tracks the health of the user, reducing the spread of viral infections.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
I think this design has a huge potential for impact, especially with the virus not going away anytime soon. However, I am still studying my Masters and do not intend to produce this product for market unless a unique opportunity arrises.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Czero is a wearable device that vibrates when your hand is near your face reminding you not to touch it which would reduce transmission of infections notably. The ring is linked to an app that tracks your health and also alerts you to wash your hands before turning off.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Sizes vary between accessories.
- Tags
- Ring, technology, travel, safety, health, app, covid 19
- Production Technology
- Inside a ring is a transmitter, receiver, vibrator, Photoplethysmography sensor (PPG), Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor, Arduino and battery. The earring/pendant transmits and receives information wirelessly to the ring. When the ring and earring/pendant are close, the vibrator in the ring is activated until moved away. The PPG sensor tracks the blood flow under the skin. Body temperature is monitored through a NTC sensor. The Ardunio and transmitter sends this information to the app.
- Design Challenge
- This project began when challenged at university to create a new interaction that had some relevance to the Covid 19 pandemic. Sophias solution to this challenge was to remove the interaction of touching the face as 80% of infections are spread this way.
- Research
- Sophia began research by looking at Covid 19 and understanding the root of the issue. As Covid 19 is not predicted to be the only pandemic, Influenza is posing an increasing threat as we are expected to enter a post antibiotic era, where life threatening infections are deemed untreatable. To be able to successfully reduce the spread Covid 19 and other infections, Sophia chose to design an affordable product for a large target audience but majority travellers.
- Inspiration
- Covid 19 and Influenza viruses have a rapid transmission rate which causes a huge threat when we are without vaccinations or cures. Although washing our hands has been encouraged during this time 80% of infections spread from touching our faces. Czero is a prevention tool intended for travellers. This diminishes overseas transmission and reduce a potential pandemic down to an endemic.
- Project Duration
- This project was completed by a third year Industrial design student with Victoria University of Wellington during the Covid 19 lockdown period in New Zealand.
- Operation Flow
- Czero utilises pre existing technology in a revolutionary way, with the power to significantly reduce the spread of Covid 19 and other threatening infections that may arise in the future. This concept has considerable relevance to the current global crisis, increasing the demand for innovative and feasible designs. The ring and accessories are discrete, small and aesthetically pleasing which is rarely seen in healthcare products. Not only does this product break the dangerous habit we have of touching our faces, it also tracks the state of the user and informs them when they may have contracted an infection.
- Image Credits
- Chat Roulette, Single Friend, 2019
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