HERCULES DIAPER FOR ADULTS
Bio-degradable Sustainable Diaper
PROBLEM
An aging population demographic means that by 2030, the mass of adult waste will be 4–10 times the amount of infant waste being produced.
GOAL
To develop a standard medical product with a more sustainable strategy without jeopardizing its reliability for the user.
This project was developed during the duration of the annual Cambridge Hercules design competition. During this event, the participants were divided into teams and were required to select one of the three possible briefs, and had three weeks to develop the project from the research to the prototyping, to the development of the outcome format. Additionally, each team member required a clear role throughout the race lifetime to ensure an efficient work environment. I was voted as team leader and representative, tasked with not only designing, but exposing our progress, and identifying the best development course for our project. In my team's case, we chose the brief that asked us to develop a more sustainable medical product. After the initial research period, our team decided to focus on developing an improved design for an adult diaper model, which is meant to be redesigned with sustainable materials which allow for enhanced use, health, and hygiene. The main difference in our outcome when compared to the competition currently on the market, is that our diaper is designed to be highly modular, with various layers and components which can be safely separated, allowing a longer-term convenience for the user, without jeopardizing the environment or the users' safety. This was a project which allowed me not only to understand and enhance the necessary skills to design a product for such a critical but sensitive topic, but also to further expand my leadership skills, and how to be able to properly represent my colleagues in a competitive environment.
