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Student Designer
University Product Description and Principal Function(s) The harshness of remote areas can often take a toll on its visitors. Ill-conceived plans, misguided adventure and automotive breakdown can intensify the strain of isolation. In these environments, a lack of water can lead to severe dehydration and even death.Ersa is a transportable, renewable source of power and water for the remote 4WD user. The product is stored within the 4WD and used to generate water from the air for survival purposes. Why does the product represent design excellence and why do you believe it deserves an Australian Design Award? The design is responding to the problem of severe dehydration and death in remote areas due to lack of water in an innovative way. Ersa allows the user to generate water from the surrounding air in survival situations. The design utilises renewable energy (30W solar module) in creating water and allows for the use of this power to charge portable devices such as GPS units, mobile phones and also allows the user to trickle charge the vehicle’s battery. The product is entirely original and unique.Currently, becoming stranded in remote areas involves limited access to power and a finite supply of water. Ersa is a solution to this problem. People who use 4WD vehicles in remote areas (such as recreationalists, jackeroos, tourists, aid workers, etc.) can benefit from this product. The form of the product lends itself to simple operation in emergency situations. The large hinges and flush line between the fold out wings suggest they should fold out to operate. All buttons and indicators have been simplified and where possible include illustrative as opposed to text based interfaces so the product can just as easily be used by a remote aid worker as it could by a visiting tourist. The form of the product also suggests an aspect of operation and visual and tactile cues inform where the wings fold out from and suggest the location of the water. The visual language of the product reveals ruggedness and ‘transportability’ whilst suggesting the product is clean and involves water. The way in which the design is carried, transported and its operation has utilised ergonomics and semantics in order to simplify its use and to provide access to product functions in emergency situations. The design has carefully considered environmental issues including sustainability. Ersa is designed to be a standalone, sustainable product with renewable energy integrated within the product in the form of solar cells. Product footprint, material choice, appropriate wall thickness and design for disassembly are examples of the design’s environmental considerations. Ersa is manufactured as top and bottom ribbed shells (High Heat ABS) that house an inner assembly that is first assembled to a support piece that is layered and fixed between the two shells during assembly. The design has considered injection moulding parameters and assembly procedures in order to create a long life, durable product whilst reducing manufacturing costs. The product is conscious of safety and standards and all bought in parts (such as the battery and charge controller) must meet their own relevant standards. |
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