Duperite kitchen measuring cups and packaging - early Australian industrial design
The history and practice of Industrial Design in Victoria Australia is my research interest and this blog include posts related to this interest as well as my practice as a designer and design educator.
Saturday, 25 July 2015
Sunday, 12 July 2015
Smart chair - Dr Stephen Jia Wang - International Tangible Interaction Design Lab
Dr Stephen Jia Wang director of the International Tangible Interaction Design Lab introduces a smart chair that will make the office and workers safer and healthier.
In Australia, a 2007 study by Access Economics estimated back pain was costing the economy $34.3 billion in lost workplace productivity and treatments.
The emphasis on OH&S is to take preventative measures, such as keeping chairs, desks and computers at the right height.
However, Dr Stephen Jia Wang at Monash, has developed office furniture that will be able to tell the worker whether they are sitting correctly, when it’s time to get up and move around and, even, “inform” your home furniture of how your spine has been coping during the day and to alter your sofa’s comfort settings before your sit down in front of the TV.
Monash University researcher Dr Wang’s current “smart chair” project is expected to be a fully functional prototype as early as 2017.
Director of the Monash University’s International Tangible Interaction Design Lab, Dr Wang says his own back pain – and his expensive search for a good office chair – was the inspiration for what he calls a “pervasive environment simulator” or “the virtual spine”.
The technology combines interaction design, gaming and physical computing technology, data analysis and health measurement.
“Something needs to be done immediately to ease the negative productivity impact caused by musculoskeletal conditions like debilitating back pain which now ranks with diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease as national health burdens, particularly in industrialised countries,” Dr Wang said.
For Dr Wang it makes a compelling case for a chair that proactively dictates healthy workplace posture.
At this stage, Dr Wang’s test chair still looks like an ordinary office chair with a spaghetti of electrical wires running between a central system and 78 pressure sensors in the chair’s seat and backrest pads. Benefits from the in-depth understanding of spinal health, the finished design will be extremely ergonomic, beautifully designed and wireless.
The sensors in this unique chair detect the varying loads exerted by a person’s back and legs as they sit. This information is logged, analysed and compared with “ideal” spinal positions. Then, after the individual user’s anatomy, usual posture and current problems have been factored in, the central system sends out advisory texts or emails to correct bad posture – not only in the office but also in the home.
Volunteers are now helping test the chair by spending one workday with movement monitors attached to their spines while they sit in the test chair. This provides baseline data that will enable chair sensor data to be calibrated against actual spine positions. In the second phase of the study, the test chair will provide users with feedback, and its effects on users’ sitting habits and posture will be monitored.
Research team member Professor Jenny Keating, from the Monash Department of Physiotherapy, says sitting postures may not be easy to change without sustained feedback: “The chair offers the potential to study posture adaptation in response to individualised feedback. It could provide a system for effective posture re-education that is integrated with our work life, and help us protect our joints from sustained end of range loading, or body configurations that cause pain.”
Dr Wang has filed a PCT (international) patent for the invention, which also won a 2013 Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) seed grant. Parallel with clinical trial support from two of Australia’s leading medical service groups, Monash Health and Austin Health, the project is also being supported financially by a Beijing-based architectural engineering firm that expects to be manufacturing the smart chair commercially by 2020.
Virtual spine - International Tangible Interaction Design Lab - Dr Stephen Jia Wang
Virtual spine - International Tangible Interaction Design Lab - Dr Stephen Jia Wang
In Australia, a 2007 study by Access Economics estimated back pain was costing the economy $34.3 billion in lost workplace productivity and treatments.
The emphasis on OH&S is to take preventative measures, such as keeping chairs, desks and computers at the right height.
However, Dr Stephen Jia Wang at Monash, has developed office furniture that will be able to tell the worker whether they are sitting correctly, when it’s time to get up and move around and, even, “inform” your home furniture of how your spine has been coping during the day and to alter your sofa’s comfort settings before your sit down in front of the TV.
Monash University researcher Dr Wang’s current “smart chair” project is expected to be a fully functional prototype as early as 2017.
Director of the Monash University’s International Tangible Interaction Design Lab, Dr Wang says his own back pain – and his expensive search for a good office chair – was the inspiration for what he calls a “pervasive environment simulator” or “the virtual spine”.
The technology combines interaction design, gaming and physical computing technology, data analysis and health measurement.
“Something needs to be done immediately to ease the negative productivity impact caused by musculoskeletal conditions like debilitating back pain which now ranks with diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease as national health burdens, particularly in industrialised countries,” Dr Wang said.
For Dr Wang it makes a compelling case for a chair that proactively dictates healthy workplace posture.
At this stage, Dr Wang’s test chair still looks like an ordinary office chair with a spaghetti of electrical wires running between a central system and 78 pressure sensors in the chair’s seat and backrest pads. Benefits from the in-depth understanding of spinal health, the finished design will be extremely ergonomic, beautifully designed and wireless.
The sensors in this unique chair detect the varying loads exerted by a person’s back and legs as they sit. This information is logged, analysed and compared with “ideal” spinal positions. Then, after the individual user’s anatomy, usual posture and current problems have been factored in, the central system sends out advisory texts or emails to correct bad posture – not only in the office but also in the home.
Volunteers are now helping test the chair by spending one workday with movement monitors attached to their spines while they sit in the test chair. This provides baseline data that will enable chair sensor data to be calibrated against actual spine positions. In the second phase of the study, the test chair will provide users with feedback, and its effects on users’ sitting habits and posture will be monitored.
Research team member Professor Jenny Keating, from the Monash Department of Physiotherapy, says sitting postures may not be easy to change without sustained feedback: “The chair offers the potential to study posture adaptation in response to individualised feedback. It could provide a system for effective posture re-education that is integrated with our work life, and help us protect our joints from sustained end of range loading, or body configurations that cause pain.”
Dr Wang has filed a PCT (international) patent for the invention, which also won a 2013 Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) seed grant. Parallel with clinical trial support from two of Australia’s leading medical service groups, Monash Health and Austin Health, the project is also being supported financially by a Beijing-based architectural engineering firm that expects to be manufacturing the smart chair commercially by 2020.
Saturday, 11 July 2015
Phillip Zmood - BlackBOX - Design and Innovation | Melbourne Australia
The recent visit to Suzhou allowed the first Australian Director of Design at Holden Phillip Zmood to experience the technology behind BlackBOX - Design and Innovation | Melbourne Australia.
In 2009 during my research for STILL09 Phillip generously gave me his personal archive. This generous donation lead to the exhibition at Melbourne Museum, Zmood - Designing Holdens in 2010.
Zmood - Designing Holdens - Melbourne Museum 2010
Curator Ian Wong demonstrates the BlackBOX app to Phillip Zmood in Suzhou China.
BlackBOX - Design and Innovation | Melbourne Australia - Holden
BlackBOX - Design and Innovation | Melbourne Australia - Holden
In 2009 during my research for STILL09 Phillip generously gave me his personal archive. This generous donation lead to the exhibition at Melbourne Museum, Zmood - Designing Holdens in 2010.
Zmood - Designing Holdens - Melbourne Museum 2010
Friday, 10 July 2015
Joint Research Institute - Monash Univeristy Suzhou China
Monash University Chancellor Dr Alan Finkel, Deputy Chancellor Christine Nixon, and Deputy Dean of Monash Art Design and Architecture Professor Arthur de Bono tour research laboratories at the Joint Research Institute in Suzhou China.
Monash University JRI research laboratory in Suzhou.
Professor Arthur de Bono - Monash Art Design and Architecture, Suzhou, China
Professor Arthur de Bono Deputy Dean Monash Art Design and Architecture pictured with Program Director Ian Wong at the Southeast University-Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou)
U Living - Design for Life store opens in Suzhou China
The U Living - Design for Life store opened recently in Suzhou introducing more than forty global design brands including: Alessi, Magis, Flos, Kartel, Morosso, Herman Miller, and Vitra.
Students from the Master of Industrial Design at the Southeast University-Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou) are now able to access products by designers including: Marc Newson, Ron Arad, Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, Karim Rashid, Alvar Aalto, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec and Mario Bellini.
The Magis Raviolo chair by Ron Arad at U-Living store Suzhou China.
U Living - Design for Life - Suzhou China
Phillip Zmood - DIA Hall of Fame designer visits MADA Suzhou China
Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame automotive designer Phillip Zmood visited the Master of Industrial Design program of Monash Art Design and Architecture in Suzhou China this week.
Mr Zmood delivered a guest lecture, attended student presentations and toured the facilities at the Southeast University-Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou).
Mr Zmood delivered a guest lecture, attended student presentations and toured the facilities at the Southeast University-Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou).
DIA Hall of Fame automotive designer Phillip Zmood delivers a guest lecture to MADA students in Suzhou China.
Phillip Zmood attends project presentations at the Master of Industrial Design program in Suzhou.
Phillip Zmood attends project presentations at the Master of Industrial Design program in Suzhou.
Program Director and DIA Fellow Ian Wong provides Phillip Zmood with a tour of facilities at the Suzhou campus.
Monash Art Design and Architecture - Suzhou China.
Friday, 3 July 2015
Industrial Design in China - Master of Industrial Design Graduates in Suzhou
The first graduation ceremony for graduates from the Monash Art Design and Architecture's Master of Industrial Design at the Southeast University-Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou) was held in Suzhou on Friday June 26th 2015.
Graduate employment at hundred percent was a reason to celebrate with employers including: Ford, Siemens, Alibaba, Huawei, Hisense, ZTE, Atlas Copco and Johnson Controls.
Master of Industrial Design graduates - Suzhou China
Southeast University-Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou).
Spicy Tongue - Melbourne Chinatown
Beach Creative's Andrew Wong this week launches Spicy Tongue a new concept Chinese Restaurant at 214a Little Bourke St in the heart of Chinatown in Melbourne.
Spicy Tongue - 214a Little Bourke Street Chinatown Melbourne
Spicy Tongue
Restraurant
214a Little Bourke Street
Chinatown Melbourne