AVO
Project Details: 3 months • October - December 2020
PROJECT SUMMARY
Avo is a unique, portable blood pressure cuff, designed for home use. Designed with older-adults in mind, this innovative cuff has the motor integrated with the armband, making it more portable and organized as a single device. The organic-shaped handle is designed to aid users pull the cuff on and off with ease and allowing for less cross-body movement. The cuff is also innovative in a dial system to loosen and tighten it instead of Velcro. This futuristic blood pressure cuff would also connect to the user's smart device, allowing them to monitor and track their health through an application.
Over the course of three months, this project involved multiple phases of design. This included preliminary research and problem analysis with fellow university students, individual synthesis of the problem research, and individual design of the product for the intended market. This project took place during quarantine, and so all teamwork was done remotely, and user testing and prototypes were limited to what was accessible from home. In all, Avo was a challenging and experiential product to design. For more details about the design of Avo, please see the process document included.
AVO PROTOTYPE
Model making and creating prototypes proved to be quite difficult during the pandemic. Though students were able to purchase materials from Carleton University's School of Industrial Design, tools were not available. Improvisation and creativity with the tools at home became the best solution. Though the final model did not turn out as clean or precise and desired, it was still a great accomplishment given the circumstances.
AVO CAD MODEL
For this project, the internal components had to also be considered when designing the product's form. This was done by measuring the components of an existing blood pressure monitor and then mapping out the parts first on paper and later in Solidworks. The organic form of the handle was also a challenge to model.
