Designs to tackle water pollution, support mobility and improve pet care will go on display at Bournemouth University later this month as part of the Festival of Design & Engineering.
Taking place on 27th and 28th June at BU’s Talbot Campus, the public event will feature work by final year students from the university’s Engineering and Product Design courses.
Among the displays is ‘HydraFlow’, created by BSc Design Engineering student Julia Macdonald. The water-powered device floats in rivers to monitor pollution levels and sends data to council laboratories for analysis.
Another project, ‘M.O.S.S’, designed by BA Product Design Futures student Richard Spencer, is a discreet wearable support system for people with musculoskeletal conditions. His design aims to improve mobility while avoiding the stigma associated with more visible aids.
Now in its thirty third year, the annual festival attracts interest from businesses and the wider public, offering visitors a chance to meet the students and view their innovations up close.
Other student inventions on display include a vibrating wristband for deaf people attending sports events, a safe neck guard for cricket players, a dog hair removal device, a hedgehog incubator, and a vaccine-cooling backpack for use in remote areas.
Several designs are linked to sustainability or local needs, including a Poole Harbour tidal turbine developed in collaboration with LUSH.
Dr Yonghun Lim, Deputy Head of Department for Design & Engineering at BU, said the students’ designs this year show a clear focus on solving real-world challenges.
Dr Diogo Montalvao, Head of Department, added that public exhibitions like this help students gain vital experience for working in fast-paced industries.