Designing with social impact

“I think it is very important that new products are being developed, but designing everyday products feels pointless to me. There already are so many tables, chairs, and lamps. So what is the added value of a newly designed product? I rather design products that add something to society, products that are of real value to people.”  

Self-driving vehicles  

During the work placement of her bachelor’s degree programme, Elske created a new design for a prosthetic foot. “I became fascinated by healthcare innovation, but I lacked the technical side of this process at the time. That is when the master’s degree programme Next Level Engineering came into the picture. Elske: “A year to gain technical knowledge. That was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I wanted to learn more about current developments, innovations, such as artificial intelligence and robotics. All these topics were covered. During the programme, there is also a lot of attention for the research part, for example how to write a thesis or how to conduct research. You learn about new techniques. With the subject Key Enabling Technologies I focused on self-driving vehicles. Extremely interesting!”  

Green light  

During the master's degree programme Next Level Engineering, students work on graduation projects from the research groups of The Hague University of Applied Sciences. There were no thesis topics on healthcare innovation where Elske would be in direct contact with users and where she would devise a solution for them. “This is definitely the topic I want to be focusing on in the future. And preferably also in contact with vulnerable people. How can I really help them? After a conversation with my lector, I got the green light to execute my own project.”  

Robot cat  

During an earlier project, Elske had already ended up at an organisation for the elderly. Elske: “There I came into contact with people with dementia. They had a robot cat. Interacting with this robot cat contributes to their mental well-being. It inspired me. After doing some literature research, I discovered a serious problem: swallowing problems in people with dementia. A huge problem that many people with advanced dementia suffer from. This is because the brain's control doesn’t work that well anymore, making it difficult to control, coordinate, and understand swallowing. This can cause people to choke and even suffocate. Many people in a nursing home with dementia die from complications related to this condition.”  

Positive impact  

Elske conducted literature research during the first few weeks, after which she visited healthcare locations. Elske: “That is where I interviewed healthcare professionals, made observations, and ate with the elderly. Next, I started brainstorming and came up with solutions. I printed several possible solutions with the 3D printer and took them with me to the nursing home. I brought a whole bag, including a special drinking cup with holes to slow down drinking thus preventing people from choking. After several design cycles (devising, evaluating, improving) I developed my final prototype: a bright red drinking cup with a scent compartment. People with swallowing problems are given a thickened liquid to drink to prevent choking. There isn't much of a smell to the thickened drink, but an added scent like lemon or coffee can distract the brain from the nasty, starch-like texture of the drink. The elderly enjoy their drinks more and therefore drink more. I look back on this project with satisfaction. I feel like I've been able to make a positive impact. And that fits in perfectly with my passion!”  

Learnt a lot  

Elske looks back with satisfaction on the 1-year master's degree programme. Elske: “I found it very educational. It was interesting that many different study programmes come together, such as Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Human Technology. As a result, you learn a lot from each other without even knowing it. During the projects you work closely together and, with all the different backgrounds and diverse knowledge, you develop much better end products together than if you had done it alone. Thanks to that multidisciplinary aspect you see many different perspectives. I learnt a lot from that.” Elske currently works at the Healthcare Technology Research Group at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Elske: “I am a junior researcher. So cool that I can continue my passion for healthcare innovations in my job! Especially with the growing pressure on healthcare, I am convinced that social and technological solutions can do a lot in this regard.”