Text from Fabiano :
There are over 25 million legally registered vehicles on the UK’s roads today. Car manufacturers supply the basic tools that are required to perform the task of changing a wheel with every new car; these tools should be sufficient to complete the task successfully but is this really the case? Research suggests that people are reluctant to perform this task themselves.
Flat Tyres were the AA’s 3rd highest reason for call-out in 2005, beaten only by flat or faulty batteries and Lost keys.

Several user centered analyses were performed with volunteers who matched our key user profiles most closely. Existing products available for purchase were used. Many problems were highlighted in particular:
•  Safety, low posture is often required, particularly in removing wheel studs and jacking the car. If the flat is on the drivers sided, the task must be performed in the road as traffic passes. This posture hides the user from passing traffic and also makes it hard for the user to see the traffic approaching. This problem is increased at night.
•  Visibility of tools is poor at night. Existing tools tend to be black or grey in colour.
•  Clear instructions required, particularly for those who have never performed the task before. They serve to increase the users confidence in completing the task successfully and safely.
•  Psychological issues were also a key factor, many users remarked that they fear of failure would likely prevent them even attempting the task.

In every case we found that it was not possible to complete the task using the tools provided by the car manufacturer, a telescopic wrench was needed to increase the torque applied to the wheel studs.

The design concept behind the product changes the paradigm of how the most problematic task of changing a flat tyre is performed. The product minimizes the steps of changing a flat tyre by undoing the 4 studs of a wheel instead of undoing individually, using the motion force of the car.

• Utilizes the weight and motion of the car to release the 4studs, reducing required effort
• Does not rely on physical strength of user
• Improves road safety in reducing time spent in path of traffic

CONCLUSION

The final developed product is an innovative solution to the problems witnessed when changing a wheel. By loosening all four studs simultaneously, using the forces generated by the turning of the car wheel, the task becomes less demanding for the user while also reducing the time taken.

Designer : Fabiano Pottes

Kawaii is a three wheeled concept car for daily use. It means ‘cute’ in Japanese. The name Kawaii comes from the over all-cute and smooth look of the vehicle. The intent of this design is to create a fully functional minimalist, expressive, and stylish concept vehicle. It is specifically designed for people who enjoy pursuing fun and elegant ride. The transparent roofing helps to highlight the overall body form and creates a post-contemporary feeling. It also helps to carry the reflection of the environment wherever it goes. It contains an ergonomically designed two-passenger seat, which offers comfortable and relaxing riding posture. The parts and fittings can be customized based on the riders favorite selection.

Designer : Seyhan Sitti

Designer : Cheng Feng Peng

From the designer :

This project started for me in the broad category of personal transportation. Having seen numerous recreational products win previous design competitions, I resolved to develop a product that would not only be ecologically friendly but also offer health benefits to travelers. After some strong consideration it occurred to me that the large majority of unhealthy, polluters in our society were the millions of people sitting in their cars going to and from work every day. Perhaps many of them would like to commute via man-powered vehicle but simply haven’t found the right solution. I immediately set out to try and found what problems people had with the existing products.

It began by keeping the product parameters in as general a terms as possible so as not to limit myself creatively. I then commenced with the researching of existing bicycle commuters to try and understand what they liked and disliked about it. From there I went on to conduct some local surveying of non-bikers. In doing this I learned of several key problems that could be solved through better design. These concerns included lack of storage capacity, poor positioning, and size and bulk of the conveyance. I feel that after hundreds of hours of thought and months of hard work that my proposed solution resolves these issues

I began my design by solving the problem of user posturing. In traditional bike designs the rider’s feet are underneath them causing their torso to hunch forward in order to reach the handles. This results in unnecessary strain on the lower back, arms, and buttocks, not to mention poor aerodynamics. As illustrated I resolved these issues by moving the position of the pedals behind the rider and moving some of the pressure of their body weight onto the front of the hip bones, using a broad front section of the seat and onto their forearms with supports protruding from the handles. The new riding position helped solve the storage problem by freeing up plenty of useable space beneath the rider. In this newly acquired gap I decided to suspend a large bag for cargo. And as for the storage of the bicycle, after the destination has been reached and the cargo contained within the bag has been removed, it can be expanded and the bike can be folded and placed inside.

By trying to promote bicycle commuting this product not only benefits the user by making them happier and healthier but also society as a whole by reducing the amount of automotive emissions.

Designer : Blair Hasty