Core77 Design Awards

  • All Winners
  • Categories
  • 2015 Jury
  • The Trophy
  • Other Years
    • 2019 Awards
    • 2018 Awards
    • 2017 Awards
    • 2016 Awards
    • 2014 Awards
    • 2013 Awards
    • 2012 Awards
    • 2011 Awards
  • Sign up / Login;
winner burst Commercial Equipment Student Notable

Elpis Para-Triathlete Flotation Vest

Kira Song

Art Center College of Design

  • Overview
  • Team Credits
  • Images
  • Details
2015 Core77 Design Awards

Commercial Equipment Winners

2015 Core77 Design Awards

All Categories

  • Y1
  • m1
  • H1

Project Overview

Elpis is a personal floatation device that is designed for Lawrence Fong, a professional triathlete who had a traumatic brain injury in 2008. After the injury and total of 4 brain surgeries, he has limited use of his left arm and currently relies on assistance. Although the injury hinders his performance, he never gave up on himself and got back to triathlon competitions because triathlon means motivation and achievement to him. Elpis was designed to enhance his performance and most importantly, further support his motivation and provide a sense of self-achievement and independence.

Unlike existing floatation vests, Elpis is designed to allow one-handed operation so that Lawrence can put it on by himself. To enhance his performance, proper vest fit and flexibility and better body balance were achieved by providing more refined adjustment of buoyancy levels.

Elpis is not just a suit to Lawrence; it provides a sense of hope to him and other paraplegic athletes. Although Elpis is specifically designed for Lawrence, paratriatheltes and non-swimmers can benefit from this kind of personal floatation device. The same idea could be used on different disabled athletes when the fit is altered. Because each para-athlete’s physical challenges are unique, it is customary to fit assistance products to their specific needs. Elpis creates an opportunity to invite newcomers to the sport, proving that a disability is not a factor.

Project Team

Kira Song, Art Center College of Design

Project Images

Project Details

To allow Lawrence to feel greater self-achievement and independence, Elpis is designed for one hand operation. With its left side opening, he can effortlessly put on the suit over his head by holding it with his right hand. A half zipper in front gives a wider opening that allows him to put both arms through with ease. By using a magnetic closure to snap the suit closed, he can properly secure the closure himself by using only one hand. As a result, Lawrence was able to put on the suit by himself in less than 2 minutes. Best of all, he can easily take off the suit within 30 seconds without any help from others.

Lack of flexible fitting: The floatation device should fit tightly and comfortably because it could ride up or slip over his chin. Based on market research, current products do not meet his needs. Existing products have no function to adjust the size to fit and could chafe his body. Also floatation panels inside the vest cause a bulky fit. When the panels are removed, the vest then fits loosely. The solution was making removable panels that don’t affect the fit of the vest and the movement of user.

By moving floatation panels from the inside to the outside, the suit enables more flexibility and creates a tighter fit. A proper fit was achieved by providing a strapping system that enables him to have secure fitting.

Buoyancy level: Another problem was large gaps between buoyancy levels with the panels. As the training goes, he wants to gain more strength with less help from the vest. However, moving from one level of buoyancy to the next with the current product’s panels makes too much of a buoyancy difference for him, and may put him at risk. Therefore the solution was providing more refined adjustment of buoyancy, eventually allowing him to gain greater strength and train without the help of a vest in the future.

Removable floatation panels are designed in different sizes and shapes. The user can control the buoyancy level in a more refined way. An asymmetrical strapping system in the front portion of the suit creates more support on the left side of his body. Higher buoyancy is provided on the left side by angled front panels placed in strapping system. This creates better body balance while he is swimming with Elpis.

Existing floatation devices do not incorporate sustainable materials when manufactured. Elpis is made out of materials that are environmentally-friendly produced and recyclable. The main patterns are made of ariaprene, which is nontoxic synthetic rubber. It is easily decomposable, readily recyclable, and hypoallergenic.

Current floatation devices are made out of neoprene, which gets heavy when it’s wet and takes too long to dry. Elpis is made with lightweight materials, ariaprene and biolite. Biolite is fast drying and breathable and efficiently evacuates water. Ariaprene and biolite are hypoallergenic which opens usage to a wider audience. Both these materials can be incorporated with current sewing production methods.

Although Elpis is specifically designed for Lawrence, paratriatheltes and non-swimmers can benefit from this kind of personal floatation device. The same idea could be used on different disabled athletes when the fit is altered. Because each para-athlete’s physical challenges are unique, it is customary to fit assistance products to their specific needs. Elpis creates an opportunity to invite newcomers to the sport, proving that a disability is not a factor.

Commercial Equipment Student Winners

Professional Honorees
  • winner burst Professional Winner

    da Vinci® Xi™ Surgical System

    By Intuitive Surgical

  • winner burst Professional Runner Up

    Revolution CT

    By GE HealthcAre Global design

  • winner burst Professional Runner Up

    Magic Carpet

    By Chris Thomson

  • winner burst Professional Runner Up

    Starkey Hearing Technologies Halo Made for iPhone Hearing Aid

    By Karten Design

  • winner burst Professional Notable

    Wiss Shop Shears

    By Sundberg-Ferar and Apex Tool Group, LLC

  • winner burst Professional Notable

    XStat

    By Ziba Design

  • winner burst Professional Notable

    AccuPocket

    By formquadrat gmbh<br>

  • winner burst Professional Notable

    MC18 Mobile Computer

    By Zebra Innovation Design team

  • winner burst Professional Notable

    Juno

    By fuseproject

  • winner burst Professional Notable

    LightSheer DESIRE

    By Taga

  • winner burst Professional Notable

    NCR SelfServ 90

    By NCR Consumer Experience Design

  • winner burst Professional Notable

    PALcom P7

    By formquadrat gmbh

  • winner burst Professional Notable

    RepliGen OPUS Chromatography Column

    By Radius Product Development

Student Honorees
  • winner burst Student Winner

    UNI - Unified Neonatal System

    By Cindy Sjöblom &amp; Alexander Turesson

  • winner burst Student Runner Up

    Ventech

    By Jens Rehammar

  • winner burst Student Runner Up

    IRS-25

    By Sebastian Gier

  • winner burst Student Runner Up

    Atlas Copco STA Scooptram + Grizzly Grid

    By Karl-Otto Saarman

  • winner burst Student Runner Up

    Synchrony Therapeutic Platform for Autism

    By Kenneth Tay

  • winner burst Student Runner Up

    Autoloader_Haultec

    By Rebecca Daum

  • winner burst Student Notable

    BioPod

    By Cassie Stepanek

  • winner burst Student Notable

    Bolle

    By Delphine Carlson, Matthias Karg, Joe Richardson

  • winner burst Student Notable

    CLIMBER excavator

    By Fan Shizhong

  • winner burst Student Notable

    Coolshion Ski Rescue Helmet

    By Qiaokun Huang

  • winner burst Student Notable

    IBEX Roofers' Footwear

    By Kei Yumino

  • winner burst Student Notable

    Monstas interactive exercise toys for children with Juvenile Arthritis

    By Shirley Rodriguez

  • winner burst Student Notable

    RSX´15 - The worlds first respiratory mask design for standard safety helmets

    By Andreas enebrand

  • winner burst Student Notable

    ARC

    By Dopa solution

  • winner burst Student Notable

    ANNA - breathing assistant for sedation

    By Lars Sundelin, Janis Beinerts, Trieuvy Luu, Sebastian Aumer

  • winner burst Student Notable

    Livia – Surgeon’s steady hand

    By Anton Hoffman

  • winner burst Student Notable

    MOELLY TOOL

    By Preston Moeller

  • winner burst Student Notable

    navit

    By Gisuke Tokuyama

  • winner burst Student Notable

    ORANGE OWL

    By Joakim Borg

  • winner burst Student Notable

    Health Loop Outdoor Gym

    By Alastair Warren

All Categories

  • Consumer Product

  • Commercial Equipment

  • Furniture & Lighting

  • Built Environment

  • Visual Communication

  • Packaging

  • Interaction

  • Service Design

  • Transportation

  • Design for Social Impact

  • Design Education Initiative

  • Strategy & Research

  • Speculative Concept

  • Open Design

 
Our Network
  • Coroflot — Design Jobs & Portfolios
  • Design Directory — Design Firms
  • Core77 Design Awards
Social
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS Feed
Links
  • About
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
© 2023 Core77, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • © 2023 Core77, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • About
  • )
  • m
  • Y
  • '
  • S
  • © 2023 Core77, Inc. All rights reserved.