Industrial Design students named national runners-up for James Dyson Award 2024

Bachelor of Design Innovation students Ryan Paul Droutman, Jamie Bucknor, and Corban Buxton, were recognised for their innovative creation, Hindsight, which addresses the safety concerns of runners on rural Aotearoa New Zealand roads.

18 September 2024

The international James Dyson Award celebrates the next generation of design engineers, specifically those who create products that work better and think differently. It’s a significant achievement for Ryan, Jamie, and Corban. "We are extremely honoured and uplifted by the success of our efforts. It feels empowering to see that countless hours of hard work have been recognised by a renowned organisation like the Dyson Foundation," the group says.

Hindsight addresses the hazardous conditions faced by runners on narrow, winding roads in rural Aotearoa, often without proper infrastructure for pedestrian safety. The tool utilises an ultrasonic sensor to detect threats to runners from behind and then communicates the proximity and speed of the coming threat to the user through a grid of vibrational motors integrated into the lower section of the shoulder mount. This haptic feedback allows the runner to use headphones while still receiving alerts. Its lightweight nature makes it easy to wear in a backpack.

The journey of designing, developing, iterating, and testing their invention began when the group took the Innovative Mediums Ngā Huarahi Hei Auahatanga course, led by senior lecturer Jeongbin Ok.

“The team's great passion for safety innovation and excellent teamwork was evident from day one. The trio successfully grew a small idea into a problem-solving design by actively learning and applying emerging technology through painstaking experiments. The recognition from the Award will spur the team to move forward and invite more students to create innovative solutions in the course.”

The students developed a basic working prototype and explored various mounting systems, ultimately choosing a shoulder-mounted system due to its stability and flexibility. They experimented with different forms of information communication before settling upon haptic feedback, which allowed for users to receive alerts without impeding their music and without the need to keep an eye out for visual cues. The entire process, from the initial idea to project completion, took 14 weeks.

The students have already planned the next steps for their invention.

“Due to the low cost of our product, we aim to produce working models and test with the public.  If our community gives us positive feedback, we aim to place it on the market in full.”

As national runners-up, the students and their project will proceed to the next phase of the James Dyson Award, where their invention will be considered as part of the global shortlist of designs for the Top 20 phase and round of judging. This phase will involve Sir James Dyson himself, adding further to this remarkable accomplishment.