In its bid to be continuously improving its processes, GE asked for ideas from students.
GE Healthcare turned to the undergraduate students of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, one of the world’s top design schools, and bid for the development of a product that addresses both ergonomics and emotions.
BusinessWeek Online: Inside Innovation features a synopsis of the the study:
THE RESEARCH
Art Center fielded three teams of eight students. GE Healthcare asked them to address the challenge of expanding health care into rural Africa in 2016. The teams were composed of students majoring in design, transportation, and the environment. All spent the fall semester on the project, and on Dec. 7, Art Center’s “Super Thursday,” they joined other students sponsored by BMW, Honda (HMC ), and Nestlé (NSRGY ) to present their designs.THE PROTOTYPES
An ultrasound device would wrap like a blanket around a woman’s belly. The design would reduce the training required for technicians. Current machines depend on a skilled technician to guide a probe over the abdomen. The multiple imaging sensors woven into the blanket mean it would simply have to be correctly placed, a big advantage in countries where technicians are in short supply.A noninvasive malaria scanner would detect disease by looking through the skin of a patient’s hand. Malaria is currently diagnosed with a needle prick and a blood test. That scares some patients away and can delay treatment until results come back from labs. The scanner would be painted in earthy African colors.
