Study level

  • PhD

Faculty/School

Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice

Topic status

We're looking for students to study this topic.

Research centre

Design Lab

Supervisors

Professor Marianella Chamorro-Koc
Position
Professor
Division / Faculty
Faculty of CI, Education & Social Justice
Associate Professor Ajay Pandey
Position
Associate Professor
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Engineering

Overview

How does technology help us to support a person’s sense of wellbeing and/or performance? Beyond technology and metrics, how do a body-worn (electronic/biosensing) device be designed to fit the person in different contexts of use and different performance needs? We are investigating the role of designing with sensor technology (sensor technology agnostic) in body-worn devices from a Human Centred (HCD) lens, and Research through Design (RtD) approach.

In today's fast-paced world, the pursuit of optimal human performance has become a paramount goal. As we strive to push the boundaries of our capabilities, body-worn electronic devices play a crucial role in enhancing and optimizing our performance. These devices can potentially foster a symbiotic relationship between humans and technology, therefore enhancing physical performance. While current design approaches enable the development of sleek, lightweight, and ergonomic body-worn devices to seamlessly integrate into users' lives; the abandonment or rejection rate of these devices keep increasing. To unlock the full potential of these devices, improve adoption and long-term benefits, innovative design strategies that place the user experience at the forefront are paramount.

Research activities

The purpose of this research is to develop a product development strategy that foster a symbiotic relationship between humans and technology while considering technology and industry requirements. This research will investigate how might people exposed to high levels of activity (e.g., firefighters, athletes, paramedics) benefit from body-worn technologies, and what design specifications might support their needs?  The objectives of this research are to explore:

  • people’s preferences and requirements for performance body-worn devices
  • technology use requirements (e.g., reliability, accuracy, privacy, connectivity and interoperability) for body worn technology
  • how to convey body-worn data in meaningful manner to empower people decision making.

Outcomes

It is expected that findings from this research will contribute to expand MedTech industry knowledge on what and how to address end-user requirements in the area of wearables or diagnostic/biosensing devices.

Skills and experience

The ideal candidate should have an interest in user-centred design and basic experience in prototyping with sensors (e.g. Arduino sensors). A degree in design is not a requirement, however it is important that the candidate is keen to learn design research approaches and methods.

Scholarships

You may be eligible to apply for a research scholarship.

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Keywords

Contact

Professor Marianella Chamorro-Koc, m.chamorro@qut.edu.au