Alta
A lightweight hyperbaric chamber for High Altitude Illness
Recreational mountaineering and alpine sports have increased in popularity leading to more people experiencing serious illness or death as a result of high altitude related illnesses. Hyperbaric chambers are an inflatable structure that is pressurized to increase the amount of oxygen available to breathe for the patient inside. Time inside a chamber can help patients recover enough to be able to descend, for further treatment and recovery.
Team Project (10 people) - 2020 (3rd Year - Semester two)
Team Members: Nimi Chen, Camille Dansereau, Xavier Drysdale, Naji Kaddura, Leah Katz, Clarissa Martins, Morgan Munro, Yasmin Sirton, Birk Zukowsky
This project was named Student Winner in the Commercial Equipment category in the Core77 Design Awards for 2021.
Why?
The circumstances that lead to High Altitude Illness
What?
The basics of physiology at altitude
How?
Using a hyperbaric chamber to simulate descent
Research
Conducting interviews with the experts
Initial Ideation
Different forms an inflatable chamber could take
Insights
Key insights gained from interviews, site visits, and secondary research
Design Requirements
Hierarchy of key characteristics for success
Small Scale Development
Understanding pressurized inflatables at scale
Material Testing
Testing the characteristics of different construction methods
Full Scale Development
Translating our concepts into larger pressurized prototypes
Final Design
Key features of the Alta Hyperbaric Chamber
Pictographs
Creating usage instructions without words
Branding
Logo development and brand identity
