This year’s New Zealand national James Dyson Award winner has developed a bespoke solution for disabled riders. Contak is a specialist saddle for use in equine therapies offered by NZ Riding for the Disabled (RDA). It focuses on rider safety & experience, bringing the rider closer to the horse, optimising the therapeutic benefits.
Contak focuses on the connection between horse and rider. Increased surface area provides even distribution of the rider’s weight ensuring neither rider nor horse’s performance, movement and comfort are compromised. The streamlined design fosters visual connection with the horse, increases the opportunity for physical touch and reduces bulk under the rider’s leg, improving stability and safety. Handles in place of traditional reins accommodate differing abilities and a secondary handle enables assistance from a safety side walker for faster paced sessions.
Holly designed this year’s winning entry while studying Industrial Design at Massey University.
Winning the national leg of the James Dyson Award will inject $3,500 into the development of Holly’s design. She plans to continue collaboration with local RDA centres to develop the saddle further. Funding would aid the manufacture of a small run of prototype saddles for testing and her investigations indicate that an international market could be anticipated.
Holly states,
“Although involved in recreational riding I had no prior experience in the therapeutic use of horses, but recognised an opportunity to improve safety & therapy benefit through a new saddle design. I am delighted to have won the 2018 James Dyson National Award. Moving forward, I hope to continue collaboration with local RDA centres to develop the saddle further and present Contak at the bi-annual therapeutic riding conference in South East Asia in late 2019”
Holly undertook extensive field research when developing her design including observation and participation in therapy sessions at RDA, discussions with industry experts, saddlers, physical and occupational therapists, experienced volunteers and human kinesiologists. After undertaking a rigorous sketch modelling process Holly then moved to extensive prototyping and material testing. The final prototype was successfully tested by the local RDA.
The Runners Up
MEDMO
Ana Morris (21 years old), Courtney Naismith (21 years old) and Glen Askey (25 years old) are studying Industrial Design at Victoria University of Wellington.
Their entry, MEMDO, was inspired by medical difficulties experienced by a family member. When Ana's grandmother had a blocked medical drain after mastectomy surgery, she realised drains require constant attention and can cause serious health problems.
To solve to this problem, the team developed a digital healthcare system designed to mitigate the nuisance of managing medical drains and the chance of infections that could be life-threatening. It monitors fluid levels and notifies patients and caregivers through a wearable device and an app.
SOWSENSE
Georgia Fulton (22 years old) created her entry, Sowsense, while studying a Bachelor of Design, majoring in Industrial Design at Massey University.
Georgia's invention, which saves piglet from being crushing by sows, was created while she was studying Industrial Design at Massey University.
Mother pigs often flop down onto their sides to feed their young, regularly trapping new-born piglets underneath. The current solution to piglet crushing are farrowing crates. Although designed to reduce piglet mortalities, crates restrict the sow’s movements, meaning the sow can't walk or turn around, allowing the piglets time to move out of the way before she lies down to feed them.
Sowsense provides a welfare-focused solution which allows natural maternal behaviour in sows. The design works by using sensory technology to increase piglet survival rates and train the sow to prevent further crushings. Farmers are able to keep the pigs outside on the farm safely, encouraging farmers to shift away from controversial indoor systems.
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