Airlift

Concept & proof of concept

An inflatable patient repositioning aid for healthcare workers caring for people at home.

Role: Co-designer with Fergus Davidson & Maireid Carrigg
Skills: Stakeholder research · Concept development · Prototyping

01 / Problem

Patient care puts strain on the carer, too.

Research found healthcare workers repositioning patients alone in homes, often without hospital equipment. Existing aids could be expensive, bulky or require more than one person. The RMIT studio, developed with WorkSafe, asked how design could support an ageing community healthcare workforce.

Problem

Patient care puts strain on the carer, too.

Airlift folded into an upright support with a grey cover and orange seams. — An inflatable support intended to reduce the effort of repositioning.

Process

A camping idea became a full-size test.

A collaborative design sprint and stakeholder surveys informed the requirements. Sketches explored pumps, handles, folding and the support's form.

The pneumatic approach began with an inflatable lounge. Adding patient outlines and handles made an early proof of concept that the team could develop through feedback and further prototypes.

Orange sketches exploring Airlift pumps, handles, folded forms and patient support. — Form and mechanism studies before the final renders.

Challenges

Fit different movements into the same device.

The device needed to support rolling, sideways movement and sitting up while remaining portable. Folding the inflatable form changes the movement it supports. A remote pump and removable cover address handling and cleaning within the concept.

A compact orange pump connected to the Airlift support. — A portable pump fills the inner bladder.

Outcome

Air does the lifting.

Once tucked beneath the patient, the support inflates through a remote-control pump. The design proposes three configurations for a roll, a sideways translation or a sit-up, with the healthcare worker steadying the patient.

The team produced a proof of concept and final design renders. Airlift received three design awards in 2022; patient testing and measured performance still need to be added to this case study.

Wooden figures demonstrate Airlift supporting rolling, sideways translation and sitting up. — Three proposed patient movements, demonstrated with models.

Learning

What changed after the first test?

Reflection to come.

Project notes & sources

Recognition year shown. Design dates to add.