Maynooth University Department of Design Innovation

INTERNATIONAL 1ST PRIZE FOR BSc PRODUCT DESIGN STUDENT

We congratulate Andrew Meehan, who graduated last year (2023-24), for winning first prize for the international Cumulus Green 2024: Designing Healthy Future, the signature biennial student competition of the Cumulus Association of Design Schools that aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Solutions were judged based on desirability/feasibility, evidence of a rigorous research process, and degree of innovation. Judging the 270 entries was a prestigious global jury from academia and practice with experts in health and well-being product design, design for inclusion and sustainable, longevity and healthcare systems.
 

Beating entries from 89 premier design schools across the globe, Andrew’s Curo is a retrofitted cast system with inbuilt electro muscle stimulants to help reduce muscle loss whilst in a cast by up to 20 percent. A typical fracture patient can remain in a cast for up to eight weeks, in which they can lose up to 60% of their muscle mass during this time. The stimulant is keeping the muscles engaged and also provides data on the improvements; it potentially removes the need for a long physiotherapy.

Andrew’s project was also successful in the Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards and a benefactor of the HSE Spark Innovation Programme introduced by Dr Threase Finnegan-Kessie in the Department of Design Innovation. He was supervised by Dr Frank Devitt and Oratile Mokgatla.

Andrew is currently a postgraduate student on our MSc Design Innovation programme, and is frankly ‘honoured to be included in the group of finalists, let alone 1st place’.