10. October 2013
// Customers & Partners
Stiegelmeyer has been working intensively and successfully for years with colleges and universities. Product innovations are crucial in the healthcare sector and research findings are therefore ideal for transferring to products. However, first there needs to be interactive and concentrated collaboration. With success: We present three of these projects here. A wealth of ideas that can deliver impetus for new projects has been developed for the undertakings described. We will look at these projects in detail in upcoming issues of FORUM.
HOSPITAL BEDSIDE CABINETS: TU DRESDEN
Stiegelmeyer was spontaneously enthusiastic about the idea of giving the task of designing a new kind of bedside cabinet to architectural students who plan to go into designing healthcare facilities. The company management agreed to fund and support a project with the Technical University of Dresden both financially and with professional experience. The joint project, entitled "The next generation" under the guidance of Dr. Gesine Marquardt, gave architectural students the task of researching the standard furnishings in hospitals and care homes with a focus specifically on bedside cabinets. Based upon collective impressions, the students developed various designs for bedside cabinets that meet the specific needs of different user groups, such as children in acute care, psychiatric patients or mothers on the maternity ward.
HOSPITAL BEDS: BURG GIEBICHENSTEIN UNIVERSITY OF ART AND DESIGN IN HALLE/SAALE
Another project in the field of product design, in this case with the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle/Saale, came about through a joint project for the healthcare trade fair in Leipzig. For one of the planned projects weeks, called "The patient room of the future”, Stiegelmeyer provided one of its modern Seta hospital beds so that future industrial designers could have the opportunity to critically analyse forms and functions and make suggestions. The students presented their findings in the special showcase RAUM + DESIGN at the PFLEGE + HOMECARE in Leipzig.
HOSPITAL BED CASTORS/MANOEUVRABILITY: BIELEFELD UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
The Centre of Competence for Movement Processes (KfB) at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences has been involved in the research project "Motion analysis and usage profile of hospital beds - Ergonomic symbiosis between man and technology” since 2011. Dr. Ralf Hörstmeier already started focussing on the important issue of ease of manoeuvrability for hospital beds several years ago. What will the hospital bed of the future look like? What is needed on the market? This cooperation collaboration provides the framework for practiceoriented basic research. The most important goals in this project are to create user profiles and to consider individual parameters, such as the steering geometry or the flooring material.
