Bei - A touch of Joy
Emotional bonding aid
One in seven infants are born premature and need special care. They are taken into a neonatal intensive care unit while their parents return home feeling helpless to support their child. This separation can last for months, causing long-term emotional and psychological impacts. BEI allows parents to feel close to their baby even while separated. Through a comfortable armband, they can feel the movements of their child and speak to them from anywhere at any time. This connection and exchange reduces anxiety and increases bonding between parents and their babies. In addition, the sound of a parent’s voice has been shown to reduce infants’ stress and pain levels during medical procedures.
This is a wonderfully empathic solution to support parents who are separated from their newborns. I like the sensibility of the design and how it allows both parents to bond with the baby, not just focusing on the maternal bond. This is a great example of an IoT application that serves to connect rather than separate people. The presentation material was very clear and precise and the additional video provided a great illustration of the product and utility.
WINNER STATEMENTWe are delighted to receive the iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD and hope that our design raises awareness of the challenges faced by families with premature or sick newborn babies. We’d like to thank all the healthcare staff and parents who shared their stories and helped us develop our concepts and design.
UNIVERSITY