ALICE MALCOLM
UVBAND
UVBand was an exercise in environment based design. This project explored life on the international space station and their requirements in day to day life.
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UVBand is a concept piece on how astronauts living on the space station for six months could receive vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D can result in fatigue, an inability to think clearly and in extreme cased rickets and bone marrow deterioration.
Designing for space.
We were lucky enough to have the unique opportunity to interview an astronaut. An exclusive Skype conversation with Chris Hadfield gave us a first hand insight into life and the challenges astronauts face on the ISS.
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The three big problems that were pinpointed in regards to maintaining health and fitness in space were vitamin D deficiency, time management and staying motivated to work out.
With only six months on the space station, managing the required two hours work out time into a busy schedule is a challenge. My solution to this was a vibration suit, stimulating and working out the muscles as the astronaut goes about his daily activities.
With no access to direct sunlight and the absence of fresh food as everything at least partially dehydrated.
The headband allows Vitamin D to be absorbed into the body through the application of weak UVB ultraviolet rays, giving the equivalent of the recommended fifteen minutes of sunlight on earth.
Two hours of exercise per day is a challenge to stay motivated for. Introducing a rewards system into their routine, using the exercises to generate enough power to charge a device to make a call to home. A wristband records progress and engages the user in their exercises.
The final product consisted of twelve UVB bulb casings controlled by a central interface attached to the ban allowing the user to set time and intensity of the the rays. The device is automatically set to seven minutes at a moderate UV setting. Astronauts would only change this setting if they found themselves plagued by fatigue or affected by muscle or bone degeneration.