Container Scan Bio-organism Threat Detection System.
Client: AgResearch Ltd.
In 2009 this design won a New Zealand BeST Award and a prestigious international red dot award.
The movement of shipping containers represents both the biggest threat and the biggest success indicator for the New Zealand economy.
The challenge for protection agencies is to come up with a way of intercepting unwanted bio-organism threats without disrupting the flow of goods.
Ag-Research scientists had developed a method of detecting Volatile Organic Compound markers (VOC’s) of bio-organisms at the molecular level, but they did not have a product or a business proposition to wrap around the technology.
Using time in motion methods, InFact analysed the movements of shipping containers to arrive at a logistical solution that did not impact on existing shipping practices, but would allow MAF officers to intercept threats. This became the basis of the business case for the client.
A mock up was developed and iteratively improved through user trials. This then permitted design work to proceed on the final aesthetics; brand, internal mechanisms, PCB’s, software, power supply, data capture, communication modules and sampling capsules. A full working prototype was then made.
This was tested at a high use de-vanning site. Twenty randomly spiked containers were sent to this site from all around the world containing untreated timber. The detection tool successfully intercepted all the containers, and one extra container that was not part of the test!
Role: Senior Industrial Designer
Tasks: Day in the life study, usability trials, form factor creation based on human factors, concept design, component design, prototype construction.
