Project Inspiration
Being a paramedic in Toronto might be one of the most challenging careers on wheels, which requires high physical performances, long emotional exposures and unscheduled time demands. Thus, this project focused on how to design a futuristic solution for Toronto Paramedics based on a current problem found by primary and secondary research.
With the assistance of Toronto Fire and EMS Training Centre, a tour around the equipments and the ambulance was provided, which helped in gathering solid observations, understanding the paramedics' journey, coming up with interview questions, and choose a focus point to develop a futuristic design based on, both, primary and secondary research.
Journey of an Advanced Care Paramedics
The qualitative data collections from observations and interviews highlighted common challenges of the advanced care paramedics' journey. The reason for specifically choosing and advanced care paramedics to demonstrate the journey on; is that they work most of the shifts solo; thus, they face more challenges.
Identified Challenges
The journey map highlighted the common challenges of the advanced care paramedics, which they go through every time they get called or on shift. Four main challenges with the solo bag usage were identified, during the observations, interviews and visits made, that affected their physical health, communication, quality of delivering care and time management. The challenges were: accessibility, standardization + personalization, weight + dimensions, and contamination.
Accessibility: It could be challenging to deliver the patients’ healthcare due to the difficulties finding the needed equipments, and opening and closing the bag.
Standardization + Personalization: The current solo bag design does not have standard placing nor personalized spaces that fits paramedics' needs.
Weight + Dimensions: Paramedics carry and lift the heavy solo bag and navigate through narrow spaces cause pain and lead to possible injuries.
Contamination: No medical waste management system nor disposal package or carrier provided, which leads to a high risk of infections.
Design Process
Clarifying the solo paramedic's wants, needs, stress points and necessary design elements throughout the journey in 2030. Weight, accessibility and identification or personalization seemed to have a common relation. Therefore, the futuristic design will be focused around those three aspects.
Description
BuddyBag is an autonomous smart bag that eliminates the need for paramedics to carry their bags to their destination. It mitigates the physical stressors since no physical lifting is required while it is on the move.
To activate the bag, the paramedic needs to carry the wireless key (remote) within 2 meters for security measures. This is what allows the bag to follow the paramedic without the need for lifting or additional control. The remote has three buttons: open up, close down and on/off.
The bag’s dimensions are 25 x 17 x 9 inches; The length of the bag accommodates the length of up to three steps of a staircase, which makes it possible for the continuous track to go up and down the stairs.
(Team-Work-Project)