ANNA MATOSOVA

Problems research

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The UltraFit project was introduced by a vast research phase to identify aspects and problems critical for the product's development. The design research started with the careful observation of how the old helmet is used in laboratory conditions. Anthropologic research, existing product analysis, expert interviews and use scenarios helped to shape the design brief.

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Groups of users

First of all, the headset has more than one group of users, with different and competing needs. On the one hand, there is the researcher/therapist who needs stiffness and maximum stability of the headset. On the other hand, we have the common person who should wear it for a long time, for whom the headset must be light, non-invasive and comfortable. Another aspect is the use of the headset in the home environment, so that it should be simple and easy to fix.

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Designed to fit all

The biggest challenge in designing a headset is its adaptability to the various anthropometric measurements of the wearers. It should provide the same level of comfort to a wide variety of head sizes - from the 5th female percentile to the 95th male percentile - and users, starting from children aged four. So we identified the dimensional and morphological characteristics of the most common human heads, considering differences between men and women, adults and children, and ethnic groups.

The analysis of the literature on the growth process has shown that the circumference of children's head reaches the size of that of an adult around the age of six. Other important features of a child's face are the lack of a pronounced jaw and chin, as well as the absence of protruding zygomatic bones. With growth, however, the shape of the upper part of the head and the position of the eyes remain essentially unchanged. The rest - nose, chin and jaw - grow downwards, moving away from the upper part of the skull. The old model of the headset used zygomatic bones as a crucial point of support of the headset, making it almost impossible to conduct research on children.

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Wearer’s comfort

The research also involved the identification and analysis of different points of support on the head, with the idea of freeing the wearer from the pressure on the most sensitive points. The old model of the headset creates pressure on sutures, nerves or external veins. Avoidance of these points guided the creation of the new headset's shapes.

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Wearer’s acceptance of the headset

Another critical point is the wearer’s acceptance of the headset, as far as non-acceptance of the headset creates serious obstacles to the research flow.

So, the headset is supposed to be light-colored, with organic shapes and rounded edges, not cold to the touch, covered with soft and easily washable pads to make it more acceptable than the cold and sharp aluminium headset.

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Easy and fast fixing

The next aspect we considered concerns the usability of the headset on the researchers’ side. Based on our laboratory experience, facilitating probe placement reduces the preparation time of the experiment and the hassle on the speaker's side, who is more available for the subsequent data collection session.