The winner of the International Design Innovation Award went to HUG. This system is designed to aid children with autism in self-regulation. Developed by the University of New South Wales, this wearable tracker monitors a child’s stress levels which family or carer can keep track of through a mobile app. The HUG shield guides them through breathing exercises and can be wrapped around the child to comfort them.
The technology is unobtrusive and the overall design solution is elegant and well thought out, the judging panel said.
“HUG helps minimise injury and provides parents with a convenient, calming and socially acceptable way of tracking and managing their child’s behaviour, said UNSW design graduate Era Camilet. “The self-regulation and early-warning system lets parents of autistic children know when they are about to have an aggressive outburst.” Camilet told F2L she is in the process of developing the prototype design further.