05
Light
Emergency Kit
How might we guide people in the dark during emergencies?
Individual Project
Background Research / Product Design / Prototyping / Usability Testing
Project Type
School Project @ National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Timeline
9 weeks
Design Overview
Light Emergency Kit is equipped with light stripes, which can glow during the blackout, allowing people to find it quickly and guide others in the dark. With its compact size, it can be placed in a handier place at home and is easier to carry. It also has a power bank, which provides power for the light stripes and can charge mobile phones.
User Needs and Design Strategy
In Taiwan, where earthquakes are frequent, it’s crucial to have emergency kits prepared at home. However, the emergency kits are usually too big to be placed at handy locations and are often stored in unapparent places, making them hard to find during the blackout.
Unapparent
Hard to find during the blackout
Too bulky
Hard to find a handy place to store
How might we guide people to the emergency kit during a blackout?
How might we make the emergency kit compact while preserving all essential items?
Challenge 01
Guiding People in the Dark
Design Strategy:
Let it Glow
To make the emergency kit easier to find in the dark, I designed the backpack with light stripes powered by a built-in battery. The glowing light stripes not only increase the kit’s visibility for the user but also help other people locate them.
Design Solution:
Light Stripes
Light stripes on the backpack turn on automatically during the blackout, making it conspicuous in the dark. They are made of optical fabric and reflective fabric, emitting light injected by the LED lights on their end, connected to the power bank.
The power bank is placed at the bottom of the backpack. It can be charged wirelessly with a magnetic charger cable, so when people need it, they can grab the bag immediately without pulling the plug. The power bank provides electricity to the light bands when the power is off. It can also charge mobile devices if needed.
1. In normal times, the Light Emergency Kit charges in the corner or at a handy place.
2. When the power is off, the light stripes glow automatically to help people find it.
3. People can take the bag without pulling the plug. The power bank will charge the light stripes.
Challenge 02
Reducing bag size while maintaining its usability
Design Strategy:
Great Possibilities in Compact Design
To enhance convenience in storage at home and facilitate easy retrieval and portability during emergencies, I have reduced the Light Emergency Kit’s size to approximately half that of a standard backpack. Despite this reduction, the kit’s capacity remains uncompromised. I have integrated essential tools such as flashlights and whistles externally to avoid occupying internal space, effectively minimizing the overall weight of the emergency kit.
Design Solution:
Optimized Space Planning
Zippers on both sides: allow people to grab things more easily
Compact Size: Space for one person’s necessities
LED light on left shoulder strap: provides emergency lighting in the front
Whistle in right shoulder strap: allows trapped people to call for help
Hidden pocket on the rear side: protects cash, personal identification, and important documents
Design Process
Sketches
Prototype
1. During the ideation process, I made several low-fidelity prototypes to help me design.
2. After deciding which design to use, I made another low-fidelity prototype with paper to test the functions.
3. I made a high-fidelity prototype with materials that could best demonstrate my concept.