Emerge Heat
A battery-powered water dispenser provides hot water to people living in evacuation shelters during a power outage, providing peace of mind for maintaining a healthy lifestyle while evacuating.
Duration
5 weeks
Skills & Tools
Problem Framing, Market Research, Stakeholder Interviewing, Product Visualization, Procreate, Fusion 360, KeyShot
People's life quality and culture are affected by the storms
Weather Challenges
Flooding is unavoidable each year in Vietnam's Central Region.
Evacuation
Evacuation is a must during big storms
Food Access
Warm food, such as rice with soup, has become a routine and part of the culture in Vietnamese meals.
Real Life Experiences
No power for a long duration
"My team used to not have power for 3 nights. Having a house to stay in and enough food and hot water were everything we needed most."
Marshall L., International Technical Service
Senior Manager at Generac
Insufficient amount of hot water
"Instant noodles are our main food donation, but we didn't have enough warm water to boil our food. Raw noodles were what we ended up having."
Quang L., Long-time Resident in
Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam
Resources limitation to keep water hot
"We're providing hot water where we can, but encourage residents to prepare their own, as fuel is limited and containers can't keep the water hot for long."
Vietnamese Local Authority
The Problems
Instant noodles are the main source of donations.
Limited access to hot water for cooking warm meals.
Health, cultural routines, and comfort are not ensured in the shelters.
What Currently Happens
FLOODING
DISPLACED
PEOPLE
SEEK SHELTER
FOOD DONATION
WARM MEALS
HOW?
No power/ Flooded areas
Set up by the government
1000 people/ shelter/ 2 days
Instant noodles
2-3 times/ day
Traditional Hot Water Distribution & Pain Points
Click to view the full process of "Traditonal Hot Water Distribution"
Resources Shortage
Lack of fuel and equipment.
Insufficient volunteers.
Environmental Challenges
Harsh weather disrupts the water boiling process outdoors.
Weather Challenges
Risk of fire and explosion
Design Objective
Hot water dispenser using wall power & battery to heat up and maintain temperature throughout the shelter emergency use.
Mood Boards
Architectural
Accent breaks complement each other, creating unique patterns. Mixed use of materials on a simple, large surface.
Automotive
Sleek designs with engraved hidden textures. Minimal use of color or light on neutral-colored surfaces.
Consumer Electronics
Minimal use of color overall. Noticeable textures & textiles. Mixed use of glossy and matte finishes.
Generac VBL
Use repeatable patterns to increase interaction on a single-colored surface.
Mixture of sophisticated & defined aesthetics.
Material & color breaks.
Configurations & Human Factors
Feature
Medium size: 40-50 in tall
Total weight: ~90.7 kg
Water Capacity
Capacity: 80L
Total units (4000L of water): 50
4L/ person/ 2 days
Weight: 60 kg
Battery
Capacity: 3.2 kWh
Weight: 21.3 kg
Initial Ideation
Early concepts focused on a compact, portable form with sufficient capacity for 2 users and adequate water storage capacity.
Prototyping & Errgonomics Learning
A full-scale prototype was built to evaluate size and user interaction.
Dispenser, Water tank, battery, and heating elements included
Testing the prototype next to 2 people with different heights.
Observation
Top is heavy
Right width for 1 person to pull
Wheels should be added
Battery is heavy to be placed on the top
Water tank is pulled on the side
Less bending if accessed from the sides
Height should be added
Good width for 2 people to use
Opportunity
Increase height reducing bending
Add handles to the back
Increase the spout space to the back
Move the battery & heating element to the bottom
Add wheels
Add foot pedals to the front
Easier to place each person's foot to the front while standing on the side
Function
Concepting
Creating concepts that blend rugged and soft aesthetics for an approachable and welcoming design.
Introducing
Emerge Heat
A battery-powered water dispenser provides hot water to people living in evacuation shelters during a power outage, providing peace of mind for maintaining a healthy lifestyle while evacuating.
Assemble the parts
Pour water into the water tank
Use wall power to heat up water before the power outage
Battery charged and ready to be used during the outage
Step on the foot pedals to pump water to use
Put the bowls under the spouts to take hot water and enjoy!
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