The James Dyson Award 2024 announces its two Global Winners

Current scalp cooling products use refrigeration technology requiring constant plugged in power. The patient must arrive at hospital 30 minutes early and stay for 90 minutes after infusion for pre and post scalp cooling. Battery powered Athena, weighing around 3kg, consists of a carry case and a cooling headpiece, that fits to different head shapes, and enables people to spend less time in hospital on a chemotherapy infusion day. It works by using low-cost thermoelectric semiconductors called Peltiers, and these cool a tank of water, which circulates the cold water around the head with the smartly designed headpiece.

With Athena, patients can start and end the scalp-cooling process themselves from wherever they wish, such as the comfort of their own home. At full power, it can run for 3.5 hours, allowing the patient to commute to and from the hospital while cooling, and move around during infusion, such as for bathroom visits. Athena aims to give control back to patients during a time when they usually have little of it. Athena is patient-centric and so Olivia also chose bright colours for the device’s materials as a change from conventional, clinical colours found in hospitals.  Taking its name from the powerful Greek Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, for Humphreys, Athena is a symbol of resilience, which is a quality often seen in those living with an illness as serious as cancer and going through the necessary treatments.

The estimated cost for Athena would be around €1,000, according to Olivia, which is significantly less than industry machines which start at around €20,000. Athena has the potential to make hair-loss prevention more accessible and affordable for both patients and healthcare providers – Olivia’s ideal scenario would involve partnering with hospitals and charities to offer Athena through a rental or loan scheme. To take Athena to the next level, extensive research and development is required, and the James Dyson Award prize money will kickstart this. Long term, Olivia is exploring novel technologies for future hair loss prevention methods beyond scalp cooling. 

The team used the autorotation of maple seeds in their solution. A maple seed’s asymmetrical shape creates lift and drag, allowing it to spin like a helicopter as it falls. Shane and Danial applied this principle to their radiosonde design, enabling it to spiral during descent. This not only slows the device, preventing damage upon impact with the ground, but also increases the likelihood of it landing in an accessible location, making retrieval and reuse easier. The team used machine learning to optimise this design for the best flight performance. AirXeed’s controlled descent allows it to collect and transmit more atmospheric data to weather stations, as traditional radiosondes cannot do this.

To avoid collision with aircraft, and very windy conditions that could deviate the descent, Shane and Danial’s device stops autorotating when passing through aircraft cruise altitude. It enters a dive mode to increase its speed. The team have also added an onboard controller to manage the device’s stability and flight path to land without impact near the closest collection zone for reuse. This controller is enhanced by machine learning to estimate wind speed and direction onboard, as well as select the best landing location. Collection zones would be established based on weather patterns and local government collaboration. Equipped with GPS and flight navigation, the radiosonde would select the optimal collection zone from multiple options at each weather station, ensuring a smooth return based on weather and flight trajectory.

Shane and Danial prioritised sustainability in their material choice, using balsa wood and foam for the lightweight wing and cowling. Modular components allow for easy replacement and recycling of worn parts, catering to industry needs.