Jake Woolard
Cair
Cair is a portable kitchen extractor and air purifier, designed for people that are unable to change, modify or install their own kitchen extraction unit – notably those living in rental accommodation.
Cooking causes pollutants that are known to be harmful to human health to be released into the environment and can remain airborne for up to 30 minutes. These pollutants are either breathed in, or land on surfaces leaving greasy stains. People that live in rental properties are less likely to have a working, effective extraction unit – leaving them more susceptible to these issues.
Cair has been developed as a solution to these problems. Cair monitors air quality in the kitchen and automatically works to purify the pollution released when cooking. The product has been designed to be easy to clean, with a removable upper body containing a two-stage filtration system.
The upper body centres around a modular water collection tank and removable filter, allowing for easy emptying and replacing as the product purifies the air. A biodegradable HEPA filter, manufactured using agricultural waste, removes small particulate matter from the air. The material also allows the filter to be disposed alongside kitchen waste. Airflow also passes through an activated carbon filter, removing odours and VOCs from the air.
A dehumidification system has been included, powered by a powerful Peltier module and heatsink assembly. This works to remove moisture from the airflow, improving the air quality in the kitchen as well as prolonging the filter life span.
A simple and intuitive user interface has been developed and integrated, making use of capacitive sensing. The touch sensitive face allows for easy wipe cleaning, with minimised areas of potential ingress. LEDs project soft light onto the main product body, providing the user intuitive feedback into current product states.
To expand product functionality an app has been developed, providing useful additional features such as a remote mode for ease of turning the product off when away from the user interface. Historical and current air quality can also be viewed, alongside instructions on how to clean certain aspects of the product.
Cair offers a low cost, easy to clean solution for improving air quality in the kitchen.
Student Biography
Hi, I’m Jake. I’m a designer, engineer, and maker that loves to approach and solve complex challenges with innovative solutions. I have an eager desire to continue to learn and develop as a designer and individual, expanding the broad skillset I’ve learnt whilst at university.
When looking for a course to study at university I initially dismissed PDM, looking at more traditional courses like mechanical engineering. However, I quickly found these subjects didn’t provide as much of an opportunity to connect with users and products in a more holistic way, giving a much broader overview of products and technologies. I am so glad I chose to study PDM, with its combination of both engineering fundamentals and learning how to develop great products that meet the needs of real users.
I have a keen interest in creating memorable product experiences for people, combining new technologies into products that will improve people’s lives. I learnt more about this on my industrial placement year at Dyson, when running internal user trials to test user interface options. Seeing someone’s face light up when trying out a piece of technology you’ve helped to develop is a fantastic feeling, and something I can’t imagine will get boring!
Upon graduating from university, I will return to Dyson to join the NPI team to help develop the next generation of Dyson products.