Rory Odell

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University of Nottingham > Engineering > Departments > Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering > PDM Exhibitions > 2023 > BEng students > Rory Odell

A wrist-worn device aimed at hikers and trekkers designed to lower or raise the wearer's body temperature.

Born and raised in Northamptonshire I did not have far to come when starting my degree in 2019. Selecting the Nottingham course was an easy decision, as product design was amongst my keenest interests during school, and with the addition of the detailed manufacturing content, I was sure this was the course for me. Besides a small COVID interruption and a year in industry working as a graphic designer I have made my way to the end of my degree. A sad thought but an experience I can look fondly on.

Aswell as the engrossing engineering degree, I found time to pursue my lifelong hobby, sailing. I have enjoyed the major increase in level and competition in the university sailing team. It has been a hobby that I have heavily relied on to clear my head and maintain focus on my degree. Sailing provides a great balance between skill and ability, and attention to detail when preparing and tuning boats.

Rory Odell, BEng Product Design and Manufacture

CLImate

CLImate is a wrist-worn device designed to lower or raise the body temperature of the wearer. Aimed at hikers and trekkers, this product reduces the need for excess clothing and equipment that would usually be needed for the unpredictable weather of the UK. This product taps into the body’s blood circulation hot spots, like the neck, armpits or wrists. By altering the temperature at the wrists, the CLImate can quickly and efficiently influence the temperature of the blood that passes through our bodies.

The CLImate has 2 settings. These include a cool mode, whereby a fan drives cool air through the watch face and across the hands and arms of the user, and secondly, a warm mode, where charge is passed from the watch face to the strap where a thin Kapton heating element warms the silicon strap to 40 degrees Celsius.

The watch faces can be stored in a case no bigger than a pack of butter. This case not only stores and protects the faces while the wearer is out hiking or trekking, but can recharge them. The case has the charging capacity to recharge both faces 5 times over giving the CLImate a total of 25 hours of run time before the user needs to recharge the case from the mains.

The primary construction of both the case and the face parts use injection moulded ABS. Both assemblies combine anodised aluminium plating adding further durability, strength, and unique colour. The 2 assemblies require only stainless-steel screws to secure the parts together and all of the components within. This removes the need for glues and solvents ensuring the product can be disassembled at the end of its life span.

Finally, the strap is manufactured from silicone where the Kapton heating element is moulded into the strap during injection moulding. The ‘buckle’ or clasp is specially designed to ensure that the maximum length of heated strap is in contact with the skin, ensuring that none of the CLImate’s energy goes to waste.

The internal components of the CLImate are all individually waterproof. Along with the close tolerances of the moulded face and case parts, the internal electrical components are durable and well protected from the elements, so the device will continue to work as intended in adverse conditions.