A former University of Nottingham student made such an impression with her headphone designs that a new company is being set up to develop and manufacture them.
Rovinya Sollitt was a final year BEng Product Design and Manufacture student at The University of Nottingham, when she saw a brief from a company called Cofabrico, to develop completely customisable headphones which can be manufactured using 3D printing.
Innovative new ideas
Cofabrico’s owner, Irma Gilbert, said: “I decided to approach The University of Nottingham for this project because of its reputation in innovation and practical teaching in product development and advanced manufacturing facilities. I also believe that a company can benefit a lot from students, as they are very open minded and full of new innovative ideas and not afraid to try new technologies.”
Rovinya’s aim was to create a set of headphones which were unique, rugged and technologically advanced. The product also had to be manufactured using 3D printing which enabled a large degree of customisation. Rovinya came up with the brand name of Artem Sonitus, to provide a distinctive name in a competitive market.
Speaking about the development process, Rovinya said: “It was a challenge to develop headphones which could be customised by the user, and yet would still be distinctive and instantly recognisable as an Artem Sonitus product."
A product with real potential
"Irma at CoFabrico gave me lots of useful advice," added Rovinya. "I also sought the opinions of various manufacturing and electronic engineering specialists to explore the feasibility of my ideas. However, I really feel that we now have a very special and unique product with real potential.”
CoFabrico is planning to launch an Artem Sonitus spin-out company to promote the product globally and to further develop it based on customer feedback. Rovinya will also be a shareholder in the new venture.
Simon Harrison, Product Design course director at The University of Nottingham, commented: “The work that Rovinya has done with CoFabrico is a great example of the talent, capabilities and commercial focus of our Product Design students. Our students can really help to give businesses a competitive edge and we are always keen to hear from companies who want to work with us on projects.”
Showcasing Nottingham students
CoFabrico connects designers, manufacturers and buyers together and is now hoping to showcase more students from The University of Nottingham in the future to help them build their profile and promote their work in the marketplace.
Irma added: “I would really recommend that businesses tap into the great knowledge that The University of Nottingham has. It is an opportunity to create innovative products at high speed and provides the opportunity to hire future product designers, and give them freedom to be creative.”
Businesses that would like to work with Product Design and Manufacture students are invited to a showcase event at The University of Nottingham on 9th December. Alternatively, email course director, Simon Harrison, on simon.harrison@nottingham.ac.uk
— Ends —
Our academics can now be interviewed for broadcast via our Media Hub, which offers a Globelynx fixed camera and ISDN line facilities at University Park campus. For further information please contact a member of the Communications team on +44 (0)115 951 5798, email mediahub@nottingham.ac.uk or see the Globelynx website for how to register for this service.
For up to the minute media alerts, follow us on Twitter
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with a “distinct” approach to internationalisation, which rests on those full-scale campuses in China and Malaysia, as well as a large presence in its home city.’ (Times Good University Guide 2016). It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK among graduate employers and the winner of ‘Research Project of the Year’ at the Times Higher Education Awards 2014. It is ranked in the world’s top 75 by the QS World University Rankings 2015/16, and 8th in the UK by research power according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014. It has been voted the world’s greenest campus for three years running, according to Greenmetrics Ranking of World Universities.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest-ever fundraising campaign, is delivering the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…