Matthew Szafranek
Problem solving has always driven me, and I strive to deliver solutions which put the user at the centre of the design process. One of my strengths is attention to detail, and I take pride in my final products not only being functionally impressive, but visually appealing too.
Projects
Headr
Headr is a wearable sensor which addresses growing concerns that long-term heading in football may be linked to future risk of dementia.
The product has been designed to discreetly record and store the linear and angular accelerations of a footballer’s head during training and match play. It acts as a tool for quantifying heading exposure – in turn helping advance the medical studies into traumatic brain injury in football, and also forming a clearer picture of the player’s overall health.
It is hoped that gathering each player’s impact data over the span of their career would reveal trends which link to later brain disease diagnoses – in turn making the sport safer for future generations of athletes.
The device’s mouldable bottom leg ensures that the product can fit any ear comfortably, yet stay secure in a fast paced game. With an acceleration range of ±100g, the product can also detect a possible concussion, giving medical staff instant feedback on the severity of the impact sustained by the player.
