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MOM incubatorJames Roberts, a 23-year-old recent graduate of Loughborough University in the U.K., has just been announced as the international winner of the 2014 James Dyson Award. His winning project was truly remarkable. It’s a portable, inflatable incubator for preterm babies that only costs around £250 ($400) to make, compared to the roughly £30,000 ($47,000) price of conventional hospital incubators. Roberts was inspired to develop the incubator after seeing the shocking infant mortality statistics in refugee camps, where the price tag and prevailing conditions mean purchasing traditional incubators are out of the question.1
MOM incubatorThe incubator, known as the MOM, opens and closes like an accordion for easy transportation. It runs off a battery that lasts 24 hours, so it can be used in areas with patchy or no electricity. The incubator is inflated manually, is heated using ceramic heating elements and has a phototherapy unit for treated jaundiced infants. A screen shows the customizable interior temperature and humidity, and an alarm will sound in the event the temperature changes.2
MOM incubatorOf his design, Roberts said: “I was inspired to tackle this problem after watching a documentary on for the high death rate among premature babies in refugee camps. It motivated me to use my design engineering skills to make a difference. Like many young inventors, there have been struggles along the way – I had to sell my car to fund my first prototype! The dream would be to meet a child that my incubator has saved – living proof that my design has made a difference.”3
