Women-Centred Birthing Tool wins the James Dyson Award 2020 in Philippines

Young Filipino inventors innovate to address social challenges

The Problem

Home birthing is a common practice among Filipino women. While some do not have the means to give birth in a hospital or clinic due to geography and resources^[1], others want to welcome their baby without medical interventions due to religious and cultural concerns^[2]. Home birthing practices also vary between Filipino cultures, some choose to birth on the floor instead of a bed and others choose to birth while squatting instead of lying down. As most obstetric beds do not offer a variety of birthing positions, it forces a woman in labour to be in a laid down position that is inconsistent with the natural physiology of birthing.

The Invention

Given the lack of options for women to birth in their most comfortable position due to the limitations of conventional obstetric beds, the winner of this year’s Philippines National James Dyson Award Winner decided to design a women-centered birthing tool to make labour more comfortable.

reBIRTH, invented by a group of students from University of the Philippines (Diliman), with backgrounds in Engineering and Law, is a birthing tool that accommodates up to two configurations and nine birthing positions. Aside from its versatile exterior, reBIRTH’s interior is made up of two layers of foam: coconut coir for support and polyurethane for comfort, both of which are easy to procure. Its exterior is covered by waterproof olefin fabric, making it easy to clean. As reBIRTH taps into by-product from natural sources – particularly coconut coir and olefin fibre, this reduces waste and allows for easy replacement when the materials deteriorate. Using these materials also lowers the unit cost, making it accessible to areas that are underserved by proper maternal services, such far-flung island villages.

The team is currently looking into filing for patent protection and sourcing materials from local Filipino manufacturers and suppliers to make the fabrication of rebirth a sustainable one. Apart from their plans to launch reBIRTH commercially, the team also intends to use their invention to advocate for positive birthing experiences for new mothers. 

Gian Andrei Fabia, inventor of reBIRTH, said:

“As designers and engineers, we hope to see more human-centered design solutions, which goes beyond simply a new discovery or technology, and look towards addressing real problems that respond to real domestic needs.”

Dr. Laurene Chua-Garcia, Vice President for External Relations and Internationalisation of De La Salle University, and member of the JDA judging panel said:

“I strongly believe that there are many gifted young Filipino design engineers / inventors. The James Dyson Award (JDA) is one of the few competitions out there that gives them this opportunity to showcase their inventions, which can make the world a better place for all. I would like to see more young inventors participate in the JDA, and it is a competition that higher education institutions should be promoting and aiming for annually” 

Isa Rodriguez, Lifestyle and tech content creator, and member of the JDA judging panel said:

“It’s always amazing to see new technology, inventions, and ideas – even more amazing when you realize the entries are coming from young minds. There is so much potential in our youth and to be a small part of fostering this is an honour. I’m very grateful to the JDA for incentivizing creation and providing a platform for youth in the Philippines.”

The Runners Up

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Problem: Maximising the efficiency of converting ultraviolet (UV) light to electricity has been the primary goal for much of the history of the solar power industry^[3]. While solar cells or Photovoltaic (PV) cells were previously expensive to manufacture, the advent of thin-film PV cells has forced the industry to revaluate its manufacturing costs. Today, while PV cells are less expensive to manufacture, the solar power industry is now faced with the challenge of increasing efficiency of PV cells – specifically their effectiveness in capturing high energy UV light. 

Solution: AuREUS, invented by Carvey Ehren Maigue from Mapua University, evolved from the simple idea of harnessing  UV light to generate power and create a sustainable environment. Luminescent particles (derivable from selected fruits and vegetables) are suspended in a resin substrate and is used as the core technology in both AuREUS devices (Borealis Solar Window and Astralis Solar Wall). The process is simple – when hit by UV light, the particles absorb and re-emit visible light along its edges due to internal reflectance. PV cells, which line edges of the window, capture the visible light emitted and convert it to Direct Current (DC) electricity. This system not only solves the existential issue of UV sequestration, but it also enables better access to solar energy to mitigate climate change. AuREUS also creates opportunities for the local agriculture industry to upcycle their crops in times where their yields have been affected by calamities.

James Dyson Award

The competition is open to student inventors with the ability and ambition to solve the problems of tomorrow. Winning solutions are selected by Sir James Dyson and show ingenuity, iterative development and commercial viability. With students from 27 markets and regions now competing, the award is set to welcome new approaches to a broader range of global issues than ever before.

Since the competition first opened fifteen years ago, the iconic inventor has already contributed over £1m to championing boundary-breaking concepts. To help finalists to develop their novel idea, each year the International winner is awarded £30,000, and National winners in each participating region receive £2,000. Unlike other competitions, participants are given full autonomy over their intellectual property. New for 2020, Sir James has introduced another international prize: The Sustainability winner, who will also receive £30,000 in prize money.

The James Dyson Award forms part of a wider commitment by Sir James Dyson, to demonstrate the power of engineers to change the world. The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology, the James Dyson Foundation and James Dyson Award embody a vision to empower aspiring engineers, encouraging them to apply their theoretical knowledge and discover new ways to improve lives through technology and design engineering.

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[1] https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/philippines/healthcare/pregnancy-birth/the-birth

[2] https://www.smartparenting.com.ph/pregnancy/labor-and-childbirth/home-birth-a00041-20190617-lfrm

[3] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/03/how-to-make-solar-power-more-efficient-and-affordable/