Table 1 Core competencies for successful frugal innovation development met by PCM cooling mattresses [33, 37]
Feature of frugality | Description |
|---|---|
Ruggedisation | • Designed to be used in resource-poor settings. • Made with tough and long-lasting material. Can be repetitively used for over three years. • No requirement of constant electricity input, other than a fridge to pre-cool PCMs. |
Lightweight | • Portable given the size (620 mm × 460 mm) and weight (13 kg) of the device. • Ideal for transportation. |
Human centric design | • Intuitive and easy to use, with no requirement of additional training. • Comfortable for babies. |
Simplification | • Made of essential components to induce TH compared with high-tech servo-controlled cooling devices. |
Adaptation | • An extra PCM layer with lower melting temperature can be added to the device to aid cooling and stabilize temperature in environments with high external temperature. |
Affordability | • Cost is 1/10th of high-tech cooling devices (about £1800). • No recurring expenses or maintenance costs. |