The James Dyson Foundation has announced the U.S. winner of this year’s James Dyson Award: a customizable scoliosis brace that can accommodate patient growth for up to three years. The “Airy,” designed by Sangyu Xi, can be set up and adjusted at home, and it even includes app connectivity to monitor healing and wear time.
The general limitations of scoliosis braces — many of which use designs created as far back as the 1950s — inspired Sangyu’s work. Her mother’s work in medical device sales, she says, showed her she could use her design skills to create something that could help someone “have a different life.”
