Lalepé – Travel Carrier for Infants

What it does

The product is a child carrier, flight seat, feeding chair and travel mat all in one. It allows an undisturbed trip for the parent and the child using one configurable device, which accounts for the positions a child might need to take during.

Your inspiration

It was not as much inspiration as it was intuition, for a long time I just kept tapping out the vague area of travel with children. The discomfort and anxiety of flying is still experienced by every parent, not to mention the complete dependence on external help. I wanted to create an empowering scenario where by inserting a product between the parent and their baby they would have full control of their actions and self-sufficient independence during travel.

How it works

Lalepé is a simple mechanical system with only three mechanisms. It starts out as a semi-rigid flat mat, that can be automatically pulled into the cradle shape, forming a seat for the baby. The mechanism there operates as a draw cord, which pulls the mat sections until they hit a hard stop position. The mechanism locks the cord, until the user releases the carrier by pushing the button again. Once that is done the straps of the carrier can be pulled out and snap locked into the bottom loops thereby holding the baby to the parent's chest. That is Lalepé's ordinary carrier configuration. Once the parent is ready to release the straps and sit the baby down on their own, they can do that by pulling down the hinge-like tripod on the backside of the carrier. That stabilizes the seat on any flat surface and allows feeding. In-flight Lalepé can be released into a mat again, which provides the baby with a layer of body support when in the parent's lap.

Design process

The project started out from desk research and collecting interviews on the experience of flying. When I discovered there is a large fear of traveling with infants I have simulated a long-haul trip with a dummy doll of appropriate human factors. Having gone through the pain points myself I have created the first prototype of a fairly rough fidelity. I have collected real parental feedback before I have re-iterated onto the next prototype. After repeating this loop several times, I was able to define the size, the weight and the arrangement of the various parts. I have established the materials, but at this point Lalepé was still a rigid shell structure with a padding on top. It could, however, be firmly attached to the seat on the airplane. When the parent-child interaction was established with the product I placed the product into its context by building out an aircraft simulator and bringing in parents and their infants for a live test. I have interviewed them, I observed footage and finally identified the relative parent-infant position that enticed a calm comfort during a journey. Later I have learnt more about mechanical and industry possibilities at an internship and thus started converting the structure into a foldable product, which is now an on-going effort.

How it is different

The world of baby-products is rather grayscale, regardless of the brand the products often look the same offering little innovation. Lalepé has the unique quality of combined functionality, where the parent is empowered to act on their own, with no external help. Travel, especially flying seems to be the most unpleasant experience of a holiday for all involved. Being able to configure a variety of positions and reduce bulk in a baby-carrying product is key. When a stroller, car seat, flight mattress , baby carrier, changing mat and feeding chair fits into your handbag it can make a significant step towards travel independence. Lalepé can lay flat, stand up on its own, hold by hanging and be worn on shoulders. It is the ultimate combination, which leaves little disturbance to the child even between configuration changes.

Future plans

I would like to use the funds to provide users with professionally renders images and accurate CAD. I would like to create several final prototypes and allow users to take Lalepé on a journey, thereby increasing my awareness of how much development is still due, before I feel comfortable seeking for investment.

Awards

* Santander Summer Company Award * Fearsome Design - FutureMaker Design Award * Scottish Enterprise - ByDesign Award * Scottish Institute for Enterprise - Patent Grant (patent pending)