Developing an Environmentally Friendly Vacuum Cleaner - a Case Study from Vision to Prototype

The main aim of this interdisciplinary case study is the realization of a prototype of an environmentally friendly and innovative vacuum cleaner. The paper describes and demonstrates the power of a methodical and holistic product development approach for optimization, beginning with a detailed product and process analysis aimed at clarifying the task and ending with the realization of the developed concept in a workable prototype. The aim of this product development project was to point out weak points and potentials of vacuum cleaners with standard filter bags and to obtain environmental, technical and economical improvements concerning vacuum cleaners with standard filter bags. The case study presents a comprehensive product development process regarding environmental aspects and demonstrates the reasonable use of simple functional models to support the evaluation of concepts. Furthermore, the case study analyzes aspects of an interdisciplinary cooperation of engineering designers, industrial designers, psychologists, economists and model constructers within the project, and demonstrates how the application of product development methods leads to innovative and fully functional and marketable products.