Bezalel Academy of Art presents alumni exhibition in the shadow of war

Amidst war and political crisis, Jerusalem's Bezalel Academy showcases alumni exhibition featuring cross-departmental works on design, technology, sustainability, and gender.

 From the exhibition  (photo credit: PUBLIC RELATIONS)
From the exhibition
(photo credit: PUBLIC RELATIONS)

Bezalel Academy of Art and Design Jerusalem presented the graduate exhibition for 2024. This year the exhibition is being held in the shadow of the war and the political crisis. As part of the visit to the exhibition, it was also possible to tour works on cross-departmental topics including design and technology, sustainability and gender. Among the works that were presented was a new model of a tiny electric autonomous ambulance, which will be integrated into the arsenal of tools of injured evacuation teams, and which was developed by a graduate of the industrial design department in Bezalel.

The tool allows evacuation of patients without human contact or physical human staff. The evacuation is carried out while lying down and monitored from a distance, thereby directing medical staff members to deal with more urgent cases and facilitate the evacuation. The small vehicle improves the ability to respond in an emergency or a multi-casualty incident and saves lives. 

Another project presented an innovative solution for healing severe scars. Michal Harkafi, a student in the industrial design department, designed special patches for the treatment and concealment of gunshot scars, including complex scars that take time to heal. What is special about the project is that the bandages are made personally, according to the scan of the scar and the adjustment of the bandage by software. The personal adjustment significantly increases the chances of recovery and reducing the scar after recovery. In addition, there is a significant advantage on the aesthetic side as well, when the patch eliminates large and bulky dressings that both interfere with movement and are not aesthetic. The solution is printed from a biomedical material, composed of silicone. Another project presented is F-HEAT, a smart shoe that will replace accessories attached to football players during the game and training.

Data collection has become an integral part of modern football. Quality and accurate information is essential for learning lessons and upgrading the team, and can even be the difference between victory and loss. One of the common methods in the field is the use of heat maps, which create a complete picture of the course of the game. Dan Grinzweig, a graduate of the industrial design department at Bezalel, referred in his project to a new solution for soccer players. 

These are soccer shoes combined with pressure sensors, which create a heat map and provide accurate data of leg activity, with the aim of allowing players to optimize and develop their performance and skill. This solution will not only be more efficient, but also more comfortable and aesthetic, since the existing solution for collecting this data is with the help of an additional layer of clothing in the form of a tank top under the game shirt.