Wilmington, MA — Ahura Corporation announced today that the FirstDefender™ Handheld Chemical Identification System has received a 2006 Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA). FirstDefender is a rugged, waterproof handheld instrument for the identification of unknown liquids and solids. It is used by military and civilian first responders around the globe for accurate and instant identification of potentially dangerous substances, such as chemical weapons, explosives, toxic substances, hazardous waste and narcotics. It was critical to design the system to be tough, fast, accurate and easy to use, while performing in harsh outdoor environments. Ahura turned to Altitude, a product design and development company, to collaborate on this award-winning design.
The FirstDefender design was driven by customer requirements, specifically those of firefighters, law enforcement officers, forensics investigators, hazardous materials teams and homeland security personnel. Customers demanded a product that was rugged, handheld and designed with field users’ needs in mind. FirstDefender needed to survive shock tests and decontamination by bleach immersion following exposure to hazardous materials. Further, it had to be easy to use with heavy gloves and bulky multi-layered hazmat protective gear commonly worn by first responders. The product also had to be adaptable to handheld use as well as direct surface analysis.
Several design details were incorporated to enhance laser safety. These include the angle of the front laser cone, orientation of the sample vial holder, and the interlock switches on the sample door and the aiming foot. The aiming foot was designed to prevent the unintended transmission of laser wavelengths, adding to the safety of the unit.
“The Ahura and Altitude team worked long and hard to meet the challenges posed by this product. The users had a long list of needs and together we were able to develop a design that allowed Ahura to get FirstDefender into production quickly, while receiving accolades from customers and industry experts alike,” said Brian Matt, CEO and founder of Altitude, Inc. “It’s not often that we have an opportunity to work on a product that will make such a difference to the people on the front lines dealing with hazardous and potentially deadly situations.”
Ahura’s CEO, Douglas Kahn said, “We are honored to receive this IDEA Award. Of course, the ultimate design award is a satisfied customer.”
FirstDefender customers include the Federal Bureau of Investigations explosives lab, British Ministry of Defense, U.S. Army, U.S. Customs and Immigration, Fire Department of New York, City of Seattle Fire Department, Washington DC Fire Department, New Jersey State Police and more than 100 other agencies in the United States.
The IDEA Awards are dedicated to fostering business and public understanding of the importance of industrial design to the quality of life and the economy. The IDEA competition is sponsored by BusinessWeek, which will feature the winners online beginning today and in the July 10, 2006 issue. Almost 1,500 entries were submitted this year, of which only 106 entries were selected for awards.
