Product Design student Dan Headon’s redesigned tube-train interior could help to improve the experience of travelling on the London Underground

A variety of exciting new innovations will be revealed at the Product Design students' end-of-year show next week. 

Twenty-three student projects will be on show, including Dan Headon's redesigned tube-train interior, which could help to improve the experience of travelling on the London Underground. It tackles issues such as: user personal space; ease of boarding/alighting; travelling with luggage; travelling with children; travelling as a disabled user; litter; ease of cleaning/maintenance; minimising the threat of terrorist activity; and durability in use and against vandalism. 

Also showing his work will be Stefan Arundel, creator of the dive personal assistant (DPA) - a new device for safer diving; Simon Baillie, who has designed road ribs that harness the power of passing traffic to generate electricity for street lights and electric car-charging stations; and Will Lester who aims to make wonky shopping trolleys a thing of the past with an innovative new design concept that uses ergonomic principles to improve control and ease of use. 

Launching the annual event will be celebrity TV design guru Oliver Heath, who was asked to be the keynote speaker after working with the students for ITV's 'Tonight' show on 'Throw Away Future', part of its 'Living For Free' series. The Sussex students helped Oliver renovate a Brighton family's home with other people's discarded furniture. 

Oliver said: "I was lucky enough to receive help and support from the Product Design students last year. The final result was a great success and went to prove that using creativity and design can help to solve many of the environmental issues that we currently face. I was delighted with the students' energy, enthusiasm and ingenuity - we certainly couldn't have done it without them. 

"I'm honored to have been asked to open and present a keynote speech at the opening of the Sussex University Product Design show this month. I look forward to seeing the end of year projects and meeting up with the students again." 

The Product Design degree show, 'Innovate 2010', takes place from Wednesday-Saturday (16-19 June) at the InQbate Creativity Zone in Pevensey 3. 

For more information, go to the Product Design degree show web pages.