908 Devices: MX908 — Loft Design

No items found.

[data-wf-bgvideo-fallback-img] { display: none; } @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { [data-wf-bgvideo-fallback-img] { position: absolute; z-index: -100; display: inline-block; height: 100%; width: 100%; object-fit: cover; } }

Image

Video

courtesy of

908 Devices

908 Devices specializes in High-Pressure Mass SpectrometryTM (HPMS) and microfluidic separation technology. They collaborated with Loft to design an advanced, user-centered, field-ready analytical instrument

Services

Industrial Design

Mechanical Engineering

Challenge

First responders keep communities safe by diffusing dangerous situations with timely information and swift action. Hazmat teams need to detect unknown chemicals to evaluate their threat, and the list of harmful agents is constantly evolving. Mass spectrometry is a proven and versatile method for analyzing unknown chemicals—but it was previously only available in research labs, therefore samples needed to be sent to remote locations to be tested. Sometimes this is not a feasible solution.

Solution

908 Devices partnered with Loft to develop the user experience and industrial design of the MX product line. It was imperative to operate the device quickly in a critical situation, so Loft conducted research with first responders and hazmat teams to understand their users’ needs. This led to the design of an approachable interface with application-specific mission modes to ensure that users could get results quickly. With complementary skill sets, 908 Devices and Loft brought a highly-engineered, user-centered and best-in-class device to the market.

Outcome

MX908 can identify tiny amounts of toxic chemicals in less than a minute, and its portable size allows it to be taken almost anywhere. Designed for triple gloved hands, glaring sunlight, and extreme conditions, the display can be controlled with large navigation buttons (conditions may not be suitable for touch screen interfaces). High contrast, color-coded icons display the type of threat at the top level, giving a clear and immediate view of potential danger.

An EOD user operating the MX908 in the field — Image courtesy of 908 Devices

A law enforcement user operating the MX908 in the field — Image courtesy of 908 Devices

A hazmat user operating the MX908 in the field — Image courtesy of 908 Devices

The MX908 alongside excerpts from its user interface

Excerpts from the MX908 user interface including a system of easily identifiable icons

Designed to be best-in-class

Loft worked with 908 Devices to design a gap analysis web tool. This tool allows potential customers to compare different competitive technologies with MX908. It illustrates just how far ahead of the competition 908 Devices is in terms of their broad feature set and reliability in the field.