Leicester Mercury
April 22, 2000

SECTION: News: Education, Pg.7

LENGTH: 423 words

HEADLINE: Soothing scents to combat road rage

BODY:

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS: Student Hannah Collip's 'caromatherapy' project has
attracted the attention of car giants Audi

CALMING: Audi sniff success in student's invention

A Leicestershire student has come up with a soothing solution to the growing
problem of road rage on Britain's highways.

Hannah Collip, a final year student of industrial design and technology at
Loughborough University, has devised a pioneering humidity climate control and
aromatherapy system for cars.

The gadget senses stress levels in the driver and adjusts the aroma in the
vehicle to induce a sense of calm and harmony.

Hannah, 22, said: "I had to come up with a major project for my final year
and brainstormed lots of ideas.

"Road rage was very topical at the time and so was aromatherapy, so I
combined the two together."

Hannah, originally from Worcestershire, is currently in the process of
patenting her revolutionary idea so she couldn't give too much away.

But she revealed the system is designed to be used ideally in any vehicle.

"It senses the driver's stress levels in a variety of ways and constantly
checks levels throughout the journey. If the driver is too stressed, it releases
a calming scent and if the driver is too relaxed, it releases a revitalising
scent," said Hannah.

The project has attracted the attention of car giants Audi, who are
sponsoring her to visit their plant in Ingolstadt, Germany, to work alongside
their specialists.

Hannah said: "I'd very much like to work for Audi and I am hoping to go out
to visit their design and research department in Germany some time this year."

Michael Farmer, manager of the Audi Foundation, which supports young
designers and engineers in Britain, said it was the first time they have given a
grant to someone to visit one of their plants.

Mr Farmer said: "Every manufacturer is concerned with how their products are
perceived by potential customers and used by actual customers.

"The personal environment in all forms of transport is essential to their
behaviour, although Hannah designed her product with a car in mind.

"The Foundation believes that it can be transferred into all types of
transport, public or private."

Hannah has already trialled her ideas on an Audi TT sports car, which she had
free use of for a weekend from Audi Listers in Solihull.

She said she owed a lot to her lecturers at Loughborough University.

"I'd heard the design course here was one of the best in the world. We've got
so many experts here and the facilities are excellent."

LANGUAGE: English

LOAD-DATE: April 26, 2000<p>

 

Relax Relate Communicate -(with new handle)

 

Hmmmm.....so perhaps "TT" will soon stand for "Theraputic Transportation"???? ;-)

 

So many things yet undiscovered....<p>

 

I wonder how she measures the stress level ?<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/nTTsig.jpg" border="0">

 

Isn't the TT already Theraputic Transportation? No scents required.

 

And not enough time left to discover them all.

 

<p>Ivan
<i>Jacksonville, Florida<i>
<img SRC="http://www.geocities.com/y2ktturbo/tinytt.jpg" BORDER=0>
"Zorro" 2000MY, 180hp, Fronttrak, Silver/Ebony
K&N, Garmin EMap GPS, Audi "mask", Cobra R/D

 

<p>