The Ventilator Project and the Power of HOPE

A robotics entrepreneur responds to the need for ICU ventilators during the pandemic

When the pandemic hit, hospital ventilators were suddenly in short supply nationwide. At the time, there were two primary types of ventilators available: fully featured units for ICUs, with a price point around $50,000, and bare-bones mobile ventilators for EMTs with a price point around $7,000. Tyler Mantel, founder of The Ventilator Project, saw a need and moved to fill it. Bringing together a team of more than 200 designers and engineers working remotely, they created the AIRA, a mass-producible, storable ventilator with the automated diagnostic features needed for long-term care at a cost roughly equivalent to existing transport models. Mantel shares the process that he and his team followed to define needs, innovate with purpose, and design for impact.

About the speaker

Tyler Mantel is president and founder of The Ventilator Project and CEO of Watertower Robotics. He holds degrees in both chemical engineering and mechanical engineering from Purdue University.

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