Design Indaba | 16.07.2026 20:28
Otter, a newborn warmer by the non-profit Design that Matters and Vietnamese medical device manufacturer MTTS, has been designed to prevent neonatal hypothermia in low-resource hospitals. Otter was developed over an eight-year period in a collaborative process that included neonatologists, infection-control specialists and frontline healthcare workers across Africa and Southeast Asia to address one of the leading causes of newborn mortality - hypothermia. Otter uses conductive warming, in contrast to traditional incubators which circulate heated air, reducing energy consumption while providing consistent warmth through direct contact. Its seamless polycarbonate shell is durable, easy to disinfect and resembles a bassinet to caregivers unrestricted access to the baby during treatment. A clear touchscreen interface minimises training requirements, integrated battery backup keeps the warmer operating through power interruptions or transportation.
