Zhixuan Zhou
Zhixuan Zhou is a product designer with a background in industrial design and product design engineering. Her practice combines user research, technical exploration and human-centred design to address real-world challenges. She is particularly interested in creating practical and socially meaningful products that improve safety and everyday experiences.
VOLTIDE: Floodwater Electrical Hazard Warning System
VOLTIDE is a public floodwater electrical hazard warning system designed for flood-prone urban infrastructure. Installed around utility poles, it activates as water rises, deploying an inflatable floating boundary with multiple sensor nodes. The system detects potential electrical hazards, uses flashing lights and a physical boundary to warn people before they enter the water, and can share risk locations with emergency responders.
Developed through user research, electrical field investigation, simulation, prototyping and warning tests, VOLTIDE focuses on making an otherwise invisible danger visible. Rather than claiming that an entire flooded area is safe, it provides people with an immediate reason to keep away from potentially dangerous infrastructure.
VOLTIDE deployed around a flood-prone utility pole.
The project began by investigating how hidden electrical hazards in floodwater can lead to electrocution, drowning and secondary rescue accidents.
Three intervention directions were explored before detection and warning was selected as the safest approach.
User testing and physical prototyping informed the warning method, inflatable boundary and electrical detection system.
The final concept automatically deploys an inflatable warning boundary, detects voltage differences in floodwater and warns people to keep away.