Oxygen is one of the most critical medications in emergency medicine, yet this is precisely where rescue teams often lack vital information: how much time is left before the cylinder needs to be replaced? The cue module answers exactly that question. Installed between the oxygen cylinder and the pressure regulator, it calculates the remaining time based on residual pressure, volume, and actual flow rate, providing visual and audible alerts before the oxygen runs out unexpectedly. The concept was developed during the university course "Disasters, Design in Need" led by Prof. Jörg Gätjens.

What makes this project unique is that no physical prototype of cue exists—only CAD data and a well-thought-out concept. Based on the design data, we created photorealistic visualizations of the module, ranging from the complete product attached to an oxygen cylinder to details like the streamlined interface and modular construction. For a long time, the choice of materials for cue remained open, with options like plastic, stainless steel, and others under consideration. We therefore rendered the various material options photorealistically, complete with realistic surfaces, reflections, and textures, to provide a sense of which material would make the most sense for the product. In this way, photorealistic material rendering becomes a decision-making tool in product development, long before a single sample is manufactured.

The result is tangibility before the first prototype: the visualizations make cue discussable, presentable, and evaluable, whether in product development or in discussions with investors and partners. If you have CAD data, you already have everything you need for compelling product communication, even if the product itself does not yet exist.

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