She looked at how children's toys were designed and discovered they are often round and have a "bobble look", as Panoho described it.
"That is why I decided to keep the bottom round."
Also, the material she used, silicon, is meant to provide a better grip for kids. The so-called trigger wings on either side of the bottom bulb make it easier to trigger the device compared with a commonly used inhaler.
The device will also display information such as the battery life, how much medicine is available, when and how long to shake the inhaler, and a reward system for taking medicine.
Panoho started her design development with a cardboard-and-polystyrene model and eventually digitalised it with CAD (computer-aided design), which allowed further alterations.
The award organisers were so impressed with Panoho that they invited her back to be a judge in this year's competition.
Since 2005, the James Dyson Award has challenged inventive and entrepreneurial undergraduates and recent graduates of engineering and design, to 'design something that solves a problem'. Purposely broad and open-ended, the brief challenges students to solve real-world problems.
In 2022, each participating country and region will award a national winner who will receive $9,800, as well as two national runners-up. This year there will also be two $59,000 global prizes: the International winner and the Sustainability winner.
New Zealand entries in 2022 will be judged by a talented line-up of experienced industry figures, including the founder of Emma Lewisham Skincare, Emma Lewisham, the founder and creative director of Kowtow, Gosia Piatek, senior lecturer at the University of Auckland's Department of Paediatrics, Dr Yvonne Anderson, and Panoho.
Head to www.jamesdysonaward.org to find out more.
