Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Announces Baxter’s Dynamo Series as a 2026 Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award Winner
Posted November 02, 2026
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) today announced Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) as a co-winner of the 25th Annual Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award for its Dynamo Series smart stretcher. The award recognizes Baxter’s outstanding application of human factors and user-centered design in the development of its hybrid manual/electric hospital stretcher solution.
Baxter shares the 2026 award with Ezi-Prep, developed by Belron International and DCA Design International. Following an extensive review and discussion, the judging panel unanimously concluded that both submissions demonstrated an exceptional commitment to human-centered design.
A special virtual session will be scheduled for later this year with presentations from both winning teams on the design and development of their award-winning products, followed by Q&A. The ceremony will be open to HFES members and interested members of the general public.
The Dynamo Series stretcher is designed to help alleviate the physical and cognitive burden on care teams* and make it easier for them to focus on patient care, while improving the patient’s experience. Intended for use in emergency departments, perioperative environments and patient transport services, the Dynamo Series is the latest innovation in Baxter’s leading portfolio of smart beds, surfaces and connected care solutions. When developing the Dynamo Series, Baxter addressed a wide range of users, clinical situations, workflows, physical interactions and environmental demands to help support the realities of care delivery in diverse clinical settings.
Key Factors Contributing to the Selection of Baxter's Dynamo Series Stretcher
Comprehensive Human Factors Approach: The judges were impressed by the breadth and rigor of the human factors program supporting Dynamo Series, including extensive consideration of different users, use cases, environments and clinical workflows.
Design for Complex Use: Dynamo Series required the team to address numerous interacting product features and user needs rather than a single isolated use case. The judges viewed this complexity, and the systematic manner in which it was addressed, as a significant strength.
Extensive Evaluation: The submission demonstrated a substantial program of formative and validation activities with a broad user population. The judges were particularly impressed with the depth of evaluation supporting the design.
Integration of Human Factors and Product Design: Rather than treating human factors as a discrete evaluation activity, the Dynamo Series submission demonstrated how user needs and human factors considerations influenced product requirements and features throughout development.
In summary, Baxter’s submission demonstrated a rigorous and comprehensive approach to user-centered product development. The judges viewed Dynamo Series as an excellent example of how human factors can be applied across a complex medical product to address the needs of multiple users and use environments. “At Baxter, innovation starts with understanding the real needs of the people who deliver and receive care every day,” said Christoph Schmotz, vice president, R&D, Care & Connectivity Solutions at Baxter. “The Dynamo Series brings together advanced technology, humancentered design and frontline insights to help simplify clinical workflows and support better care experiences. We are honored to receive the Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award, which recognizes the impact of designing with users at the center of the development process.”
Judging Panel
The 2026 award evaluation included the following judges:
- Andrea Berman: linkedin.com/in/andreahberman
- David Aurelio: linkedin.com/in/david-a-8167384
- David Gilmore: uk.linkedin.com/in/davidjgilmore
- Eric Bergman: linkedin.com/in/eric-bergman
- Roman Lomeli: linkedin.com/in/romanlomeli/
- Tabitha Solomon: linkedin.com/in/tabitha-solomon-21016180
The judges brought extensive experience spanning medical devices, consumer products, industrial design, healthcare UX, human-computer interaction, cognitive psychology and product development.
About the Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award
The Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award is presented annually to teams and individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement in user-centered product design. Named in honor of Stanley Caplan, an HFES Fellow who founded the award 25 years ago, the program recognizes exemplary applications of human factors and user-centered design across industries.
The award evaluates submissions across six criteria addressing the quality of the resulting product and the human factors process used to develop and evaluate it.
The award is chaired by Adam Shames.
Nominations for the 2027 Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award will open in January 2027 at www.UCDaward.com.
Baxter and Dynamo Series are trademarks of Baxter International Inc. or its subsidiaries.
*Data on file at Baxter International Inc. December 9, 2025