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Vorso

Neuroscience-driven wearable for chronic condition therapy.
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About

Research

Design

Testing

Engineering

Packaging

Final Design
Developed in collaboration with Nēsos, this breakthrough wearable delivers targeted neurostimulation through a discreet, earbud-based system that treats chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. By stimulating the vagus nerve via gentle electrical pulses, Nēsos offers a non-invasive, drug-free alternative to managing inflammation and pain. RKS partnered with the Nēsos team to design a universally fitting, consumer-friendly form that preserves medical efficacy while ensuring daily comfort, accessibility, and scalability, bridging the gap between advanced science and human experience.

Transforming medical treatment through human-centered design.

Client

Nēsos

Markets

Consumer
Medical

What We Did

Psycho-Aesthetics®
Ethnographic Research
Innovation Consulting
Industrial Design
Packaging Design
Product Engineering
Product Development
A pair of white in-ear headphones with black earbuds, featuring the brand name VORSO in blue on the side, displayed against a plain white background.
To ensure Vorso resonated both functionally and emotionally, RKS began with in-depth user research and Psycho-Aesthetics® analysis. The team studied the emotional barriers patients face with medical wearables—discomfort, self-consciousness, and distrust of complex technology—and mapped these insights to aesthetic and ergonomic opportunities. By reframing Vorso through the lens of empathy and daily usability, RKS identified the core emotional driver of the experience: restoring a sense of normalcy and control. These findings guided the design language, resulting in a form that feels familiar, balanced, and discreet while maintaining clinical precision.

Psycho-Aesthetics® & Research

KEY OUTPUTS

User personas and behavioral insights
Emotional journey maps
Comfort and perception studies
Design criteria for trust, ease, and familiarity
How We Used Psycho-Aesthetics™ to Identify Unique Opportunities in the Project.
Using our proprietary Psycho-Aesthetics® 2.0 framework, RKS conducted in-depth interviews and observational research to understand how patients perceive and interact with medical wearables. We identified key emotional and usability barriers—such as anxiety around electrical stimulation, discomfort from prolonged wear, and hesitation toward clinical-looking devices. These insights informed the physical form and tactile experience of Vorso, guiding our team toward a design that conveys safety, familiarity, and confidence while maintaining medical precision.
A 2x2 matrix compares various wearable devices by self-actualization (vertical) and interactivity (horizontal), highlighting a central opportunity zone and showing products like earbuds, hearing aids, and smart glasses.
A storyboard-style presentation with multiple slides displays charts, 3D earbud sketches, benchmarking data, design concepts, technical diagrams, and colorful product renderings on a white background.
To help Nēsos bring its groundbreaking neurostimulation therapy to life, RKS designed Vorso—a wearable medical device that delivers targeted vagus nerve stimulation through a comfortable, earbud-style form. The design team focused on ergonomics, scalability, and universal fit, developing a form that adapts seamlessly to 95% of users without the need for custom fittings. Each iteration balanced medical precision with consumer sensibility, ensuring the device felt effortless, approachable, and clinically effective.

Industrial Design

KEY OUTPUTS

Ergonomic and anthropometric studies
Universal fit geometry for 95th percentile users
3D CAD and high-fidelity mockups
Form exploration and design refinement
Three views of white wireless neckband earphones with attached earbuds, displayed from an angled side, front, and top perspective, against a plain white background.
Close-up images of a white and gray VIXIO-branded earbud headset, shown from three different angles, highlighting the ear hook, ear tips, and cable design on a white background.
A pair of white wireless neckband earphones with attached earbuds are neatly placed in a blue carrying case. An instruction card is inserted in a slot inside the case lid.
RKS conducted extensive fit testing to validate comfort, usability, and electrode performance. Multiple prototype rounds were tested across a diverse user base to confirm optimal contact points, stability, and long-term wearability. Insights from these evaluations informed key refinements in material softness, ear geometry, and assembly methods, ensuring the device performed consistently in both comfort and efficacy.

Testing & Validation

KEY OUTPUTS

Physical fit validation prototypes
Comfort and usability test reports
Electrode placement and contact optimization
Iterative material and geometry refinement
Five black-and-white photos show close-ups of different people’s ears, each wearing a mask secured with a plastic ear saver hook to relieve pressure from the mask’s elastic straps.
Eight photos of in-ear devices with wires, ear tips, and attached components, each paired with a technical sketch. Circular icons with earbud symbols appear above or beside each photo. The devices appear to be prototypes.
Collaborating closely with Nēsos engineers, RKS translated functional and electronic requirements into a manufacturable, integrated design. Careful consideration of housing tolerances, electrode interfaces, and assembly processes enabled precision alignment of medical-grade components within a compact form. The result was a refined, production-ready design that balances mechanical integrity with everyday usability.

Engineering & Refinement

KEY OUTPUTS

Integrated CAD assemblies and DFMA refinement
Component tolerance and sealing analysis
Electrode and sensor housing integration
Prototype engineering documentation
Diagram of a wearable device with labeled articulation pivots, conductive pads, and an attachment area for accessory accommodation; parts are highlighted and annotated in a technical illustration style.
A three-panel image shows a small robotic device with wires and 3D-printed parts on a white surface, and hands attaching a red component to a gray circular base in the third panel.
To complement the sophistication of Vorso’s design, RKS developed packaging and Instructions for Use (IFU) that communicated clarity, trust, and ease of use. The experience was designed to guide patients intuitively—from unboxing to daily operation—while maintaining compliance with medical device labeling standards.

Packaging Design / IFU

KEY OUTPUTS

Packaging concept and graphic system
Instruction for Use (IFU) design and layout
User flow and unboxing sequence
Labeling and regulatory design compliance
Instructional graphic showing a wireless headset, its components, setup steps, app interface, USB charging, and usage with a mannequin head, branded with the logo VO260 on blue and white backgrounds.
A series of floating cards with illustrations and text show instructions and diagrams for assembling or using a headset device, featuring a mix of blue and white backgrounds on a light gradient surface.
A three-panel product brochure displays wireless earbuds, their charging case, and product features with blue and white design elements on a clean, minimalistic background.
Through our partnership with Nēsos, RKS transformed complex neuromodulation technology into Vorso—a comfortable, elegant, and scalable wearable medical device. The final design embodies the intersection of science and empathy, offering patients a non-invasive, drug-free alternative for managing chronic conditions through precision-engineered simplicity.

Final Design

KEY OUTPUTS

Final production-ready design
Scalable manufacturing strategy
Clinical-grade usability validation
High-fidelity product visualizations
A blue protective case is open, revealing a pair of white wireless neckband earbuds neatly arranged inside. A smartphone is partially visible, tucked into a pocket inside the case’s lid.
A close-up of white wireless earbuds labeled VORSO, with ear tips and a neckband-style headset attached by cables, all displayed on a white background.

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