In this project, my groupmate and I worked with Phyl, an elderly lady with arthritis, who was struggling to use the sink in her home due to her condition. We developed a system through which she could access the tap properly, making everyday life easier for her. We aimed to make the solution easy to construct and open-source so that others with the same issue could follow along easily.
Initial Prototypes
The below images show our first 3 iterations: a simple toilet roll first, then a complicated fabricated part we made: and thirdly a simplified version made using a common plastic ring used as a handle for large water bottles. We also used a common tape measure instead of a custom length of fabric. Opting for this instead of our custom solution would make this solution replicable and accessible.
Development Prototypes
We considered using a tensioner of some sort to make sure that the belt would not be in the way, and would stay low to the countertop, but this proved to add unnecessary complexity: although we did identify one solution which could be applied if the user ran into this problem and had the resources necessary
Hero Shots
These two hero shots show how the product looked in the end, how the user interacts with it, and the value it provides. Note how much less Phyl has to extend her arm to reach the pulley instead of reaching all the way to the tap itself!
Process Video
For a more detailed look into the process we went through for this project, as well as Phyl's thoughts about the solution, please watch the video we made below for the Fixperts competition.
