Introduction
This week our class visited LifeTec which is located at Newmarket, Brisbane. LifeTec is a non-profit organisation and a leading provider in assistive technology which helps individuals to improve their quality of life and remain independent. Assistive technology is an umbrella term for a range of adaptive devices for people with different types of disabilities. The main idea behind assistive technologies is to promote greater independence by enabling people to accomplish tasks that were previously difficult to achieve.
Presentation
The staff at Lifetec set-up a short presentation which discussed aspects of design, a brief overview of their company and a small re-design project for the tutorial. During the presentation the idea of universal design was discussed and debated amongst the group. The presenter wanted to know what this term meant to us as designers.My understanding of universal design and the principles which underpin it, is a framework that promotes standardization and accessibility. It allows the greatest extent of usability for everyone including those with disabilities and those without disabilities.
The project stipulated in the tutorial was to re-design a product currently in the LifeTec show room. Our design team selected a reaching arm aid. We assessed the current model using a marking criteria which evaluated three key areas, physically, technological and usability. The physical examination revealed there were numerous functional flaws in the design including, hard to grip handle, reaching beam was too long, uneven weight distribution and limited supporting mechanisms. During a usability test the team identified a major issue when grabbing objects and picking them up. Due to the fact that the length of the beam on the reaching aid is far too long, when the jaw of the reaching aid clamps around an object it is difficult to support the weight of the object and the user is subsequently unable to maintain a solid grip causing them to strain their wrist. This problem can be seen as a hazard due to the fact it may cause even more damage to the user's wrist or hand joints due to the stress and uncomfortable weight distribution.
The team brainstormed for half an hour and came up with numerous alternatives to the existing design to improve its usability and functionality. Firstly, the team decided to incorporate an adjustable arm to allow the user to change the length on the beam. Secondly, we decided to integrate a forearm attachment to provide increased support and a greater range of force. Next, we deemed it necessary to install different types of grips onto the jaw. Finally, the team believe it would be appropriate to use multipurpose and interchangeable jaws for different applications and environments. In regards to different applications of the reaching aid, the team came up with the idea of using it as a temperature detecting device for people with impaired vision to alert them when surfaces are hot and therefore dangerous to touch.
The team's brainstorming and design solutions are displayed below:
Content including images and videos from other group's presentations and their work are displayed below:
Semester Project
The visit to LifeTec opened my mind to a range of new possibilities and design solutions to consider for this semester's project - "sensing the news." I have a concept in mind which involves an automated emergency service for the elderly and people with disabilities who struggle to use phones or similar communication devices. The idea of the product is to provide people with a sense of security, awareness and safety. The product will be an alarm system that can be activated through different buttons which immediately alert the relevant authorities and emergency personal. The buttons will have distinct hierarchical values for different types of emergencies such as non life threatening and life threatening in order for the service to be effective.
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