<aside> ⭐ DP3 focuses on creating an accessible device that automates a common task for a specific demographic. Our team of 4, identified a target audience and designed a sensor-integrated, user-friendly proof-of-concept. In the end, we came up with a tangible prototype, design models, and a comprehensive project report, emphasizing innovation and improved accessibility.
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The AutoPour project aims to create an innovative and accessible solution for mobility-impaired individuals, enabling them to pour drinks with minimal physical input and strain.The primary objectives are to eliminate the need for sustained actions or positions, minimize user concentration, and make the device easy to learn and operate for all demographics. With careful consideration of safety, integration into standard kitchen spaces, and minimal disruption to kitchen routines, AutoPour will reduce the need for external assistance and enhance independence.
For this open-ended design project, our group chose to focus on the elderly and reducing accidents. Inside the home, the kitchen is a highly-involved but accident-prone setting. Pouring drinks, for instance, entails lifting and stabilizing a relatively heavy vessel which is difficult for individuals with reduced grip strength. Our group chose to create a device to aid drink pouring for mobility-impaired individuals.
<aside> <img src="/icons/checkmark-line_green.svg" alt="/icons/checkmark-line_green.svg" width="40px" /> Conventional devices require prolonged actions or positions, failing to eliminate physical strain. An entirely self-operating device should be designed that pours liquid out of a wide variety of containers, warrants low physical input, and is easy to implement into existing homes, reducing the need for external assistance in the kitchen.
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The image below showcases our first design sketch for a possible device. This initial design was created to conceptualize what we needed to create. It helped us imagine new ways to pour something and gave us a blueprint to work around so we could create something that mobility-impaired individuals could use.
Original mechanism and design of the pouring device, based on linear actuators extending from the base of the holder to push and tilt the container
<aside> <img src="/icons/checkmark-line_green.svg" alt="/icons/checkmark-line_green.svg" width="40px" /> This initial design would assist with the pouring of hot water
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<aside> <img src="/icons/close_red.svg" alt="/icons/close_red.svg" width="40px" /> This design did not meet the criteria of the project by lacking a mechanism
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<aside> <img src="/icons/close_red.svg" alt="/icons/close_red.svg" width="40px" /> This device would only function for kettles and not other drinking containers
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We redesigned the mechanism to ensure a steady point of pour during the pouring process, while also accommodating different beverage sizes.
Refined mechanism and design of the pouring device, based on a wheel-and-axle system
<aside> <img src="/icons/checkmark-line_green.svg" alt="/icons/checkmark-line_green.svg" width="40px" /> The design would incorporate a functional mechanism
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<aside> <img src="/icons/close_red.svg" alt="/icons/close_red.svg" width="40px" /> We were unsure if the mechanism would work as intended
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<aside> <img src="/icons/star_gray.svg" alt="/icons/star_gray.svg" width="40px" /> We ultimately determined that this mechanism was too complicated, as it required two motors that had to work in perfect unison. If the wheels didn't turn, they would get stuck on the track and prevent the beverage from being poured, resulting in nothing being dispensed.
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