3B8 – Product Presentation: Tip Assist Assisting Mobility Limitations in the Elderly Harry Molloy, Fionán Tierney, Philip McNally, Edmund Bell Group 5 23/03/2016

The Problem The Tip Assist aims to help the elderly and those who suffer from arthritis. Arthritis is prevalent in the elderly; according to the CDC 49.7% of people aged 65 and above suffer from the condition. Twisting or turning of the wrist is greatly inhibited by arthritis. Pouring containers can put large stresses onto wrists, which are one of the weakest bones in the human body and deteriorate in strength with age.

Mission Statement: “To develop a product that assists with the tipping and pouring of a container of liquid, thus minimising the motor functions required by the user” Some of the research conducted: Affinity Diagram Grip Strength Testing Stakeholder Feedback

Needfinding In order to identify this problem we conducted several interviews and surveys. We consulted medical professionals, as well as nursing students and professional carers. Elderly people involved were asked to record their daily activities and record any problems they faced.

Finding a Solution Some of the ideas considered: We considered several concepts to solve this problem. Our concept generation emphasised safety and adaptability. Other aspects such as cost, size and error forgiveness were also taken into account. Concepts were compared using Pugh matrices and stakeholder feedback. Some of the ideas considered:

Solution Tip Assist allows users to pour containers without having to rotate their wrists. The user holds the tipper in both hands, which distributes the load between two wrists as opposed to one. One button rotates the container forward and the other returns it. The device operates at a controlled speed and features failsafe mechanisms to prevent accidents.

How we made it Creo Parametric Software was used to produce the design and we optimised the design using Finite Element Analysis. A hot-wire foam cutter was used to shape the outer casing, made from aeroboard. The Arduino board was programmed and the motor was connected through soldering.

The Tip Assist Future Developments: Current prototype is made from lightweight aeroboard. We would hope to refine product functionality and use better quality material High density polyethylene is one potential final material. Further design improvements would be made for bringing this product to market.