1. 3B8 – Universal Design Innovation (ME3B8)
Group 10
Alastair Greene
Dearbhle Creagh
Niall Redmond
Stephen Harrold
Sarah O’Rourke
3B8 – Universal Design Innovation (ME3B8)
Final Presentation

2. Meet the team Alastair Greene Stephen Harrold Niall Redmond
Sarah O’Rourke
Dearbhle Creagh

3. Successful Aging
What products and services are out there for older people?
What is a problem area for members of the ageing community?
How can we improve their quality of life?

4. Stakeholders Members of the ageing community Nurses and caregivers
Student doctors and physiotherapists
Insight into the challenges faced by the ageing community

5. Needfinding
Interviews
Focus groups
Online surveys
Questionnaire

6. Problem Areas Technology Wellbeing Mobility
“Technology is a young persons field”
Technology
Problems using computers/Internet
Difficulty using buttons/knobs
Wellbeing
Loneliness
Keeping healthy and active
Mobility
Reaching high shelves, changing
lightbulbs, lifting heavy objects
Quote from Carer “Biggest worry is that they’ll get sick and be unable to contact anyone”
“As I’m getting older I can’t afford to take risks”

7. Results from Needfinding

8. Main problem area: Mobility
Don’t like standing on chairs
Stairs
Reaching high shelves
Lifting heavy objects
Changing light bulbs
Moving around the house
Using the bath
Getting in and out of cars
Needing to hold a sweeping brush

9. Further Research Interviews with long term nursing home residents
Trip to Royal Hospital Donnybrook
Interviews with existing stakeholders at home
Broken hip reaching for nearby object
Problems reaching for items at different heights
Difficulty grabbing DVD cases from low shelves
Paralyzed after a stroke

10. Mission Statement
“Create shelves of adjustable height that may be universally used by all, without limitations of the shelf being too high or too low for a user;
Our goal is to improve the quality of life for the ageing community by avoiding unnecessary injuries caused by climbing on unsteady steps or bending down to reach lower shelves.”

11. Functional Requirements
Easily access objects out of reach
Not to limit to “average” height
Intuitively operational
Clearly labelled operating switches
Easy to access
Avoid finnicky knobs or handles

12. High Level Strategies 1. Extend User’s Reach:
Use mechanical means to reach lower/higher shelves.
Eg. Vending Machine, Litter Picker
2. Single Shelf Height Adjustment:
Adjust the height of the single desired shelf so that it reaches user’s optimum height.
User only need press a button.
3. Whole Shelf Set Height Adjustment:
Adjust the height of the whole set of shelves so that each shelf can be accessed.
Shelves move up/down as one unit.

13. 2. Single Shelf Height Adjustment 3. Whole Shelf Height Adjustment
Strategy Pugh Matrix
Requirements
Weights (%)
Concepts
Datum
Normal Shelving
1. Extend the User's Reach
2. Single Shelf Height Adjustment
3. Whole Shelf Height Adjustment
Safety 30 -1
Simplicity 15 2
Cost 10 1
Manufacturable 5
Storage
Reliable
Speed
Adaptable
∑(+1) - 4
∑(-1) 3 ∑
100 -5 25

14. Strategy Selection
Strategy 2 (Single shelf adjustment) came out on top in Pugh matrix and in stakeholder votes
Definitely the most elegant strategy
“Like electric windows in cars, where you press the button and they move”
Strategy 3 would be too bulky

15. Previous Solutions
Last year Group 6 made a smart shelf. One shelf at a time would travel out and be raised
Our improvements:
Rotation avoids mistakes in choosing wrong shelf
Faster to examine all shelves
More shelves in the same space
Storage Motion Inc. have a range of rotating wardrobes and pantries
Our improvements:
Less space is used in a sleeker, less bulky design
Ability to rotate clockwise and anticlockwise

16. Our top three concepts 1. CarouShelf: 2. Shelevator: 3. Rise & Shelf:
Shelves rotate about central axis.
Central axis is mounted to a stand.
Concepts satisfies eye level need.
2. Shelevator:
Shelves attached to a moving chain
Chain moves shelf desired to eye level, shuffling the rest to the back
Has been done before, room for improvement
3. Rise & Shelf:
Actuator pushes single shelf to main plate
Main plate rises to eye level
Main plate tilts to slide shelf back into place

17. Working Prototypes
1. CarouShelf:
2. Shelevator:
3. Rise & Shelf:

18. Concept Pugh Matrix 1. CarouShelf 2. Shelevator 3. Rise & Shelf
Requirements
Weights (%)
Concepts
Datum
Normal Shelving
1. CarouShelf
2. Shelevator 3.
Rise & Shelf
Safety 30
Simplicity 15 1
Cost 10 -1
-10
Manufacturable 5
Storage
Reliable
Speed
Efficient Space Usage
∑(+1) - 3
∑(-1) 2 ∑
100 20 45

19. Concept evaluation Feedback acquisition:
Asked stakeholders for initial impressions and votes.
Presented concepts to sampling groups of engineering Students and took votes.
Each team member voted.
Most Votes: Shelevator
Pugh Matrix:
Ranked with respect to datum.
Specified criteria relevant to mission statement.
Best Evaluation: Shelevator

20. The shelevator
Shelevator Sketch
Shelevator Prototype

21. The shelevator

22. The shelevator- How it works
Cogs are connected to motor
Blue Circle highlights rope (will be a chain in model) attaching shelf to belt
Horizontal dowelrunning across shelf
Dowel connected to the chain
Wooden shelves ideally prevented from swinging by two guides;
At the front going top to bottom
Going down the centre between the two cogs

23. Building the Shelevator
Recycled bike parts
Old wood from a bookcase
Motor ordered from Active Robots

24. Finished Product

25. End of presentation
Thank you for listening.