The Helper-Outer
Sophomore Design Project
Awarded 2nd Place in Design Competition
Spring 2008
Aiding the elderly or disabled to more easily and comfortably sit down or step out of two-door vehicles.
SUMMARY: Our team’s goal was to design a new assistant which would effectively help both elderly and disabled persons get in and out of an vehicle. We determined the three major obstacles for the potential consumers to be: 1) Supporting one’s own weight while bending down, 2) the constraint of motion due to climbing in, and 3) the force needed to get up and out of the vehicle. This technology could also potentially restore independence to all those affected as well as their care takers.
We first collected data such as defining the customer needs and utilizing a customer survey to create a House of Quality as well as determine which are more or less important. We discovered that it was most important to the customers that the object be durable and easy to install, and after these consecutively that it is portable, a low price, inconspicuous, and aesthetically pleasing.
We brainstormed and determined three potential designs: a “portable running board” a seat on sliding rails, and a handle with portable height. We used an advanced decision matrix to compare different designs based on confidence, knowledge, belief and satisfaction of the three group members. It was determined that the handle with adjustable height had a higher satisfaction percentage for all members.
A prototype was build using steel and a rubber handle around the steel. The prototype was a great success!
Selling points:
-Adjustable height
-Constant security
-Stability
-Acceptable price
-Universal for all four door vehicles
-Unobtrusive
-Inconcpicuous
In the end, we had several future recommendations:
– A mechanism for storing rod when not in use
– Varying handle lengths for different cars or people
– Different colored jackets to match car interiors
– Modify design to allow for removal of support legs.
Otherwise, the design fulfilled or exceeded all requirements, and the prototype itself was very effective.
Jack Authelet on using the Helper-Otter:
“The device provided an incredible assist when settling down into the seat and then even more dramatic, the ability to assist one’s self in the initial pulling effort to start rising off the seat, then shifting to push to complete the move through that critical period of shifting all the weight to the feet.”