Presenting the Shiva Pan

Here it is, the pan you have been waiting for!
The finished Shiva pan works great, the button allows the handle to lock in 7 positions between either side and upright. It is securly attached and has a touchable silicone grip as well as a shiny finish. Let us know what you think!

Latest Design

Here are a few images from our latest design, this is what we are trying to manufacture for next week!

Survey results from users

And now the results from our user survey, thanks again to everyone!






If you could change or add one thing what would it be?

Beta Prototype Survey results, from appearance

Here are the results from our beta surveys. Thanks to eveyone who participated!
First the survey from appearance:

Latest Prototype

So we have made our beta prototype, its got a silicone handle so it never gets hot and it locks in the upright and side positions.



If you have tried any of our prototypes please take our user survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?A=196084343E26386
I will include this to the right with the other clickable links.
Even if you haven't gotten a chance to try it yourself please take our survey if you have any thoughts or opinions about the project.

Form studies

At this point we need to decide on an industrial design form. We would love to get your feedback on your favorites so please let us know which ones you like, which ones you don't, what you might wish for, and why.


And along with our sketchs we have also made CAD renderings please let us know what you think of these as well!

Presentation

Jean and I just got back from presenting our ideas so we would like to share a few of the slides we used in our presentation. At the core of our design program is a desgin process:

We did a fair amount of general reserach (we call it needfinding) before we chose to focus our efforts on single handed use. We then made a bunch of prototypes and took them out to test with users. From the feedback we received we came back and changed our prototypes as well as making new ones.

Once we get to a finalized product idea we hope to make this design appealing to a larger audience, this will not be an assistive device, we hope it will be a desirable new pot handle that is useful for everyone! This is a diagram which we used in our presentation to display this concept:

Factory Wares - design students in the UK

Here is a design that our TA (who happens to be a brit) sent to us. This is the result of a similar design project done at the Royal College of Art. These students were working with a group of senior citizens many of whom had arthritis but loved to cook. Here they describe the handles:
"Ergonomic two-part long handle with a fuller cross-section to assist gripping. Its distinctive shape is angled downward for intuitive use. The oval comfort platform at the end shifts the weight of the pan to the arm from a single point at the wrist making pouring less painful and ensuring greater balance and safety. The handle's main structural shroud is made of lightweight heat resistant material overlaid with tactile foam filled polyurethane to enhance gripping
Secondary hooped handle on the opposite side for two-handed use."

They did a beautiful job providing wrist support and making a desirable product. We hope to pick up where they left off and create something even more useful for our users.

Here is a link to their project: http://www.hhrc.rca.ac.uk/archive/hhrc/events/DBAChallenge/2003/factory.html

Heavy Lifting

So another story that we heard related to lifting and moving pots & pans, especially heavy ones. I know that I have spilled a pot of pasta (both into the sink and onto the floor) and not only am I bummed that I mad a big mess but I have to start the pasta all over...

For the past two weeks Jean and I have been concentrating out efforts on pot handles. Although huge improvements are being made all over the kitchen these handles havn't really changed much in the last century. Here are a few of the early prototypes that a few of our users tried out.

Our first prototype with an upright handle and wrist/arm support.

Another version with a slightly tilted handle but narrow support.

Just an upright and angled handle.

After being inspired by the above we made this wooden handle that is robust enough to actually cook with. We got some great feedback on this one. Here it is pictured with a wire mesh splatter guard (we didn't want grease from oily foods to get on the handle.) This afternoon we watched tofu being cooked in it. To our surprise the handle didn't get warm at all. We were told that it was both easy to cook with and easy to fill full of water. The handle got in the way while stiring the food unless you were to spin it around. It was even easy to pour the tofu from the pan to a plate. Washing was a bit harder than a normal pot. We also discussed that storing it in that configuration would take up more room.

Let us know what you think!

A vise in the kitchen?

This was one of the first paths that we explored: how to clamp objects in the kitchen. One of our favorite stories was using a vise out in the garage to open a wine bottle. Why do you have to go all the way out to the garage we wondered? Why can't you open a wine bottle in the kitchen? There are a lot of other objects that you might want to hold in a vise, jars for instance...

But upon further research we found a lot of products that did precisely that. So we used our budget to buy them for some of our users to try out. They should be here soon so if you're interested in trying them out let us know!
For holding jars: http://www.rehabmart.com/product/700.htm
Or for just opening jars with a single motion: http://www.dynamic-living.com/jaropener2.htm
And then there was general opening of things (we want to save those pearly whites!) http://www.americaninventorspot.com/open_it
Or opening specific things like medicine bottles: http://www.activeforever.com/ps-817-10-purrfect-opener.aspx
And then we thought back to cutting boards (our original concept that a few of you tried out for us.)
The Swedish cutting board that holds your zucchini while slicing and has spikes for your apple: http://www.rehabmart.com/product/699.htm we thought this looked a little dangerous...
And finally holding any little object like the Clamp-It: http://www.dynamic-living.com/clamp_it.htm
Please feel free to give us feedback and reviews on any of these or similar products.