Jan. 2023 - Mar. 2023

I was part of a four-member team working on a project to assist individuals with mobility challenges. Our mission was to create a device that improves the grocery shopping experience for our client, Judy Geigner.

Mrs. Giegner, a senior citizen struggling with Parkinson’s and osteoarthritis, faced difficulties when bending down, raising her arms above her shoulders, and executing complex hand movements. However, despite her medical conditions, she independently managed her weekly grocery shopping and wanted to continue doing it as it was one of her favorite hobbies.

Understanding her needs led us to develop the Cart With Basket, specifically engineered to facilitate easy transfer of groceries from her car trunk to her tabletop, which had different heights. To accommodate Mrs. Giegner’s mobility restrictions, we focused on creating a solution that minimized her need to bend down or reach high. Our final result was a cart crafted from mainly PVC pipes, featuring a linear actuator that allowed for height adjustments between 28 and 44 inches, ensuring precise and easy control and accessibility for the targeted heights.

Working under a budget of $150, we successfully created a fully functioning prototype. In the end of the quarter, we presented this prototype to Mrs. Giegner.

Openable side with velcro locks

A basket requires up and down hand movement. Since our client could not carry heavy groceries and raise them up vertically, we needed to find an easy but effective way to load and unload groceries. To solve this issue, we decided to replace one side of the basket and make it open. The openable side would be then fastened using four big lengthy velcro straps, as they are easy to open and close without any complex hand movement.

Our initial mockup had an opening in the front side of the cart, with a roller so that the opening side acts as a ramp to elevate the groceries to a higher position. However, after having a meeting with the client, we moved the opening side to the left side of the cart based on her preference. The ramp idea was also not used as the linear actuator solved the height problem.

U-shaped handles

Our team decided to improve the handle: instead of only having the straight bar a normal shopping cart would have, we decided to add vertical handles on each side, creating an unique inverse U-shaped handle. This shape helps the client push the cart up a ramp as it provides a more stable grip. The handle was wrapped with rubber grip tape for comfort and safety.

Adjustable height using linear actuator

The client's car trunk and the tabletop had a difference in height of 10 inches. The client wanted a non-complicated device that would assist her moving groceries up to her tabletop.

Despite the client's preference, we ended up using a linear actuator. It was for two reasons: first, a mechanical lift would increase the weight of the cart. This will make it hard for our client to load the cart into her car. Second, the locking mechanism to hold the mechanical lift at a certain height would require bending down and complex hand movements, which the client would’ve felt uncomfortable with her medical conditions. A linear actuator, on the other hand, only operates with a switch, toggling up and down, with a downside of having to change batteries every once in a while.

Locking wheels

In order for the client to move her groceries from her car to her tabletop, she had to walk up a ramp and open a door. The locking wheels fix the cart on the ramp while she opens her door.