Grasping for CVS
| Start Date | End Date | Client/Supervisor | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/2019 | 12/2019 | Prof. Homayoon Kazerooni | Berkeley, USA |
Project Imagery
Project Description
Grasping is an important hand function for daily activities. By developing a grasping assistive device, the quality of life of people with reduced grasping ability can be improved. The primary issues for the current existing device are bulkiness, distinctiveness, and expensiveness. Therefore, the goal of our project is to design a cheap, comfortable and discreet device that assists grasping and releasing objects to allow for a better quality of life. We envision our final device to be on-shelf gloves sold in major drug stores such as CVS. With the goal bearing in mind, we named our project “Grasping for CVS”.
In a team of five, we developed this creative idea of using a bi-stable tape spring to achieve grasping. To perform grasping, the user only needs to apply a little force to trigger the bi-stable spring. To release grasping, the user can pull back the handle to straighten the spring. We selected this concept because it is non-motorized, cheap to manufacture and can provide a good amount of grasping strength. The grasping strength we achieved with the final prototype is to hold a 200g cup and the estimated material cost is 1 USD.
My Main Contributions
- Managed the team to meet milestones and ensured the quality of deliverables.
- Designed, 3D modelled, and tested different lever designs.
- Built the final prototype with aesthetics in mind.