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HRC Project: Box Cutter
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This was a part of Design Studio II(Software Design) and the goal of the HRC project was to help an adult with disabilities to open a box faster, without damage, and safer. This project involved all aspects of engineering from the initial research, testing and our final solution.
Skills Learned
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Application of existing solution
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Working with an individual with disabilities
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Creative thinking
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Details:
First we needed to find out how he was currently opening boxes, so we visited the individual in person to observe, ask questions, and investigate the process.
As it turns out, the individual used a spring loaded box cutter, which required the user to keep the blade out by holding onto the tiny trigger on the side. After the first visit we were able to identify the following,
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Shaky hands
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Violent movements
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Wasted cuts into the box
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Difficulty staying on the tape
After our initial visit, we started searching for current solutions in the market. Initially we searched for various mechanisms for retracting the blade, but we realized that that was not the core of the issue...
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Click on the picture to see the video
The use of the hook
Our Solution:
We pivoted the idea from searching for box cutters to tape splitters, which has no actual blade, but rather a piece of rounded thin metal that is able to split open the tape. This way our client was able to open the box without harming himself, others around him, nor the box itself. Additionally, the tape splitter we found was able to give our client a easier way of cutting the side of the box by utilizing the hook.
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Our client was able to open the box with 16% less damage, 25% faster, and eliminated the danger from cutting himself and others around him.
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Click on the picture to view the video
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Engineering Detail
Empathy Map
Safety Testing
Benchmark
Stakeholder Features
Purchase Order
Metrics
Instruction Manual
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