In unit 1 of our Junior STEAM class, Design and Engineering, we learned about the meaning of designing and engineering, and how to fix problems using those concepts. We also learned about levers, wedges, inclined planes, force, work, and how these make up every aspect of tool making and using. In this unit, we primarily focused on gardening tools and, specifically, how we could improve their designs to fit the needs of elderly people, using empathy. Empathy is when you essentially 'put yourself into someone else's shoes,' and it relates to this project because of how we used that concept to redesign tools for the needs of elderly people. To get a better understanding of gardening tools, we interviewed gardeners and also had an FE at Home Depot (socially distanced and with masks on, of course), where we had the opportunity to talk to some employees about the importance of each tool, along with getting to try some out for ourselves. We also had FE guests from Dyson and Greater Good Studio, to talk to us about the design process.
For the gardening interview, I interviewed my mom. She does not usually garden, but she has in the past, and since we live in an apartment building, we used the garden in the park next door. The tool she used was a shovel, and three things I learned from interviewing her, were that a shovel with a longer handle is easier than a hand shovel because you have more leverage and it puts less strain on your body. The second thing I learned was her process for using the shovel, which was first, she put her foot on the triangular part to shove it into the ground, then she placed her hands accordingly on the handle, and began to dig. The third thing I learned was that a lightweight tool puts a lot less strain on the body and is more beneficial to gardening.
For this AP, we were supposed to choose a gardening tool, research different versions of it, and by using empathy, come up with a way to redesign it, focusing on the common needs of elderly people. The tool I chose was a leaf rake and it is classified as a third-class lever, which operates with the effort applied between the fulcrum and load. For the rake, the fulcrum is at the top of the handle, the input force (effort) is where your second hand is typically placed, in the middle of the handle, and the output force (load) is where the tines are moving the leaves, grass, etc. Three things I learned from existing examples of my tool are that leaf rakes, landscape rakes, and shrub rakes, are the most common rakes I found. Typically, the handles are made of wood and the tines/head are made of plastic, but they can also be made out of metal or steel, and many rakes are designed to be lightweight.
My New and Improved Leaf Rake includes two adjustable, rubber finger holders, sturdier, lightweight head/tines made of steel, non-removable caps at the end of the tines, and a moveable head, with three lock settings. The adjustable finger holders are for individuals who suffer from arthritis, and it helps to keep your hand in place if you’re having grip issues. The sturdier, yet lightweight head and tines provide the ability to gather leaves, grass, etc. in greater quantities, in as few times as possible. It reduces the annoying floppiness you get from generic leaf rakes, and the amount of time needed to bend over, using the tool. The non-removable caps at the end of the already thin and pointy tines prevent any scraping or blisters that a user may obtain while using the rake (the caps don’t prevent the rake from doing its job because the tines are still long and thin, and have an angled point, but are very slightly dulled by the caps). Lastly, the moveable head has three lock settings that are easily moved with a little bit of force from your foot, and they effortlessly lock in place without excess movement. The settings consist of ‘full upward head’, ‘regular head placement’, and ‘vacuum cleaner placement’. The 'regular placement' setting works both for long-distance raking and short-distance raking. The ‘vacuum cleaner’ setting works more for short-distance raking, and it allows you to use it in standing up position, as opposed to bending over. Both settings incorporate multiple rake designs and reduce the time needed to rake. When the gardener is all done, they can simply put the rake into the ‘full upward’ setting and place it in its holder and, from there, easily remove the excess leaves on the rake.
My new tool is an example of innovation and efficiency because it is taking potential problems that elderly people may face, and incorporating them into my design. Five ways that my tool is better than the competition is the ability to keep your grip due to finger holders, the improved sturdiness of the tool, the reduced amount of blisters and scrapes one might typically obtain, the variety of different settings and capabilities, and the reduced time it would take to use the rake.
Below, is a photo differentiating the components of the rake and the forces done onto the tool, a storyboard portraying the process of using the tool, and calculations I made of the handle.
Overall, I think this project was fun and insightful to do because I got to experience designing my own tool, even if it was just a simple gardening rake. I also liked that we had the option to draw our tools because it felt more real and personal. I hope you enjoyed my project!
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