#BeSeen
Group information | Project Description | Competitive Analysis | Weekly Build Updates | Final Documentation
Group Information
- Team Name: BeSeen
- Group Members:
- Suzanne
- NYU Steinhardt, Post Professional Occupational Therapy Program
- Designer, researcher on diagnosis, NYC resource (for access to MakerSpace or to meet up with Roy), fabricator
- Vanessa
- NYU ITP, Human-Computer Interaction
- Designer, researcher on temperature stickers
- Alexis
- NYU IDM, Human-Computer Interaction
- Designer, researcher on phone touch sensitivity, web developer
- Roy
- Community Member
- Suzanne
Final presentation video
Watch our final video presentation! Linked here: https://stream.nyu.edu/media/Developing+Assistive+Technology+-+Final+Presentation/1_worels65
Project Description (Due 10/20/20)
Description of Team Name
BeSeen
We chose this team name for two reasons. One reason is that we’ve chosen to focus on providing temperature visual cues for Roy to use on his pots and pans to indicate if the pot is too hot to touch. Another reason is that a lot of differently-abled individuals are often defined by their disability and are often not seen as just another person. Instead, they are often defined by their disability.
Main point of contact
Vanessa
Meeting Schedule for the semester
We will be meeting every Wednesday at 5:30 PM EST and Fridays at 12:30 PM EST
Project Plan
Primary Objective – Heat Stickers
Roy has expressed that he has some sensory issues on the left side of his body which have caused him to burn his left hand while cooking, as he is not able to feel the heat sensation when touching pots and pans. We plan to add thermal sticker indicators that change colour as the temperature of his pots and pans rise or drop. This will give him a visual cue for temperature change so that he will know whether or not to touch his pots or pans.
Secondary Objective – Ohmu Cane
Roy has an Ohmu Cane he is fond of. He has tried many other canes but he has had issues with everyone but the Ohmu Cane. He’s had it for years and it is starting to wear down so he wants to look into getting a new one. Unfortunately, it was hard to find another, especially with its high demand. The Ohmu Cane was designed by a European Company but we are looking into secondhand sellers in America to obtain an Ohmu Cane for Roy.
Other Projects
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- Roy expressed difficulty in using his phone due to its screen sensitivity. We plan to do a Samsung simulator with him so we can walk him through the steps on adjusting his screen sensitivity.
- Roy doesn’t have much dexterity in the left side of his body. He would like to find a way to get around the keyboard using his right hand. We decided to look into one-hand typing methods and specialized keyboards for one-hand.
What tools/expertise will you leverage to complete the project?
With Vanessa’s access to ITP, we will leverage student and faculty knowledge on how to engineer reversible temperature labels. Suzie is the only one in our group living in NYC so if we have to print materials, she has access to the NYU ELab/MakersSpace. Alexis also has experience as an Android developer, which will come in handy when we work on the Samsung simulator.
What additional tools/expertise will you need to complete the project?
- Prototyping tools like Figma
- 3D modelling
- Adhesives
- Crafting
- Thermochromic paint
Timeline
10/7 – Initial meeting with Roy
10/13 – Meet with professors to discuss the initial interview with the patient
10/14 – Pitch project design to Roy
10/23 – Begin initial research
10/27 – Midterm presentation
11/3 – Begin Sketching Lo-Fi Sticker Designs
11/10 – Test thermochromic powder on stickers and cups
11/17 – Continue testing thermochromic powder on stickers & contact cane wholesaler
11/24 – Rethink sticker idea due to safety concerns; look up alternatives
12/1 – Meet with Roy and discuss purchasing cane and pot holders
12/08 – Project Presentation
12/15 – Final Documentation Due
The broader population who might be interested in your solution:
Anyone who cooks and who might suffer from the occasional burn (first-degree or most severe) could use our tool as having a visual cue may help reduce burn incidence.
Competitive Analysis and Literature Review (Due 10/27/20)
What is commercially available to solve the problem?
The Silicone oven mitt retails for about $14 on Amazon and is marketed as a mitt for people who burn themselves frequently with cast iron cookware. The mitt is made out of silicone, a material which is known to protect against high temperatures up to 450 degrees. One of the limiting factors of this product is that you can only hold the pan’s handle up to 17 seconds while cooking. Another issue is that the mitt is quite cumbersome and big and Roy seemed to want a solution that was simple and didn’t alter his cooking experience all that much.
This pot handle cover retails for under $5 at Target and is designed to protect your hands from heat up to 500 degrees. Since Roy has MS, this solution might be difficult for him to use. It requires the user to have some hand dexterity in order to place the silicone cover snuggly over the handle. Further, Roy has a lot of different cast iron skillets, which means it’s hard to know if these sizes would fit his pans at home or if he would need custom made ones.
DIY solution to heatproof your handles
Sugru has a similar consistency to putty or plato and is described as a “multi-purpose moldable glue”, which can harden into silicon rubber. The website also says it’s safe for prolonged skin-use, is waterproof, and can resist temperatures up to 356 degrees. This DIY tutorial explains how to mold sugru to make a heatproof grip.
The two biggest issues with this solution is that:
1) Roy would have to do it himself, which requires manual dexterity and
2) the material only protects up to 356 degrees and cast iron skillets can easily go upward up to 500 degrees.
What research has been done in similar domains?
Argo, Jennifer J., and Kelley J. Main. “Meta-Analyses of the Effectiveness of Warning Labels.” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, vol. 23, no. 2, 2004, pp. 193–208. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/30000760. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.
- This research paper observes the effectiveness of warning labels used across different sectors. It concluded that warning labels were effective in influencing attention, behavioral compliance and reading and comprehension more so than judgement. However, it could not be determined what made certain warning labels more effective over others.
Braun, Mine, and Silver. “The influence of color on warning label perceptions.” International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, vol. 15, issue. 3, 1995, pp. 179–187. ScienceDirect, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0169814194000363. Accessed 24 Oct. 2020.
- This research paper highlights how color can affect how people perceive hazard levels. The researchers found that red resulted in the highest hazard ratings followed by orange, yellow, blue, green, and white. In a similar study, they also found that the color red combined with an octagon label warning “produced the highest level of retention over other shape and color combinations” (Braun et al, 181).
N.Clayton, Silver., ans Curt C.Braun. “Perceived readability of warning labels with varied font sizes and styles.” Safety Science, vol. 16, issue 5-6, 1993, pp. 615-625. ScienceDirect, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/092575359390026A.Accessed 24 Oct. 2020.
- Participants had to rate 24 Ultra Tide detergent labels that contained warnings which varied in font size, font weight, typeface and point size. Results showed that the Helvetica type was perceived to be more readable than Times or Goudy and bold type was perceived to be more readable than roman type.
Hettiarachchi, A. A., & De Silva, T. (2019). Colour associated thermal impacts: Manifestation and contributing factors with reference to red and blue. Built-Environment Sri Lanka, 13(1), 1. doi:10.4038/besl.v13i1.7664
- This research paper focused on the role of color in creating environments responsive for human behaviour. They found that colour associated thermal perception is a response that is characterized by common and colour-specific factors. According to their hypothesis, color has the ability to suggest warmness or coolness. This research also assumed the clear distinction between the phenomenon of color associated thermal perception and color temperature prevails. Red is viewed as hot and blue is viewed as cold.
Reflect on the impact of this solution?
By creating a visual aid for Roy’s cast iron skillets, Roy doesn’t have to change his workflow in the kitchen. Roy mentioned on several occasions that he is a visual learner and expressed excitement at a solution that employed visual cues, while at the same time being “non-invasive.”
Weekly Build Updates
11/3/20 – weekly journal/contacting resources
This week was focused on researching and contacting possible sources and resellers for the Omhu Cane as well as ordering the materials needed to make the temperature stickers. There were a number of resellers found on the internet, like Bigelow, C.O Elderluxe, and Cool Hunting. The goal for this week was to send out emails and call each of these sources to see if they still carry the Omhu Cane. Another focus this week was to order the thermochromic powder that we will use to prototype our temperature stickers. Vanessa found a video that we plan to use as a reference, and she also found thermochromic powder on Amazon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI-0IfraSwc
During last week’s meeting with Roy, he brought his concern about typing with one hand. We gave him some solutions that were discussed with our professors and sent him some links that he could look at. We gave him the choice to choose which solution he feels will best suit him. Attached below are the links that were emailed to Roy. The group plans to meet with him this week and discuss our plans moving forward with his concern about typing one-handed.
Learn how to type with one hand: https://www.typingclub.com/one-hand-typing
11/10/20
- Omhu Cane update
Last week, we contacted some resellers that we found online and inquired about the Omhu Cane. Unfortunately, all resellers we contacted said that they have not carried this specific cane for years now. One company that Suzie contacted, Elderluxe, which is a medical equipment store based in Chicago, offered some ergonomic canes that are similar to the Omhu Cane. The group planned to reach out to Roy and show him what this company had to offer and see if there was one that he would be interested in. However, Roy asked for a week off from the project due to personal reasons. The group will get back to him as soon as he is ready.
https://www.elderluxe.com/mobility/walking-canes-and-sticks/
- Temperature Stickers
The thermochromic powder was tested out by Suzie twice. First was with a normal skillet, not a cast-iron which has a high heating point on the handle, and then on a cup. The challenge with this task was being able to paint on stickers and sealing it appropriately. Suzie did not have access to a cast-iron skillet and the only stickers she had access to were glossy ones. The glossy paper resulted in the powder not drying right and not being sealed properly. She will try again with the appropriate paper materials to see if this approach will work the way we want it to.
11/17/20
We were not able to meet with Roy this week as he needed a week off due to a family emergency. Suzie was able to visit Bigelow Surgical, a home healthcare and medical supply store, which supposedly held the Omhu cane. Unfortunately, we found out that they had stopped selling the canes awhile ago and that the company had been acquired by another company, changing their name and no longer selling canes.
Suzie will be going to Chicago soon and hopes to visit another shop that sells canes to see if we can find a cane that Roy will like and will one that will fit his lifestyle. As for the stickers, Suzie reached out to a sticker manufacturer to find out about best practice to seal the thermochromic powder with a sticker.
11/24/20
Suzie is back in Chicago and found two companies to reach out to; one for the stickers and another for the cane.
Heat Activated Thermochromic Stickers
The thermochromic powder was tested by Suzie on reusable cups. The idea was based on a tutorial on YouTube by Neo World DIY. The materials used were: red thermochromic pigment, reusable red cup, white acrylic paint. The thermochromic pigment disappears once the surface reaches 71°F, therefore taking on the color of the paint used. When the surface goes back to room temperature, the pigment reappears and returns to its original color.
Once the pigment was tested and proven to work, Suzie reached out to a company called “Thermometersite” located in Glenview, IL. This company produces heat sensitive products and color-changing products. They were found to have the thermochromic pigment on hand and heat-activated stickers as well. Suzie reached out to this company to get further information on the products they had, as she explained the project the representative explained that the idea of using the pigment or the stickers is not a good idea if it is to be put around food. He explained that the chemicals used release fumes if the temperature surpasses at most 350°F, making it dangerous to be put around food. They also did not have alternative products or solutions as cast iron skillets can go up to 450°F. Also, cast iron skillets can be left unopen when put in the oven, this makes it dangerous for the stickers to be put around the food because of the fumes it will release.
Because of this setback, the group is no longer moving forward with the stickers as this can put Roy at risk. This was a learning curve for the group. This puts emphasis on the trial and error process when making a device for any client.
Elderluxe
Since the Omhu cane is no longer available on the market, the group searched for alternative canes for Roy. Suzie found a company, called Elderluxe, based out of Chicago that offers a wide variety of mobility devices. The group sent links of a crook cane catalog to Roy. The crook canes have a similar design to the Omhu cane. Roy immediately found one that he was interested in. It is a GT-Carbon Fiber Crook Cane. He plans to put in an order sometime soon. Suzie has also offered to try out the cane to see how sturdy it is.
12/01/20
Last week, we met with Roy and told him about a big setback: that we have to drop our heat-sensitive sticker idea for his cast iron skillets. As we mentioned in our previous post, Suzie was able to call a company that produces industrial-grade thermochromic stickers and the representative informed her that it wasn’t safe to put the stickers near food due to the risk of fumes being released from the thermochromic paint. Due to the high risk of contamination, we knew we couldn’t go forward with the project idea due to health risks.
We are so thankful that we were able to get in touch with an expert, as the site from which we bought the paint (Amazon), indicates that the powder is non-toxic and safe for skin contact.
Because we are no longer pursuing the sticker idea, we offered Roy some alternative handle options for his cast-iron skillet:
Lodge Nokona Leather Handle Holder ($20)
pros –
Fits cast-iron skillet handles snugly
Easy to put on and remove from the handle
Provides good heat resistance when used as a potholder
Lodge Silicone Hot Handle Holder ($8)
pros –
Safe to put in the dishwasher
Fun colors to choose from
Fits any handle that is 9-inches in diameter and up
Easy to put on handles
Can handle up to 450 degrees F
Affordable
cons-
Not great for smaller pans and skillets
Leather Cast Iron Skillet Pan Handle Cover ($20)
pros –
Fits different kinds of pots and pans
Made with oil-coated tanned-leather
Durable
Easy to slide on and off
cons –
Cannot be left in the oven
Aside from the handle, Roy also wanted to find an ergonomic cane to replace his other one. We found a shop called Elderluxe in Chicago and sent Roy the link. During our meeting, he said he found one that he wanted to purchase. Since Suzie is in Chicago, she is going to visit the shop and take pics of the cane to send to Roy.
12/08/20
[final presentation]
Final Documentation (Due 12/15/20)