Introduction

In a world where life expectancy is increasing, there is a growing need to address the challenges faced by individuals with chronic health conditions. Judy Geigner’s case is an example of the difficulties faced by those who are affected by osteoarthritis and Parkinson’s disease. These conditions have a profound impact on a person’s ability to perform daily tasks independently, which can significantly affect their overall well-being. Finding solutions that can help individuals like Judy live their lives with independence is critical. In this context, improving accessibility and convenience in everyday activities, such as navigating one’s closet, can go a long way in enhancing the quality of life for individuals with chronic health conditions.

Our primary user, Judy Geigner, has osteoarthritis in her joints and has undergone two back surgeries, as well as replacement surgeries on both her knees and shoulders. During our project partner interview, she stated she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease the previous year. The combination of these two conditions has caused stiffness, balance issues, and occasional forgetfulness or confusion. Her current health condition makes it difficult for her to use the upper shelves and hanging areas in her walk-in closet. Specifically, she is unable to reach the boxes stored on the top of the shelves without external help and can’t raise her head at the risk of losing balance and falling over. Furthermore, she finds it painful to grab clothes hanging on the top bar when she raises her arms. As such, an ideal solution to this problem would allow her to navigate her closet both safely and independently.

There are some existing solutions that enhance the mobility of people with osteoarthritis and Parkinson’s disease, such as grabbers and hanger retriever poles.  Both of these devices assist users in grabbing small items without having them extend their arms. However, they do not fully meet Judy’s needs, as they are not designed to grab large and heavy objects like her boxes. We also looked into scissor lifts, which are often used in construction to elevate workers and their tools. Refer to Appendix A.2 for more secondary research on osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and existing solutions. However, the existing products are typically too large and heavy for use inside Judy’s closet. Therefore, we need to come up with a new design to solve the problems associated with the existing solutions and fully satisfy Judy’s needs.

Our mission statement is to design a lightweight, cost-effective, stable, and user-friendly product for Judy to safely and comfortably reach her clothes and boxes stored on shelves in her closet without assistance. The final product must be made within a budget of $100 and must fit the size of her closet.

This report outlines the requirements and specifications of the designs, as well as the entire design process, from start to finish, that our team went through to reach our final product.