Making an assistive technology prototype
The Brief
Our Need Knower, John, a quadruple amuptee, wanted help picking up everyday objects around the house when they fell out of his possession, and his partner was not a home. He needed an assistive device that could be easily stored, retrieved and used with minimal friction.
Approach
As part of a small interdisplinary team, we used design thinking and agile ways of working to fall in love with John’s need. We developed several low fidelity prototypes in the lead up to the TOM Melborne Makeathon. During the Makeathon weekend, the team worked over two long days to develop a final assistive technology prototype. Capabilities deployed:
- Unlocking Innovation
- Human Centred Empathy
- Collaborative Engagement
Impact
Simple, John could successfully pick up his house keys next time he dropped them at the front door. More broadly this project built bridges between inovators, need knowers, and demonstrated the power of collective action in social change.
Timeframe
2019