Haptic Hold
Haptic Hold attempts to find a comfortable alternative to traditional tableware for blind, visually impaired, and low vision individuals who experience challenges when dining. The project consists of a wearable utensil and a modified plate which can be used together or as individual products.
Problem
According to a 1995-2010 study done by the World Health Organization, there were approximately 39 million legally blind individuals and 110 million low vision people who are at risk of becoming blind. Moreover, these numbers are growing due to the rising aging population.
Inspiration and Context
The use of haptics in the world of sight impairment allows people to have the ability to use touch in place of sight. Implementations of haptics are seen in braille lettering and kitchenware.
The idea to create a wearable utensil came from researching cultures in India, the Middle East, and Africa which use their hands as their main utensils in conjunction with rice or bread. By using the hand instead of a traditional utensil, the user would be able to better navigate the dining experience.
Ideation
Sketching
Sketching began with drawing forms around actions one takes when eating with the hand such as scooping, squeezing, and pinching. Physical testing showed that the pinching action was the most intuitive, leading to the final iterations of the form. Meanwhile, the initial iterations of the plate focused making more predictable the location of food on the plate so that the user could find the contents of the meal with more ease. The designs started with a sliding wall that would be attached to the plate and ended with a slanted floor which allows the food to slide to one side.
Material Choice and Color
The choice to use silicone as the final material for both the plate and the utensil came from its heat-resistant abilities, durability and flexibility. A flexible, softer silicone is used for the utensil while the plate uses a harder and denser silicone. Furthermore, the decision to use bright colors came from the need to find a solution for a wide range of people suffering from visual impairment. For people who have conditions such as cataracts who are still able to see color, these distinct hues act as a guide to help navigate the surface of the plate.
Final Model
The final plate design comes with detachable barriers to help the user divide different components of the meal without having to use a separate plate. The raised bumps on the rim of the plate in conjunction with the contrasting colors act as guides for where to place these barriers.
The wearable utensil comes in three components: the handle, the connector, and the thumb. The separation gives the user more flexibility by letting the thumb act more independently, as it would without the utensil.
Project Goal
This pair of products does not intend to take away from the hard work that goes into navigating a seeing world, nor does it mean to exclude impaired individuals. The utensil and plate are meant to be used whenever needed and as a comfortable alternative to traditional tableware.