Project title: Assistive Dining Tool
Project supervisors: Dr Marc Masen, Aslan Kutlay
Conventional cutlery is not inclusive for people who have use of one hand. This aim of this project was to design an assistive dining tool that can be used with one hand, reconciling independence to those who would otherwise require help from a third party.
The main concept of this design is that the user only needs to input a downward vertical force for the tool to work. This force is much like that applied to a self-inking stamp.
The transmission system of the tool takes the input force and drives a blade in an oscillating and downward motion, mimicking the cutting motion of conventional knives. Retractable prongs on the base of the design act to hold the food in place – a feature that many competing assistive tools failed to include.