Background

  • Origins of topic choice:

    • We had to do a project for our engineering capstone course

    • We were very late in choosing a project, somewhat limiting our options

    • But we still wanted to do something unique

    • Nathan found out about soft robotics and we decided to use it for our project

    • However, the hardware was very expensive, so we came up with cost-effective way to use it

Problem Statement

Many people can’t reach objects that have fallen on the floor or are in hard to reach places. Current products cannot effectively grab many types of objects, in particular, small or oddly shaped ones, or delicate objects which they can easily break.

 Design Criteria/Objectives

We will design, prototype, test, and refine a device to allow a person to grab a variety of objects out of their reach.

  1. Able to grab any object on ground with imprecise aim.   

  2. Safe and comfortable to operate    

  3. Able to not require excessive hand gripping power

  4. Must be durable (will undergo stress tests)

  5. Actuation should use soft robotics

  6. Must be easily storable