This week we started class by hearing someone speak from iVenture. This was cool for me because I am currently working with YouMatter studios that is an iVenture start up. I think it is super awesome that our school has a program that helps fund startups, and this would be a great way for some of the groups in our class to continue their projects. Unfortunately since I’m graduating I don’t think we would participate in this, but she did mention how seniors can still establish a team with younger members, as they can take it forward next year. That is nice to hear because we do have a sophomore on our team, so if we do want our product to develop more he is someone who will still be on campus to utilize on campus resources.
We also spent some time with our team discussing materials we’ll need for the makeathon and we created some drawing designs. We also spoke to Milestone Labs and speaking with them made me realize and important discovery. Eating with a spoon is different than eating with a fork because it requires a stabilized hand movement leading up to the mouth, which is another type of movement we would have to design for. This is why we have decided to only focus on designing for eating with a fork. By just focusing on this we just have the motions of putting the glove on, securing the fork in the glove, picking up the food item, and then eating the item.
Going into the Makeathon I am in contact with a student who could be a great resource to test our product, but I am still figuring out if he is free for an interview this upcoming week. We also need to get utensils that we could find at restaurants to practice picking up food items. We don’t know yet which material will be the best for our gloves, which is why we are thinking of requesting to order multiple materials. I am excited for the makethon but also nervous! I hope everything works out and we are able to create something that we’re proud of!
Hi Saloni,
I have actually heard of YouMatter studios, it is cool that you are doing work with them. Also, I believe that you can find plastic utensils at places around campus such as I57. I am not sure exactly what your team is designing but if you guys are looking for a material that is flexible and sturdy I would consider looking at some fabrics. I am excited to see what you guys come up with for the Make-A-Thon!
Hi Saloni,
It’s really interesting what you realized from speaking with Milestone Labs! I guess to us, using those utensils is now just so natural that we don’t think about what it takes to use them. I didn’t really think that using spoons would require something else from using forks until you mentioned it in the post.
The product that you and your team are working on sounds interesting. I am not exactly sure what the gloves would be capable of doing or what the purpose of them are, but my initial thoughts are would they work with forks of different shapes and sizes? Additionally, how will you make the gloves for different sizes? Will they be fully customized to the user? Or will you make a few standardized sizes? What makes your gloves better than the forks with customized grips to help the user? How will you differentiate yourself from them? I would try to answer these questions to ensure that your product is developed with a purpose. I am looking forward to seeing your prototypes soon and good luck!
Hi, Saloni! I agree that the Social Innovation @ Illinois and iVenture program are great resources for students on campus. I am also a Senior, but I wish I had known about this resource earlier in my college career. I am interested to see what your sketches look like–do you think it would be difficult to put on a glove if the user also struggles with using a fork? What materials are you testing out during the Makeathon and how much movement would be allowed when the glove is on? I look forward to seeing your work this weekend!