CALM CUP
This project examined how Parkinson’s Disease affects quality of life. The physical symptoms of Parkinson’s can become restricting in people’s everyday lives, which can have significant effects on their mental wellbeing.
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive motor neurone disease which affects both the physical and mental wellbeing of a person’s life. It is caused by insufficient levels of dopamine in the brain. Physical symptoms include a loss of balance, tremors, shakes, and flexibility issues, as well as the loss of self-confidence and independance as the symptoms consolidate themselves.
Quality of Life is a term used to describe the “multidimensional subjective evaluation of the aspects of a person’s life” (Marinus et al. 2002). It is described through 4 pillars, they are: Physical, Mental, Social, and Spiritual.
My intentions for this project were to make an ordinary behaviour more manageable for those with Parkinson’s and thereby reduce the negative mental health impacts. In creating the Calm Cup I hope to achieve these two goals, that is to facilitate action and to empower the user.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Daily rituals such as drinking coffee can be heavily impacted by the physical symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. While there are currently medications targeted towards reducing the effects of the physical symptoms, there still are impacts on the user's ability to complete tasks. Being unable to perform these simple tasks can strip an individual of his/her confidence and enjoyment of those activities.
By paying special attention to aesthetics and design functionality, the Calm Cup navigated away from the negative stigmatism commonly held towards assistive aids.
Parkinson’s has an onset age around 55-60 and would most likely be the targeted demographic.
DJI Phone Gimbal
DESIGN INSPIRATION:
A phone gimbal used for stabilising the phone when taking photos or videos. The idea was to use a lower tech version of this to counteract the tremors seen in Parkinson’s.
The chosen area of focus for this project was the daily ritual of drinking coffee, an important ritual for us all to start a productive day. Visible shakes and tremors can affect a person’s confidence and self-image, particularly if they have not had the symptoms in their earlier years. This onset of disability can dissuade them from continuing to participate in everyday activities, and therefore gradually disempowering them as well as contributing to a loss of social interactions.
Gibal Rings. The outer most ring stays stationary while the inner rings are able to rotate on 2 different axes
Bottle Top Sketching
First CAD Model Section View
First CAD Model Exploded View
Gimbal rings use gravity and concentric circles to self-balance when a load is applied. The weight of the cup employs gravity to self-balance and removes the technical elements used in the phone gimbal (mentioned above), reducing cost and complexity.
The design is made of inner and outer cups connected by a gimbal ring. These can rotate on two separate axes to act as a gimbal system.
The Calm Cup
Available Colourways
The inner cup is tapered to increase movement to allow for more stabilisation while allowing for a smaller profile of the outer cup.
The everyday, modern, simple design is an intentional aesthetic to avoid stigmatism surrounding assistive aids. The cup is designed to resemble a product intended for any audience.
The assembly can be taken apart by simply twisting the gimbal ring and inner and outer cups along the grooves.
Instead of unscrewing the lid for removal, the lid is designed to be pulled off for the convenience of the user who may be experience shakes or tremors.
The product has subtle branding to maintain an invisible design and a low profile.
DESIGN PROTOTYPING
Prototyping with 3D printing was used to create working prototypes. These were used to test sizes and mechanisms.
The first prototype tested the gimbal rings, with the next model being downloaded from an online website. These concepts were then integrated into a mock bottle neck to test further. The final prototype showed the development of the gimbal ring locking mechanism.
The final design was 3D printed to demonstrate scale and functionality. It was then later painted with the colours seen in the renders.
First Prototype Gimbal Rings
First Prototype Assembly
Second Prototype Assembly with Locking Mechanism
"Air Spinner" Model from Thingiverse
First Prototype Parts
Second Prototype Parts
Assesembled Model
Model Parts
