measuring cup for the blind
DESCRIPTION
Measuring cup designed to be universal accessible by the blind and visually impaired.TRANSCRIPT
Measuring CupFor Blind Accessibility
Products designed specifically for the blind are often expensive and ugly due to their limited market. Universal design offers an opportunity ro create products with mass market appeal that are usable by all kinds of people. Often innovations made toward this goal benefit the greater population as well. This measuring cup aims to be one such design.
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After meeting with blind individuals to listen to their needs and share with them my ideas, I gained a greater understanding which aspects of this product and its associated tasks were truly most relevant.
I determined that a simple yet clever mechanism can be used to solve the problem of making a measuring cup accessible to the blind. Th merging of tactile and visual information can provide a richer experience for the able sighted as well.
Low Tech, High Touch
Universally Lacking
Standard measuring cups require sight and good sight at that. Small text and the limitation of taking readings from counterheight are an issue.
More high tech redesigns allow for easier readability, but is this really necessary?
Redesigns of the typical measuring cup allow for reads from standing height but still can be hard to see.
Attempts at universal designs for the blind exist, but who wants to stick their finger in the cup?
Interaction + Mechanism
A float on the inside of the cup is attached to a button on the outside of the cup via a curved “U-shaped” connector that straddles the cup’s wall. The curve is an arc of a circle which allows for uniform movement.As the level of the fluid causes the float to rise, the button rises too. This design ensures both a direct mechanical corelation and a failproof watertightness.
With the measuring cup set on a level surface, the user pours the liquid into the cup with one hand while feeling along the side of the cup to get a volume reading.
Each notch on the left represents 2 ounces. When the red slider is in line with that notch, there is that much liquid in the cup. When the slider is exactly half way between these notches, odd intervals can be determined. The right side represents cups in half-cup intervals.
High impact Tempered Glass Cup.Stainless Steel handle with rubberized grip for non-slip handling.Heat resistent plastic on notches and slider mechanism.
Materials + Features
Top-grip handle affords user more control in carrying a filled container across the room.
The handle can easily be detached and the slider mechanism removed to allow for easy cleaning and more efficient storage.