Form meets
function meets
empathy

Conceptualisation

Seamlessly integrating micro-exercise into daily routines through habit substitution, shifting focus on feeling fit, rather than looking fit. PowerPick Mama redesigns toy tidy-up into guided micro-exercise, replacing poor posture with safe, supported movement.

Research Domains

Process

Self-initiated design brief targeting an unfamiliar user group. Conducted primary research with postpartum mothers. Progressed through extreme ideation, concept sketching, cardboard prototyping, ergonomic validation, iterative refinement, and a fully functional final prototype combining shape-sorting play with posture-correcting mechanics.

Final Design

A compact pre-wash system that separates scraps from water. Features include a cutlery holder, cleaning brush that scrapes as the tray slides out, drain grid, food tray directing scraps to compost, and a compost drawer. The design works by integrating into existing behaviour rather than attempting to change it.

Iterations

Explored weighted RFID system, auto-lock system, all-in-one dishbox, and multi-layer dishbox concepts. Progressed from cardboard prototypes through MDF models to a refined final prototype with functional drainage and scraping mechanisms. The project was rooted in personal experience living in shared student accommodation.

Design

A simple ground-operated mechanism designed to sweep away leaves and debris from gutter filters. Tested three guard types: perforated (circular holes, limited coverage), grid (square mesh, prone to clogging), and linear (parallel slats maximising flow and brushing efficiency). The linear guard proved most effective and became the basis for the final design.

Material Selection

Used CES EduPack Ashby charts (Fracture Toughness vs. Young's Modulus, Yield Strength vs. Density) to evaluate candidate materials against functional requirements: biocompatibility, radiopacity, corrosion rate, and geometry constraints.

Approach

Calibrated ultrasonic sensors, documenting increasing error with distance to inform threshold selection. Built and tested three individual behaviours (wall following, obstacle avoidance, goal tracking) before integrating them into a reactive Bug 2 navigation system. Used IR tracker and ultrasonic sensors with systematic flowchart-driven logic design.