This Innovative Personal Utility Cart Gets Rid of Heavy Lifting
Alyson Wyers — September 19, 2014 — Unique
References: jamesdysonaward.org & gizmodo
According to the James Dyson Foundation, the best invention in America is a personal utility cart that eliminates the need for heavy lifting. Uplift is a personal collapsible carrier created by the University of Houston's Hong Yen Loftin that lets you load things directly from the cart into your car's trunk.
The industrial designer was inspired by 'transgenerational design' and to make something that would help those every phase of life. The folding personal utility cart focuses specifically on food and how we gain access to it as we get older.
Following an iterative design process and over 30 prototypes, Loftin arrived at a stretcher-like hinge mechanism that enables the user to push the cart into their vehicle. The rest of the cart can be lifted with a handle located between more hinges, allowing the whole thing to collapse into itself.
The industrial designer was inspired by 'transgenerational design' and to make something that would help those every phase of life. The folding personal utility cart focuses specifically on food and how we gain access to it as we get older.
Following an iterative design process and over 30 prototypes, Loftin arrived at a stretcher-like hinge mechanism that enables the user to push the cart into their vehicle. The rest of the cart can be lifted with a handle located between more hinges, allowing the whole thing to collapse into itself.
Trend Themes
1. Collapsible Personal Utility Carts - Opportunity for innovation in creating personal utility carts that are collapsible for easy transportation and storage.
2. Transgenerational Design - Disruptive innovation potential in designing products that cater to the needs of individuals in every phase of life.
3. Accessible Food Solutions - Innovation opportunities in developing accessible solutions for gaining access to food, especially for the elderly.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Disruptive innovation potential in the retail industry by introducing collapsible personal utility carts for customers.
2. Product Design - Opportunity for disruption in product design industry by incorporating transgenerational design principles into new product development.
3. Food and Grocery - Innovation potential in the food and grocery industry to create accessible solutions for elderly customers to obtain their groceries.
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