Our client Gregory has decreased proprioception and is able to use only his right hand, which makes cooking a difficult task. There are currently not many products on the market that can help people with decreased proprioception accurately measure and pour liquids. The main product that tackles this issue is MaxiAids' Say When Liquid Level Indicator. This product would not be suitable for Gregory to use on a daily basis because he measures various measurements on liquid when pouring coffee each day and when cooking. Some major problems with this existing solution are that it is not adjustable, it is hard to replace the batteries using one hand, and it cannot securely stay on the side of a container. We took these problems into account when designing the BobbStopper for Gregory.
Our user-centered design is able to assist Gregory in precisely pouring liquids into various vessels while cooking. Our design accomplishes this by using the following:
Stainless steel disc
Nylon fishing line
Slip bobber
Stainless steel alligator clip
The BobbStopper uses the unique design of a slip bobber to tell the user when to stop pouring their liquid. The nylon finishing line paired with the alligator clip allows the user to adjust the bobber to any height in order to pour different amounts of liquids. This simple design means that it can be easily cleaned and does not require any power source, such as a battery, which allows for the BobbStopper to be used for a long time. We specifically did not want to incorporate electronic components into our design because they could interact with water and cause safety issues. The BobbStopper still accomplishes the goal of alerting the user when the desired liquid level is reached without using electronic components. Additionally, the BobbStopper makes it easy for the user to tell when to stop pouring because the bobber has bright and contrasting colors.