STORY
Conceived at the EnableTech club at Berkeley, GripStrong was developed at the Global Product Development course at UC Berkeley. The wrist actuated grabber assists quadriplegics and is designed with active input from need-knowers.
CAD iteration of the final prototype
Concept Revisted
The first phase of our product development cycle involved revisiting our concept from first principles. We attempted to understand the rationale behind not only our product, but also every choice we made along the way. The process of understanding our competition and market helped us tremendously in understanding our value proposition as well as what market gaps we could potentially fill.
Product Architecture was instrumental in understanding the various elements and components of the gripper
House of quality analysis helped us understand our competition and the market
Design Iteration
Design iteration was the most challenging and time consuming part of the process. Understanding prototyping, materials, CAD and manufacturing helped us move our design forward effectively. We focused on designing for manufacturability and sustainability. While this made the process complex, it also helped us in the long term. Bio-mechanics can be very tricky to implement especially in terms of dimensions. The rapid iteration process was crucial in making sure we were moving fast and recognizing our shortcomings as we went along.
Sustainable Minds® analysis helped us reduce our environmental impact
Field trip to Hong Kong was an excellent learning experience. We came back with a lot more ideas that made GripStrong better
Product launch
The final part of the course focused on launching the product gearing up for the Jacobs Institute design showcase. While we did focus on the finishing touches such as packaging design, we also re-evaluated critical elements such as business pitch to make sure we are on track. This also involved working on the final touches to the prototype such as increasing fidelity and ensuring the initial test plans succeeded.
Poster Design for the showcase
CAD Iteration of packaging cavity
Final Iteration of GripStrong in action
Final Project Presentation walks through the progress made in the course