Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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New Mug Design for the Visually Impaired (self.Blind)
submitted by cheeranfrancis
Hello, I am designing a coffee mug for a Capstone Project aimed at helping those who are visually impaired/blind. I do not have an available population to consult in regard to developing features for the mug, so I am seeking the help of anyone in this community to offer me any advice/opinions. We are currently in the first phase of the design process in which we must talk to possible customers about what they would want out of our product. I will admit that there is a great chance that drinking coffee is a trivial task to most people in this community, however the project is not aimed at achieving a revolutionary product, but is focused on the information one learns along the way.
Are there any difficulties you run into pouring yourself and drinking a cup of coffee (or any hot beverage)?
Do you have any issue telling the temperature of liquids or judging the quantity of liquid in a cup?
Thank you very much for any help you can offer me, I greatly appreciate it!
Are there any difficulties you run into pouring yourself and drinking a cup of coffee (or any hot beverage)?
Do you have any issue telling the temperature of liquids or judging the quantity of liquid in a cup?
Thank you very much for any help you can offer me, I greatly appreciate it!
Carnegie89 3 points 3y ago
Are you doing a pottery build or a high tech project? They have different goals.
I personally prefer transparent cups for pouring hot coffee or tea. It helps with not over pouring. It's difficult to measure the fullness of the cup for hot liquids than cold liquids. Maybe some built-in way to measure that.
I personally prefer transparent cups for pouring hot coffee or tea. It helps with not over pouring. It's difficult to measure the fullness of the cup for hot liquids than cold liquids. Maybe some built-in way to measure that.
cheeranfrancis [OP] 2 points 3y ago
Hello, thank you for your reply!
I am working on a tech project, so the ultimate product will have some technical features added to make it more useful to those who are visually impaired. A built-in liquid level measure sounds like a great idea, I'll be sure to implement that! Once again, thank you so much for your feedback!
I am working on a tech project, so the ultimate product will have some technical features added to make it more useful to those who are visually impaired. A built-in liquid level measure sounds like a great idea, I'll be sure to implement that! Once again, thank you so much for your feedback!
Hellsacomin94 2 points 3y ago
The name of the game with coffee is contrast. Try to put black coffee in a white cup, not a black one.
cheeranfrancis [OP] 1 points 3y ago
The color of the mug is actually something I overlooked somehow. I'll definitely remember to add that to my design specs. I might even go as far as to make it transparent. Thanks so much for the response!
CloudsOfMagellan 1 points 3y ago
Depending on how technical and unfeasible you want to get you could try making a cup that can't be spilt
Rebalances if bumped, a few Gyroscopes inside it incase it's knocked off a table
Stuff like that
Perhaps spring loaded legs to self correct any jostling when being carried on a tray
Rebalances if bumped, a few Gyroscopes inside it incase it's knocked off a table
Stuff like that
Perhaps spring loaded legs to self correct any jostling when being carried on a tray
sadieragbaby 1 points 3y ago
Hello. I really like the idea of having buttons you press depending how much liquid you want. Maybe there could be haptic feedback as well as beeping. Also, maybe the outside of the mug could be coated with something so it’s not so hot when you have to carry it from the kitchen to wherever you want to sit. I find carrying the mug difficult, especially when it is hot. I also find it difficult to add milk after the water because I don’t know how much I can fit in the mug. Also adding sugar without spilling is another problem. I am not sure if there is a solution to this problem.
mehgcap 1 points 3y ago
Over-filling is a concern. What about a small add-on that goes on part of the rim, and uses an ultrasonic or laser sensor to read how far away the liquid is. When enabled, the device would beep in such a way as to indicate the distance. The faster or higher the beeps, the closer the liquid is to the sensor. If the sensor is constructed so as to always measure from the same height, the user could learn to know how far up the liquid has gone.
No, this isn't a liquid level indicator. Those go off when liquid touches their contacts, completing a circuit. To my knowledge, they have no way to convey the exact level, just that the liquid has reached them. With the sensor, the distance can be given, letting the user judge half a cup, or where to stop to leave room for the cream. Just my thoughts.
No, this isn't a liquid level indicator. Those go off when liquid touches their contacts, completing a circuit. To my knowledge, they have no way to convey the exact level, just that the liquid has reached them. With the sensor, the distance can be given, letting the user judge half a cup, or where to stop to leave room for the cream. Just my thoughts.
cheeranfrancis [OP] 1 points 3y ago
I really like the way you think! Tbh, it kinda sounds like I'm putting a car backup sensor on the top of the cup, lol. But I like that approach, I was just considering a single beep to indicate that the level has reached the top, but I like your idea a lot better.
One approach I was thinking of was to put buttons on the handle of the mug, each corresponding with a different level of liquid (e.g. one-third, half, three-quarters, etc). You'd push whichever button you desire, pour the liquid into the mug, and the device would beep once it reached that level. Let me know what you think of this idea.
Thanks for the feedback, I got some really great ideas to consider!
One approach I was thinking of was to put buttons on the handle of the mug, each corresponding with a different level of liquid (e.g. one-third, half, three-quarters, etc). You'd push whichever button you desire, pour the liquid into the mug, and the device would beep once it reached that level. Let me know what you think of this idea.
Thanks for the feedback, I got some really great ideas to consider!
mehgcap 1 points 3y ago
I like the button idea.
Laser_Lens_4 1 points 3y ago
I mean, I guess you could make a bright white mug to contrast with tea and coffee. Maybe you could bundle it with one of those little buzzer things that goes off when it gets full.
Not a whole lot of innovation that can be packed into a ceramic cylinder tbh
Not a whole lot of innovation that can be packed into a ceramic cylinder tbh
cheeranfrancis [OP] 1 points 3y ago
It is very fair to say that a mug is quite easy to use, the goal is just trying to make something more useful in spite of how niche that market may be. The end product will not be pushed onward to becoming a marketable product, so it's really the engineering process that's the focus. That being said, both your points are definitely things to be considered, especially the audible alert that the cup is full. I think that would be a great addition to the design. Thank you so much for your reply!
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