The Kitchen Product Design Oriented to the Motor Capability of Armless People

Abstract

Armless people face more difficulties in daily self-care activities such as cooking. Most of the existing kitchen products are based on the needs of normal people and rarely consider the characteristics of the disadvantaged group of armless people. Armless people can only use the product through the feet, chin and residual limb, which has high requirements for motor capability. Therefore, it is difficult to guarantee the efficiency, safety and operating comfort of the products, which has also become an obstacle to independent living of people without arms. The goal of this research is to design kitchen products suitable for people without arms. The research uses the definition and evaluation method of user capability in the capability-demand theory proposed by Clarkson et al. to disassemble the motor capability in user capability into strength, dexterity, reach and mobility. Through survey questionnaires, we can understand the scores of armless people on specific motor capabilities and use their higher-scoring motor capabilities to match the demands of product use in design practice, so as to improve the operability of the product. Based on the design strategy of P. John Clarkson and others for products using hands, the author summarizes the design strategy of products that use lower limbs and foot operations from the 6 dimensions of position, shape, force, precision, task and environment. It is proposed for guiding how to design products for armless people, the author also designs kitchen products based on this, hoping to help armless people cook like normal people. The analysis of the motor capability of armless people in this study can provide a reference for product design for this disadvantaged group. As a group with low levels of attention in the market, design, and society, the research on armless people has expanded the connotation and scope of inclusive design to a certain extent.

Keywords: Armles people, User capability, Behavioral ability，Kitchen product, Inclusive design

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1001659