| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺北科技大學 === 工業設計系創新設計碩士班 === 106 === Besides facing physical deterioration, some older adults may have permanent or temporary difficulties moving with their lower limbs caused by some diseases or injury, such as stroke, amputation caused by diabetes, or osteoporosis. However, people have to move when dealing with daily routines, including moving their body horizontally or vertically. Everyday people have to go to the bathroom, but the damp environment seems less friendly to the elderly users. This research applies literature review, user testing and observational method to improve the assistive device that helps the elderly turnaround or transfer in front of the toilet. According to the literature review, the improved design applies the turning disc with handrails. There are 2 versions of design. The first one contains inner handrails, to meet the three elements of the handrails during the turnaround process. The second one doesn’t have inner handrails. The other purpose of the research is also to verify the device is safer when it meets the 3 elements of the handrail. This research divides the subjects into 3 types. Type A is the elderly subject who is able to walk without assistant, e.g., LLD patient. Type B is the elderly subject who needs assistant walking, e.g., patient suffering from stroke. Type C is caregivers. Type A subject and type B subject have no significant difference in their answers. All the average scores are larger than 3.5 , except for the average score of the type A subject in answering the efficiency with inner handrails, indicating most of the target users are satisfied with the improved design. However, there are no significant differences between with and without the inner handrails. It’s probably because the improved design reaches the initial goals, helping the target users turnaround or transfer safer and faster, whether it has inner handrails or not.
The device met the initial goals after the usability test. We suggest that the outer handrails can be integrated with the other handrails, make them adjustable, leave the base embedded on the ground or make the base with inner handrails foldable, and add the brakes gear to prevent causing any other inconvenience.
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