Accessible Cart Concept | Dharam Lokhandwala

40 Million (12%) people in USA have motor disability.

Above Image is of Stanley Soden

Other project contributors: Chia-Yun Yen (Harper) & Pranit Jena

The focus of project

How can we transform the in-store grocery shopping experience for wheelchair users?

TLDR;

We conceptualized a wheelchair attachable cart. This innovative product would be lightweight, easy to attach, intelligent and ergonomically designed to make shopping easier for wheelchair users. It allows for smooth movement through store aisles, enabling users to shop independently and comfortably, with full control over their wheelchair.

My role

Secondary research

User interviews

Thematic analysis

Sketching

Concept ideation

Concept testing

Secondary research

User interviews

Thematic analysis

Sketching

Concept ideation

Concept testing

Research

Observing wheelchair users during their shopping journey.

We did traditional observations to unravel any challenges wheelchair users might face during their shopping journey.

Main findings:

Accessibility of products and difficulty in navigation with the cart were one of the most common issues we noted from the traditional observations.

Main findings:

Accessibility of products and difficulty in navigation with the cart were one of the most common issues we noted from the traditional observations.

Trying to find main issues through Affinity mapping.

Issues

Categories

Physical & sensory barriers

Accessibility of products

Customer service

Accessibility of services

Digital Ethnography

Further understanding wheelchair users problems globally.

Height (of cart) near the wheelchair side is too big, people have to stretch their arm to place items in the cart.

Sometimes normal essential things are out of reach.

If issues spoke.

Don't leave me for motorized cart, I'm an expensive wheelchair.

I am a heavy cart, I get difficult to handle with wheelchair.

I am an important product, but I am out of your reach.

I am a heavy cart, you can't use me while steering wheelchair.

Product concept.

Iterations

Every iteration I discovered new problem as I had research going on simultaneously.

Features of a11y cart

Showing that height of the cart near the handle is less than traditional cart.

Rods to transform wheelchair into an a11y cart.

Showing that the distance between wheels of thar cart are wide apart for wheelchair to slide in.

Lower height for ease of putting items in the cart.

Attachable wheelchair concept showing tablet and scanner on the cart.

Large wheel separation to make it slidable into the wheelchair

Scanner, Tablet & Weigh to self-checkout easily

Showing the concept of attachable rods of cart.

Testing concept

Reached out to Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.

Mother of a 28-year-old with Cerebral Palsy reached out to volunteer for looking at our concept and giving feedback.

Feedback on the concept.

There are different kinds of wheelchairs and come in different sizes, so adaptability is crucial.

Considering people who can only use one hand or none at all (e.g., elder people with stroke ) is important for solution to be inclusive.

“During traditional checkout I tried (to have good experience) but it was miserable, I was getting in people’s way and it was aggravating

It’s (smart cart checkout) gonna work better than the self checkout one because you don’t have to call every now and then to reset (in the self checkout)”

How will I improve this concept in coming future?

Lightweight & sustainable materials for manufacturing

Power assist mechanism

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