The Ground Hog 2.0

          In Design and Engineering we learned about simple machines and how they form tools. To better understand how tools work we were taught about mathematical notions of forces and leverage. For one of our FEs we went to Home Depot to see current tools, many used by gardeners, and what they were designed to do. On our other FE we had gone to Gravity Tank which help other companies improve their products. Going here had taught us of the design processes. This lead us to our first action project, to improve on a tool and redesign it, with a partner, so an elderly person has less trouble using it. My partner and I had chosen the post hole digger coming up with a design meant to have less difficulty when bringing dirt out of a small hole. There were some difficulties we had along the way, but the biggest one was having to scrap our original design and start from scratch. Though now I am proud that we had overcome this challenge and to of made a better design. I learned that when designing, or redesigning, anything expect a long process that might not succeed every time.

      Empathy, when a person tries to relate to another's situation without experience. This is the basic guideline in coming up with any design, whether your target is young or old. In todays world everything may be designed to be simple and quick to use for everyone, well almost. The elderly were not considered when making the new iPhone or refrigerator. A group of people considered to be outdated when in reality we don't take them into consideration when coming up with a new design. During my interview with a gardener he told me about different types of tools, both good and bad. He went on about how good tools were crucial to any type of job and if they were bad they became stressful to use. However what really struck me was when he said "tools are meant to make a job easier no matter what the job is or the person doing it". So my partner and I decided that we could redesign the post hole digger to make it easier for an elderly person to use. Thus the Ground Hog was born.

TS(2015).Ground Hog

       Before designing the Ground Hog we had to research the original post hole digger. Through this research I found how it's main connecting point was its pivot, which is the base of the entire tool having it open and close. Though I also discovered its two main weaknesses- digging time and strain on the body. Since it is a human powered machine it takes large quantities of time to dig holes deep enough to support posts; causing an extreme amount of strain on the back, arms, hands, and shoulders which often lead to injury. The Ground Hog will be easier upgraded version of this tool that will put less strain on joints and make digging time shrink. This version incorporates horizontal gel handles, one pole, snow blower's arm, charging dock, and buttons to make the process faster. These buttons turn the drill on/off and opens/closes the hatch. The hatch is designed to protect people from the sharp blade of the drill and to hold dirt when lifting it out of the ground. Gel handles are meant for comfort when using this tool this way hands won't become cramped when lifting and pushing the tool. The snow blower arm is meant to toss dirt out of the machine if it becomes too full, this way a person can keep digging if the depth is too hollow.

NOA(2015).Story Board Part1

NOA(2015).Story Board Part 2

      Considering the strain the elderly would have, by driving the tool into the ground and needing to lifting both the tool and dirt up without much force or resistance, the tool we designed would be perfect for them and others. The Ground Hog needs little force going into the ground due to the wedge/incline plane of the drill. Since the incline plane wraps around the cylinder shaped body it allows objects around it to be moved when rotating while the sharp triangle theme of the wedge splits the ground apart so it can do its job. This tool is time efficient because the drill is doing most of the work at a faster pace with higher accuracy. Last but not least it will cause less strain on the joints previously mentioned which results in less injuries.

TS(2015).Ground Hog, Forces

      Throughout this process, like all designers, we encountered challenge after challenge. Our first design had too many errors within the building process even though on paper it was a brilliant solution. We did include some key points from the first design to the current one such as the drill and singular pole instead of two sticks. A problem we ran into with the current design was how dirt would be released from the tool. We came up with the hatch for easy release and the addition of a snow blower's arm for when the container becomes full.

TS(2015).Ground Hog, Arm