Industrial Design for One-Handed Users

If we have both arms we never have to think about how to do simple, everyday tasks like bathing, working out, eating, preparing food, and getting dressed every morning. Imagine for a second how you would button up your shirt, cut vegetables, or cut a slice of the chicken or steak you are about to eat if you had only one hand. Fortunately, many brilliant inventors have developed products to help single-handed users, with the assistance and expertise of industrial designers and product developers like our team at Spark Innovations.

Products Designed for One-Armed Users

It’s amazing what we can design to make lives better. Even more impressive is what we can design to help people with disabilities and, especially, one-handed users. We discovered a series of inventions that help one-handed people:  tools for food preparation like cutting boards, utensils, and can openers; basics like plate guards, shoe horns, knives, and button hooks; also leisure tools designed for playing cards, and free hand fitness devices.

In our research we also uncovered items that were not initially designed for single-handed users but are being used perfectly by them, including this cheese slicing device, bag sealers, and flossers.

We found a vast variety of single-handed cutting board designs such as this one featured in core77, another designed by Carlos Terminal, and these from Patterson Medical.

We also found simple adaptations that improve the lives of single-handed users, like this nail brush with suction cups and this steel plate guard. Other interesting designs we discovered include this pull can opener and this slant dish and the dual button aid.

Designing for Medical Applications and Disability

From simple adaptations to intricate designs and mechanically engineered devices, designing meaningful products is something we love to do. At Spark Innovations we have designed a wide variety of products for medical applications that help people heal, with rehabilitation and disability. We designed the GEMS, a medical device used for the rehabilitation of people suffering the aftermath of a stroke. We developed the Venowave -Peristaltic Pump, in conjunction with Dr. Jack Hirsh. The Venowave is a peristaltic pump that generates a wave-form motion which produces upward volumetric displacement, translating into an increase in venous and lymph flow. We also helped in the design of the Omni Matrix. Developed in conjunction with dentists, the Omni Matrix is the first high functionality disposable matrix system. Its articulating head swivels easily in a single movement to fit comfortably into any quadrant of the patient’s mouth, making dental procedures faster and easier.

If you or someone you know has a specific need or an idea for a product that will help single-handed people or individuals with any type of physical challenge, contact us today to learn how we can help make that product a reality.

CARLOS TERMINEL Board for single handed person