Industrial - Bachelor

LiVO for Independent Living

LiVO helps older adults access low cupboards and drawers at home. By combining a supportive handhold with a padded knee platform, it assists lowering, reaching and standing up again.

Ain Jeon

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tHE PROBLEM

Reaching into low storage often means bending, squatting, or kneeling, then managing the effort of standing back up again. For older adults, this sequence can reduce comfort, challenge balance, and place pressure on the knees and back. This revealed an opportunity to support the full movement, not just the act of reaching.

RESEARCH & INSIGHTS

Four sketches show how people access low storage. One person squats, another bends at the waist, a third kneels, and a fourth holds onto furniture for support.

How people reach low storage

The research highlighted that accessing low storage involves more than reaching for an object. Lowering the body, maintaining balance and returning to standing can all present challenges. These findings revealed an opportunity to support the entire movement rather than focusing on reach alone.
Name
LiVO_Research Report
File Type
application
File Size
1 B
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Name
LiVO_DDR_Research & Insight
File Type
application
File Size
1 B
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IDEA DEVELOPMENT

Comparing the concept directions

Five concepts were compared against six design priorities, including support during lowering and rising, freedom to retrieve objects, movement flexibility and storage efficiency. The comparison highlighted trade-offs between body support and portability. Larger platforms offered greater support but required more space, while cane-like concepts were easier to move and store.

Three sketches show LiVO evolving from a wide frame with two knee pads to a single-post cane with a moving pad, then to a frame that guides the pad between two posts.

Developing the knee support

The three sketches show how I developed a knee support from my 5 initial ideas. The first concept had a wide frame, two knee pads and a handhold on each side. To make it easier to carry between cupboards, I explored a cane with a single post and a smaller platform for one knee.

In the cane concept, the pad extended out from one side of the post. I was concerned it could twist if someone placed their knee near the outer edge. In the third concept, I placed a post on either side of the pad to guide it as it moved up and down, while keeping the frame narrow.

Mechanism

internal mechanism

Internal tension springs are housed within the vertical rails and connected to the moving knee platform. As the platform lowers, the springs extend and generate a restoring force to assist its upward return.

Physical Prototype

The full-scale physical prototype brought together the dual-rail frame, sliding knee platform and spring mechanism. The fabrication and assembly process helped refine component fit and the overall construction.

Name
LiVO_DDR_Ideation and Prototype
File Type
application
File Size
1 B
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FINAL DESIGN

LiVO combines a supportive handhold with a spring-assisted knee platform to make accessing low storage more manageable. Its compact dual-rail structure brings movement support into a form designed for everyday home use.

design for manufacture

Design Details

LiVO’s design details focus on comfort, stability and everyday usability. The rounded handle, cushioned knee platform and rubber feet provide supportive contact points, while the compact frame and soft finishes help the product fit naturally into a home environment.

LiVO is presented in four colourways: Olive, Terracotta, Mist and Taupe. The soft, muted palette was developed to complement everyday home interiors, creating a more approachable appearance than conventional medical equipment.

Name
LiVO_DDR_Final Design
File Type
application
File Size
1 B
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Ain Jeon

Ain Jeon likes to put a sketch to the test. She studies industrial design at QUT in Brisbane and works between SolidWorks and the workshop, building prototypes to see how an idea feels in the hand and what she might change next.

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