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Design for disability - Fork adapter

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Hello, we are a team of students from ESME Sudria in Paris — Maxence, Celenn, Yeji, and In Young.

As part of our “Design for Disability” course, we developed a solution to assist a child named Diego, who was born without fingers on his left hand. One of the daily challenges he faces is cutting food, which typically requires coordinated use of both hands: one to hold the fork steady and the other to cut with a knife. Due to the limited functionality of his left hand, Diego struggles to stabilize food while cutting, making mealtimes difficult and frustrating.

To address this, we designed a glove-style adaptive device that enables him to securely hold a fork with his left hand. The design incorporates snap fasteners, allowing the fork to be easily attached and removed, offering both stability and convenience.

For comfort and adaptability, we chose soft, skin-friendly materials with stretchable fabric, so the device remains usable as Diego grows. The glove fits snugly without causing discomfort, and it provides the necessary support to improve grip and control.

Our goal with this project is to enhance Diego’s independence during meals and support his autonomy in daily activities through a simple yet functional assistive device.

snapfit and handle version 3.f3d

This is the latest version as of 20/05/2025, not sure if it works, but i tried to make the handle and snapfit better to make the use of it easier. (to add the fork, you have to glue it inside the handle)

fusion - 550.15 kB - 05/20/2025 at 15:28

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snapfit and handle version 2_.f3d

This is the version 2 of the handle and snapfit, it works and seems pretty resistant, but is far from perfect.

fusion - 408.54 kB - 05/20/2025 at 15:27

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Latest version of snapfit and handle, with spikes_.f3d

In this file, there are the version 1 and 3 of the snapfit and handle, and some test for the snapfit.

fusion - 1.03 MB - 05/20/2025 at 15:16

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snapfit and handle first version.f3d

This file has both the version 1 of the handle and of the snapfit, it did not work because it was too fragile because it was thin, and since it was short, it doesn't even work.

fusion - 532.69 kB - 05/20/2025 at 15:13

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handle version 1.f3d

The first version of the handle for the fork that goes inside the snapfit, did not work.

fusion - 534.51 kB - 05/20/2025 at 15:13

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View all 6 files

  • 1 × Fabric We used jean fabric for the resistency and the aestetic
  • 1 × Snap-fit The snap-fit is 3D printed (file avaliable)
  • 1 × Fork We used a inox desert fork of the size and the weight

  • Feed back summary

    In young Jang05/20/2025 at 16:12 0 comments

  • Optimal Fork Placement
    It was suggested that placing the fork near the side of the thumb, rather than the center of the palm, would allow the hand to maintain a more natural and functional posture while gripping. This insight emphasized the importance of aligning the tool with ergonomic movement patterns.

  • Twist-Inspired Snap-Fit Design
    The idea of using a twist-style snap-fit mechanism for attaching the fork was highlighted as innovative. This approach enhances stability while allowing the utensil to be inserted or removed with controlled rotation, offering both flexibility and safety during use.

  • Multiple Snap-Fit Variations
    Creating multiple versions of the snap-fit adapter (we produced 10 variants) was seen as a strong design decision. This allowed us to explore different sizes, angles, and configurations to better meet Diego’s needs and test various user scenarios.

  • High-Quality Documentation
    Our documentation, including the technical drawings, fabrication steps, and user guidance, was described as very clear and well-structured. It helped communicate our design intent and made the project reproducible by others.

  • Effective Fabrication
    The overall quality of fabrication—including sewing, integration of materials, and the attachment of the 3D-printed parts—was praised. The use of soft, stretchable, and skin-friendly fabric was also noted as a thoughtful and user-centered choice.

  • Encouragement to Explore Further
    We were encouraged to explore several avenues in future iterations:

    • Varying the utensil types (e.g., spoons, pencils, toothbrushes)

    • Creating a modular system for different hand sizes or user preferences

    • Experimenting with rotational angles, materials, or quick-release systems

    • Collecting feedback from more users with similar needs

  • 20/05

    celenn.marcelin05/20/2025 at 16:09 0 comments

    Today is the last day. We finished the whole project and presented the glove to Diego and his mother. We had this feedback:

    -Quite hard to take in and out

    -Not ideal position of the fork

    -You need your own fork

    As on the project part:

    -We should have made more snap-fit prototypes (Velcro,...) because of the needed strength to open

  • 13/05

    celenn.marcelin05/15/2025 at 16:37 0 comments

    We did the final test of the project:

    -Yeji finished sewing the final version of the glove

    -Maxence made a couple more uncessful amelioration for the snap-fit system since we needed it to be easier to use since it was too hard to open

    -Celenn and Inyoung were fork shopping and bought very cute (now decapitated) bunny dessert fork. This was necessary because we needed a fork small and light enough to be easy to use while still being resistant and reusable, so we needed to find small inox forks

    -Then Celenn cut Miffy's head and Inyoung filled a bill report

  • 07/05

    celenn.marcelin05/07/2025 at 15:16 0 comments

    Inyoung was absent today, however we were able to test the newly printed prototype for the snap-fit. It worked and was resistant enough, however, we found it was too hard to open it with one hand so we decided to add a cone inside of the base to make it more natural to slide off. We are almost done with this part.

    As for the sewing of the glove, we decided which one to keep as our final prototype and Yeji started to sew the final version with a more comfortable fabric and small adjustments regarding the length of the thumb and the other finger holes. We were thinking about adding some form of decoration part on the straps that will hold the snap-fit in order to respect Diego's wish for something aesthetic.

  • 29/04

    celenn.marcelin05/06/2025 at 15:20 0 comments

    Maxence did a new handle and snap-fit that is both thinner and longer to print for next session, Celenn and Yeji worked on other drafts for the glove, Inyoung worked on a model of the fork in order to print in for the next session


  • 04/22

    maxenceperrot8004/29/2025 at 12:53 0 comments

    Celenn did a new prototype, a new person joined (Yeji), the snap fit Maxence did was a failure (quite heartbreaking), Inyoung and Maxence began to do a fork 3D model to test the snap fit inside fusion or the other application. The snap fit will be made bigger, will be more resistant around the edge since too thin (by making the rectangle hole inside slightly smaller), the handle is too short, the hole handle needs to be made bigger, the handle need to be empty, the bit up the handle need to be slightly smaller, overall, it broke in 3 sec. As for the sewing prototype, we finally have the right pattern. We’ll make a better prototype next week.

  • 04/08

    maxenceperrot8004/22/2025 at 14:55 0 comments

    Celenn did a glove prototype. The snapfit base is finished, we did 2 handle prototypes that can goes inside the snapfit, we will try them during the next lesson to see which one is the most comfortable to use, but also to see if they resist well, after that we'll make a hole inside the handle to insert a fork, to make it easier to wash, but also usable with more objects if possible, or if there is a problem, we will change a part of the design.

  • 04/01

    maxenceperrot8004/08/2025 at 08:54 0 comments

    We continued working on the different part that we each had to do, some more prototypes were made for the snap fit, we think we are going to go with the 3rd design (see the screenshot of fusion), which was inspired by a snap fit buckle (see example of the inspiration), the creation of the gloves has also began (take a look at the photo), we now have to do a fork that will fit the snap fit, our idea would be to make a 7cm fork, including its handle, which would correspond to the snap fit created, we will see if it works, but it might not be resistant enough. The way the fork would be put inside the snap fit, would be to put the fork in an adaptative handle that can be put in and out of the snap fit. 

  • 3/18

    celenn.marcelin03/18/2025 at 15:16 0 comments

    Diego was present during the class. 

    We discussed the project together to make sure we didn't forget anything.

    Still working on multi-adaptor glove, more specifically for fork and jumping rope.

     Diego seems optimistic about our project, the idea pleased him, and he liked the way the fork is positioned, he seems happy about the fact that it could be used for both the fork and jumping rope, he never wore a glove like the one we want to do, so we need to try that out. For now we are going to try making a prototype using the prolonges snap fit.

     For next class, we should all prepare:

    Snap fit - Maxance

    Band (glove) - Celenn

    The fork – In Young

    • Until the next class and we should complete our first prototype

  • 18/3

    In young Jang03/18/2025 at 14:12 0 comments

    Still working on multi-adaptor especially on fork and jumping rope. 

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