The Engineer

Arthritis-simulation gloves

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As the population ages, manufacturers of consumer goods are realising that many customers may not be as nimble fingered as they once were. To help product designers address the issue, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have been developing ways to identify and address the needs of such consumers.

GTRI’s latest product is a pair of arthritis-simulation gloves, which reproduce the reduction in functional capacity experienced by persons with arthritis. The gloves help those responsible for designing consumer products better understand how arthritis affects a person’s ability to grasp, pinch, turn, lift and twist objects.

’A product manager or designer can put these gloves on and attempt to open their company’s products or packaging,’ explained Brad Fain, GTRI principal research scientist. ’If they are unable to open a product or package, then chances are high that people with moderate to severe symptoms of arthritis will also have difficulty opening it.’

The gloves can be used with a variety of consumer products, including medicine bottles, beverage containers, office supplies, medical devices, vehicles and mobile phones. They can also be used with many different types of packaging, including clamshell packages, cardboard boxes, cereal containers and foil packages.

Three companies, including Kraft Foods, are currently using the gloves in-house.

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