The New Cutting Edge C.O.O.L Lopper

For my new class Design and Engineering, we learned about simple machines, such as inclined planes, pulleys, wedges, and levers. We also learned about some physics that would apply to these machines as well as Geometry and Trigonometry. An FE we went on is we went to Home Depot and looked at gardening tools and how they are used and the kind of simple machine concepts behind them. Also we went to a place called Gravitytank, where we saw how people study and do research on how to design a new product to sell. Both of these help lead me to the action project, where we had to interview a gardener about the tools they use. Then when we went to Home Depot, we, with a partner, chose a tool and did research on it. Lastly we had to create a design to make this tool easier for elderly people to use or younger people, really anyone who isn’t the average adult size. My partner and I chose to do the lopper, a tool used to cut branches off trees or bushes. I’m proud of the design we came up with, however one challenge we encountered was really trying to make a good design that made sense, and could actually help a person, in every possible scenario. Please enjoy what we came up with!

What is empathy? This is when someone can put themselves in someone else’s shoes and really feel what it is like to be them. As I said before we had to interview a gardener, and what I learned from the person I interviewed was that they like to use the tools as a starter and then just use their hands. They said, “I find tools today are too expensive and just get in the way of the task they are made to do.”

When looking at the lopper we learned that it has long handles to make the use of leverage higher. It uses a bumper so when cutting you don’t smash your fingers, and  it has a cutting capacity of 1.5 inches. From this we have created The C.O.O.L Lopper: the C stands for contractible, the O’s are the wheels that are on our tool, and L is for leverage. It is a lopper that is connected to a step button to cut, and it has handles for mobility and wheels on the bottom (Three: one in front and two in back). This way it is easier to move and swizzle. The handles have gel added to it, also the tool has a bar with holes and a metal bar that will click into it so it stays at that height (like a crutch); this will help to cut at different heights. Also the tool has the regular handles like from the original model so that you can direct where you want the cutter to cut. But why is this so great? Well it is easier to store away, because it can contract and become smaller, it is easier for elderly people to use because it is less stress on their back, and it is easier to control when in use.

NVA/JR "COOL Lopper" (2015)

The physics that goes into this, is force and work, because the user will need to use a certain amount of force to get the lopper to cut. Now we have put some simple machine concepts into this design as well. We put a pulley system in it, because we wanted the tool to always be closed out of safety reasons. To open it to cut it, we have two pulleys that connect to the handles of the tool and they are connected to the stepper, so that when you push down the lopper opens, and when you let go the lopper closes. The ropes being used will allow the pulleys to create a sling shot effect, making it cut the branch you need to cut. Also a wedge is added, that being the blade to cut the branch in general, otherwise it is useless.

NVA/JR "COOL Lopper, Physics" (2015)

We obviously had to think of some scenarios so it wouldn’t be too big, instead being comfortable. Now as I said we are thinking of an elderly person or someone who isn’t the average adult size, so to design our new tool I had to put myself in their shoes by, thinking of strength, when this would be used, and how it would just be better in the end. We also had to take into consideration the other styles of loppers and how they helps people, that being bent handles, or a gear to make the blade longer. These are the competition and so we had to take those concepts and make them better for our tool and the user. The main challenge of doing that was coming up with enough scenarios, where these concepts would need to be applied.

NVA/JR. "COOL Lopper" (2015)