Proposed Solution

So basically, after observing how people use their hands to interact with the food and all the surfaces around them, I noticed a nice thing that would drive my design. I already knew from research that not cross contaminating in the first place (not touching at all; hands free) is the way to avoid getting sick. So in a few sessions, I helped out the person cooking by literally "hovering" over their cooking and dispensing the spice myself, and later asked if that was helpful/more convenient at all. They all pretty much said yes, and that they wished they can cook like that every time. Bingo!

So, here is a proposed device which will do exactly that: The HoverMill

 

The clear cover at the bottom focuses the spices into a single radius of less than .5", so the user can pinpoint exactly where it is going to fall.

Basically, the spice (salt, pepper, etc) would go inside one of these cartridges. In the future, a study may help expand a sort of spice rack made to hold many of these cartridges.

Exploded View.

 

The mill would spin, powered by the main device when it is plugged into...

 

This. This is the main body. The bottom + sign plate would hold the cartridges, 

the front most will be powered by the motor.  The center will contain a small light to help light the containers from a side, helping the user see how much spice is in the current containers.

 

This is what it would look like with all of them in place. A further study is needed to see exactly how many containers a plate should hold, but for the purpose of this study, 

I chosen 4 for the time constraint.

 This is the main LCD display. Since the device is voice controlled, I needed a clear display to help reassure the user what exactly they just voice inputted into the machine.

In this instance for example, the user said "select pepper" and then "zero point seven five teaspoon"

All the person had to do now is say "Start", and the mill will dispence until the indicator says "0"

There is also a second way, by just selecting the spice and then saying "start" and "stop" when you want to stop. In this case, the LCD will increase in number indicating how much of that particular spice is dispensed. A potential future study may incorporate oils and sauces in the containers, and a way for the voice command to dispense those as well.

Last but not least, is the rail system. Due to time constraints, I only had time to propose a simple rail system that moves the device forward and backwards, to help positioning it and to store it out of the way. In a future study, I personally would like to develop a better mounting system that would fit the needs of the user in a more diverse setting.

Surveymonkey version of the survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B9ZQ277

Please take it if you didn't already e-mail me your answers. It's only 4 questions and won't take much time!

GANTT Chart

First draft of survey questions

Survey questions: Cooking with meat

1. Do you know about food safety and food borne illness prevention?

2. Do you have an effective way of seasoning meat with things like salt, pepper, etc without contaminating the containers?

3. If so, please say how (Washing hands, using disposable gloves, cleaning containers after, etc)

4. Would you be interested in a hands-free seasoning device?

For those of you reading this, how can I improve these? Is there anything else I can ask?

Problem Statement (And possible first in panel of experts)

I may have found my first panel of experts. She has a degree in culinary arts, and I may use her knowledge to help refine my design and practical application of the device.

Timeline

Intoduction

I am currently a student in San Francisco State University. This August, I will complete a degree of B.S. in Industrial Design, with a focus on Product Design.

Design is not only my passion, but also my
calling in life. Ever since my youth, I was always preoccupied with taking apart assorted objects around my home, and rebuilding them with new features so they would work better. As I grew older, I realized that each change in the initial design process would reflect upon the success of a product, and therefor each successful design can improve the lives those who use them. My goal in life is to create such designs that that will enrich the lives of everybody that comes across them.

What inspires me are complex things that contain individual parts that work perfectly with each other. There is nothing more perfect than a machine that is 100% efficient. That isn't to say I don't like simple things either, as I also greatly respect designs that offers simplicity without sacrificing utility.

I hope that in the future, I can be a designer in an electronic company like Sony or ASUS.

   The six words that would describe me are:
Technological, Rational, Future, Algorithmic, Spiritual, Machinery.