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Message: [QUOTE="GreenGrower1, post: 300732, member: 26180"] [ATTACH type="full" width="483px"]115447[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full" width="485px"]115448[/ATTACH] Hi everyone, I'm an engineering student working on a product design project, and I wanted to share something I've been developing that I'm genuinely excited about — and would love honest feedback on. [B]The problem:[/B] Gardening is one of those activities that brings a lot of people joy and a sense of purpose, but it's also surprisingly inaccessible for anyone with limited grip strength, balance issues, joint pain, or mobility challenges that require a cane, crutch, or walking aid. Most adaptive gardening tools on the market are either clunky add-ons or sacrifice real functionality for "accessibility" — they end up feeling like compromises rather than genuinely good tools. [B]What I'm building:[/B] The Ergo Handle System is a single ergonomic handle — built around a forearm crutch-style grip and cuff for stability and support — that pairs with a quick-release attachment mechanism at the base. Instead of buying (and storing, and lifting) a whole shed full of separate tools, you get one handle and a set of interchangeable garden heads: a shovel, a cultivator/tiller, and more attachments down the line. A simple lever-locking mechanism lets you swap tools in seconds without needing fine motor control or grip strength to operate it. The goal is a tool that: [LIST] [*]Provides real wrist/forearm support during digging and tilling motions [*]Reduces the number of separate tools someone needs to buy, store, and carry [*]Makes swapping attachments fast and low-effort [*]Doesn't look or feel "medical" — it should feel like a quality garden tool first [/LIST] [B]Where I'm at:[/B] I've got concept renderings of the handle paired with both a shovel head and a tiller/cultivator head (attached below), and I'm refining the attachment mechanism and overall ergonomics now. [B]What I'd love feedback on:[/B] [LIST] [*]If you garden with a mobility aid (or garden alongside someone who does) — what tools or motions are hardest for you right now? [*]Does the forearm-cuff support style make sense, or would a different grip style serve you better? [*]Are there other attachment heads you'd want to see (trowel, rake, weeder)? [*]Any concerns about durability, weight, or the swap mechanism itself? [/LIST] This is very much a work in progress, and real-world insight from people who'd actually use something like this matters more to me than anything I could guess on my own. Thanks for taking a look! [/QUOTE]

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