Summer Research Intern, Ergonomics Lab, Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati
Guide : Assistant Professor Sougata Karmarkar, and Mr. Taneeshwar Patel, PhD Student.
Description
Designed a 3d model of a rice and wheat harvesting hand tool aimed to be ergonomically better than the widespread sickle, while keeping a competitive pricing and efficiency.
Pre study phase
The project involved me to choose a project offered by my Professor’s doctoral student.
These were the offered projects :
1. Study the use of nanoparticles in ergonomics
2. Innovative methods to manufacture plastics
3. Hand tool design for agriculture
After lengthy discussion with the concerned PhD students, I decided to work under Mr. Taneeswar Patel, on the Hand tool design for agriculture.
He showed me some videos of the various hand operated tools that he had observed(they will be included in his thesis) while on a field trip to better understand the nature of agriculture in North East India, especially in Assam. Some of the tools were, hand and leg operated threshing machine, sickle and seed planting by hand.
He had recently published a paper documenting his observations, an concluding the need for a design intervention focussing on ergonomics of such tools. He also took into account the low per farmer land and low farmer income in stark contrast to the rest of India. Then we discussed all our options with my guide, Assistant Professor Sougata Karmarkar. Then I decided to replace the sickle with an ergonomically better implement, without adversely affecting the productivity.
Study Phase
There was no recorded use of scythe in India. Scythe is a replacement for sickle, and is 800 years younger than it. Sickle is a Neolithic tool, and any attempt to replace would require a strong rationale.
Our target population, would be the low landholding, low income farmers of North East India. This particular population belong to the lower percentile anthropometric group of India. The solution must be valid in this context. Other factors included, portablility(majority type of agriculture is Shifting agriculture), ease of maintenance. The crop were chosen to be wheat and rice, both arecurrently harvested by use of sickles.
Many other existing solutions were also observed, from mechanized harvesters to bull operated cycle harvesters. This mechanised solutions would not appeal to a low income farmer population, also many such machines are widespread in use in Punjab, Haryana (wheat bowl of India), but there is lot of difference in the force considerations of these machines and the lack of animal husbandry in North East India.
Preliminary sketches were being made.
Preliminary sketches were being made.
Design Phase
Each and every aspect of scythe use was being looked into, from posture to material use. The literature review of anthropometric considerations for North Eastern farmers, and ergonomic analysis of Sickle use, pointed towards a need of a better designed solution to the lower strength requirements and better ergonomics.
This was the focus in this phase, we came up with many novel ideas in the form of sketches. A low fidelity physical mock-up was constructed to better understand the motion of a scythe.
This was the focus in this phase, we came up with many novel ideas in the form of sketches. A low fidelity physical mock-up was constructed to better understand the motion of a scythe. The wide spread use of naturally available bamboo was also taken into consideration, it was decided that the solution must replace the oak wood in the present scythe. This was challenge as bamboo becomes weak on drilling holes and offers little scope on sharpening ends.
Realisation Phase
Now the anthropometry of the target population was analysed, and the final product sketches were made. We discussed on the possible materials to be used, and we decided to go with bamboo and iron, cheap and readily available.
The final deliverable was in the form of a CAD model and animation video of the product in use for different percentile humans, using digital human modelling techniques.
Future
The project has been accepted by my guide. Next we will be making physical prototype that will be subjected to user testing in the upcoming harvest season(wheat) in November - December.
