Problem
Can you provide an innovative design to develop the handloom so that people with disabilities can work efficiently in the handicrafts sector?
A call for mechanical and mechatronics engineers, specialists, and entrepreneurs to find innovative modifications to the traditional handloom to facilitate the production process for people with Down syndrome, reduce their physical effort, and increase their productivity for a chance to win 20,000 Egyptian pounds provided by the British Council within the Inclusive and Creative Economy Development Program in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, to implement the proposed solution.
This challenge aims to create significant economic opportunities for people with disabilities in addition to supporting efforts to preserve this old craft from extinction. Please read the following for more details!
Challenge background
Handwoven carpets are an old craft that consumes time and effort. This craft requires two basic skills: attention to detail and patience for repetition. People with Down syndrome and people with disabilities have patience for repetition and attention to detail that make them ideal candidates to become the artisans behind this creative economy.
Handwoven carpets not only require a high degree of concentration but also require physical effort for long periods of time. Although they are talented and precise, the process is exhausting for people with disabilities, as it produces about 5 to 7 cm, which is unproductive and not financially rewarding.
Requirements and Constraints
Developing and modifying the design of the handloom to make it easier to use by people with disabilities. The adaptation of the loom must maintain the need for human involvement to create a product, but it should also ease the production process to suit a person with a disability and provide more suitable working conditions, reducing errors that lead to deterioration in the quality of the final products, in addition to increasing the income of the person with a disability and preserving this old craft. The proposed design must meet the following criteria:
Reducing fatigue and physical strain
Reducing the time required to produce a carpet piece
Easy to transport using a handcart or by workers
Preferably suitable for both people with Down syndrome and people with physical disabilities
Manufactured from locally used or locally available components
Requires minimal maintenance
Safe to use and operate
Expected Deliverables
The solution must meet the above-mentioned criteria.
The solution must be delivered as a preliminary design that validates the concept.
The solution must include a clear work plan, including implementation phases, timeline, required tools/materials, estimated budget, and required technical support (if any).
Preference will be given to machines that rely more on locally available components.
The machine’s functionality and efficiency will be tested by the solution provider before final approval and delivery.
The innovator/solution owner is committed to providing technical assistance to address any issues that may arise during the first 3 months after delivering the machine.
The proposed solution must include a user instruction manual and a plan to train workers on how to use the machine.
Deadline & Reward
Ends
All submissions must be completed by Monday, November 25, 2019 at 12:00 AM. Late entries may not be considered.
The winner will receive a reward of 20,000 Egyptian pounds granted by the British Council – Inclusive and Creative Economy Development Program to implement the solution, in cooperation with the Forsa program affiliated with the Ministry of Social Solidarity. The rewards will be granted in installments (tranches), according to milestones set by the innovators.