Session: DFMLC-02-02: Design for Manufacturing, Assembly, and Integration

Paper Number: 143206

143206 - Product Development for Ultra-Low-Volume Production: A Case Series of Assistive Technology Commercialization 

At the current state of knowledge, product development of assistive technology (AT) varies between companies and prioritizes tacit knowledge. This lack of standardization often results in AT products with short-lived commercial viability. The following study attempts to understand how companies decide to commercialize AT, particularly focusing on "Orphan" AT, which refers to products with a market size translating into ultra-low-volume production. Current resources from organizations like TREAT and IMPACT offer guidelines for AT design but lack a framework to guide decision-making. The results of this case series will ultimately contribute to developing a decision-based AT product development process. Through semi-structured interviews, company principals or inventors of Orphan AT were asked about several product design aspects including conceptual design, market assessment, manufacturing, and production volumes. The respondents included AT company owners, inventors from various fields, and individuals with disabilities who initially created devices for personal use. Market research and assessment of predicate technology emerged as crucial factors in early-stage Orphan AT development that help products sustain market viability. Personal passion, experience with individuals with disabilities, and knowledge of general product design are also beneficial factors, but do not guarantee product success. The results will contribute to developing a model for decision-based AT product development. Based on the interview responses, potential input parameters for said model could include market size, predicate technology assessment, component standardization, manufacturing techniques, and assembly steps.

Presenting Author: Taylor Allen Georgia Institute of Technology

Presenting Author Biography: Taylor Allen is a PhD candidate in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and a Graduate Research Assistant for the Rehabilitation Engineering and Applied Research Lab. With a BS in Biomedical Science and an MS in Mechanical Engineering, she utilizes her multidisciplinary background to conduct research in areas such as Design for Manufacturing and Design Optimization, focusing on how they can be applied to assistive technology (AT) product development. Her current research centers around improving the product development process when designing low-volume AT in order to remove some of the barriers companies encounter when trying to design and market AT.

Authors:

Taylor Allen Georgia Institute of Technology
Stephen Sprigle Georgia Institute of Technology