Gyroscopic Soup Bowl Assistive Holder

The Gyroscopic Bowl Holder detailed in this post provides an innovative solution to an issue encountered by individuals who suffer from hand / arm tremors, which is typically seen in those who suffer from Parkinson’s disease. The primary issue being addressed concerns the ability for these individuals to carry a hot bowl of soup from the microwave to the table. Specifically, there is no reasonable way for these individuals to carry the bowl from one location to another without the risk of spilling hot liquid on their hands, which in turn, may result in injury, or dropping the bowl on the floor from the pain. When looking for solutions to this problem online it’s surprising to see there isn’t anything as far as I could see. There exists solutions for individuals who suffer from arthritis to help them pick up the bowl, but nothing that addresses the tremors that, experts estimate, affects around 10 million people in the United States.

The Gryoscopic Bowl Holder is the first unique solution to this issue that so many individuals deal with on a regular basis. This device looks and behaves similarly to a gyroscope, hence its name, and allows these individuals to carry a hot bowl of soup from one location to another while eliminating the risk of spilling any soup on their hands. Through mindful design consideration during the inception of the Gyroscopic Bowl Holder, this device is an open-source project that can be downloaded, printed, and assembled in less than 8 hours, which only costs approximately $3 in filament. Individuals seeking to take advantage of this first of its kind solution should note that the device only works with a specific bowl, which features a lip edge for the device to catch onto, which is shown in the provided images.

This device is the result of a project I completed as a Mechanical Engineering Masters students at New Jersey Institute of Technology where I was tasked with creating an assistive device for individuals suffering from degenerative diseases. I've also included the Solidworks 2024 part files.