Joey Active Bed – Helping elders safely sit up, get out of bed, and become more active

Background

Having conducted a deep dive to discover insights into the physical, emotional, and socioeconomic needs of Thai elders, the team identified several critical pain points in their daily lives, one of which was the beds they used. Most elders struggled with beds that did not address their physical challenges, such as difficulties of sitting up from a lying position, or risks of falling while getting up. Some elders used hospital beds at home, but those had negative connotations of sickness and dependence on others. Beds that were designed specifically for elders existed in foreign markets, but they became prohibitively expensive when imported. The team thus endeavored to design and engineer a bed that would not only fulfill the physical and emotional needs of Thai elders but can also be economically domestically manufactured.

Goal

The goal of the project was to develop a bed that elders, as well as rehabilitating patients, can afford and adopt for home use. This bed would help them sit up and get out of bed safely and independently, become more active, and have better physical and emotional well-being.

What does the research team do?

The team used the Human-Centric Design process to design and develop Joey Active Bed, which involved discovering insights into the users, their characteristics, ergonomics, needs, desires, and living contexts, while also taking into account technical and economic feasibilities of the product.