Recent research found that most gardening tools are designed for able-bodied people, which means that they are often uncomfortable for the elderly to use.
At the same time, elderly people are often encoraged to do some gardening as a way to combat social isolation and depression. But they often find it difficult to handle watering, planting, digging, and harvesting tools, especially for long periods of time, while they perform these activities.
Chin Pom Lam, a product design student at Birmingham City University in the UK designed Greencart as a way around the issue.
Greencart works by maximising convenience for individuals who have low mobility especially the elderly and those who use walking aids and wheelchairs. This gardening tool was designed to be light and compact to make good use of limited space. This feature helps the elderly to build safe and accessible gardens. Ergonomic design was used to make gardening less strenuous and make it more enjoyable.
The seat also has a 180 degree rotation and pull-forward detail that allows the elderly to take breaks or work in a more comfortable position.
The Greencart was awarded a James Dyson Award, an award dedicated to encouraging young people to think differently, make mistakes and realise their engineering potential.