DESIGN NAME: Food Feeder Plus
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Food Feeder
INSPIRATION: Babies will find their own independence in a variety way. They may show favoritism towards a certain toy or love and feel disappointed when you offer them a toy that is not the "toy du jour". Being able to assert their own preferences for eating is another way for babies to head down the independence lane. They may try to grab the spoon away from you or bat at the spoon as it comes close to their mouths. Many babies will simply clamp their lips shut and refuse to open up for a bite. This kind of behavior will help to create a positive and healthy relationship with food.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Food Feeder Plus not only helps children to eat alone, but also means more independence for the parents. Babies can hold by themselves. It is a developmental milestone that babies pass when they start solid foods. kidsme Food Feeder Plus is invented for babies to enjoy food without any food ending up in their hair or the floor anyhow. There is no need for food to be pureed if the babies are 5 or 6 months or older. Simply cut the food into small pieces and put it in the food feeder. Babies will feed themselves. In addition, the ergonomics consideration on sac let babies using the food feeder much more enjoyable.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Food Feeder's silicone sac comes in three sizes- free size, small size and large size.
Operation:
1. Choose the appropriate silicone sac size according to the size of your baby’s mouth
2. Insert the silicone sac into the ring and then pull the sac until you hear a “pop” sound which indicates secure sealing
3. Process food into small slices, pieces or mince it
4. Use a spoon to fill the sac with the diced or minced food
5. Close the feeder and secure the snap lock, then it is ready to use
6. Discard leftovers after use
Benefits of using Food Feeder:
● Improved hand-eye co-ordination and motor skills
● Minimizes choking hazards
● Aids in muscle development
● Encourages self-feeding and independence
● Allows the correct daily vitamin intake required for a growing child
● Stimulates brain development
● Easy-to-clean
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project stated from June 2013 to now in Hong Kong, and was exhibited in Cologne , Germany Kind + Jugend in September 2013, US ABC Kids Expo in 15-18 October 2013 and HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair in January 6-9 2014.
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: PP & Silicone
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: 60mm x 47mm x 95mm
TAGS: Food feeder, Avoid choking, Eat fresh food, Encourage chewing, Transaction tool
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: Children are a source of abundant inspiration for parents all over the world, and that's just how the story of kidsme begins. The founder and his wife were overjoyed when their son, Edwin, was born. They committed to being active, engaged parents, and strongly believed in giving him as healthy a start to life as possible.
Edwin's father also wanted to give his son a taste of the world, as he very much appreciated different cultures and cuisine. He imagined how wonderful it would be if Edwin could also experience a diverse palette of tastes and textures during mealtimes.
However, as Edwin's father was helping his son make the important transition from liquid to solid food, he experienced some early frustrations.
Spoon-feeding during mealtimes became challenging and tedious; choking was a risk; and the traditional, mostly “one-way” spoon-feeding method made Edwin a passive participant in his own feeding process. Edwin's father observed other parents facing similar struggles.
So, utilizing his background as an inventor with more than 30 years of experience in the baby product industry, Edwin's father found a solution and developed the prototype that would later become kidsme Food Feeder. The Food Feeder allowed Edwin to be proactive and self-feed during meal and snack times, unlike before. Eating became an enjoyable, shared experience as Edwin’s parents watched him easily explore new flavors and textures. With the Food Feeder, they were better able to introduce fresh foods to him at an early age. They were happy to encourage an appreciation in Edwin for healthy, nutritious foods that would only benefit him as he grew.
CHALLENGE: Social perspective: Initial self-feeding would result in very little food ingestion.
ADDED DATE: 2014-02-13 18:17:08
TEAM MEMBERS (2) : Herman Lo and Justin Cheung
IMAGE CREDITS: kidsme, 2013.
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