LEONARD DAVIS SCHOOL OF GERONTOLOGY (UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) -- A desire to make it easier for his grandparents to prepare their own meals motivated Lamar Pi to design MODU, a customizable tray and accessory set that attaches to walkers or wheelchairs to give people with limited mobility a stable work surface and accessible storage space.
“They’re unable to stand up for long periods of time and transporting objects around the home is a challenge,” said Pi, an Industrial Design student at San Francisco State University, of his otherwise-active grandma and grandpa.
The portable prototype, inspired by a service trolley, a Japanese bento box and outdoor cookware, earned the top prize in USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology’s Morton Kesten Universal Design competition, an annual contest that challenges students across the country to come up with products or spaces that can help people of all ages and abilities to live comfortably at home.