RecoverEase: A Better Foam Roller
SPRING 2023, DARTMOUTH
BACKGROUND
This project was for ENGS21: Introduction to Engineering. Over the course of ten weeks, our five-person team picked a problem, interviewed users, designed a solution, created an MVP, and received user feedback on our product. The problem we chose was that people often don’t recover their muscles effectively after exercising. Our solution was to create a foam roller with a built in timer to ensure that people roll out for long enough to properly recover.
OUTCOMES
We designed and built a foam roller with lights on each end. The lights begin to turn on sequentially once the user starts rolling out, and once all of the lights have turned on, the user knows to move on to another muscle group. We created a working prototype of our idea and were able to test it with our target users (casual exercisers).
Our tests found that when asked to roll out one muscle group for 1 minute, users rolled out for 37% longer using our roller than a standard roller. This indicated that our product was serving its purpose and helping people roll out long enough to recover their muscles.
Data showing that our roller helped people roll out for 37% longer when asked to roll out for 1 minIMPACT
I practiced utilizing the design thinking process for this project, from interviewing users to rapid prototyping to seeking feedback. I also practiced effectively communicating my ideas and pitching the product. I learned how to evaluate the sustainability of this idea using Okala impact factors and examination of materials.
PROCESS
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Conducting user research
Our research consisted of reading peer-reviewed literature, interviewing students, and sending out a survey to the student body that received 33 responses.Developing specifications
Based on our user research, we developed a problem statement and specifications for our solution.Building a prototype
A sketch of our productRefining our prototype through iterationTesting our prototype
We asked users to roll out for what they thought was 1 minute. We found that they thought they had reached 1 minute about 13 seconds earlier with a standard foam roller than with our foam rollerWe ensured that our product was water resistant and could survive being accidentally droppedCreating a business plan
We created a plan for how we would promote, manufacture, and distribute the product to consumersSustainability
The Okala Impact Factor is a framework for determining the ecological impact of a product