Empowear

The Empowear design process began through direct engagement with users, including a person with cerebral palsy who relied on carers to pull up their pants, and elderly family members who expressed fear of losing dressing independence and privacy. These personal insights, alongside extensive literature review and market research, highlighted the critical need for assistive devices that not only function effectively but also avoid the stigma of unattractive, medical-looking aids that users often abandon.

Applying the Double Diamond design framework, the project progressed through divergent ideation and convergent refinement, supported by over six major prototype iterations and many smaller refinements. Prototyping combined physical modeling on mannequins and my own body, alongside CAD, 3D printing, cardboard mock-ups, and electronics integration.

Multiple attachment methods for clothing, such as magnets and Velcro, were trialed to accommodate different fabrics. Ergonomic principles and regulatory considerations, like public bathroom handrail standards, informed design decisions to enhance accessibility and usability. Portability and adaptability were prioritized by designing for walker-frame mounting and customizable sizing.

While the final functional prototype successfully demonstrated Empowear’s core concept and user benefits, ongoing development will focus on refining the clothing attachment mechanism to accommodate flexible fabric materials more reliably. This iterative approach ensures the design remains responsive to real user needs and manufacturing feasibility.

Empowear sets a new benchmark in inclusive design by reimagining the overlooked act of getting dressed as an opportunity for independence, dignity, and personal empowerment. Designed for people with limited mobility, including older adults and individuals with disabilities, Empowear enables users to put on lower-body garments without physical assistance, reducing injury risk and relieving pressure on carers and Australia’s healthcare system.

Functionality, usability, and aesthetics were addressed holistically through iterative prototyping, ergonomic testing, and user interviews. The devices height-adjustable frame and compact size allow it to seamlessly integrate into users daily environments, whether at home or while travelling. Core interactions such as positioning, clothing alignment, and controls were tested using mannequins, body-based studies, and functional prototypes.

Concepts for clothing attachment explored magnets, Velcro, and guided channels to account for the fluid nature of fabric, one of the key challenges in dressing-aid design. Empowear considers human factors and is informed by anthropometric and ergonomic data, as well as regulatory standards for mobility aids and public restroom infrastructure. Its neutral styling and discreet appearance challenge the stigma of medical-looking assistive products, encouraging continued use and pride in ownership.

Empowear challenges the stigma of traditional assistive devices by making beauty a core part of its development. Too often, assistive devices are designed only for function, overlooking aesthetics. Empowear takes a different approach: it’s sleek, discreet, and designed to blend into the home or daily life without drawing unwanted attention. Its aesthetic appeal isn’t an afterthought; it’s a statement.

By prioritising function and design, Empowear sets a new benchmark for Assistive Technology in Victoria and beyond. It shows that assistive design can restore not only independence, but confidence - through good design.

Empowear solves a critical challenge in independent dressing by introducing an innovative motorised gantry system that assists users in raising garments with minimal strength or dexterity. The operation allows users to securely attach a garment while seated, insert their feet, and then gently raise the garment over the knees and up their legs, without exertion or strain.

This approach is unique in combining mechanical assistance with a flexible frame that accommodates a range of garments and body types; unlike comparable solutions, which are manually operated and require the user’s strength to operate, limiting their usefulness for those with low mobility or fatigue. These products are rudimentary, engineered for function alone, with little consideration for aesthetics, user dignity, or the emotional experience of use.

Empowear is intentionally designed to challenge the assumption that assistive devices must look clinical or feel impersonal. By approaching Assistive Technology as a lifestyle product, not just a piece of medical equipment, it brings beauty, empathy, and desirability into a space long overlooked by good design.

The system’s portability and its ability to integrate with grab rails make it adaptable to real-life environments, from private homes to care settings. Internal features, such as a gantry plate that can support interchangeable end-effectors, were designed to allow future customisation and functionality expansion. Developed through an iterative process involving people with cerebral palsy and older adults, Empowear is a product of co-design. It responds directly to users physical needs and emotional priorities: particularly around dignity, independence, and reducing reliance on carers.

Empowear’s combination of technical innovation, practical usability, and refined visual design sets it apart as a ground-breaking solution in Assistive Technology. It demonstrates how functional aids can be empowering, desirable, and dignified, and reframes assistive devices not as medical necessities, but as tools for celebrating independence through thoughtful design.

Empowear delivers a meaningful and lasting social impact by restoring independence, privacy, and dignity to people with limited mobility, especially those living with disability or age-related challenges. By enabling users to dress independently, it reduces reliance on carers and the healthcare system, offering relief to an industry already under strain. Empowear reframes Assistive Technology, not as a clinical necessity, but as a tool for empowerment, tackling the stigma surrounding disability and aging through thoughtful, aesthetic design.

Commercially, Empowear has broad application in private homes and public/shared spaces. Its modularity and portability make it adaptable to a wide range of users, and its user-first design opens opportunities for inclusive innovation in a growing market. The system is designed to be scalable, with future iterations adaptable for paediatric, bariatric, or post-surgical users, and configurable for different care environments.

Empowear also reduces the need for carer support during dressing, freeing up time and resources in aged care and home settings. By reducing injury risks from bending or balance loss, it may also help lower hospital admissions related to dressing-related falls. The design of Empowear considers the principles of the circular economy, including modular parts that can be repaired or replaced for a longer lifespan, and recyclable materials. By enabling safer, more independent routines, it also contributes to reducing the financial impact of reactive care.

Empowear demonstrates the value of investing in professional, empathetic design. It shows that design can solve overlooked, everyday challenges in ways that are functional, beautiful, and human. Projects like this highlight the impact of inclusive innovation and promote design as a powerful force for positive change, in Victoria and beyond.

Empowear demonstrates excellence in sustainable and circular design through deliberate material selection, efficient manufacturing planning, and a strong focus on product longevity and end-of-life recovery. The product’s structure is intentionally minimal, consisting primarily of OEM components and just two custom-manufactured parts.

This approach reduces manufacturing complexity, cost, and environmental impact. Sustainability analyses were conducted using SolidWorks Sustainability tools to evaluate material choices for both plastic housings and metal mounts. The analysis compared ABS and ABS-PC blends for the outer casings, and while ABS showed a 29% reduction in carbon emissions and 24% lower resource usage, ABS-PC was selected for its superior durability and UV resistance: extending the product’s life and reducing premature disposal or replacement. The stamped sheet metal mounts were further refined through design optimisation.

A symmetrical design eliminated the need for separate tooling setups, reducing waste and production energy. A comparison between aluminium and plain carbon steel found that carbon steel reduced carbon emissions by 39% and energy use by 41%. These metals are also 100% recyclable, as is the ABS-PC plastic, and Empowear is designed for easy disassembly to facilitate material recovery at end-of-life. Beyond material choice, sustainability was embedded into the product’s design-for-disassembly and potential for future repairability. These principles were highlighted in a full Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), which identified the need for structural integrity, repair access, and quality control in assembly.

These considerations help ensure that the device can be repaired rather than replaced, contributing to long-term circularity. By prioritising low-impact materials, longevity, repairability, and recyclability from the earliest stages of development, Empowear demonstrates how assistive technology can be both user-centred and environmentally responsible.