Rhyno

Kitchen Cutter

PROJECT BRIEF

Reverse engineer an old motorized product. Then, with your findings, design a new product that accomplishes the same tasks while addressing any pain points users might have or introduce solutions that have not yet been realized.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

New chefs are often daunted by unfamiliar appliances and kitchen hazards. The lack of knowledge, tools, or skill can prevent novice chefs from entering the kitchen. Appliances should be simple to use, safe, and require little maintenance.

EARLY EXPLORATIONS

I took apart an old SaladShooter for this project. I found quickly that many motorized SaladShooters are very similar in conceptualization. Additionally, everyone I had the chance to interview, no matter their age, was unfamiliar with or had never used a SaladShooter personally. This made me realize that modern appliances may have shifted towards new forms in today's market. I decided to combine my knowledge of the product with kitchen mandolines to create a hybrid kitchen cutter.

I decided to create my model from EVA foam as it is fast to work with, light weight, and allowed me to put in subtle details much like molded plastic. I was able to shape the foam with a heat gun and get a feel for the scale faster than I would have 3D printing or shaping pink foam. I started my process with general craft foam to quickly alter my CAD sketch pages into a more accurate 3D template. The thickness of my EVA foam also allowed me to build the hollow body quickly without worrying about building up the wall thickness.