Shangyi Bai, Federico Fanucchi,
Nicole Pinardi, Wei Qin, Rebecca Squeri
K-Feed is a wearable device designed to be worn around the astronaut’s waist to facilitate their movements while eating or preparing a meal.
The idea for K-Feed was born when observing how unfamiliar meals in space are and how challenging it can be to eat and keep the food in place at the same time.
It is adjustable in size, retractable to take up as little space as possible when not in use and designed specifically for the astronaut’s torso, an area of the body that won’t create disparities but rather brings together all types of users, including those astronauts with prosthetic limbs.
Inclusive and accessible design.
The initial guideline was provided by ESA’s “Parastronaut feasibility project”, however K-Feed is fundamentally functional for anybody, as it guarantees an additional spot to keep objects in place and closer to the astronaut’s body.
It may also be particularly useful for those with reduced mobility in their upper limbs, as very precise and complex movements with the hands might be difficult to perform for them.
