Gardening problems - new tools/gadget ideas
 

Hi all,

as part of my class I have to solve some garden related problems through product design. This could be anything from a task being too hard to do/ to reach/ break etc

- Can you think of any products (e.g. sprinklers, spray gungs, mowers, blowers etc) that could be improved in some way or could be better designed for certain gardening niche markets (e.g. different climates, large/small gardens, disabilities etc).

- Are there some problems which still haven't been solved through design and so designing a totally a new product for the travel market? Or adding a feature to a product to improve it in some way.

Thanks guys, really appreciate any help and would love to hear your responses.

Tom

I am looking for a novel and Cheap if not FREE way to transport the rainwater from my guttering to my greenhouse

I would prefer to use everyday objects that have been recycled?

Any ideas or direction would be great

I already know there are commercial products out there that can be bought for £15 approx but I was hoping someone has an ingenious way without spending or vast construction required

Please take in consideration I am also wheelchair bound and carrying of buckets is not really an answer

Gardening problems - new tools/gadget ideas
 

tkelly-lord wrote:
Hi all,

as part of my class I have to solve some garden related problems through
product design. This could be anything from a task being too hard to do/
to reach/ break etc

- Can you think of any products (e.g. sprinklers, spray gungs, mowers,
blowers etc) that could be improved in some way or could be better
designed for certain gardening niche markets (e.g. different climates,
large/small gardens, disabilities etc).

- Are there some problems which still haven't been solved through design
and so designing a totally a new product for the travel market? Or
adding a feature to a product to improve it in some way.

Thanks guys, really appreciate any help and would love to hear your
responses.

Tom



A mower that folds smaller somehow in order to be stored in a smaller
space in today's overcrowded garages. Ditto a snow blower.

A pruner with telescoping handles to reach high branches or
into the middle of our ~10 ft. wide semicircle of junipers.

Ratchet anvil pruners and loppers for arthritic hands.

gloria p

Gardening problems - new tools/gadget ideas
 

tkelly-lord wrote:
Hi all,

as part of my class I have to solve some garden related problems
through
product design. This could be anything from a task being too hard to
do/
to reach/ break etc

- Can you think of any products (e.g. sprinklers, spray gungs, mowers,
blowers etc) that could be improved in some way or could be better
designed for certain gardening niche markets (e.g. different climates,
large/small gardens, disabilities etc).

- Are there some problems which still haven't been solved through
design
and so designing a totally a new product for the travel market? Or
adding a feature to a product to improve it in some way.

Thanks guys, really appreciate any help and would love to hear your
responses.

Tom
I want a robot that can identify weeds and bugs and remove them and
water the plants when needed. Like in the movies "runaway" and "silent
running" :)

--
Enjoy Life... Dan L

Gardening problems - new tools/gadget ideas
 

On Sep 7, 5:50*am, tkelly-lord tkelly-lord.
wrote:
Hi all,

as part of my class I have to solve some garden related problems through
product design. This could be anything from a task being too hard to do/
to reach/ break etc

- Can you think of any products (e.g. sprinklers, spray gungs, mowers,
blowers etc) that could be improved in some way or could be better
designed for certain gardening niche markets (e.g. different climates,
large/small gardens, disabilities etc).

- Are there some problems which still haven't been solved through design
and so designing a totally a new product for the travel market? Or
adding a feature to a product to improve it in some way.

Thanks guys, really appreciate any help and would love to hear your
responses.

Tom

--
tkelly-lord

Improve the "spike" sprinklers such that they shoot out the spray
evenly. I use these all the time for lawn and flower/plant beds,and
am constantly exasperated because they spray so unevenly. A small
thing, but a major annoyance.

Gardening problems - new tools/gadget ideas
 

tkelly-lord wrote:
Hi all,

as part of my class I have to solve some garden related problems
through product design. This could be anything from a task being too
hard to do/ to reach/ break etc

- Can you think of any products (e.g. sprinklers, spray gungs, mowers,
blowers etc) that could be improved in some way or could be better
designed for certain gardening niche markets (e.g. different climates,
large/small gardens, disabilities etc).

- Are there some problems which still haven't been solved through
design and so designing a totally a new product for the travel
market? Or adding a feature to a product to improve it in some way.

Thanks guys, really appreciate any help and would love to hear your
responses.

Tom

You are treading a well worn pathway here, like the one young Conan made
pushing the Wheel of Pain. I suspect there is a rather perverse design
teacher somewhere who sends all their pupils here. There may well be
lessons for you to learn here but they are not necessarily the answers to
the questions as given.

Instead of asking such an open-ended question why not spend some time with
local gardeners watching what they do and how they do it and asking specific
questions.

David

Gardening problems - new tools/gadget ideas
 

Jimgentracer wrote:
I am looking for a novel and Cheap if not FREE way to transport the
rainwater from my guttering to my greenhouse

I would prefer to use everyday objects that have been recycled?

Any ideas or direction would be great

I already know there are commercial products out there that can be
bought for £15 approx but I was hoping someone has an ingenious way
without spending or vast construction required

Please take in consideration I am also wheelchair bound and carrying
of buckets is not really an answer

How far must the water be carried? How much water? Some wheelchair-bound
people are very fit with excellent upper body strength, is that you?

My first reaction would be to install pipes and a tank rather than push a
container on wheels where you may have traction and control issues.


David

Gardening problems - new tools/gadget ideas
 

On Sep 7, 8:50*am, tkelly-lord tkelly-lord.
wrote:
Hi all,

as part of my class I have to solve some garden related problems through
product design. This could be anything from a task being too hard to do/
to reach/ break etc

- Can you think of any products (e.g. sprinklers, spray gungs, mowers,
blowers etc) that could be improved in some way or could be better
designed for certain gardening niche markets (e.g. different climates,
large/small gardens, disabilities etc).

- Are there some problems which still haven't been solved through design
and so designing a totally a new product for the travel market? Or
adding a feature to a product to improve it in some way.

Thanks guys, really appreciate any help and would love to hear your
responses.

Tom

--
tkelly-lord

Make/design a long handle to hold and operate pruning shears.

Make /design a slide hammer spade to divide ornamental grasses.

I've got the perfect project for you Tom! Forget all the long handled stuff. Long reach manual loppers, long reach hedgetrimmers, pole saws and weight bearing overhead backpack cradles have all been invented and I have most of the best of them.

The problem I have is transporting field grown rhododendron transplants that weigh in at 200kg+ over ornamental lawns and ponds etc. they are 'Instant' plants that customers demand and being shallow rooted, actually establish better than pot grown Rhodies.

At the moment I use plastic sheeting which I or we drag, but this inevitably scars the lawn and can pull your shoulders out of joint. Most of the time machines cannot get to where I need to transport them or get traction, mini diggers excluded. Failing a carthorse, what I need is a cheap hovercraft that will take a wide load and transport a 200kg-300kg root balled plant from the tailift of a lorry to the actual site where it will be hauled into place and planted. Oh and it should cost no more than a decent backpack leaf blower!

Another device that would be of use is some sort of device or tracked grab to hold large potted specimen stock such as large palms in 750litre+ pots, whilst you remove the plastic pot and plant the things, at the moment we use mini diggers, straps and man handling power. I suspect this one might be a red herring though as with the necessary weight and complexity of the kit you would need, you might as well use a backhoe or mini digger...

I am logging this post so as if you patent it I will sue! lol!

Good luck!

Thankyou for your replies and enthusiam towards this! What a great forum!

It is very tricky to find a suitable project.

The mower sounds like a nice idea, however maybe a lot for me to engineer in such a short space of time. Great line of thought tho.

Most tools now have been made with telescoping handles, and there some great pruners and loppers with rachett mechanisms.

I am intrigued by the spike sprinkler, will need to check if this is a running problem across brands of sprinklers and not just the one you have.

Thanks for the advice david, and I agree. However this is also a great starting for me.

Thanks for all the problems guys, more are welcome!!!!

Gardening problems - new tools/gadget ideas
 

In article
-sep
tember.org,
Dan L wrote:

tkelly-lord wrote:
Hi all,

as part of my class I have to solve some garden related problems
through
product design. This could be anything from a task being too hard to
do/
to reach/ break etc

- Can you think of any products (e.g. sprinklers, spray gungs, mowers,
blowers etc) that could be improved in some way or could be better
designed for certain gardening niche markets (e.g. different climates,
large/small gardens, disabilities etc).

- Are there some problems which still haven't been solved through
design
and so designing a totally a new product for the travel market? Or
adding a feature to a product to improve it in some way.

Thanks guys, really appreciate any help and would love to hear your
responses.

Tom
I want a robot that can identify weeds and bugs and remove them and
water the plants when needed. Like in the movies "runaway" and "silent
running" :)

It's easy to identify valuable plants from weeds. Valuable plants can be
easily pulled out of the ground.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/7/2/maude
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/m...515308172.html

Gardening problems - new tools/gadget ideas
 

Jimgentracer wrote:
I am looking for a novel and Cheap if not FREE way to transport the
rainwater from my guttering to my greenhouse

I would prefer to use everyday objects that have been recycled?

Any ideas or direction would be great

I already know there are commercial products out there that can be
bought for £15 approx but I was hoping someone has an ingenious way
without spending or vast construction required

Please take in consideration I am also wheelchair bound and carrying
of buckets is not really an answer

Hose or pipe comes to mind immediately. A small pump could be added if there is
upward distance involved.