Brent Woodso
Opening the door is a simple, painless procedure for most, but those who suffer from arthritis have a different story to tell.
Norman Krantz, a junior majoring in industrial design from Honolulu, Hawaii, discovered this after conducting extensive interviews with those suffering from arthritis.
Krantz decided to humanize technology. The result: the “Easy Open Door Lock”, which has been awarded $500, a trophy and a certificate of appreciation from the National Arthritis Foundation.
Krantz was also presented the Tylenol Arthritis Foundation Student Innovation Excellence Award by Alice Anderson, vice president of the board for the Arthritis Foundation serving Utah and Idaho.
“The foundation and the 400 million suffering from arthritis, worldwide, thank you for your efforts to alleviate the strain and pain of this insidious disease,” Anderson said.
Program Director of the Arthritis Foundation Tia Mittelstadt said the innovation was “just great.”
Krantz began his project by taking apart a lock mechanism and studying the design. He then asked local locksmiths if it was possible to reconstruct the lock so all that needed to be done to unlock a door was to insert a key into the hole and turn the entire door handle.
Krantz was told, “No way. It is not possible.”
Bridging the gap between engineering and fine art, Krantz did what many deemed impossible.
The Arthritis Foundation also presented the Industrial Design and Visual Arts Department with a $2,500 check for its contribution to the improvement of the lives of people with arthritis.
The department was also recognized as one providing a “critical bridge to young designers who will be creating tomorrow’s world,” said President Bart Penfold, of Age Wave Health Services.
