Friendly Straw - Straw Stabilizer

Friendly Straw - Straw Stabilizer - open-source assistive technology product by the Milbat community

About this project

The Friendly Straw is designed to stabilize a drinking straw by fixing it to the cup and allow the user to drink independently. This design is specifically made to fit IKEA cups/mugs as part of Milbat, IKEA, TOM, and Access Israel's ThisAbles project. To learn more, please visit their website at https://www.milbat.org.il/en/thisables/

The challenge

Friendly Straw is a ThisAbles project geared at helping people drink independently. Many people do not have the hand mobility necessary to grasp and hold a cup and therefore rely on others to stabilize their cup to help them drink.

ThisAbles is a joint project of Ikea-Israel, Milbat organization and Access Israel organization. In the framework of the project, a team of Milbat product designers and occupational therapists developed a variety of special devices and add-ons that enable people with disabilities to use and enjoy Ikea products.

Who it helps

The Friendly Straw is designed to stabilize a drinking straw by fixing it to the cup and allow the user to drink independently.

How it works

This product is accessible to the public thanks to TOM's partnership with Poalim for the Community.

This device is designed for people with a variety of everyday challenges. For example, our product is perfect for people with limited hand mobility, arm amputations, or people who are cared for by others. It is especially helpful for those who have trouble drinking on their own.

This device allows the user to drink comfortably without having to hold their straw in place or raise the cup to their mouth. Its primary focus is to give the user independence while feeding themselves.

This solution helps the user by adapting a common household item into a specialized product. There is no need to buy special cups when your favorite ones can be transformed with the Friendly Straw!

Our device assists in stabilizing a drinking straw and preventing it from moving around inside the cup. It is also customizable, and can help identify which cup belongs to you.

Tools Needed:

3D Printer

Bill of Materials:

Please see BOM and printing models in the downloadable product file.

Estimated Time to Make:

2 hours of 3D-printing time

Project details

The build files for Friendly Straw - Straw Stabilizer are free to download from this page - open source, shared by TOM: Tikkun Olam Makers.

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