Overview

This unconventional shovel fills the gap between trowels and full shovels in a design that combines ergonomic handle designs and a more efficient digging blade. It was given the unofficial name "Badger Spork," a reference both to its biomimicry of a badger's digging claws and its accidental resemblance to a certain eating utensil.

Task and Research

My group chose to design a product that would assist in transplanting a small- to medium-sized plant, reducing the stress exerted on the user's body. Research was gathered through personal experience, interviews with target consumers, precedent analyses, and interviews with professionals.
Group Research Boards: Storyboard, Task Analysis, and Precedents. Click to open in new window (PDF format.)

Concept Sketches
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Concepts

I explored a variety of concepts, including:

• a drill-like device that would dig around the plant
• gauntlet-style digging gloves
• a basket-like device that would fit around the plant and then grasp it under the roots

What fascinated me the most about my concept sketches was the idea of digging claw-equipped gloves. This idea was pure biomorphism, having been inspired by a badger's digging claws.

Design Direction
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Design Direction

Although the biomorphism of my final design was not quite so blatant, the digging claws were still the primary inspiration. I incorporated the idea of claws into the design of a somewhat standard shovel to create a novel digging blade combined with two ergonomic handles that could be adjusted for body size. As the culmination of two semesters of study, the final design was made with function, body fit, form, materials, and sustainability in mind, as demonstrated in the design overview (PDF format; opens in new window.)

Use

Body Positions

Kneeling, back straight	Sitting	Standing

Digging Edges

A straight downward thrust focuses the force on two points to break up hard ground.	An angled thrust brings all four points into use, increasing the amount of soil breakup at the loss of some raw force.

Motions

1. Thrust into ground	2. Lift up dirt	3. Dump dirt by tilting shovel

Assembly & Adjustability