Guidebook

Empowering Self-Reliant Living for the Elderly

Through Motor-Assistive Products

A. Theme
“Empowering Self-Reliant Living for The Elderly Through Motor-Assistive Products”
1. Background
The World Health Organization (WHO) has projected a global trend toward
an aging population, with an increase in the number of adults over the age of 60
in the world by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia is
currently experiencing a demographic bonus, marked by a larger working-age
population compared to dependents, offering economic advantages. Yet, the
region is witnessing a rise in its elderly population. In 2015, seniors aged 65 and
above comprised 55% of the global elderly population, a figure projected to
surpass 60% by 2050. The proportion of seniors in Southeast Asia's total
population is steadily climbing and is anticipated to reach 17.8% by the mid-21st
century.

This demographic shift presents both opportunities and challenges for the
region. A healthy aging population must be ensured as it is often accompanied
by increasing life expectancies and corresponding health and quality of life
challenges.

Despite the potential challenges and vulnerability among the elderly

population, the opportunities that arise from this group should also be
acknowledged, as older persons live longer and have accumulated expertise,
knowledge, and experience far better than the younger population.

To ensure successful aging, it is crucial to prepare for it as early as possible.

The evaluation of successful aging involves five key dimensions: physical health,
cognitive health, disability, well-being, and social engagement. However, the
prevalence of functional disability among older adults in Southeast Asia is
significant, with a pooled prevalence of 22% for activities of daily living (ADL) and
47% for instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). This emphasizes the
significant hurdles that numerous older adults in the region encounter as they
strive to accomplish daily routines independently.



 In addition to activities of daily living (ADL) such as functional mobility
and personal hygiene, the significance of engaging in hobbies cannot be
overstated for the elderly. A comprehensive study spanning 16 countries
delved into the correlation between hobby involvement and mental health
among individuals aged 65 and older. The findings unveiled a noteworthy
connection between hobby participation and reduced depressive
symptoms, along with heightened levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and
self-reported health. Remarkably, these positive correlations persisted across
all countries, irrespective of status, gender, or retirement age.

Hence, it has become essential to ensure the self-reliance of the elderly

in both ADLs and leisure pursuits to maintain their physical and mental well-
being, thus fostering a dignified quality of life. However, motor limitations and
musculoskeletal disorders can hinder their performance, creating significant
barriers to independent living for the elderly.

Under the theme of “EMPOWERING SELF-RELIANT LIVING FOR THE ELDERLY

THROUGH MOTOR-ASSISTIVE PRODUCTS”, CHRONICS 2024 invites individuals
to come up with their most ingenious idea that aims to enhance the elderly’s
ability to perform daily tasks with greater ease. This commitment to product
innovation aims to address the societal challenges associated with ensuring a
successful aging population.
2. Theme Description
Acknowledging the hurdles faced by older adults in daily routines due to
age-related motor impairments, there's an urgent need to develop innovative
motor-assistive products. Defined as those aged 65 and above, the elderly
often struggle with mobility and leisure activities, stemming from declines in
gross motor skills. These encompass large muscle group movements crucial
for coordination and movement. Factors such as reduced muscle strength,
flexibility, and balance contribute to this decline. 

Thus, the theme EMPOWERING SELF-RELIANT LIVING FOR THE ELDERLY

THROUGH MOTOR-ASSISTIVE PRODUCTS aims to enhance mobility, safety, and
overall well-being for older adults, empowering them to lead fulfilling and
autonomous lives despite their motor limitations.

 The products could be designed to assist the elderly with either their
daily activities, such as walking, toileting, bathing, and other essential tasks, or
their recreational interests, such as gardening, shopping, and more. The
following are some products that fulfill the requirements to help in shaping the
participant’s ideas, but the products made are not limited to those listed
below:
Humble Vacuum Cleaner

Humble Vacuum Cleaner is designed to help the elderly in performing

household chores. When the battery of a vacuum cleaner runs out,
individuals must recharge it by physically lifting the vacuum cleaner from
the floor and plugging it into the charger. However, this task poses
challenges for elderly individuals. Therefore, Humble Vacuum Cleaner
addresses this challenge by incorporating an automatic charging feature
upon placement onto its dock. Moreover, it resolves the inconvenience
associated with debris removal by situating the dust bag container at a
height that eliminates the need for bending.
Stand Assist from Sitting Position
 The Stand Assist cushion is a helpful device designed to assist elderly
individuals in transitioning from sitting to standing positions safely,
reducing muscle strain and conserving energy for other tasks. It operates
without the need for batteries or electricity, utilizing a hydropneumatic gas
spring system. It is able to gently and safely lift the elderly to a height of 8-11
inches as they begin to stand. Its self-powered functionality makes it
portable and easy to use on the go, eliminating the need to search for a
power source.
Walking Aid with A Pet Box

This walking aid equipped with a pet box serves as a product solution
supporting the elderly to bring their beloved pets with them for a walk while
also providing mobility and safety for themselves.
Stair Climbing Cane Half Step Stair Lifts
 This cane is a mobility aid that provides support for elderly individuals
while navigating stairs, curbs, sidewalks, or walk-in tubs. It reduces the
range of motion required to flex the knee during ascent or descent,
minimizing joint stress and enhancing safety. The cane features anti-skid
pads and a base with four support seats equipped with anti-skid rubber
protective sleeves, ensuring stability even when wet.

Stand Assist with Handrails

The Stand Assist with 3 Handrails is a versatile product designed to

assist the elderly in standing up from various positions, including sitting,
crouched, and lying down. The handrails, grips and base are meticulously
designed to avoid the elderly exerting a significant amount of force to push
themselves back up while enhancing safety and providing greater stability.

Garden kneeler
 The Garden Kneeler is a multipurpose product design to support

elderly individuals while gardening by providing protection for the knees

and back. This garden stool is equipped with two large pouches, which are

ideal for storing and organizing gardening tools. The Garden Kneeler is

suitable for elderly gardeners, as it promotes comfort, support, and

organization while engaging in gardening activities.

Limitations

It has to be a tangible product

Products must be able to accommodate the elderly gross motoric

limitation

The use of technology can be applied but as an additional featur

The intended use of the product should not be seeking therapeutic or

medical treatment

Participants must consider the safety aspect of the product based on the

applicable standard

The use of the product must be directed to elderly users physically.

Products must be innovative, which are original and have never been

made before

Product has to be ergonomically safe for the users

If the product qualifies until the final stage, participants are required to

develop the prototype, that must comply with

The prototype must be able to demonstrate its intended function

The prototype must resemble the design in form and visuals

The prototype dimensions should be able to be displayed within a 2 x 2

m expo booth.

B. Terms and Conditions

Each team consists of three participants without any requirement
regarding the major of the study

All members must be from the same university

Participants must be citizens from the Southeast Asia region

Participants must be actively enrolled as undergraduate (S1) or Diploma

students by September 8th, 2024

Each team can only submit one product concept

Each team is prohibited from showing any kind of university identity in

the abstract, mini-proposal, and full proposal

One participant can only participate in one team

Products must be original and have never been commercialized before.

Violation of this rule leads to immediate disqualification

Each team is strictly prohibited from proposing new product designs

once the abstract submission is complete

Each team is not allowed to change the name of the proposed product
design throughout CHRONICS 2024

The copyright of the product design is transferred to CHRONICS 2024,

hence you are not allowed to use it for another competition

Registered teams are required to enclose a Statement of Design

Authenticity with stamp duty (for Indonesian participants) or other
equivalent validation stamps (for International participants)

There is no restriction for participants, finalists, or the past CHRONICS

winners to join the competition again

The committee reserves the right to change the terms and conditions in
the guidebook at all times. Further changes will be informed through the
CHRONICS’ official website and/or social media

The committee reserves the right to follow up on teams that commit fraud
or violations of competition rules before or during the competition.

 p. Judges’ decisions are absolute and cannot be contested.

q. The selection stage will be conducted online. The teams that qualify for the

finals will participate in the offline final stage in Yogyakarta.

C. Selection Stage
Registration and Abstract Submission

In the first stage of the selection process, every team should upload a
brief description of their product (contained within the abstract form
downloaded from our website (chronicsugm.web.id). In this stage, the
background and general concept of the proposed product will be
evaluated. The schedule of registration and abstract submission is from
April 2nd to April 30th, 2024 at 23.59 (GMT+7).
The procedure regarding this stage can be viewed below:
Download files consist of the Abstract Form, Registration Form, and
Statement of Design Authenticity on our website (chronicsugm.web.id).
The files can be downloaded starting from April 2nd, 2024
Fill out the registration form that contains personal information.
Participants are required to scan their student identity cards
A statement of Design Authenticity must be signed by the team’s chief
on legal-size paper (21.59 cm x 35.56 cm) and validated by IDR 10,000
stamp duty (materai 10.000, allowed to use e-materai 10.000) or other
equivalent validation stamps (for non-Indonesian participants)
All required files* to be submitted in this stage consist of:
Abstract For
Registration Form (including a scan of students' identity cards
Statement of Design Authenticity

*) must be in PDF Format

The abstract should be written in no more than 350 words and written in
English (Standard Written English)
Compress all required files (.rar or .zip) and label each file with the
format: University Name_Team's Name_Abstract Form/Registration
Form/Statement of Design Authenticity.

For example UGM_ISHIKAWA_Abstract Form

Upload the file on our website (chronicsugm.web.id) before April 30th,
2024 at 23.59 (GMT +7).
This Registration and Abstract Submission stage is completely FREE
Every participant in each team is required to upload a twibbon on
Instagram with a public account setting and tag 5 of your friend’s
Instagram accounts. Twibbon is available on our website
(chronicsugm.web.id). Do not forget to screenshot your twibbon and
attach the screenshot in the registration form.
Scoring Criteria
Aspect Description Weight
Product idea relevance towards the
Idea Relevance theme “Empowering Self-Reliant Living 25%
for The Elderly Through Motor-Assistive
Products”
Product idea has uniqueness
Creativity demonstrated in the product’s concept 25%
and is capable of inspiring excitement
and interest of the target.
Product idea presents fresh and
Originality innovative solutions, distinct from 30%
existing products or designs in the
market.

Clear and concise structur

Free of grammatical errors, spelling 20%
Abstract Format mistakes, and inconsistencies in
formattin
Credible and relevant references
used
 Products that meet the scoring criteria will compete in the Mini Proposal
Stage. The results of this stage scoring will be announced via
CHRONICS’s website, chronicsugm.web.id, and email on May 9th, 2024.
b. Mini Proposal Selection
The participants who have passed the first stage of selection will proceed to
the second stage which is the Mini Proposal Selection. In this stage, the
participants must create a mini-proposal explaining the details of their product
design (including supporting data, product design aspect, a 3D sketch of the
product), and ergonomics aspect. The schedule of Mini Proposal Selection started
from May 9th until June 8th, 2024 at 23.59 (GMT+7). Each team is required to
transfer a fee to enter this stage. Further guidelines for this selection stage will be
informed via email to these selected teams in the form of a Mini Proposal Stage
Guidebook.
c. Final Round
The selected teams that pass the Mini Proposal Stage will then participate in
the final round. Those teams are required to re-register before the due date. The
final round will be held offline in Yogyakarta from September 5th to 8th, 2024. To
participate in this stage, selected teams must develop their Mini Proposal into a
Full Proposal containing information about their product in finer detail and create
a prototype of the product (the guidelines will be informed in due time). This final
round comprises a series of events*, which include:

Full Proposal Stage

The selected teams are required to submit several files which will be
informed in the next announcement.
Mentoring Session by Experts
Finalists will get a mentoring session from reputable experts for final
preparation.
Final Presentation
Finalists will present the contents of their full proposal in front of a panel of
j udges for evaluation, review, and feedback.
 Chronics Talk & Case Study Session
Here, finalists will pitch their creativity against other teams in a test of wits

where the problem that they must solve is presented on-site, preceded by

insightful talks from experts/Case Collaborators regarding the case about

to be given.

Fun Session - City Tour

Participants will participate in the Fun Session that delivers appealing

Yogyakarta trips packed in a game to introduce Yogyakarta’s fineness and

culture in an exciting way.

Offline Public Exhibition

In this session, the 10 finalist teams will be showcasing their product

prototype to the judges and audiences.

*)Changes may occur

D. FAQ
Q: Is there any limitation on the number of teams from each university?

No, there is not. Each university is free to send any number of teams. One person

can only be part of one team.

Q: I was one of the winners in the CHRONICS 2023, can I join the competition

again this year?

Yes, you can join the competition again. Whether you were just a participant,

finalist, or even the winner, there is no restriction to join the competition again.

Q: Is it allowed to join the competition if none of the team members is from

an Industrial Engineering / Industrial Design major?

Yes, it is allowed. The composition of majors from team members is exempt as

long as they are from the same university.

Q: Should the abstract, mini-proposal, and full proposal be written in

English?

Yes, all documents submitted through the competition are written in English,

following the rules of Standard Written English (SWE).

Q: Is it allowed if there is any change in team members?
Any change in team members is prohibited.
Q: Is there any tolerance for delay in submitting files due to technical error?
No, there is not. There will be a point reduction for delayed submission. It is
better to submit all required files before the due date to prevent unexpected
things.
Q: How many teams will be selected for the final stage?
10 teams will be selected. Those teams will be invited for the final stage on
September 5th-8th, 2024. If there are any changes due to the current situation,
it will be informed to the selected 10 teams.
Q: What are the necessary things that must be prepared by finalists?
The guidelines will be informed in due time.
 E. Timeline
2 - 30 April
Open Registration and Abstract
Submission
9 May
Abstract Stage Announcement

9 May - 8 June
Mini Proposal Stage

3 July
Top 10 Announcement

15 July - 17 August
Full Proposal Stage and
Mentoring Session
18 August
Full Proposal Submission Deadline

5 - 8 September
Final Stage
E. Contact Person

For further information regarding the competition, you can reach out to our contact
person, email, or send a DM to our official Instagram account according to the list down
below
Contact person : Fida +6281228274541 or Rifat +628112900419

Email : chronics@ugm.ac.id

Official Instagram : @chronicsugm