Criticisms

We have identifed the technology we would like to develop for the elderly.

However there are a few criticisms that we would like to to answer and modify our idea accordingly...

1. Why not encourage the elderly to use online shopping?
2. Moving the trolley outside? What if the person wants to get home on the bus?
3. Would this trolley work in smaller supermarkets?
4. When the trolley is moving by itself, it limits the amount of freedom the user has.
   For example, the user might make an impulse purchase, as he/she picks up a product the trolley may have disappeared into the distance..
   

Our view to these criticisms...

1. We all know of the growing popularity of online shopping, however a lot of people are still are hesitant to provide credit card details due to security scares.
   
   Furthermore, we recognised in our brainstorms that elderly people like to remain independent. Online shopping does not allow this. Our technology would allow the elderly to shop for themselves
   
   
2. After careful thought and deliberation we have decided to remove the 'Trolley outside' feature from our idea.
   We have removed this idea because the scope of the initial idea was too wide and we would like to concentrate on the functionality inside the store.
   
   
3. The supermarkets will decide whether the trolley is applicable in their branch.
   
   
4. After analysing automatic trolley feature we have decided to implement a motored engine that powers the trolley. This means that the elderly person will only need to push the trolley slightly and the engine will power the wheels.
   This technology has already been implemented in electronic pallet trucks in cash and carries.
   (http://www.howardhandling.co.uk/products.php?PageId=4)
   Electronic pallet trucks are very expensive, the average cost being £1800 for 1400kilos. Obviously we don't need such a high capacity - the trolley will need to handle 20kg max.