Development of Next-Generation Version of LG Comfort Kit
LG Electronics is partnering with the National Rehabilitation Center to enhance accessibility so that anyone can easily use home appliances regardless of age or disability.
A user with physical disabilities who lacks strength or fine hand movements using the 'Easy Handle,' designed to make opening and closing the refrigerator door easier / Photo by LG Electronics
On the 24th, LG Electronics will sign a "Business Agreement for Improving Accessibility of Home Appliances and Technical Research Cooperation" with the National Rehabilitation Center. The signing ceremony, held at the National Rehabilitation Center, will be attended by Lee Hyang-eun, head of LG Electronics H&A CX, and Kang Yoon-gu, director of the National Rehabilitation Center, among others.
LG Electronics will work with the National Rehabilitation Center to develop technologies that reduce inconveniences experienced by people with disabilities, the elderly, and children when using home appliances in daily life, providing a more convenient customer experience. They plan to introduce the next-generation version of the LG Comfort Kit, which was launched last month in collaboration with the National Rehabilitation Center’s Independent Living Support Technology Research Team. They will also collaborate on assistive device research projects conducted by the National Rehabilitation Center.
The LG Comfort Kit is an improvement device that can be attached or detached to existing products to enhance accessibility by analyzing pain points (points where customers feel inconvenience) experienced by users of different types and products through a disability advisory group. For example, the Easy Handle is designed to allow users with physical disabilities who have limited fine motor skills to easily open and close doors of products such as washing machines and dryers.
Meanwhile, since last year, LG Electronics has been publishing "Easy-to-Read Books" that explain how to use home appliances like TVs and refrigerators easily and safely for slow learners and lower-grade elementary school students. They are also distributing universal braille stickers that can be attached to appliances for users with low vision.
Lee Hyang-eun said, "We will upgrade the Comfort Kit further in collaboration with the National Rehabilitation Center," adding, "We aim to make home appliances more convenient for all customers."
The National Rehabilitation Center, established in 1986, is the only national central institution specializing in rehabilitation in Korea, helping the elderly and people with disabilities return to society through specialized rehabilitation treatment. It develops and introduces customized assistive devices for the independent living of the elderly and disabled.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
