This thesis presents the development of a Karakuri-inspired lifting system designed to support the ergonomic handling of pet cages within vehicle boot spaces. The primary objective was to create a passive, manually operated mechanism capable of lifting loads up to 80 kg to a height of approximately 80 cm while remaining compact enough to be stored inside a standard car boot.

The project explores a hybrid mechanism combining a scissor lift structure with integrated sliding rails, improving compactness, stability, and ease of deployment compared to traditional lever-only Karakuri solutions.

The work involved requirement analysis, benchmarking of existing lifting solutions, ergonomic considerations, conceptual development, CAD modelling in SolidWorks, and basic mechanical simulation. Several design iterations were evaluated to optimize folding height, user input force, manufacturability, and compatibility with typical boot geometries.

The final CAD concept achieved all key functional requirements, demonstrating reduced manual effort, smooth operation, and successful integration within the specified vehicle dimensions. Although a physical prototype was not produced, virtual simulations confirmed the feasibility of the proposed design. Future work includes detailed structural analysis, force calculations, material selection, and prototype validation.