Ka-Lakbay: A Development of a Stair-Climbing Maintenance Cart with Braking Mechanism for the Custodians at the Technological University of the Philippines-Manila/ Danica R. Mesa, Mary Michael C. Alido, Margian Lizmae F. Cui, Kirk Jansen E. Palabrica, and Crisha Mae G. Soncuan..-

Bachelor's Thesis

College of Architecture and Fine Arts..- Bachelor in Graphics Technology Major in Industrial Design: Technological University of the Philippines, 2025.

Includes bibliographic references and index.

Custodians are important in keeping the cleanliness and orderliness of facilities.
However, transporting heavy tools, and cleaning supplies through different floor levels are
part of their everyday duties, due to this reason, physical strain and the risk of injuries are
sometimes unavoidable. The traditional janitorial carts are primarily designed only for flat
surfaces, making stair navigation risky and inefficient. In order to solve this problem, this
study developed KA-LAKBAY: A Tri-Wheels Stair-Climbing Maintenance Cart with
Hydraulic Disc Braking Mechanism. This product development is designed to improve
mobility, safety, and ergonomic use for custodians in multi-level buildings without access
to elevators.
The study followed a design and development process and evaluated the
prototype through a Likert-scale survey. The cart received a rate of 4.68 in the aspect of
functionality, 4.71 for the weighted mean in aesthetics, average of 4.71 in economy, 4.70
for workability, and 4.72 for durability, and a high overall rating of 4.72, with top scores in
safety and cost-efficiency. Respondents also emphasized its professional aesthetics,
durability, functionality, strong workability, and user-centered design, especially its ease
of use and maneuverability on stairs and slopes.
Based on the findings, the study concludes that the KA-LAKBAY cart successfully
improves custodians’ productivity and safety by reducing effort, and musculoskeletal
injuries, and enhances transport efficiency in facilities without elevator access. Therefore,
the study recommends further improvements in material selection, additional storage
enhancements, and future research expanding the cart’s application for other sectors such
as healthcare services.