SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — A hot stovetop is often a source of serious injury, especially for older adults and people with disabilities.
Lawrence Technological University mechanical and electrical engineering students are tackling that risk head-on with a simple but thoughtful invention designed to prevent painful burns before they happen.
Working closely with residents at Woodridge Apartments, an affordable senior living community in Southfield, LTU students developed “Chameleon Covers,” a color-changing stovetop burner cover that also acts as a protective barrier.
The idea came directly from the people it was built to serve.
“Early on, we heard from residents who had burned themselves because they couldn’t tell a burner was still hot,” said Landen Henery, a LTU mechanical engineering student from Ortonville, Mich. “That realization is what sparked the idea.”
What started as a single concern quickly proved to be more widespread. As students shared the concept, residents and others outside the community recognized the same risk in their own lives, reinforcing the need for a practical solution.
Other LTU students who worked closely together to create the Chameleon Covers are Molly Antoniou of Oxford, Mich., Ximena Guitian, and Chloe LaBelle of Novi, Mich., as part of the LTU Entrepreneurial Engineering Design Studio.
Henery, a freshman, and Guitian, a junior, are part of LTU’s multi-year engineering design sequence, where students progressively integrate classroom theory with hands-on, real-world problem solving from their first year through senior capstone projects.
From the beginning, the team focused on creating something residents could easily and confidently use. Early prototypes established the size and shape needed to fully cover a burner without taking up valuable space in smaller kitchens.
The final product weighs just over a pound and features a handle specifically designed for people with limited strength or mobility. That handle was not guessed at. It was tested.
Residents evaluated multiple handle options and explained what felt most comfortable and secure. Their feedback led to a wider, thicker grip with rounded edges and an open design that makes lifting the cover easier.
The result is a product that balances safety with everyday usability, ensuring it works not just in theory but in practice.
Many stovetop safety products focus on covering the surface or signaling heat. Chameleon Covers do both.
Made from heat-resistant silicone and embedded with thermochromic material, the cover changes color when exposed to high temperatures while also shielding users from direct contact with the burner.
“With the goal of preventing burns, it wasn’t enough to just show heat,” Henery said. “It also needed to act as a barrier. Both pieces are essential.”
The design also allows users to cover individual burners rather than the entire stovetop, making it easier to cook while maintaining safety. This flexibility sets it apart from many existing products that can be bulky or restrictive.
While students were not able to observe full cooking routines, hands-on testing with residents confirmed the design was intuitive and effective. It also revealed subtle but important details about how people interact with objects in their homes.
By watching how residents lifted, handled and positioned the covers, the team refined features that made everyday use easier and safer. Those small adjustments played a critical role in the final design.
Beyond its immediate impact, the project was designed with broader use in mind. Chameleon Covers could serve a wide range of electric stove users, particularly older adults and individuals with disabilities.
The team is already thinking about how to bring the product to a larger market while keeping it affordable. Current material costs are about $11 per unit, with opportunities to reduce waste and lower costs through improved mold design and bulk production.
For Henery, the project reinforced a lesson that extends beyond engineering.
“The most important thing I learned is that communication with the people you’re designing for is critical,” he said. “Without that, you can overlook real challenges and miss what actually makes something safe.”
The collaboration between LTU students and Woodridge residents reflects a broader commitment to inclusive, human-centered design. By grounding engineering in lived experience, students are creating solutions that do more than function. They improve lives.
In this case, that means reducing a common household risk and helping people stay safe, independent and confident in their own homes.
“If this can prevent even one person from getting burned, then it’s doing exactly what we set out to do,” Henery said.
Lawrence Technological University is one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU, which offers communication training programs of the former Specs Howard School, and LTU’s growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.