For this project, my team was tasked with creating a device to assist a local community member named Kevin. Kevin had had a stroke 5 years ago which left him with right side hemiplegia and a variety of other health issues. This project was again very open ended and my team was not given any specific device criteria as long as our device could assist Kevin in some way.

Project Objectives

1. Translate the need of a member of the local community into a well-defined problem
2. Design a solution to meet the need(s) of the local community member
3. Justify why your design meets the need(s) of the local community member

What I Did

• Participated in a Q&A session with our potential clients
• Generated a potential device concept drawing
• Modeled the handle of our device in Autodesk Inventor
• Created the PowerPoint presentation for our final Design Expo
• Presented information about next steps and learning opportunities during the final Design Expo
• Completed the Background and Research Summary for our final Design Report

Outcome

Our group decided to create an accessible toothbrush for Kevin that would allow him to adequately brush his teeth while requiring minimal motion from his right hand. The device would still allow him to maintain his independence while improving his oral hygiene.

We called our device the Hydrabrush and it consisted of a large ergonomic handle with a button that would activate a linear actuator. This actuator was attached to a three headed toothbrush that would brush all sides of Kevin’s teeth. The motion would ensure that Kevin did not have to move his hand but would still be able to properly brush all of his teeth.

Our final prototype connected to its breadboard.

The internal configuration of our components.

My team presenting at the iBioMed Year End Showcase.

Technical Skills

Soft Skills

What I Learned