Tag Archives: amputee

This inclusive computer mouse redefines the gadget’s design by working using the wrist, no fingers needed!

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Allin is an inclusive, barrier-free mouse that was designed to be ergonomic specifically catering to the needs of amputees and those who struggle to use computer mouses.

Most of us are working on our laptops or desktops for the entire workday, but not without consequence. From our eyes to our wrists, from our posture to our bums, we go through physical strain every day just by sitting at our desks and staring at our computer screens while endlessly typing.

Providing their own solution to one part of this daily struggle, Designer Dot conceptualized Allin, an ergonomic mouse designed specifically for amputees and others who have trouble operating desktop and laptop mouses.

Constructed with a curved design, Allin features a soft impression where users can place their wrists to access the mouse’s control functions. Replacing the right and left click buttons with right and left tilt buttons, users simply lean their wrists to one side or the other to click links on their computer screens.

The mouse tilt buttons are positioned at different angles to ensure that the intended button is clicked. The left tilt button clicks at approximately 45 degrees while the right tilt button can be clicked at 20 degrees. Wireless by design, Allin comes with an accompanying magnetic charger that provides the mouse with enough charge to last through the workday.

Primarily designed for amputees and for those who struggle to use computer desktop and laptop mouses, Allin is ergonomically designed to fit every human’s natural wrist movement. Allin is a supplemental computer accessory that can be partnered with any laptop or desktop computer to ease the physical strain that comes with working at a keyboard all day.

Designer: Designer Dot

The magnetic charger provides Allin with the battery necessary for its wireless function.

Embedded technology reconceptualizes the inner workings of traditional computer mouses.

With a minimal outer surface, Allin can adapt to any brand of computer or laptop.

Allin is envisioned in matte black, off-white, blush pink, and lemon yellow.

The post This inclusive computer mouse redefines the gadget’s design by working using the wrist, no fingers needed! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This redesign of the kitchen sink was built on a scheme of chamfers and angled edges for one-handed users to use as leverage!

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Moray is a statement kitchen sink built on a scheme of chamfers, angled surfaces, and curved edges designed for one-handed users like amputees, parents, and those with an injured upper limb to use as leverage when washing dishes.

Even those who claim to enjoy washing dishes put it off sometimes. And don’t hold your breath for the rest of us. While it can feel like a mindless chore for some of us–amputees, parents of young children, and people with injured upper limbs must consider their best approach when washing dishes because conventional sinks don’t cater to one-handed dishwashing techniques. Changing this, Natalia Baltazar, a Bay Area industrial design student developed a statement kitchen sink that’s designed to be universal.

Providing leverage for one-handed users, Moray is built with an assortment of chamfers, angled surfaces, and curved edges that hold dishes in one place while they’re getting washed. In refining her universal kitchen sink, Baltazar identified the obstacles faced in the kitchen for one-handed dishwashers and sought to solve them with Moray. Following a series of indirect observation and ideation periods, Baltazar learned that it’s less so about introducing new tools and more about redesigning the sink from the basin up.

Inspired by the traditional dual-basin sink, Moray features a deep soaking basin where dishes can soak before getting scrubbed down with a sponge and soap. Inspired by terrace farming, undulating chamfers, ridges, and angled edges are located beside the water basin where dishwashers can position the plates to remain in place while scrubbing them down. Baltazar even thought of a cavity in the design scheme where dishwashers can wedge sponges to wash utensils.

The curvilinear design of the dish racks are points of leverage for dishwashers and completely drain of water thanks to their rounded edges. The only difference between Moray and the traditional sink is the appearance. Users can even install Moray the same way they’d install a conventional kitchen sink, with the option of an overmount or under-mount installation.

Designer: Natalia Baltazar x Smll Design

Baltazar incorporated narrow cavities where users can wedge sponges to clean utensils.

Users would have the choice of an overmount or under-mount installation for Moray. 

Inspired by the traditional kitchen sink, Moray has a sink basin and an area with chamfers for leverage.

After finalizing the functionality of Moray, Baltazar conceptualized it in different acrylic colors.

Users place dishes on the right side of Moray to hold them in place while they get washed.

Following an involved ideation and research period, Baltazar settled on a final form for Moray.

Deciding against the incorporation of new tools, Baltazar went ahead and redesigned the kitchen sink from the basin up.

The post This redesign of the kitchen sink was built on a scheme of chamfers and angled edges for one-handed users to use as leverage! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This at-home physical therapy system tracks the progress of amputees to help improve recovery, health and fitness!

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Physical therapy is a crucial step in the journey towards functional recovery for amputees. Taking place soon after surgery, physical therapy lasts as long as the wound takes to heal, most often somewhere between four and eight weeks, but then it’s up to the patient to keep up with the road towards functional recovery. Learning that at-home physical therapy regimens hold a 10% compliance rate, designer Sydney Lang created Adapt, an in-home physical therapy equipment smart system specifically for amputees.

Physiotherapists who specialize in amputee rehabilitation help patients through general conditioning exercises, inflammation, and compression issues, as well as possible endurance routines. Following their time spent with the physiotherapists, patients are expected to continue with their workout regimens at home, which Adapt makes easier. Just before leaving the physical therapy office, patients can have their physiotherapists program their Adapt recovery plan so they can move forward with their at-home rehabilitation.

Following in-depth interviews and comprehensive research, Lang learned that guidance, transparency, consistency, and structure are some of the most important factors when it comes to following through with at-home physical therapy. In designing Adapt, Lang understood that the most important parts of functional recovery ranged from motivation and range of motion to strength and alignment. To help with patients’ motivation levels, Adapt includes a motion-tracking camera that visually monitors the progress of patients. To ensure that range of motion exercises are still worked on, the interactive, digital foot mat conditions the patient’s lower body through stepping patterns that simulate the uncertainty of daily movement.

Comprising three essential components, the physical product includes an interactive foot mat, motion-tracking camera, and versatile support bar in order to facilitate familiar physical therapy at home. In addition to the physical product, Adapt has an app compatible with smart devices that introduces Adapt users to a larger community of those on the road towards functional recovery, allowing users to organize, store, and monitor their personal recovery on a public digital domain.

Designer: Sydney Lang

Adapt includes an interactive digital foot mat, support bar, mirror, and motion-tracking camera.

Following patient’s physical therapy sessions, their PTs can program Adapt to continue on towards functional recovery.

“Adapt enables users to take control of their recovery once the structure of physical therapy ends, by tracking progress, and visualizing the road ahead.”

“The digitally interactive mat more effectively prepares amputees with the ability to create randomized patterns which more accurately simulate the uncertainty of daily life.”

“The patient is able to review their exercise plan for the day by watching a tutorial ahead of time to help prevent distractions and mistakes later.”

A motion-tracking camera records the progress of patients to help them, monitor their improvements and trouble spots.

“Through the use of custom plans for each patient, users are able to focus on problem areas in their recovery, bringing recovery times down and more noticeable improvements.”

“The user is able to visualize where their body is in space by focusing on their movements in the mirror while their phone is off to the side.”

Visualizers help to keep patients on track towards functional recovery.

Lang learned that guidance, transparency, consistency, and structure were some important aspects of continuing with at-home physical therapy.

Scientists develop neuroprosthetic tech that amputees don’t need to learn

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For those working in the field of neuroprosthetics, the ultimate goal is to give amputees with artificial limbs natural, intuitive and real-time movement. Indeed, advances in the field have led to mind-controlled systems and even those that create ki...

New prosthetic legs let amputees feel their foot and knee in real-time

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There's been a lot of research into how to give robots and prosthesis wearers a sense of touch, but it has focused largely on the hands. Now, researchers led by ETH Zurich want to restore sensory feedback for leg amputees, too. In a paper published i...

AI-tuned robotic knee helps amputees walk within minutes

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Amputees who receive robotic limbs can't usually start using them right away. It typically requires hours of manual tweaks to adapt to their particular movement styles, and they may need to come back for more if anything changes. Soon, however, the...

Guy Gets Cool Bionic NERF Gun Arm

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Nicolas Huchet has a sweet bionic arm. A team of hackers called Hackerloop developed a bionic NERF Gun for Nicolas, who was left with a myoelectric prosthetic hand after an accident. Presumably they started off by saying, “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.” The gun is designed to attach to his amputated arm and fire with muscle contraction. Now he’s armed and slightly dangerous.

This gun can fire foam balls on command. It’s connected with an electromyogram (EMG) sensor and also uses an Arduino circuit board. When Nicolas contracts the muscles on his forearm, a sensor on the prosthetic measures electrical activity. Then the gun shoots foam projectiles and stops shooting when the electrical signals lower below the threshold.

Nicolas must feel like an awesome cyborg. Hackerloop are definitely some cool friends. The NERF gun prosthetic is just a prototype for the momen, but they plan to release the completed product next month.

[via Motherboard via Damn Geeky]

Kid-Friendly Prosthesis

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Made for growing children, this leg prosthesis is easily adjustable from the comfort of home so the child doesn’t have to face uncomfortable doctors visits so often. Not only resizable, the design can also be adapted to the wearer’s unique aesthetic taste with a simple one-click system of changeable covers. Together, the features aim to reduce some of the frustration and stigma attached to wearing a prosthesis.

Designer: Kasper Jensen

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(Kid-Friendly Prosthesis was originally posted on Yanko Design)

Related posts:

  1. Prosthesis of the Future
  2. Amphibious Prosthesis
  3. A Bum-friendly Rug







Amputated Leg Lamp (WARNING: Creepy Photo)

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When people talk about making metaphorical lemonade out of lemons, they usually are referring to finding a way to have a little fun with a mild annoyance or set back. This Dutch guy made some darkly humorous lemonade out of his own need for a leg amputation.

a christmas story leg lamp 620x620magnify

Leo Bonten broke his leg in an accident. That sucked, and the leg proceeded to suck even more by getting itself a nice bacterial infection that then prompted Bonten’s doctors to reccomend amputation. Figuring that he might as well get something out of the ordeal, Bonten requested the leg be given to him by the hospital afterwards, so he could turn it into a lamp.

It’s like an avante garde version of A Christmas Story, if it were directed by Ed Gein. The hospital didn’t see the merit in this idea and rejected the idea, citing health and safety concerns. “But have no leg to stand on,” quipped Bonten regarding the hospital’s legal case. In order to follow the law, the leg had to be buried and then exhumed before it could be lampified.

Now if you’re easily creeped out, don’t scroll down. You have been warned.

amputated leg lampmagnify

Bonten, citing some money woes, then put the leg-lamp up on eBay, but the online auction house’s policy against selling human remains means that it was promptly taken down.

[via Improbable Research]