Assist is a student project that was sponsored by DuPuy Orthopedics. The original goal of the project was to design a product that would allow disabled athletes to participate in a sport that was not currently supported by the Paralympics. However, it lead me to an issue much larger than sports.
I've enjoyed kayaking since I was young and I was surprised to learn that it was not yet offered as a Paralympic event. (Canoeing/Kayaking will make it's Paralympic debut later this year in Rio.) Initially I reached out to the Wounded Warriors project. I wanted to focus on solutions for amputees and they have an excellent history of helping soldiers recover after the loss of a limb. They were very helpful and informed me that there were already clubs and groups that participated in the sport through their organization and others like it.
Right away I wanted to look beyond the obvious and rather redundant route of a specialized prosthetic. Losing a limb is probably my worst fear so this was a very special project to me. I wanted to consider the entire scope of the issue so as not to miss out on any potential opportunities. How could the athletes protect the expensive prosthetics they already own? Could the standard equipment be modified to accommodate a specific category of amputee? These were just a few of the many questions I explored surrounding the issue.
But then something else occurred to me. What if you lost BOTH arms? Bilateral amputees face a challenge in simply donning and doffing their prosthetics. Without the use of even one good hand manipulating and securing these devices becomes much more difficult.
The scope and time frame of this project forced me to divide potential users into two categories: above elbow amputees and below elbow amputees. Amputees who no longer have use of their elbows face many more barriers to independence with regard to this issue. For the sake of the project timeline I chose to focus on below elbow amputees.
With such a sensitive subject I felt it was important not to be presumptuous. I decided to move forward by asking the following questions: How are people already solving this problem? How can I improve their experience? I searched forums and online tutorial videos for methods people were currently using to solve this problem. I was amazed at what certain individuals could do on their own. Although there were a few re-occurring issues I felt could be addressed.
Use of teeth and awkward positions
Suctions sleeves are difficult without fingers. Clamps or valves?
Prosthetics are difficult to move, carry, or put away after doffing.
Both donning and doffing are difficult to remove while standing.
This information prompted me to focus on providing a greater amount of convenience and dignity through my proposed solution.
The eventual outcome was Assist. Two ring-shaped clamps that can be worn around the neck of the user.
Exploratory concepts: (Left) A cartridge of compressed air inflates a cuff to keep a prosthetic from sinking. (Right) A kayaking paddle is re-formed to include a custom molded 'handle' for an athlete's residual limb.
(Above) Below elbow bilateral amputee (Below) Above elbow bilateral amputee
While the user is wearing his or her prosthetics they would place the strap over their neck or shoulders. Before beginning the process they would release the suction or clamps on their prothetics. They would then insert their prosthetics into the rings and twist around the axis that connects them. The threaded axis would push the two interior clamps outward thus securing everything in place. The user would then be free to remove their residual limbs from their prosthetics. At this point they could easily hang everything neatly together for when they want to don them again, in which case they would repeat the process in reverse.
