The Warm Up
Class Project (Group of 2)
Class: Augmentation of Human Dexterity (ME 270, UC Berkeley)
Timeline: January 2022- May 2022
Skills used: Conducted group user interview, brainstormed ideas using the double-diamond design process, sourced parts, designed models with CAD, fabricated prototypes with 3D printers, electronics prototyping, programming with Arduino, research report writing, video editing
Over the course of the semester, ME 270 taught us students the fundamentals of hand biomechanics, mechatronics applications with microcontrollers and the human-centered design process to solve problems for real people with disabilities. The final class project was to prototype an assistive device to help address the pain points of a need-knower, which in this class is defined as a person with a dexterity-related disability. Alongside a teammate, we interviewed a professional clarinetist with arthritis as our need-knower and created a clarinet warm-up device that provides thermal and mechanical stimulation to the fingers and warms up the palm.
Watch our prototype demonstration video below and read our project report here.
Following our interview with our need knower, we identified key needs and subsequently ideated on ways to solve these problems.
We converged on a hand-warming warm up device that integrates clarinet warm up routines.
Most of our parts were off-the-shelf with the exception of the clarinet warm-up piece itself, intended to emulate the playing experience for the left hand.
The device comprises two parts: the clarinet body - for the user to perform warm up routines - and the glove - to provide haptic vibration as each hole is covered and warming through a heating element.
The software runs on a state-machine architecture that correctly "massages" the finger used to cover a hole and play the correct note that would be played on a clarinet.
The end goal is to provide a warm up experience where clarinetists with hand pain, such as arthritis patients, can warm up enhanced with thermal, mechanical, and audio stimulation.
3 main contributions
1. Created CAD models using Master Modeling principles on Fusion 360.
2. Sourced sensors and learned their libraries for I2C implementation with Arduino.
3. Programmed the functionality of the prototype using state-machine architecture in Arduino.
What I would improve on
1. Use derivative sensing for sensing changes in light instead of absolute values.
2. Source a different sensor-microcontroller combination that would allow for >2 simultaneous sensor communications.
3. Create a more robust housing that would allow for portability of the electronics with the warm up device.