Enable X-story. Day 1
Our need knowers are both young
individuals who are still schooling. Both have a medical diagnosis of Cerebral
Palsy involving difficulties in fine motor coordination yet have access to
alternative options such as the use of tech devices, phone, tabs and computer
(typing). We began by listening to the
stories of our need knowers and their care-providers (parent/teacher) who
shared with us the challenges they face when holding their phones due to weak
grip strength or trembling hands. Through careful pretesting, we learned that
for some, these difficulties went beyond mere inconvenience; they often
resulted in broken phones and tablets. One need knower shared a heartbreaking experience
of repeatedly breaking her devices due to her inability to securely hold them.
This repeated damage not only caused frustration but also added a financial
burden.
The more we listened, the more we
realized how much of an impact this issue was having on their daily lives. It
wasn’t just about holding a phone, it was about staying connected, being able
to communicate, being able to learn, being able to be include in the classroom and
even using technology to navigate the world.
The need was now loud and clear. We
came together as a team with a common goal in mind to discuss how we could address
this. We discussed the possibility of a table stand device but decided that for
both need knowers, the use of their other hand will have additional
neuro-rehabilitative benefits. We discussed various designs, materials, and methods.
After weighing our possibilities and potential challenges, we kept coming back
to the one that seemed to have the most potential: a gadget that would assist
holding the phone steady in the user's palm so it wouldn't slip or shake
uncontrollably.
Our final design is a compact,
lightweight stabilizing device that makes use of a gimbal system. With the use
of motors and sensors, the gimbal would actively stabilize the phone so that
the user wouldn't have to worry about dropping it or losing their grasp even if
their palm trembled. We presented our ideas at the evening forum and developed
a second design of a fixed-design (without the gimbal system) in case we were
unable to source the material needed to make this.