not the most creative expression of parents, family and friends, but the work of professionals and people with disabilities, who together try to solve the problems of everyday life. This is how new technological inventions for everyone
ROME – Technological innovation accessible to all budgets, because sometimes the barriers are also economic. And if the news are realized with the contribution of people with disabilities is even better. Some people have already put to work in this direction. He speaks of the investigation published in number 5/2015 of SuperAbile Magazine, the magazine published by the Disability Inail. In Turin, for example, we thought those Kairos Consortium, a group of social cooperatives that have wondered what happens when you combine a group of engineers and designers at the forefront with as many people with disabilities with ingenuity and aptitude problem solving. The response was hackability, the first race “non-competitive” for the realization of aids low-cost, high-technology, which was held in February in Turin headquarters of a FabLab, an engineering lab digital do-it-yourself where every day are made tens of objects hi-tech through the use of three-dimensional printers and laser cutting machines. Just the kind of tools that allow you to reduce costs of production leaving carte blanche to the imagination of the creative.
A month later, the ideas that emerged had already been transformed into six prototypes ready to meet many needs. Like that of Julia, a 13 year old girl who moves in electric wheelchair because dell’artogriposi, a rare disorder that prevents her from using her arms and legs and the forces of an electric wheelchair. Designers of Fablab Turin asked to make a device that would enable it to eat independently, without feeling observed by friends and family. Thus was born “the ROBOTTINA Tina”, a mechanical arm that “in the future may make more complex movements such as grasping and lifting or turning a key in a lock,” says the father Alexis. Installed directly on one side of a wheelchair, the robot is able to fulfill a series of very precise movements. A command its various functions, such as height and rotation, are two joysticks connected to a series of proximity sensors.
Samuel, however, is a child born blind, stimulated to walk thanks to a device developed by the Lega del Filo d’oro, handrails with motion sensors: whenever one of them is touched, a speaker starts somewhere second of music thus encouraging the child to move. “The problem – says the father Andrea – is that the device is too heavy to be moved: for this we asked designers to hackability to realize a portable version, so as to allow Samuel to exercise outdoors or in other environments” . The answer was “Movitron”, a carillon geolocalizzante contained in a small box that can be transported almost anywhere. “As soon as the device is turned on – says Andrea -, an ultrasonic sensor scans the room size and location of the child: when pulses are returned, an mp3 player starts the music.”
And then there’s “Mando”, a universal remote control that, thanks to the combined use of infrared and radio frequencies, can remotely control any type of appliance and equipment Broadcasting: hackability designers have developed for Giancarlo, a man about sixty paralyzed from the neck down. To find one that would allow him to control your TV, cable box and radio, his research had led him to a Danish website; but the battery had a very short life and was constantly refilled. “Our model – says Francesco Rodighero, industrial designer who has followed the project – the cost has dropped from 2,500 to 200 Euros and, in addition to radio and TV, we have added control of home appliances.” The real news, however, is that the device “can clone frequencies than any other remote control – continues Rodighero -. Inside, in addition to a transmitter, we have also included a receiver in this way ‘Mando’ can intercept the impulses direct to any device and replicate them for telecomandarlo “.
Another invention: the electric fork twining spaghetti at the touch of a button. Daniele De Angelis and his team have created for Ivan Vannicelli, who can not modulate the movement of the fingers and which for years has had to give up his passion for spaghetti. “We started by taking a series of casts of his hands to design a handle that would fit perfectly – said De Angelis -. So it was enough to put a motor, a switch and a lithium battery: all components can be purchased in any store electronics. The total cost was 25 Euros. ”
Last but not least, there are “Manipulate”, a crank baked for the blind with symbols in relief, and an ergonomic dashboard, thanks to the slots for hands, allows people with physical disabilities to move from the wheelchair to the seat machine. “The philosophy – says Carlo Boccazzi Varotto, promoter of the initiative – has been to build quality items, but they were easy to replicate at low cost thanks to the possibilities offered by 3D printers and the flexibility of components such as the Arduino boards. This form prototyping light belongs to the culture of the FabLab, and the United States dates back to the 70s but in Italy is much more recent. In recent years, in these places develop projects related to disability result, often, of chance encounters. Most Sometimes, unfortunately, these are jobs that have poor circulation and little resonance: we have tried to build a format that will become stable and contaminate the land and the relevant classes. ” Therefore, by the end of 2015, Varotto and his team are planning to create two more editions of hackability FabLab in as many Italians. “The goal – he concludes – is to create a national network on the subject of disability support. On the site Hackability.it publish not only projects that anyone can replicate, but also the contacts of the makers”. (Mt / ams)
(2 August 2015)
No comments:
Post a Comment