Joystick Attachment for Powered Wheelchair Operation by a Person with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury—DL-10
頸髄損傷者の電動車椅子操作に向けたジョイスティック用アタッチメント—DL-10
- Category
- Mobility
- Designer
- Daisaku Kobayashi (assitech-oc)
- Material
- PLA
- License
- COCRE HUB LICENSE
- Downloads
- 4
About this item
For (With Whom)
People with motor paralysis of the hands, fingers, and upper limbs due to cervical spinal cord injury, who find it difficult to grip the joystick of a powered wheelchair.
Why
The person had been making do by sticking a non-slip sheet on the joystick, but problems remained: it was hard to move the stick backward, and the hand would slip off the joystick. They asked whether there was a self-help device that would allow stable operation.
Printing tips
How
The person already had an image of a solution: "It would be good if it snapped onto the joystick and could be attached to my orthosis." Based on that, we made a prototype that fits over the joystick and can be attached to the orthosis. After that, we repeatedly made fine adjustments several times to make it easier to operate, such as the fitting shape and the degree of fixation (bonding to a universal cuff, extending the fixing band). Because in-person contact was difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, we repeated prototyping while having the person try it during rehabilitation sessions at the hospital where they were staying.
Outcome
The person can now operate the powered wheelchair smoothly in all directions. By adjusting the shape and fixing method of the attachment, they can operate it as intended with less discomfort than operating with the bare hand. We have asked the rehabilitation staff at the hospital to check for any safety issues before using it for operation.
Materials Used
PLA
Approximate 3D Print Weight
22g
Print Settings Overview
Nozzle diameter = 0.4mm, Layer height = 0.15mm, Infill = 100%, Temp = 210°C (hot), Speed = 50mm/s, Supports = none