"Kids with limited motor function need ways to interact with digital systems, and we see potential for the PushnDraw to both assist with occupational therapy and allow personal artistic expression," says Ashley Pigford, an art and design professor at the University of Delaware who's been designing and developing assistive technology for people with disabilities for more than 20 years.
Her latest project is the PushnDraw, a spring-loaded device that allows children with upper limb disabilities, such as arthrogryposis, to draw with their hands, reports the News Journal.
Pigford came up with the idea for the device after her son was born with arthrogryposis, a condition that causes joint contractures in the upper and lower extremities, per a press release.
The device initially allowed children with arthrogryposis to trace letter forms, navigate through mazes, and draw to their heart with a dry erase marker, Pigford says.
But with a $50,000 grant from the Maggie E.
Neumann Sciences Research Fund, Pigford and a team of mechanical engineering and physical therapist students have been able to significantly advance the mechanics of the device and incorporate computer programming and on-the-fly customization to accommodate varying levels of ability and feedback from parents and kids. Read the Entire Article
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