| NSF Org: |
TI Translational Impacts |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | March 11, 2021 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | May 21, 2021 |
| Award Number: | 2111153 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Ruth Shuman
rshuman@nsf.gov (703)292-2160 TI Translational Impacts TIP Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships |
| Start Date: | March 1, 2021 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $50,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $50,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1 UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO ALBUQUERQUE NM US 87131-0001 (505)277-4186 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Albuquerque NM US 87131-0001 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | I-Corps |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.084 |
ABSTRACT
The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a modular framework to assist people using wheelchairs in completion of daily activities such as accessing electronic devices, typing, and opening doors to buildings. The primary end users are students, teachers, entrepreneurs, athletes, children, parents, and others in wheelchairs who need additional tools to support their unique lifestyles. The wheelchair market is expected to reach $7.5 billion by 2024. This growth is predicted due to factors such as the rising population over age 65 and prevalence of progressive diseases. The primary customer segment for the device includes the 3 million manual and motorized wheelchair users and may be further separated based on location and extent of physical limitations. Another customer segment that will benefit from the device is caregivers. The total number of caregivers in the U.S. in 2015 was 39.8 million for adults 18 and older with adaptive needs. In 2016, 20% of family caregiver earnings were spent on assistive care. Adopters with a personalized wheelchair assistant will have additional autonomy which, in turn, will alleviate part of the financial burden on caregivers currently unable to maintain full-time jobs.
This I-Corps project is based on the development of an adaptive device for assisting people with disabilities in completion of fundamental daily living activities above the waist so that they are able to independently engage in employment, academic, and home environments. The project will result in an all-in-one wheelchair assistant with customizable ?arm? modules for providing independence and control. Inspired by analogous natural and man-made assemblies a ?carapace-like? shape will allow people to have multiple, opposable extensions that may be maneuvered manually or through the use of robotics. The innovation of the device is demonstrated through the way in which the assistive modules are combined and implemented to ensure independence for the specific user. The research to date has implemented knowledge gained during preliminary interviews of regionally located wheelchair users, caregivers, and specialists. In addition, the specific needs of wheelchair users in a university setting, including the need for unique ergonomic typing positions, have been investigated. The current prototype for this adaptive component has been shown to improve typing speeds by 30 words per minute. The proposed additional modules may result in similar measurable improvements in the completion of daily living activities.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Projects Outcome Report
Award Title: I-Corps: Designing an Adaptive, Modular Framework for Wheelchair Users
Director/PI: Heather E Canavan
Federal Award ID: 2111153
In 2022, the University of New Mexico was awarded an NSF I-Corps Teams grant entitled “Designing an Adaptive, Modular Framework for Wheelchair Users.” This project was led by a team that consisted of a professor in Biomedical Engineering (Prof. Heather Canavan), a postdoctoral fellow (Dr. Tye Martin), a graduate student (Veronica “Nika” Mitchell), an undergraduate student (Ankit Shah), and a business (Susan Cornelius). The goal of the project was to create an adaptable, modular assistive device platform for wheelchair users that would enable them to live with more independence and freedom. The physical device platform is called SIDEKICK, the Solar Integrated Design for Electronics Kept in a Customized Kit. SIDEKICK’s purpose is to help enable people who live with mobility limitations to complete tasks independently in their workplace, classrooms, laboratory, public and home environments. Co-PI Martin, who is himself a wheelchair user, is the inspiration, co-designer, and test pilot of SIDEKICK, which will be the world’s first all-in-one wheelchair “assistant” with customizable modules that provides assistance specific to the user’s needs. The true innovative aspect of the design is the modular way these assistive tools can be assembled by its user to ensure their autonomy and uninhibited wheelchair functionality.
Summary
Intellectual merit: During the I-Corps project, the team conducted more than 100 interviews with wheelchair users and their caregivers to determine: a) who would make up the customer base for the design; b) which parts of the design were considered must have, would like to have, and premium options for a device; and c) what other non-tangible items wheelchair users would prioritize for their support. The following are the key requirements identified for students and visitors who are wheelchair users to have during visits to campus. Among these are:
- A flat surface that can be adjusted to the user’s height for use when eating meals, taking notes in a notebook, working on a computer, etc.
- A remote button capable of opening RFID-controlled doors to bathrooms, classrooms, and offices
- A secure carrying case for high-value items such as wallets, laptops, and cell phones
- Options to provide hydration, as current wheelchairs do not include cupholders
- A means of charging portable electronics such as cell phones and laptops
To accommodate these requirements, the team developed the SIDEKICK, a device was inspired by the carapace of a turtle attached to the back of a wheelchair. The carapace can be used to store personal items during transport to class, and can be locked to prevent theft. The carapace’s sides include attachment points for appendages (similar to the legs of a turtle) that allow flexible “arms” that hold assistive devices required by the user. By including solar cells on the carapace’s surface (like the scutes of the turtle’s shell), the device will be able to charge portable electronics. The device has been submitted for a utility patent through the US Patent & Trade Office (#62/834311).
In addition to these requirements, several non-physical (virtual) assistive devices were requested. These requirements reflected the extreme anxiety felt by wheelchair users that their battery could fail, thus leading to them being stranded on campus. To accommodate this concern, the team has proposed a study in the UNM School of Engineering to develop charge point nodes that provide support wheelchair users that will begin in 2024.
Broader impacts: The goal of the SIDEKICK project is to lower the barriers that exist for people with disabilities to participate in STEM education and research pathways. This will be achieved through the primary goal of the project: the physical device developed (i.e., the SIDEKICK device), as well as our secondary findings: (i.e., recommendations to the physical modifications to spaces used for education to welcome those with disabilities, i.e., the SIDEKICK guidelines; and the SIDEKICK chargepoint pilot study). Should these projects succeed, they could help increase the numbers of people with disabilities who are able to complete STEM-related degrees, secure better (and higher-paying) employment, and provide them financial and other independence. As importantly, when the barriers to participation in the education and research activities of the University are removed, the contributions of people with disabilities in terms of creativity and knowledge will be incalculable.
Last Modified: 12/02/2023
Modified by: Heather E Canavan
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