The Team

Project Lead: Paul Clarke

Members: Julianna Fusco, Evangelos Barous, Daniel Safranchik, Sean Suleski, Josh Wang

Problem Identification

Individuals with Arthritis have difficulty typing effectively and efficiently on keyboards. It requires fine motor skill of the hands and individuals fingers to type and this needs to be overcome for individuals where typing is challenging.

Technical Development

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Target Market and Opportunity

Individuals with arthritis need a new approach to typing:

<aside> <img src="/icons/hand_orange.svg" alt="/icons/hand_orange.svg" width="40px" /> In the United States 24 percent of adults have some form of arthritis and it is the leading cause of work disability

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<aside> <img src="/icons/hand_orange.svg" alt="/icons/hand_orange.svg" width="40px" /> More than half of US adults with arthritis (57.3%) are working and over 8 million adults report difficulty working

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<aside> <img src="/icons/hand_orange.svg" alt="/icons/hand_orange.svg" width="40px" /> Typing poses a specific problem for individuals in their professions due to fine motor movements which are challenging

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Go To Market

Sales Plan:

Target Market: Market the device to working individuals with arthritis who primarily use computers in their everyday lives.

Sales Process: Work alongside a technology company to gain a broader audience and share more information.

Marketing Strategies: Utilize social media and platforms to advertise the benefits of the device.

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Project Reflection

Challenges

  1. Creating a design the required little to no fine motor skills.
  2. Designing the 3D keyboard with an arc as well as an angle to the base.
  3. Finding a method to return the springs back to their neutral position.

Successes

  1. Lots of teamwork during the ideation process, many ideas and contributions, sketches, and rapid prototypes.
  2. Design of the 3D keys of the board the allowed for multiple fingers to rest on one and to reduce fine motor movements.
  3. Using copper tape and solving the electrical component of the keyboard.

What’s Next?