Assistive Technology: Automated Tensioning Device 

Mobile arm supports are devices used by individuals with limited upper-extremity strength and movement to support their limbs in everyday activities. Arkansas based company "JAECO Orthopedics" expressed that their mobile arm support product, the MultiLink Mobile Arm Support, lacked a way for clients to change the amount of applied assistive tension without the help of a caretaker. This restricts the independence of the client and increases the reliance on a caretaker for everyday tasks. After discussing the specification of the desired product with JAECO, I assembled a team of interdisciplinary engineers in my “Projects for the Community” course. We set out to fix independence issues in JAECO’s product by creating a device that allows clients to independently change the assistive tension of the MultiLink Arm Support. The motorized tensioning device we designed is a proof of concept for a product that allows clients to experience more freedom and improve quality of everyday life. Technical documentation of the automated tensioning device can be accessed using the link below

Technical Documentation