
Design Project 4 - Not a Pun, It’s Real Life
Quadriplegia is a condition that disables individuals from using all four limbs, hence the name. This condition is caused by damage to the brain or spinal cord which results in the partial or complete loss of use of limbs and the torso. Quadriplegia can be caused by any spinal injury and are very unpredictable since multiple sensitive and complex structures are involved. Currently there are roughly 86,000 Canadians and 250,000 Americans living with spinal injuries with an addition of 16,000 new cases annually. There are many associated symptoms with quadriplegia such as chronic pain, loss of sensation, uncontrolled spasmic movements, respiratory infections, and difficulties with bladder elimination. Our client, Ryan Joslin is such an individual. He struggles to perform simple daily activities due to his condition. My group decided to tackle the issue of Ryan’s independence in drinking water. Using servo motors, gear trains, and some craftsmanship, we were able to design a device that allows Ryan to not only drink water on his own, but also refill his bottle at water stations throughout the day; the Robotic Operating Servo Arm (R.O.S.A.). The objective of DP-4 was to address a patient’s need and create a device to make their life easier.
