Week 4

My research project is solving the challenge of developing a device to aid in rehabilitation of stroke survivors in a fMRI environment. Since electricity will affect the resonance imaging during treatment, another form of power needs to be chosen. And the decision is to use compressed air. I am designing a pneumatic system with a robotics REU student that can perform the repetitive facilitation exercise (RFE) technique on the upper limbs, more specifically on the wrist. The process involves tapping the wrist with a hammer and then rotating the hand back and forth with a quick motion. A previous graduate student already designed a flexible hammer to tap the wrist, so we are creating the system to rotate the hand. The biggest challenge we have faced so far is deciding which rotary actuator will produce enough torque to carry the load and the difficulty of developing such an actuator. There are many hidden obstacles such as how to keep the device nonmagnetic, how to machine certain parts, and how long it will take to order specialized parts.

The best part of conducting this research is all the new aspects of engineering I am being exposed to. I have never been this involved in the manufacturing process and am learning a lot about what can and cannot be done. The fact that we are designing the product from the ground up really is satisfying, and I can't wait to see our device in action. For the overall picture, we will be able to observe exactly how RFE influences a patent once the entire device is finished. To be able to capture images while conducting the treatment will definitely contribute to science and hopefully help in advancing the medical field.