RoboReach: Creating a Robotic Arm for Wheelchair Users with Muscular Dystrophy

Molly Croissette, Ben Todd, Elena Sharnowski, Hadeel Abulenin, Sheng Bai, Simran Bagri, Sophia Tesic

Muscular dystrophy is a disease that results from abnormal gene mutations that interfere with the production of proteins essential for healthy muscle formation. These mutations cause progressive muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass overtime, leading to limited control of extremities. Due to these factors, people with this condition require extra care to perform daily tasks, such as the use of a motorized wheelchair. However, even without the handicap of muscular dystrophy, any wheelchair-bound person would find it extremely difficult to complete daily tasks, such as picking up objects from the ground or flicking light switches.

RoboReach was formed to help those with muscular dystrophy and other muscle weakening conditions regain a sense of autonomy and assist them in completing daily tasks that nondisabled people may take for granted. Our goal is to create a robotic arm for wheelchairs that can assist people belonging to this disabled community perform tasks such as picking up objects, or flipping light switches on and off. There are currently a large variety of robotic arms offered on the market to help disabled individuals, but none of them fit the specifications we are looking for, namely either because of the lack of a moderate price range or limited functionality. Additionally, a lot of the robotic arms that already exist are not wheelchair compatible, or are required to be a permanent attachment to the wheelchair. We aim to create a robotic arm that is reasonably priced, can complete basic, necessary functions in order to assist the user, and can be removed from the wheelchair if necessary.

When we first started our project, we conducted extensive research on solutions already on the market. However, existing products did not fulfill the design requirements we compiled, either being too costly or not fully compatible with our intended audience’s needs. Therefore, we decided that there is a need for a device to aid in accomplishing daily tasks for people with muscular dystrophy and other muscle weakening conditions.

Our current idea to solve this need is a telescoping arm that is attached to the user’s wheelchair. The telescoping arm will take up less space when the device is not in use, as it can stay in a retracted position. This arm would be controlled by a joystick that is mounted by the user’s hands. The joystick will control the arm via Bluetooth and the base of the arm will be able to swivel 360 degrees to allow for more maneuverability for the user. The joints of the arm and the swiveling base will be controlled by servo motors, with Arduino as the electronics microcontroller. On the end of the arm will be a two or three-clawed grabber that is also controlled by a servo and will be able to open and close to allow the user to pick up objects. Our initial design sketch is shown below.

From the feedback we received from the design review, we learned to simplify our approach and take the design process one step at a time. Instead of trying to accomplish all of our design goals at once, we were told that we should aim to accomplish one of those goals, and then incorporate the rest one at a time. We also learned that we should split up some of the design work instead of trying to tackle it all as a team. One of the suggestions was to have everyone design their own base model of the arm and we can discuss the pros and cons of each design and then combine them into one overall design. One large piece of advice given to us was to try and have our first prototype done as soon as possible. This is so that we have something physical to test and we can begin the improvement process. The last recommendation given to us by the reviewers was to find a professor or PhD student in the EECS (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) or Robotics department to mentor us throughout this process.

Before design review 2, we would like to have our alpha prototype finished. This first prototype should incorporate the Arduino and at least one servo motor. Also, the prototype should be able to move by controlling a remote.