Project HANDL

Quick Overview

The Systems Design Engineering (SYDE) team, named HANDL, developed a self-stabilizing utensil attachment aimed at helping individuals with tremors from conditions like Parkinson's or medication-induced shakes regain autonomy during daily activities like eating, which they successfully presented and won $2,500 in the University of Waterloo Velocity Age Tech Innovation Hackathon.

Key Points: The team, named HANDL, consists of four Systems Design Engineering students: Aria Dixit, Yosha Aneja, Mehak Dhaliwal, and Aditi Sandhu. Project HANDL is a self-stabilizing utensil attachment designed to help individuals experiencing tremors (due to Parkinson's, osteoporosis, or medication) eat independently without spills. The project was inspired by the team members' personal connections to older loved ones experiencing difficulties with daily activities due to tremors. The development process involved five components: mechanical engineering, signal processing (detecting tremor frequencies/amplitude), control systems/mechatronics, PCB/hardware design, and software integration. The team participated in the University of Waterloo Velocity Age Tech Innovation Hackathon, where they secured $2,500. User testing and feedback from initial users informed the design process, helping the team tailor the solution to specific needs like grip strength and ergonomics. Next steps involve continuing prototyping, refining physical and technical components, analyzing frequencies, and validating methods with professors.

Context: This video features four female Systems Design Engineering students from the University of Waterloo—Aria Dixit, Yosha Aneja, Mehak Dhaliwal, and Aditi Sandhu—discussing their capstone project called HANDL. The project addresses the challenges faced by an aging population who experience tremors, such as those from Parkinson's disease or medication side effects, making it difficult to perform activities of daily living like eating without spilling food.

Detailed Analysis