2022 Makeathon
Date: November 4 - 6, 2022
About
This year, we hosted over 75 participants, including Makers, Need Knowers, and Team Leads, at our 5th annual Makeathon. We had 10 teams working throughout the weekend to prototype solutions for their Need Knowers.
The weekend culminated in a showcase where each team was able to present about the work they completed. Read more about the 2022 Makeathon projects below!
Projects
Team 1 - Amy & Stephen
Team Lead: Rebecca Pan
Amy and Stephen are graduate students at Vanderbilt studying audiology. They work with students with hearing loss who have difficulty hearing in the engineering labs. Amy and Stephen wanted to reduce background noise and reverberation, as well as incorporate a closed captioning system, to improve accessibility for those with hearing loss.
Team 1 tested acoustic paneling and determined that 8 panels per room provided the ideal decrease in background noise and reverberation. They also created an electrical system consisting of a microphone that inputs into a transmitter, receiver, and inputs into a closed captioning system. The closed captioning system, Otter.ai, allows for the input of engineering terms so that it can recognize those words more accurately when spoken. The accessible classroom documentation can be found here: Accessible Classroom Documentation.
Team 2 - Sara
Team Lead: Marin Schiffman
Sara is a Vanderbilt student who was diagnosed with 100% hearing loss in her right ear in kindergarten. She struggles with driving because she cannot hear the person in the passenger seat over the music playing and paying attention to the road. She has tried cross-over hearing aids but finds them too embarrassing to wear. Sara needed a device to transfer the sound from the passenger seat to the left side of the driver seat.
Team 2 created a microphone to speaker amplifier circuit. The microphone was placed near the passenger seat, and the speaker was placed on the left side of the driver’s seat in Sara’s car. This system allows Sara to hear the passengers talking, play music, and pay attention to the road simultaneously. The speaker documentation can be found here: Microphone to Speaker Amplifier Documentation.
Team 3 - Allie
Team Lead: Alex Sargent Capps
Allie has ALS, a neurodegenerative condition that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. She is paralyzed in her arms, making it difficult to put on jackets. Allie wanted a fashionable, cape-like coat designed for the winter so that she could put it on and take it off independently.
Team 3 created a neutral colored, heavy-weighted winter coat. The coat was designed like a cape and included magnetic closures and long internal pockets to keep Allie’s hands and arms warm. Additionally, Team 3 created a wall-mounted hook Allie could use to help her take off and on the coat independently. The coat documentation can be found here: Accessible Winter Coat Documentation.
Team 4 - Alicia & Chelsea
Team Lead: Daniel Rau
Alicia and Chelsea are two friends with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects their fine motor skills, specifically with their fingers. Grabbing items is very difficult for them, and traditional grabbers don’t work well enough for small items since their fingers are stiff and difficult to move. Alicia and Chelsea needed a grabber that could be operated without fine motor skills.
Team 4 adapted a grabber so that Alicia and Chelsea can use it to pick up small items and help with more specific tasks. Additionally, Team 4 prototyped a device that Alicia and Chelsea could use to help them button their pants and shirts. The grabber documentation can be found here: Adapted Grabber Documentation.
Team 5 - Kristi
Team Lead: Addy Novak & Lauren Grohowski
Kristi, a returner from the 2021 Makethon, is a Vanderbilt Next Steps alum. She works at the Nashville Zoo and uses a reverse walker to get around. She has to carry around scanners, radios, pens, and a water bottle at work, but doesn’t have a secure place to put them. Kristi wanted a removable basket for her walker with adjustable dividers, hooks, and a waterproof covering.
Team 5 modified a metal mesh container to function as Kristi’s basket. The team laser cut custom acrylic dividers and 3D printed an adaptive cup holder. They also screwed hooks to the outside of the basket. To address Kristi’s waterproofing needs, a waterproof fabric was sewn to a retractable car window shade, which was attached to the top edge of the basket. Kristi can pull this cover over her basket and secure it with Velcro when it is raining outside. Lastly, Team 5 created sticker magnets to decorate the basket! The basket is clamped to Kristi’s walker and easily removed when she gets in the car. The basket documentation can be found here: Reverse Walker Basket Documentation.
Team 6 - Jameson
Team Lead: Mayaank Pillai
Jameson is a 6-year-old with an autoimmune inflammatory brain disorder that leads to severe ADHD and mild to severe mobility issues. He was recently paired with a service dog, Sushi, to eliminate the need for his wheelchair. Jameson holds the handle of Sushi’s harness to keep from eloping, but he still sometimes strays from the safety of the dog. Jameson needed an incentive to remind him to reconnect with Sushi’s harness.
Team 6 prototyped a leash with a light-up feature that would flash green (Jameson’s favorite color) when he held onto Sushi. The longer Jameson held onto the leash, the more unique green flashing patterns would appear. This design incentivized Jameson to stay with Sushi. The leash documentation can be found here: Harness Helper Documentation.
Team 7 - Ruby
Team Lead: Ryder Li
Ruby is a 14-year-old who has trouble using one side of her body. She especially struggles with putting on a bra unassisted since she cannot hold the bra straps and secure the hooks simultaneously. Ruby needed a way to put on and secure a bra using just one hand.
Team 7 designed a simple modification that can be incorporated with any bra. The solution includes a knot mechanism to hold the bra straps in place, as well as a velcro attachment to allow for easy single-handed attachment and detachment. This modification allows Ruby to put on her bras independently without a bulky contraption (the design stays invisible under Ruby’s shirts). The accessible bra documentation can be found here: Accessible Bra Documentation.
Team 8 - Hugh
Team Lead: Eliza Hill
Hugh, a returner from the 2021 Makeathon, is a 7-year-old with clubbed arms. He has four fingers on his right hand and three fingers on his left hand. Since he doesn’t have thumbs, he mainly uses his pinky fingers. However, this means that a normal computer mouse is not very practical for Hugh. He can either move the mouse or click on it, but he cannot do both at the same time. Hugh needed an adapted computer mouse so that he could navigate his computer more easily.
Team 8 created a two-handed mouse system. They separated the buttons from the mouse by creating a box with three buttons on it: one for right-clicking, one for left-clicking, and one for scrolling. This box is connected to a mouse, which can be plugged into the USB port of any computer. This design allows Hugh to press the button and move the mouse simultaneously. Additionally, Team 8 continued a 2022 Open Innovation Challenge project, iterating on previous designs to create an independent feeding device for Hugh. Both projects were continued into the 2023 Global Innovation Challenge. The mouse documentation can be found here: Adaptable Computer Mouse Documentation. The independent feeding device documentation, modified for an additional Need Knower, can be found here: Independent Feeding Device Documentation.
Team 9 - Mary Cayten & Allie
Team Lead: Abbie Wollheim
Mary Cayten has Elhers-Danlos Syndrome, a condition that affects her connective tissue. Allie has ALS, a neurodegenerative condition that has led to arm paralysis. Both women need to use a straw to drink water from a cup. However, straws are becoming increasingly difficult to find in restaurants, and they are often shamed when they ask for one due to the perceived environmental impact straws have. Mary Cayten and Allie needed a fashionable, portable, and resuable straw they could use when at a restaurant.
Team 9 created a bracelet that stores a reusable straw between two bands. The bands appear like normal bracelets on top, but have a removable storage container underneath. This design allows Mary Cayten and Allie to easily travel with and have access to a straw. The straw bracelet documentation can be found here: Straw Bracelet Documentation.
Team 10 - Hugh
Team Lead: Alex Sargent Capps
Hugh, a returner from the 2021 Makeathon, is a 7-year-old with clubbed arms. He has four fingers on his right hand and three fingers on his left hand. Hugh struggles with dressing himself independently, particularly with putting on pants. Hugh wanted a way to pull up his pants without the help of his parents.
Team 10 modified some of Hugh’s pants to include loops in the waistband. This enables Hugh to use his pinky fingers to pull up his pants, giving him more independence. The clothing alterations documentation can be found here: Pant Alterations Documentation.
