D4E1: Hand Splint With Magnet and Joystick With Magnet for an Electric Wheelchair User

This is a project for a person in an electric wheelchair currently using a chin control joystick to get around. His dream was to use his hand, he can’t hold on to a regular joystick because of minimal finger use and hand function in general. This is the result of the project in context of the post graduate "makerskills for occupational therapist" at the Howest university, Belgium. 

Materials:

• Orficast:
• Rectangular Piece: 18 cm x 2.5 cm
• Rectangular Piece: 18 cm x 1.5 cm
• Square piece: 3x3cm
• 2 small pieces: 2,5x 1,5cm
• Velcro:
• Loop on both sides: 11 cm x 2,5 cm
• Self-adhesive hook side: 2 pieces of 2,5 x 1,5 cm

Standard parts:

• 1 neodymium disc magnet 15x5mm
• 1 neodymium disc magnet 20x5mm with thread M5
• self locking nut M5

Gear:

• Water bath (heated at 65°C)
• Siccors
• Plyers (to get the hot Orficast out of the bath)
• Hot air gun
• Cutter
• Masking tape

1.     Put the pieces of Orfit in the water bath (heated at 65°C)

2.     Wrap the large rectangular piece (18x2.5 cm) around the hand

3.     Take the other rectangular piece (18x1.5cm) and wrap it around the thumb

4.     Fuse the pieces together, if it’s not sticking together use the hot air gun to heat it up a bit (after you take it of the hand of course!) 

5.     Cut the orfit at the ulnary side (side of the little finger) and round the edges

6.     Take the two smallest pieces of orfit and the pieces of Velcro and cut the edges (so there are no sharp corners) 

7.     Fuse the pieces of orfit and Velcro together using the hot air gun (heat up the adhesive of the Velcro as well)

8.     Put the pieces of velcro on the splint and fuse them together using the hot air gun.

9.     Put the splint back on the hand and cut the Velcro with loops on both sides at the right length.

10.  Put the magnet on the splint on the correct place (under the thumb in the palm of the hand)

11.Take the square piece of Orfit (3x3cm) and place it on top of the magnet

12.  Let dry in your hands while fusing the orfit pieces together

The joystick was custom made by HMC (wheelchair company)

It contains of a very light metal U shaped piece with Eva foam glued on it.

At the bottom of the U shaped Joystick there's a little cilindrical metal piece with a hole in it. This is used to assemble it on the joystick holder of the wheelchair.

1.     Put a piece of masking tape on the inside of the joystick

2.     Use a marker to mark the place where the magnet will be

3.     Cut out the tape and the foam at the place where the magnet will be

4.   Drill a hole in the joystick (M5 drill head)

5.     Put the magnet through the hole of the joystick

6.    Use a self locking nut to assemble the magnet