Andrew:

The uStrum was designed for Lee Cusack, a programmer with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy. Lee has always had a love for music but has never been able to play the guitar due to his lack of mobility. The goal of the uStrum is to give Lee the chance to authentically play the guitar. My partners and I have a great passion for music and guitar, which made us relate to Lee in this common interest. The uStrum is made up of two parts: the first is an electronically driven mechanism that helps the player press down a chord, while the second is a device that allows him to strum the guitar. These mechanisms utilize the limited range of motion that Lee can produce with his arm movements.

We interviewed Lee to find out what he has always wanted to do but hasn't been able to because of his physical limitations. He then told us about his passion for music, so we thought it would be amazing for him to have the experience of playing the guitar in an authentic way. We broke down the different aspects of playing guitar and thought about ways that would allow him to easily control the chords and strumming. We worked with electronics and attached a sensor that pushes down a chord shape onto the fretboard when Lee's hand hovers over the device. The strumming mechanism works when Lee grabs a handle with his other hand, which triggers a switch that moves a servo arm to pluck the strings. The uStrum allows Lee to have the joyful experience of playing the guitar in a modified yet authentic way, and gives him the chance to rock to his favorite song, "About A Girl" by Nirvana.

Chris:

The uStrum is a device that gives Lee Cusack the ability to play the guitar. There are two parts: one that presses down chords on the neck, and another that helps the user strum. Lee is a man who was born with cerebral palsy. This means that he has little to no control over his body. I chose to do this project because I was optimistic that it would work, and that by the end, Lee would be able to play guitar.

He can move his arms a little bit, used them to play the guitar. To play chords, there is a sensor that he can move his hand over. When he does this, it uses two servos to press down a chord on the neck of the guitar. With his other hand, he holds onto a handle on the body of the guitar. He slides the handle towards him, which presses a switch that makes another servo move back and forth and strum the guitar strings. This means that Lee can use both arms to control the guitar. If Lee wanted to, he could now play any guitar using the uStrum when and where he wants to.

Ollie:

The uStrum was created for Lee Cusack, a UX Designer with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. My partner and I are both passionate guitar players and we wanted to share our love of guitar with Lee. We created a device that gives him the ability to strum and play chords. This device can also be used by a wide range of people with motor difficulties.

The device works as follows: to play chords, there is a sensor that he can move his hand over. This helps him to mimic the movement of playing chords while not requiring the motor function required to play a chord. When he activates the sensor, two servos press down on a chord on the neck of the guitar. For strumming, Lee uses his other hand to hold onto a handle on a remote. Lee pulls on the handle, which triggers a servo with an arm that strums the strings. Only a very small pulling motion is required.