Maddie Johnson-Harwitz

The Stand Assist:

An assistive device to bring more independence to the elderly by helping them stand up from a sitting position with more ease and comfort.

Modern society does not do enough to assist the elderly and care for their mental health, as much of the elderly population struggles with feelings of helplessness. The Stand Assist is designed to combat these issues and enable the elderly to feel empowered and independent. The Stand Assist was designed for a client named Prisilla, who was severely weakened by a seven month long coma. Due to her weakened muscles, she has extreme difficulty getting up from a chair. It can take her ten tries to fully stand up, as she attempts to build momentum and throw her body forward, catching herself on her walker. The device uses her momentum and then actuates to assist her to rise into the standing position. The design of the device is minimalist and elegant to appeal to a very proper Prisilla, who was reluctant at first to use an assistive device.

Although it was designed with Prisilla in mind, the Stand Assist is an assistive device that can empower many elderly people who struggle getting up. The improved design fits as two knee braces connected across the legs at the knee joint. The motors on the outside of each brace are started by a single switch, which straightens the braces until they are fully extended, pushing the user from a sitting position to a standing position. 

Maddie Johnson-Harwitz's Brief:

Our-Kendall is an interactive public art installation that is deployed in front of the Koch Institute in Kendall Square in order to engage and bring together the Kendall Square community in a unique way.  The installment consists of a large circular piece that is engraved with the pattern of cells under a microscope, to match the design sense of the gallery inside the Koch Institute. 

The purpose of this installation is to bring to life the people of Kendall Square and engage them in a community activity. Kendall is known for being a "cultural dead spot", as many of the people who live and work in Kendall spend their time behind closed doors and in offices. This project aims to connect and engage the people of Kendall to create a more lively and active community. In order to achieve this goal, the installation is an interactive piece that comes together with the work of many. The structure of the installation includes the engraved cells, with accompanying holes where a cylindrical shape fits. Passersby are invited to interact with the installation by taking a cylindrical piece and drawing a self-portrait using only one stroke. As more and more cylinders are added, one will begin to see the faces of Kendall Square.

Tinna Grönfeldt's Brief:

''Our-Kendall'' is an interactive community art piece that aims to showcase the Kendall Square community. The piece is inspired by the already existing artwork displayed in Kendall but invites pedestrians to engage and co-create an art piece. 

Passersby draw themselves with one line onto a blank cylinder and place it into a circular wall. The wall has a cell-like design etched into it. In every cell, there is a hole for the cylinders to fit into, where the nucleus would be. Overtime as the wall fills up, it shows all the different people of Kendall in a unique and raw way. The piece located in front of the Koch Institute and is inspired by their gallery. This aims to infuse Kendall's culture into its community in a proactive way.