Sometimes objects fall down, and we either can't or don't want to pick them up. Regardless of the case, the Trunk is here to help. This is not your ordinary household grabber, either; the Trunk has a unique piece of bendable wood that curves around objects you want to pick up at your command, as opposed to the standard claw mechanism. It can move in two directions, to open and close.

My original idea was to design something to the standard claw mechanism so that it could be opened and closed at the push of a switch, but after the idea's conception I was encouraged to go further and redesign the claw part entirely. To start brainstorming, I looked how various animals carried objects, specifically insects.

It was later that I then decided to look at elephants for their trunks (natural progression, I know) once I realized just how truly unique they were; instead of simply picking something up with little appendages, elephants use their trunks to curl around objects before bringing them to their mouth. It was here that I decided on my final general idea, and where I eventually decided on the name for the final product to be "the Trunk" (as well as the affectionate working title, Project Elefante).

Once all that was set in stone, I decided to go ahead and make the first iteration. For this design, I had a piece of cardboard in the shape of a long trapezoid split into 17 segments. Instead of slanted edges, they were set up like stairs (each segment was slightly longer than the last.

Alec:

A wearable set of tracks and into which a PopSocket can slide, allowing a phone to slide up and down the track fluidly. The phone sliding in the track uses its camera to send video to another phone in a headset. By connecting movement and sight, the user now has to think before they move in order to stay oriented.  

The project is a wearable set of tracks and into which a PopSocket can slide, allowing a phone to slide up and down the track fluidly. The phone sliding in the track uses its camera to send video to another phone in a headset. To use the tracks and headset, all the user needs is a phone with a PopSocket, to fit in the track, and another phone with video chat capability, for the headset. The headset is designed to cut off all light from the outside world and presents only the video coming through the phone so that the phone on the track acts as the user's eyes. The rigid material of the wearable forces the user's upper body into a fixed position. The mobility of the phone in the track forces the user to move their body as a whole through, accessing different levels, postures, and body formations in order to position the camera correctly. The project addresses the fact that often those with disabilities and their efforts and strength are underestimated. By stripping an able-bodied person of their ability to move normally the hope is that the user will gain a new appreciation for those who deal with disabilities daily. The project makes the user question their own habits of movement. The hope is it will also make the user ponder how to further assist those who have disabilities.

A device that lets two people support the body weight of someone who is disabled and unable to support themself, allowing him or her to dance freely and return to a sport they love.

Our project is a device made to help a women named Marina, who suffered a traumatic brain injury that resulted in a partial loss of motion on the left side of her body and the inability to dance. Dance brings a story to life, animates a feeling, and spreads cultural awareness, but most importantly it's an expression of creativity and self. Dance brings beauty to the world and everyone in it. The device we developed will allow Marina to return to the art of dance, an activity that she loves, with her siblings who will be there to support her physically and emotionally. Our project addresses the post injury issues of exercise and physical interaction. By helping her to dance, Marina will be able to spend time with her siblings doing something they all love. In order to make this device we used PVC pipe for the two poles that makeup the frame and between them is a metal "Lazy Susan" with a harness in the middle. This allows Marina to spin around without needing to worry about holding onto something or falling. The pieces that attach the "Lazy Susan" to the pipes were 3D printed as were the pieces that stop the "Lazy Susan" from sliding to far up and down the poles. Additionally, caps on the ends of the poles which hold strapping that attaches to the support harnesses is also 3D printed.