This project measures whether a student\’s feet are securely placed on the floor and whether or not a student is pressing down too hard while writing. The student receives ongoing feedback and is encouraged to make a connection between how his or her posture can affect his or her handwriting.

The Mouth Piano was created to accomplish two central goals: to open more doors for musical expression and to provide a fun and interactive physical therapy experience. We created the Mouth Piano for a patient at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center whose cerebral palsy renders his hands ineffective for playing traditional musical instruments. The patient is undergoing speech therapy that includes tongue exercises and instruction in tongue placement for sound formation. These characteristics made him an ideal candidate for the Mouth Piano, as he would benefit from both the artistic expression and the therapeutic value of exercising his tongue.

The Mouth Piano is an insert that is operated solely by using a series of tongue switches. There are eight switches, each of which correspond to one distinct note and together form a complete octave. Just as a traditional pianist is able to select individual notes or slur them by running his or her fingers across keys, the Mouth Piano musician is able to play melodies by activating individual switches as well as create free-flowing sound by sliding his or her tongue across switches in a fluid manner. The Mouth Piano also provides the opportunity for musical duets or ensembles if more than one person is equipped with an insert and MIDI synthesizer.

The Mouth Piano is connected to a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) synthesizer, which provides the audio output. To make this connection, there are two insulated wires that stem from the mouth insert and wrap to the back of the user\’s head. The interface was designed to fit securely over the user\’s top teeth and stay in place without assistance. The safety and health of users was a primary concern during the design process, thus we explored ways to waterproof our switches and use alternatives to solder.

I currently find that assistive technology predominately focuses only on executing specific tasks and not providing a means for personal expression. In order to address this disconnect, I have been working on project called iN-BaGs, which focuses on the objects we carry and how they reflect of our personal expression.

The two current explorations revolve around organization and security of the backpack. One exploration is a series of pouches inserted into the existing backpack. The pouches are wireless connected and controlled by a master panel. The panel is a way for the student to indicate the pouch (desire) they want or to be notified if a pouch is not closed properly (secure).

The second exploration is the in combination of fashion and mobility through the constraint of weight distribution. The frame of an existing backpack is used and modular components are attached and detached as the user desires. This provides flexibility in weight distribution and aesthetics.

There is an identified clinical need involving the lack of quantifiable measurement tools in the assessment of \’control of movement\’ in patients with motor deficits. Ubiquitous technology (the internet, database technology and networking, and physical computing) may be utilized to improve efficiency and enhance the delivery of current rehabilitation services for patients with these motor disorders. My goal is to create a device that: (1) particularly evaluates \’control of movement\’ throughout the range of motion, in quantifiable, repeatable and valid terms, (2) functions as a treatment module to improve motivation to perform,(3) is easy to use and operate, and (4) allows for automatic documentation and retrieval of documentation locally and remotely.