1. Final Design Review Presentation
Henry E. Lackey High School
Engineering Design & Development (EDD)
Mr. Crawford
Period 2
May 21st, 2014
GAM ENGINEERING
GEORGE JENKINS – PROJECT MANAGER
ASHLEIGH KRUCHESKY
MICHAEL LAURY
WRITING WITH ARTHRITIS ASSISTANT
2. THE PROBLEM
There are 50 million people in the U.S. with arthritis, and by 2030, an
estimated 67 million Americans, ages 18 years or older, are projected to
have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Those affected by this disability tend to
have trouble with performing everyday activities using their hands, the
most troublesome task being to write.
3. THE PURPOSE
To reduce the difficulty that people with arthritis encounter when
applying pressure to grip a writing utensil.
5. EXPANDING MARKET
• Arthritis is a disorder which affects the joints of a person.
• Arthritis both stiffens the joint, as well as causes pain when fluxuation occurs
within the joint.
• Arthritis is expected to effect 34% more people in the next 20 years.
• Juvenile Arthritis, those effected under the age of 18, is rapidly growing at a
rate of 7% each year.
o The growth is due to the youth’s increasing usage of technology
including:
Cell Phones
Gaming Devices
IPods
(N.A). (2012) Arthritis facts and background .1(1), 1-12. Retrieved December 14, 2013, from http://www.JohnHopkinsResearch/Arthritis/02341facts
6. COST OF ARTHRITIS
• Every year, more than 1.4 billion dollars are spent on arthritis
aids/supplies throughout the world.
• 1.2% of the 1.4 billion dollars is spent on existing writing aids, meaning
over 16 million dollars is spent annually for these products.
(2011). 2006 and 2007 Market Estimates. Arthritis Industry Sales and Usage,1(1), 219-224. Retrieved December 13, 2013, from
http://www.Healthcare.gov/opp00541/Arthrsales/012Arthritis
7. THE NATIONAL ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION
• According to a recent study done by the National Arthritis Foundation,
the most troublesome object to grip and actually use is the writing
utensil.
• These arthritis patients have a very hard time to write; even to just sign
their name.
• 87% of people under the study said writing was the most difficult task
to complete while coping with their arthritis.
Dr. Baldwin, Karenina. (2012). Most Troublesome Object Survey. Retrieved November 17, 2013, from
http://www.NationalArthritisFoundation.com/Connect/Surveys/000163c
9. BipGrip Pen Grip
A widened pen holder
mechanism
Pros Cons
• Light weight
• Affordable
• Little grip required
• Versatile
• Uncomfortable
• Requires grip
• Plastic breaks easily
Cost: $9.95
BipGrip – BipGrip Pen Grip. (n.d.). Pen Holding systems, equipment and workshops from BipGrip . Retrieved December 15, 2013, from
http://BipGrip/Arthritssupplies/pengrip/012243054
10. EZ-Grip Pen Grips
Individual grips, especially
designed for users with arthritis.
Pros Cons
• Light weight
• Affordable
• Versatile
• Requires equivalent grip
pressure of a typical pen.
• Non-durable
Cost: $3.95
The Writing Supply Store. (n.d.). EZ-grip pen grips from the supply store. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.thewritingsuppliestore.com/c-
170-ez-grip-pens.aspx
11. Ring Pen
Custom pen, put index
finger through slot
and
write.
Pros Cons
• Little grip required
• Affordable
• Versatile
• Light weight
• Position uncomfortable for
knuckle joint.
• Limited life span
Cost: $9.95
Ring Pen USA. (n.d.). Arthritis aid pen from Ring Pen USA . Retrieved December 15, 2013, from http://www.ringpenusa.com/ring-pen/
13. GAM FORUM WITHIN THE NATIONAL
ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION
Within the National Arthritis Foundation website is a connect section,
where actual people with arthritis can voice their opinions.
The GAM engineering team created a Forum under this website to
further research the problem and promote the survey on Survey
Monkey.
G.A.M.Engineering14.(2013). Writing With Arthritis . Retrieved November 17, 2013, from
http://community.arthritis.org/go/thread/veiw/143393/30148403/Writing_With _Arthritis
14. GAM FORUM: THE PEOPLE’S RESPONSE
• The GAM forum received over 50 responses from actual people dealing
with arthritis.
• Amongst the responses, key data obtained included:
o The majority of the people did have a lot of trouble writing.
o Children with juvenile arthritis tend to have many struggles with
writing.
o Many took an interest in our idea, no one knowing of a device
which had the same function as our idea.
o There was an overwhelming sense of support and encouragement
for our idea; most responders would definitely buy our product.
G.A.M.Engineering14.(2013). Writing With Arthritis . Retrieved November 17, 2013, from
http://community.arthritis.org/go/thread/veiw/143393/30148403/Writing_With _Arthritis
15. THE SURVEY
• The first question was do you have arthritis?
• If the respondent answered yes, the survey was valid.
• If they answered no, the survey was not valid.
• The GAM survey had 97 valid respondents.
• The survey was open to the general public.
• Responses could have come from anywhere in the U.S.
The following are the results….
16. MARKET RESEARCH
All the people who took the survey said
to have trouble gripping objects, proving
that arthritis effects the ability to grip
objects.
Everyone does use a writing utensil daily,
showing the product would be beneficial to
have, since it would be used daily.
17. MARKET RESEARCH
64% of those surveyed use their writing utensil
5 times a day or more, showing the product has
to be
very durable for many uses.
88% found writing with arthritis difficult,
justifying the need for a product to assist those
effected.
18. MARKET RESEARCH
96% of the people surveyed have at
least some interest in the product, and
52% were
very interested.
64% of the people surveyed would be
willing to spend at least
$20 on the product.
20. CRITERIA
1. The product must be universal in terms of the device working for men, women,
and young adults of most hand sizes and must be universal to hold any sized
writing utensil.
2. The product must be easily attached in less than 30 seconds.
3. The device must require no grip from the user while writing.
4. The handwriting from the device must be legible or not dramatically changed
from the user’s original handwriting.
5. The product’s cost cannot exceed more than 20 dollars.
6. The device cannot weigh more than 1 pound.
7. The product’s life span must meet at least 9 months.
21. BRAINSTORMING IDEA 1
A Velcro strap would wrap
around the user’s hand. The
strap has a series of elastic
band loops, which the pen
will go through. These bands
will secure the pen so it does
not move when pressure is
applied.
The pen will rest snuggly
against the user’s palm.
22. BRAINSTORMING IDEA 2
The larger loop is an adjustable
Velcro ring. Connected is a
plastic pen holder, in which the
pen would be inserted, and would
be fastened by a mini clamp on
the side. Users would have the
pen
attached directly to their index
finger.
23. BRAINSTORMING IDEA 3
A Velcro strap would wrap
around the user’s hand.
Attached to the strap is a
plastic mold, into which a pen
could be inserted. To secure
the pen, the user would
tighten the screw top which
would fasten the pen down
firmly into the mold. The
mold would rest on the user’s
palm.
24. BRAINSTORMING IDEA 4
The pen would be inserted
into the stress ball, which has
a hole through the center. The
pen would stay secure because
of the compression the ball
would apply. On the top and
bottom was an attached elastic
band, which
would wrap around the user’s
hand, securing the ball to the
user’s palm.
25. BRAINSTORMING IDEA 5
The user would put on the glove. The
pen goes in between the index and
middle finger. There between the two
fingers is a block angled and tapered,
which has straps to hold the utensil in
place. This block is connected to the
glove by an adhesive or by sewing,
which ever
attachment method is more favorable
from material research.
35. PRELIMINARY TESTING
• Device was tested on functionality.
• Device was attached and a sentence was written with it.
• The product failed this test:
o One of the bands broke.
o There was not sufficient friction between the block and the
pen to prevent vertical motion.
36. DESIGN REVISIONS
• An additional band was added to the design.
• The rubber bands were replaced with hair ties.
• A piece of foam was added to the block to increase the
coefficient of static friction of the material surface.
40. BILL OF MATERIALS
Part Unit Dimensions Retail Price Price per Unit Quantity Used Total Cost Retail Source
Arthritis Glove 2 Gloves $14.99 $7.50/Glove 1 Glove $7.50 Wal-mart.com
ABS Plastic 1 inch^3 $4.00 $4.00/in^3 0.12in^3 $0.48 forums.reprap.org
Support Material 1 inch^3 $1.63 $1.63/in^3 0.02in^3 $0.03 www.engineering.com/3DPrinting
Hair Ties 50 Count $1.25 $0.03/Band 6 Bands $0.18 Wal-mart.com
Thread 1 ft $0.25 $0.02/inch 6 inches $0.12 Wal-mart.com
Hot Glue 12 Sticks - 4 inches $2.25 $0.05/inch 2 Inches $0.10 Wal-mart.com
Bill of Materials
Total Cost $8.41
WEIGHT OF THE DEVICE
The device’s total weight is 0.5lbs.
42. TESTING – ATTACHMENT TIME
• The device had to be fully attached in under 30 seconds.
• For the test, the user had to:
o Put on the glove.
o Insert a writing utensil into the block.
• The user was timed from start until the pen was properly
secured.
45. TESTING – MAXIMUM APPLIED FORCE
• The test was conducted to see how much force could be applied to
the pen when writing before the friction between the pen and the
block converted from static to kinetic friction.
• A spring scale was connected to the tip of the pen and then was
pulled.
• The maximum applied force(lbs) was recorded when the pen
initially moved by the force acting on it.
o This represented the same force that the user could press down
on the pen before it would move.
47. TESTING – MAXIMUM APPLIED FORCE
Trial Number Force(lbs)
1 1.7
2 1.8
3 1.6
4 1.8
5 1.5
Average 1.68
P - Pressure
F - Force
A - Area of a circle
𝑟 - Radius of a circle
P = F/A
P = 1.68lbs/ 0.011𝑖𝑛2
P = 152.727psi
A = 𝜋𝑟2
A = 𝜋0.06𝑖𝑛2
A = 𝜋0.0036𝑖𝑛2
A = 0.011𝑖𝑛2
The average person applies approximately 103psi to their pen when writing.
48. TESTING – WRITING WITH THE PROTOTYPE
• The handwriting from the device must be legible or not
dramatically changed from the user’s original handwriting.
• In testing, the user had to write the following sentence with and
without the glove.
o “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
• The handwriting was then compared with a side by side
comparison.
53. DESIGN ANALYSIS
• The device can be used by most sized hands but is limited to pen sizes
less than 0.453 inches in diameter.
• The attachment time of the device is under the 30 second constraint.
• The device does not require any grip from the user, although placing the
thumb on the tip of the pen without pressure increases functionality of
the device.
• Handwriting from the device is practically identical to the original
handwriting from the user.
54. DESIGN ANALYSIS
• The user can provide a sufficient amount of force to the pen in
order to write.
• Product’s cost is under the 20 dollar constraint.
• Product’s weight is under the 1 pound constraint.
• All reliability testing indicates product’s lifespan is over 9 months.
• The prototype is a marketable design that meets the needs of the
target consumer.
59. MARKETING PLAN
• GAM engineering would mass produce the prototype.
o The gloves and bands would be bought in bulk.
• Manufacturing processes include:
o Connecting the block to the glove through plastic injection molding.
o Connecting the bands to the block by glue through human labor.
• The cost of labor would be little since most of the production is through automation.
• The cost would be set at $15, making close to a $5 profit per glove.
o The price fits into the price range of 84% of the target market.
60. NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT
• Device would be able to hold any type of pen.
o Clamp to replace bands.
o Alternate bands
• Bigger Block
o More bands on the block
o Greater pen stability
61. NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT
• Strap loop for attachment
o Instead of the user having to grip the end of the glove, they would
just have to pull a loop with their finger hooked through to secure
the glove.
• The device would be built for left handed people to use as well since the
prototype is specifically designed for right handed consumers.
63. REFERENCE - MOTION OF WRITING
• Fine motor control is the coordination of muscles,
bones, and nerves to produce small, precise
movements. An example of fine motor control is
picking up a small item with the index finger and
thumb.
• Fine Motor skills are the precise movements of the
hands, wrists, fingers, feet, toes, lips, and tongue.
• Problems of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves,
muscles, or joints may all decrease fine motor
control.
Mannheim.(2013).Fine Motor Control. Retrieved January 14, 2014, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002364.htm
Editor's Notes
All
Mike 1-18
Ashliegh 19-33
George REST
George
George
Ashleigh
Mike
Mike
George
George
Ashleigh
Mike
George
Mike
Mike
George
Mike – make sure you say we are currently looking for the average time a person spends writing at a session.
