Bishop Kelly High School
Boise, Idaho
Portable assistive writing device with magnetic damping
The Bishop Kelly High School InvenTeam invented the MagWrite, designed to lessen the effects of various tremors in the hand and forearm. When writing and drawing, eddy currents (proportional in magnitude to the speed of the tremors) are induced in the conductive writing surface by the motion of permanent magnets mounted in a handheld writing interface and effectively dampen many tremors. The related devised MagMouse enables clients with tremors to more accurately use a computer mouse and also employs eddy currents to improve fine motor control. The team envisions the MagWrite as a tabletop unit that could be used at home, at school, or as a stand-alone workstation where many clients could share one device (such as in assisted living facilities, hospitals, or rehabilitation centers). |