EL4 at the MEDICA as a project of the day of the university for health (hsg)

MEDICA in Düsseldorf is the largest medical trade fair in the world with more than 71 nations represented and more than 5200 stands. The EL4 project could present itself as the project of the day at the stand of the University of Health (hsg) and debate current developments in 3D printing with politicians such as the Committee for Work, Health and Social Affairs of the NRW Landtag.

On 11.11.19 “Smart Networks” presented the new umbrella brand on the premises of WiN Emscher-Lippe GmbH in Herten.

The agency “Klinkebiel Kommunikationsdesign” presented its colourful and well-balanced logo and its sophisticated communication strategy. The logo was presented to the smart region projects first as they are the foundation of the brand.

For the second time we worked together with members of the Thalidomide
Association in the FabLab on 30.09. The aim of the workshop is to create tools that can make everyday life easier for thalidomide-damaged people.

We focused on the 3D scanner and the 3D printer.

Here are the results of the workshop:

The new production of the Berlin game-theatre collective machina eX enters a terrain that most people only enter involuntarily. A bureaucracy simulation full of incomprehensible signs, in which everything is recognizable, but still nothing is familiar. The audience gets involved and has to fight against regulations, paragraphs and special requirement declarations.  The only help through this world of signs is a reading device that is particularly good at mixing up letters and leaving out vowels.

This is where the FabLab of the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences comes in.

The circuit boards that animate the machine behind “Sign Here” were assembled and baked here in a relaxed atmosphere.

Once again the event “Embedded Systems” started with about 70 registered students.

The aim of “Embedded Systems” is the development of electronic assistance systems for and together with people with disabilities.

On 1^st of October the kick-off event took place. Prof. Dr. Michael Schäfer welcomed the students, project partners, guests, student assistants and scientific staff and gave a general overview of the embedded systems.

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The project manager of Emscher-Lippe-hoch-4, Lukas Hellwig, gave an interview to REHACARE employee Anne Hofmann about the goals of EL4. The whole interview (in ‘German) can be read on the REHACARE website:
FabLabs: Teaching digital skills and thus promoting participation

Last week our project Emscher-Lippe-hoch-4 was represented with a stand at the REHACARE trade – the international trade fair for rehabilitation and care.

Results from course “Embedded Systems”
Single project 17/17

Drupro is a feedback system that allows the user to imitate a feeling of the hand. DruPro is able to partially emulate pressure sensation and can be easily customized through a modular design.

The glove is only used as an example for this project and is optional for prosthesis users. The pressure sensors are glued to the back of the glove or prosthesis with double-sided adhesive tape or similar aids. The fingertip is glued to the front of the pressure sensor to enlarge the pressure point. The assembled circuit board is clicked into the board holder and then attached to the back of the glove or prosthesis with double-sided adhesive tape.

Results course “Embedded Systems”
Single project 16/17

The intelligent Power Socket is a device which allows severely handicapped persons to operate electronic devices easily. It resembles “Smart Home”-applications where all devices are controllable. Its use is simple and flexible for severely handicapped persons to make them feel more comfortable at home.

We call this technical process the intelligent socket as it is meant to improve the quality of life in living spaces and houses.

We focus on safety and efficient energy use based on interlinked and remote-controllable devices.

With the intelligent power socket, all devices at home can be switched on and off with the remote control with the touch of a button, which makes everyday life easier and saves trouble and energy.

Results course “Embedded Systems
Single project 15/17

The project is meant to help disabled people carry heavy loads or objects. The user just places the “load” on the surface of the robot.

The robot is controlled via a mobile phone app.

Results course “Embedded Systems
Single projekt 14/17

The main system, a box with an Arduino, the power supply and a sensor, is placed under the foot rest of the wheelchair. It can be easily removed and replaced by means of circular hook-and-loop fasteners. All elements of the project are modular and are easy to attach, detach or replace. Additional sensors can be attached, the Arduino can be replaced and the power bank can be removed for charging or replacement.

The Arduino reads the values from the ultrasonic meter, calculates the distance and displays it on the LCD display. Additionally the RGB LED is lit in signal colors to visualize the danger of distance.

During the week of digitization from 9 to 13 September 2019, entrepreneurs will find out which (further) potential digitization could offer their company in the Emscher-Lippe region. The lectures will give a compact overview of the respective topic and there is time for discussing company-specific concerns with the speakers afterwards. In the digitization workshop in the ‘FabLab’, a high-tech workshop of the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences, you can discuss your special challenges with scientists and jointly develop digital solutions using 3D printing and the like.

REHACARE – the international trade fair for rehabilitation and care – will once again take place in Düsseldorf from 18 to 21 September 2019. Emscher-Lippe-hoch-4 will be present with its own stand this year.

We want to present the project and its goals to a broad public and establish new contacts.

During the fair we will present a virtual reality application for wheelchair users, the humanoid robot Pepper and various aids for people with disabilities. A 3D-printer and a 3D-scanner will be there as well to produce further aids on site.

If you want to visit us at REHACARE: You find us in hall 6 booth E09. We are looking forward to seeing you.

Results from course “Embedded Systems”
Single project 13/17

The Writi-Fi product allows the simple operation of a keyboard by simple hand movements. To confirm the keyboard entries, the hand just needs to be tilted upwards.

The aim was to build a simple system that offers an alternative to people who cannot use a keyboard. It addresses people who have difficulty making precise keystrokes. The various reasons that prevent the user from doing so, are irrelevant to the system as long as the user is able to tilt a hand. One of its biggest advantages of this system is the wireless connection to the computer.

Results from course “Embedded Systems”
Single project 12/17

CamRead offers the possibility to stream print media and documents to any output device in enlarged form. The camera position can be changed via a joystick.

It consists of two components: the frame and the joystick.

The two systems (joystick and camera shift) are each controlled by an ESP32 microcontroller. These are used as both are already equipped with Bluetooth by the manufacturer.

Results from course “Embedded Systems”
Single project 11/17

Elderly persons often find it difficult to water their remaining houseplants due to their advanced age and problems with lifting objects, but they still would like to preserve their plants. Hence the idea to install a (semi-) automated irrigation system to facilitate irrigation of the plants was born.
 

There are numerous possibilities to provide such a system. The group decided to build a system based on small specifications, that has the possibility to run automatically after doing a few settings, but that can also operated manually. Some suggestions and ideas came up, which helped us to get a rough overview of which systems did not yet exist and how we could set ourselves apart from existing products.