Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disease causing atrophy of the muscle and restricting individuals from participating fully in life. This can include tasks such as eating/drinking, getting out of bed, and recreational activities. Mr. Dan Dorszynski suffers from Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy, but has always loved playing tennis. The devices currently available are expensive, un-supportive, and not adaptable to Dan’s specific condition. Now restricted to a wheelchair and weak upper body strength, the lack of devices to aid him in playing tennis has kept him away from his favorite sport. To cope with this he uses the momentum from his wheelchair to swing. The task was to build a device in which aids Mr. Dorszynski in his forehand and backhand tennis swing that is LOW COST; named, “Dynamic Arm”. The team built an adjustable dynamic arm out of copper, elastic bands, and a shoulder bolt to provide him the necessary range for tennis.
The final prototype consisted of three copper bars connected by 45 and 90 degree joints. These joints were then blowtorched together to increase the rigidity. A piece of aluminum was press fitted into the copper bar. A shoulder bolt will then go through a baseplate and enter through the aluminum part providing an almost frictionless surface.
Fabrication was an important aspect to this project. I learned how to heat and cool aluminum to press fit the pieces together. I also made use of a tap/dye, CNC, mill and lathe. Dan was thrilled with this simple, low cost, but highly effective Dynamic Arm.
