Tendon Glove

Tendon Glove - open-source assistive technology concept by the Berkeley community

About this project

The tendon glove team developed a rigid glove that is easier to don and more stable than other solutions, and provides Marcos with grip strength between his thumb and index finger he would otherwise not have. Unlike existing devices which are rigid and cumbersome, the team’s solution forms to the shape of Marcos’s hand for easier usability and more flexibility. The highlights for the team includ: writing with a pen, cutting a banana, and eating chips and salsa.

The challenge

The challenge is to help individuals with C6 spinal cord injuries to be able to perform daily activities such as opening doors and holding utensils with more ease.

Who it helps

The initial Need Knowers, Skye Parker and Marcos Gaeta, were both working with Enabletech at UC Berkeley over the past few months leading to the TOM Makeathon. Marcos is an architecture student at UC Berkeley, has no function in his hands, and relies on exoskeleton-type devices to grab objects. This idea however has been around for a while, with NASA developing a grip strength glove that would be used in situations where there was extended hand use such as in space. These however were made for able-bodied users. Other devices do exist for users with spinal injuries but they are often very expensive and must be ordered through an orthopedist.

Project details

An open-source assistive technology project shared free by TOM: Tikkun Olam Makers.

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