The Cal Poly Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Medical Design Club (MDC) and EMPOWER joined forces to host the Annual Biomedical Make-A-Thon, from April 11 to 14. This weekend-long event welcomed students from diverse majors to collaborate in teams alongside professors and industry experts, aiming to create groundbreaking solutions for a unique challenge posed.
This year’s challenge: With statistics from the CDC painting a stark reality of arthritis affecting 20% of adults in the U.S. alone, and the global prevalence on the rise, teams were tasked with devising solutions to enhance the quality of life for those experiencing severe joint pain and specifically arthritis in the hands. Whether it was using common kitchen supplies, typing on electronic devices or even using a steering wheel, the goal was to tackle everyday tasks made arduous by arthritis.
Throughout the event, participants were supported by industry advisory board members, faculty and event volunteers. From project advising to access to cutting-edge prototyping tools like 3D printing, every resource was made available to fuel their creativity and bring their ideas to life.
This year’s winner “The Grippz” is a glove-like device targeting ulnar and median nerves for maximum efficacy, using lightweight and soft materials and having a simplistic interface for all operators. This device targets the TENS modality to relieve joint pain and is used during the continuous motion of the joints. An additional acknowledgment to the runner up “Thermaroo,” a portable device that can be secured around your waist and utilizes heat therapy to relax muscles and help stiff joints by improving blood circulation.
This event was made possible by third year biomedical engineering major and BMES President Abi Muthupalaniappan, fourth year biomedical engineering major and BMES Vice President Jacqueline Le, fourth year biomedical engineering major and MDC Outreach Chair Gavin Farac and fourth year mechanical engineering major and EMPOWER President Jack Foxcroft. A special thank you to the Biomedical Engineering Department, the CIE, the IAB members our amazing guest speakers and judges.
