• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Header Search Widget

site logo

Design research lab studying physical robot interaction

  • Research
  • Publications
  • Facilities
  • People
  • Teaching
  • For Members

Augmenting Human Dexterity

MEC ENG 179/270 & DES INV 190-E

In Aug-Hum-Dex, students learn how to generate physical devices to augment human hands, arms and general dexterity. We start the class by learning to practice need-finding interviews. We then take a deep dive into human hand function and mechanization considerations relevant to smart device design. During the final projects, students utilize human-centered design approaches and read academic literature to develop investigational device concepts.

View project videos at the class’s YouTube Channel.

This is an elective course, taught in the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation, open to both upper-division undergraduate and graduate students. Both CoE and non-CoE students welcomed!

Information for volunteers

In this class, students conduct narrative interviews with participants for between 1 to 1.5 hours; this single interview is the only activity necessary to be a “need-knower” volunteer! Students then synthesize a conceptual product design based on that interview for a public showcase. Because this is an educational activity, we cannot guarantee that students will build the device of your choice, nor that the device will function realistically by the end of the semester. That said, the interview can be a rewarding experience in it’s own right and we hope to make it worth your while by providing you with the interview transcript (if you consent to recording) and the end-of-semester report of the project inspired by your experiences. The de-identified report is published online, at this website.

Every person, identity and condition welcome! Everyone uses technology every day, and so there is no specific requirement for interview volunteers. In-person interviews (local) are preferred but not required.

Spring 2022

This semester was fully-in-person! Student team projects focused on need-finding interviews, conceptual ideation and background literature, as well as the skills to physically realize a functional prototype.

A live showcase event is in-person only in Jacobs Hall room 310 on 5 May 2022 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm. Those attending the live event voted for project awards (winners indicated below).

  • Most likely to be commercialized: Team 7 
  • Best interview narrative: Team 15
  • Most compelling evaluation study: Team 14
  • Most creative device: Team 10
  • Most impressive prototype: Team 4 and Team 7 (co-awarded)

Students submitted written reports summarizing their class projects, which are posted below, and 3 minute videos on this YouTube Playlist.

Physical Therapy Device for Shoulder Range of Motion Recovery
by Team 1: Yarah Feteih, Shanon Lee, and Ingrid Shan
Report
Happy Garden: Easy Gardening Tools
by Team 2: Xinwei Chen, Yue Feng, and Yang Wu
Report
The Warm Up
by Team 3: Rafi Hanafiah and Jesse Thiara
Report
FlexFix: Finger tracking and notification system for hypermobility and osteoarthritis
by Team 4: Josephine Koe, Joseph Macy, Roland Saekow
Report
Most impressive prototype.
The Bear Paw: A Quick-Release Wearable Device to Assist Transmetacarpal Amputees
by Team 5: Henar Urteaga Juangarcia, Kallai Hokanson, and Zach Lima
Report
Fashionable 3D Printed Wrist Support for Young Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis
by Team 6: Jennifer Farmerie, Marine Sanosyan, and Elise Scipioni
Report
Designing an Augmented MIDI Keyboard for a Musician with Amniotic Band Syndrome
by Team 7: Zach Christiansen, Justin Oshiro, and Brittany Powell
Report
Most likely to be commercialized & Most impressive prototype.
Jar Opening Device for Humans with Rheumatoid Arthritis
by Team 8: Adeen Bilal, Benjamin Lowe, and Matthew Wong
Report
SMOOTH: Reducing Hand Discomfort from Smartphone Overuse with a Control Ring
by Team 9: Adia Hu, Roo Yan, and Jingan Zhang
Report
Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Assistive Technology to Mitigate Repetitive Strain Injury
by Team 10: Adit Roychowdhury and Janek de Silva
Report
Most creative device.
Tendon support for continued training with climbing-related A2 finger pulley injury
by Team 11: Shaantam Chawla, Morgan LaMarca, Sheila Murthy
Report
Improving Range of Motion of Symbrachydactyly
through Finger Exoskeletons with Vibrotactile
Feedback

by Team 12: Alex Orr, Elianna Peng, and Yuqing Wang
Report
Post Stroke Balance Augmentation Device to Incentives Return to Active Hobbies During Recovery
by Team 13: Ramyani Roy and Ionatan Werner
Report
Assisting Partial Hand Amputees with Grasping Soft Objects
by Team 14: Sam Cribbs, Musaiel Gebremariam, and Brendan White
Report
Most compelling evaluation study.
Investigating A Notifying Utensil for the Eating Needs of People with Cerebral Palsy
by Team 15: James Nguyen and Debbie Yuen
Report
Best interview narrative.
Symptom tracking glove for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Secondary Raynaud’s
by Team 16: Chirasree Mandal and Sneh Jandial
Report
Creating a Device for Easier Trail Surveying for Users With Quadriplegia
by Team 17: Benal Johnson and Nimit Baid
Report
Assistive Shaker for Bartenders to Reduce Occupational Wrist Strain
by Team 18: Austin Nguyen, Lezhou Ma, and Ruhika Lankalapalli
Report

Prior offerings of the course

Spring 2021

This semester was fully-virtual due to COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place, so the student team projects focused on need-finding interviews, conceptual ideation and background literature — skills that could be readily practiced remotely. Significant physical realization was not required, although some teams opted to do so anyway. Students summited written reports and 3 minute videos summarizing their class projects, available below.

The live showcase event was on Zoom on 6 May 2021 from 1:00 to 2:00 PDT on Zoom. Participants got the chance to watch the videos streamed live while asking questions of the students via interactive Q&A chats on Padlet: https://padlet.com/hstuart9/AHD2021

Those attending the live event voted for project awards (winners indicated below).

  • Most likely to be commercialized: Team 8 
  • Best interview narrative: Team 6 and Team 12 (co-awarded)
  • Most compelling scientific study: Team 3
  • Most creative device: Team 12
  • Most impressive prototype: Team 5

Student presentations can be watched at this YouTube Playlist.

Development of a Palmar, Localized Haptic Array
for Virtual Reality Applications

by Team 1: Nicholas Callegari, Katie Henshaw, Heya Kaakeh
Lowered Dexterity in Gaming
by Team 2: Arsany Gad, Xiangjiu Wu, Samantha Yang
Report
Mirror Therapy Augmentation by EMG-EStim
Treatment

by Team 3: Marcie Diamond, Jared Farley, Priya Vijayakumar
Report
Most compelling scientific study.
Breathable Splint Design for Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome

by Team 4: Ivy Chan, Natali Gallegos, and Michelle Ramirez
Report
Attenuation of resting tremors via PID control
by Team 5: Ashley Reilly, Frederick Houghton
Report
Most impressive prototype.
Less Twisting, Better Teeth: Ergonomic Design for Endodontist Tools
by Team 6: Justin Radatti, Loren Lee, and Nikhil Gupta
Report
Best interview narrative.
Over-Use Warning Glove for Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome

by Team 7: Mariam Ayrapetyan, Wenny Miao, Kellen O’Rourke
Report
Comfort Controller Design for Improved Computer
Video Gaming

by Team 8: Dominic Melville, Erin Chang, and Jungpyo Lee
Report
Most likely to be commercialized.
Supernumerary Enhancement For Hemiparesis
by Team 9: John John Huddleston, Adam Saleh, and Bryan Wong
Report
IMU-Controlled Soft Orthotic for Power Grasping
by Team 10: Drew McPherson, Jason Torres, Anna Wolfe
Report
Addressing Dexterity Challenges in the Classroom
by Team 11: Ian Miller, Dunja Panic, and Xiaolin Wang
Report
Managing the Effects of Hyperhidrosis through Targeted Air Flow Application
by Team 12: Miyuki Weldon and Franziska Barthel
Report
Best interview narrative & Most creative device.
A Preventative Solution for Repetitive Strain Injury
by Team 13: Andrew Plewe, Paul Hsiao, and Tony Ngo
Report
Increased Hand Function Confidence
after Ischemic Stroke

by Team 14: Winnie Lai, Haohong Lin, and Himani Patel
Report
Spring 2020

Each project team presents their proposed study for 12 minutes; you can find the recordings at this YouTube playlist (there are a total of 9 teams each with 2-3 people). This is part of the Jacob’s Design Showcase, which is hosted remotely this year due to COVID-19. We hope that you enjoy these videos. This year, attendees were able to join us for a live interactive Q&A event on May 7 from 10a-11a on Zoom.

Welcome
-- Prof. Hannah Stuart
Project Grip: A Gamer's Passive Ergonomic Solution to Hand Fatigue and Pain -- Julian and Robert
Improved Grasping Ability in Tenosynovitis Patients through Increased Friction -- Renuka and CharitWheelchair Pressure Mapping and Alert System
-- Anthony, Julie and Kristina
Piano Pedagogy Biofeedback Device
-- Oliver and Leo
Improving Composition Ability for People with Short-term Arm Injuries -- Kristen and Ryan
A Novel Forearm Cuff for C6 SCI Patients
-- Erik and Cameron
Automated Mattress Tilter: Redistributing Pressure to Reduce Bed Sores -- Carina, Hope and Bryant
EEG-EMG based BCI Controlled Upper-LImb Exoskeleton for Rehabilitation -- Kyelo, Annie and EllaParkinson's Project Proposal
-- Moriah and Ross
Spring 2019

Two projects addressed the design of a prosthetic hand for Theo, a 5 year old. Here is some footage of these devices during the Jacobs Design Showcase.

  • Berkeley Engineering
  • UC Berkeley
  • PRIVACY
  • ACCESSIBILITY
  • NONDISCRIMINATION
  • twitter
  • youtube

© 2016–2023 UC Regents  |  Log in