On Sunday 3^rd of December, I was lucky enough to check out TOM: Melbourne Makeathon at Swinburne University’s Innovation Precinct.

 

What’s that?

The TOM Makeathons are global events that run for 72 hours.

Teams of engineers, designers, health professionals, developers and students donate their time by coming together to create an individualised assistive technology solution for a person with a disability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How cool!

You know what’s even cooler?

All technology made through a TOM Makeathon event is open-source! This means that all blueprints, design and how-to is publically available for anyone else to take up and create for themselves. This means, potentially, solving one problem for someone, could potentially unlock a solution for thousands of people around the world.

Three people that Scope supports were lucky enough to be chosen as ‘need knowers’ this year. The ‘need knower’ has a lived experience of disability, and brings the challenge to the table. They describe what their life is like, and what they want the team to focus on. It’s then up to the ‘makers’ to create a solution for that person.

 

So who was there?

Meet…Andrea

I met Andrea, and she was beaming with excitement. Her team had designed a switch-accessible fishing rod system, to enable Andrea to go fishing independently.

One of Andrea’s big loves in life, is to go fishing – however, up until now, Andrea has been reliant upon a support person to cast the rod and do the most exciting bit – reeling in the big fish at the end of the line.

Using a toy dinosaur as the pretend fish for the day, Andrea’s team worked with her to design a custom 3D-printed fishing rod holder, and motorised system that detected when a fish was on the end of the line, and then let Andrea independently reel in the fish by pressing a switch with her head-pointer.

With a crowd gathered around Andrea, the team cast the dinosaur out into the ‘bay’ at Swinburne University. With all eyes on Andrea, Andrea pressed her switch and was able to catch the fish all by herself.

The crowd erupted in applause and cheers, and the grin on Andrea’s face pretty much says it all.

Meet…Harry

Harry is a fantastic young chap, who brought the challenge of towel-drying single-handedly to his team. Harry has a unilateral hemiparesis, which can make everyday tasks like drying off after a shower, a difficult task to do on your own.

Harry’s team worked tirelessly, coming up with heaps of prototypes, one slightly different to the next, until Harry found the perfect solution – a waist-strap that acted as an anchor, and a big-grip clamp that hooked onto the waist-strap and towel, to enable Harry to dry himself with ease.

Awesome result! And one I’m sure would be of interest to many people who may use a towel with one hand.

Meet…Lorraine

I didn’t get to personally meet Lorraine, however I learnt that she loves to draw and colour in. I’ve just got myself one of those Mandala Adult Colouring-In Books, so I’m with Lorraine on this one!

Previously, Lorraine had used the support of an assistant to help Lorraine hold the pencil in her hand. However, her TOM Makeathon team went one step further, and designed a neoprene hand strap that assists Lorraine to hold the pencil herself – stellar stuff!

I think in the new-world of the NDIS, there’s huge potential to harness the skills, knowledge and energy of these multi-disciplinary professionals to design custom assistive technology solutions for people with disabilities.

My background of working with children who have physical disabilities has taught me that the ‘custom solution’ is often the only solution, and one that can only be achieved when many different people come together to provide input and advice, to achieve the universal goal of independence.

From my history of working closely with occupational therapists and physiotherapists, and seeing through the TOM event, the diverse skills that engineers, designers and developers bring to the table – the future would look really exciting if there was a way we could all work together.

If you’d like to find out more about the TOM Makeathon, or how you can get involved in supporting people with disabilities, contact Scope’s CIRC at circ@scopeaust.org.au or 03 9843 2000.