Customization tool for people with special needs

• Author(s): Providência, B. ; Ciurana, J. ; Cunha, Joana
• Date: 2011
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/14671
• Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
• Subject(s): User centered design; People with special needs; Rapid prototyping; Design methodology
• Document Type: Conference Object
• Language: English

Description

There are people with limited skills due to different causes like post-surgical situation as an example. These people are considered people with special needs (PSN). Large number of persons has pain in his body because the contact with support surfaces for long time. This paper aims to design and implement one tool to help design and manufacture customized devices in order to reduce the pain. UCD (user-centered design) methodology in combination with psychophysical user data generates a 3D ge-ometry that can be produced in a rapid manufacturing environment. One tool is developed in Labview com-posed by three modules; a) import and treatment of psychophysical data, b) data analysis and reconfiguration into new geometries, and c) build point cloud data that considers materials deflection which can be used by CAD systems for rapid manufacturing. The result obtained after utilizing the tool is a product capable of re-ducing/delaying the onset of pressure ulcers.