Gyrox

A simple and ergonomic device that can be worn by people suffering from acute hand tremors i.e. Parkinson patients. This glove houses a rotating gyroscope (disc and cradle) linked with a brushless DC motor. Due to the phenomenom of gyroscopic percession the rotating disc acts so as to 'damp' th

Project Title

Gyrox

Project Area of Specialization

Mechanical Engineering

Project Summary

A simple and ergonomic device that can be worn by people suffering from acute hand tremors i.e. Parkinson patients. This glove houses a rotating gyroscope (disc and cradle) linked with a brushless DC motor. Due to the phenomenom of gyroscopic percession the rotating disc acts so as to 'damp' the hand vibrations of the patients hand. The relation between the disc and hand tremors is such that as the speed of disc rotation increases so does the damping force applied by the glove. As a result tremors that are more severe i.e. 6-7 Hz can simply be countered by increasing the rpm provided by the motor (which in turn is dependent on voltage supply). We will be using motion sensors coupled with arduino to measure and record the magnitude of hand tremors in real-time and increase rpm of the gyroscope accordingly.

Project Objectives

Hand tremors have become increasingly widespread over the years, with the most popular cause being a disorder called Essential Tremor. Although there are many causes of these tremors like Parkinson’s, anxiety, old age etc. Essential Tremor appears to be the most common cause. This neurological disorder causes frequent, uncontrolled shaking of hands that inhibits people from performing daily life actions like eating food or holding a brush. As of today, there is no definitive cure for Essential tremor or Parkinsons.

Despite the vast chunk of population effected by this disorder, there is still not am effective solution in market that can help relieve these patients without serious side effects. There are gadgets made for specific purposes like dampening spoons etc. that achieve very limited use regarding the daily life of a patient. Our objective is to make lives for these people easier and help them perform everyday tasks. We aim to provide device that will dampen their hand tremors and enable them to do tasks like eating food to applying lipstick without anyone’s assistance.

The goal of this project is to incorporate the principles of gyroscopic stability to create a device that actively reduces the tremors experienced by the hand. Rotating objects naturally resist motions that attempt to move them out their plane of rotation. The larger the impulse, the larger the resistance force that the rotating object exerts. This means that while it will resist the high frequency movements of tremors, it will allow the motion of steady, deliberate movement. This will allow individuals to experience life without the disablement of hand tremors, and can be universally applied to multiple tasks, rather than one specific function.

We plan to make a prototype device and eventually a finalized economic as well as ergonomic solution for consumers suffering from tremors. The biggest motivation for us is to be a driver for change and to give back to society in our own capacity. As a result, we aim to help people that are not too well off, especially older people, to live more comfortable lives. Previously this segment only had limited solutions at exorbitant prices to solve this very core issue, we will change that.

Project Implementation Method

The main phenomenon that will be used to make this project a success is Gyroscopic Precession. A gyroscope is a device designed to have a spinning disc or wheel mounted on a base such that its axis can turn freely in one or more directions to maintain its orientation regardless of any movement of the base. However, orientation changes in response to an external torque and in a different direction.

This gyroscope will be used by mounting it on a bracket that is strapped on the back of the hand. The gyroscope disk will be spinning at a high rpm (according to the tremor intensity) to provide a high inertial force that will resist any tremors. The gyroscope assembly is itself mounted on a cradle that is free to rock back and forth to provide the counter torque required to dampen the vibrations.

The working principle of gyroscope is based on gravity and is explained as the product of angular momentum which is experienced by the torque on a disc to produce a gyroscopic precession in the spinning wheel. This process is termed gyroscopic motion or gyroscopic force and is defined as the tendency of a rotating object to maintain the orientation of its rotation. We know that the rotating object possesses angular momentum and this needs to be conserved. This is done because when there is any change in the axis of rotation, there will be a change in the orientation which changes the angular momentum. Therefore, it can be said the working principle of the gyroscope is based on the conservation of angular momentum.

Torque-induced precession (gyroscopic precession) is the phenomenon in which the axis of a spinning object (e.g., a gyroscope) describes a cone in space when an external torque is applied to it. The phenomenon is commonly seen in a spinning toy top, but all rotating objects can undergo precession. If the speed of the rotation and the magnitude of the external torque are constant, the spin axis will move at right angles to the direction that would intuitively result from the external torque. In the case of a toy top, its weight is acting downwards from its center of mass and the normal force (reaction) of the ground is pushing up on it at the point of contact with the support. These two opposite forces produce a torque which causes the top to precess.

Benefits of the Project

This project will provide a more equal opportunity for people afflicted with hand tremors to live their life without the constant hindrance of uncontrollably shaking hands all the time. It will help people to be able to contribute to society equally in work environments as well. Where people facing essential tremors would be able to perform tasks with a fair amount of accuracy as the glove will damp their tremors by atleast 80 percent.

It will also greatly improve quality of life for such people as they would be able to independently perform day to day tasks like eating, using equipment and other personal acts without much problem. In the end the scope of this device is global and all-encompassing as every other relatively old person faces hand tremors and there are 20 different types of it too. This device caters to it all.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The device is wearable and the consumer will strap on the back of his/her hand. Depending on the intensity of the tremors the speed of the gyroscope will adjust to cater for different intensities of the disorder in different people. The gyroscope is mounted on a swinging cradle structure to allow gyroscopic precession to take place along the required axis.

The control system is implemented using the Micro Electro-mechanical system (MEMS) MPU6050 which has a gyroscope and accelerometer built inside. Using Arduino as the processor the tremor frequencies will be detected by the sensor and sent to the Arduino. The Arduino is then used to control the speed of the motor in turn controlling the inertia required to dampen the tremors.

Designed on Solid works and printed using PLA. The device encompasses various 3D printed parts assembled to form cradle movement.  The motor consists of the gyroscope which produces counter torque when subjected to an external frequency. The motor is connected to battery using ESC and a servo controller. Due to the high inertial requirement and limited space the gyroscope is made of brass due to its Density.

The dimensions of the structure are 60x74 mm with 80 mm of height. The mass of the disk brass disk is 107 gm and it is rotated at an rpm range of 5000 to 15000 rpm.  The moment of inertia can be controlled by controlling the motor speed and this makes the device useable for all types of tremor intensities.

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Health

Other Industries

Medical

Core Technology

Wearables and Implantables

Other Technologies

Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well-Being for People, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Reduced Inequality

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com