Great Innovations

Enabling Stroke Survivors, Amputees and Others with Use of Only One Arm to Cycle

Innovators: Travis Block, Sara Hutchinson, Dominic Marino, David Narrow, Martin Szeto

Developed At: University of Rochester

Update

Although we have reached our initial funding goal, we still welcome and appreciate further donations. Contributors that donate $400 or more, are given the option to send a device to an organization of their choice such as the Wounded Warrior project.

Background

What is this project about?

Today, in the U.S. alone, more than 7M people live with some form of unilateral weakness. Each year this number grows by half a million people. The majority of folks are either stroke survivors or amputees who have lost the ability to participate in common physical activities such as cycling. MonoMano was started to help these people regain the level of autonomy they once had. To do this we have created a detachable and adjustable one-handed control system that can be installed onto most cycles for riders who have the use of only one arm.

How does the end user benefit?

By using our device, individuals will be able to participate in the sport of cycling, allowing them to live a more active lifestyle. According to Guttmann (1976), “…the aims of sport embody the same principles for the disabled as they do for the able-bodied; in addition, however, sport is of immense therapeutic value and plays an essential part in the physical, psychological, and social rehabilitation of the disabled.” Studies have shown that sports have many therapeutic benefits for people with disabilities including, but not limited to: improvement of health status, reduction in complications related to secondary disability, improvement in long-term health status and reduction in health risk factors, improvement in psychosocial health and well-being, and reduction in reliance on the health care system. Exercise has also been shown to decrease the risk factors and comorbid conditions associated with people having another stroke. Some of the general benefits of physical exercise include decreased blood pressure, decreased rate of depression, decreased heart rate, and increased blood circulation to name a few. Our users may also gain independence as cycling can be used as a means of transportation. Currently there are some adaptations for cycling, such as moving the brake levers onto one side of the handlebar however, there is no commercially available product that incorporates the functions of steering, braking, and gear shifting for the full cycling experience.

How does my contribution support further development?

Any money raised will be used to manufacture additional units of the device. Once built, devices will be sent to end users from participating organizations, which include Rochester based SportsNet and the Wounded Warrior Project among others. The goal is to get several devices into the hand of riders before the end of the summer.

Supporters who contribute $400 or more, will be contacted directly by MonoMano and given the option to claim one of the devices for their own personal use, or alternatively given the option to send one of the devices to any local or national organization of their choice.

More Info

How does the device work?

To ensure the ease of one-handed use, we have designed all controls to mimic those currently existing on most standard bicycles. For steering, our device clamps onto the existing steering handlebar and allows users to control the bike from a centralized location, where a rubber handgrip is positioned for comfort. This means that the front wheel will be steered in the same manner as any standard cycle. For braking, we have outfitted our device with an adapted brake lever that simultaneously activates the front and rear brakes with the depression of the single lever. For gear shifting, we have incorporated two commercially available twist-shifters, in use on most mountain bikes, and oriented them in a manner such that the user can comfortably control both sets of gears without moving his/her hand.

How is the device installed?

To install or remove our device from the tricycle, the only tool necessary is a Phillips head screwdriver. The gear system can be switched between our one-handed and the original two-handed system quickly, by using a turnbuckle junction system that we have created. The brakes can be switched between the two systems by pulling the cables out of the existing levers and attaching them into our integrated lever, or vice versa. Finally, the handlebar can be removed loosening the clamp that secures our system onto the existing handlebars with a screwdriver. To further ease the installation and/or removable process, we have created a detailed user manual with our device. All together, either process should only require 5-10 minutes to complete.

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