The goal of this project was to create a device to reduce the magnitude of hand tremors in individuals with Parkinson's disease or Essential Tremor. We focused primarily on tremors that caused the hand to rotate about a central oscillator parallel to the forearm. We utilized the physical properties of a spinning gyroscope to act as the stabilization mechanism and dampen the tremor effects experienced by the individual. Our final prototype uses a small electric motor to spin a gyroscope on a swinging cradle. This allows the gyroscope to naturally precess due to an input torque and generate a counter torque along the axis of the hand's rotation. To monitor the device, we incorporated an RPM sensor in conjunction with an Arduino to receive sensory information about the gyroscope.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Sun, Ian
• Wehse, Alec Stefan
• Muse, David

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042319-143640

Advisor

• Planchard, David C.
• Hall, John R.

Year

• 2019

Date created

• 2019-04-23

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2021-02-01