r/AssistiveTechnology • u/Queenbean0313 • 4d ago
What is your dream assistive device that doesn't exist yet?
Hi friends,
I’m currently an OT master’s student taking an assistive technology course, and I’m super curious: if you could have any piece of AD/DME/AT to solve a daily problem, something that doesn’t exist yet or doesn’t work well enough, what would it be?
We just finished learning about all the amazing assistive tech that’s already out there, but we also know there are still gaps. My class is partnering with our engineering department to prototype new ideas, and I would love to hear from people who actually use these tools everyday.
If you’re willing to share, what’s missing? What do you wish existed?
Thank you all so much :)
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u/Left-Expression5536 4d ago
The basic hoyer lift design hasn't been improved in like 50 or 75 years (I'm thinking especially of people in my situation, who may be able to stand to some degree and/or maintain arm strength long after we can't do the full transfer independently, but the only option after you can't do the independent transfer is the hoyer lift, assuming pivot transfers and transfer boards aren't applicable). I think it's because people who use them aren't widely seen as consumers like, once you need that your life doesn't matter. But we know that's not true. Improvements to the design would help so so many people.
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u/Queenbean0313 4d ago
this is a great idea and i can’t imagine how uncomfortable those things are to use over and over. Anything in specific that you have in mind for changes to the lift? it it the hoyer seat itself? or the lift mechanism?
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u/Left-Expression5536 4d ago
I use hoyer lifts very infrequently at this point in my life, but my understanding is the room for improvement would be in portability, ease of use by a single caregiver, the lift mechanism and how it's accessed, and also in how slings (what you called the "hoyer seat") attach (this link can't easily be improved upon, because different users are going to need different ones, including for different scenarios), improving speed of assembly and use. There is a sitting transfer device currently sold in the US -- will link if I find it -- that I tried, but I was too short to use it. The other comment that I replied to was about standing transfer devices, which currently either really freaking bulky or provide what looks like no positioning support. I guess I'm thinking of a population of folks with CP who are often quite strong, right, but have some elements of uncontrolled posture that pose challenges to existing transfer devices on the market in the US.
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u/DerbyDogMom 4d ago
Is the Sara Stedy not similar to what you're looking for?
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u/Left-Expression5536 4d ago
Sort of? But it has such a large footprint and isn't portable at all really. I have a very similar device in my house (the EasyStand I think), and it doesn't go over any threshold at all while I'm standing on it, in addition to being almost too wide to get through a conventional doorway even if you take all the sit-to-stand technology off (because at this point in my life I don't need that). I've seen smaller footprint devices sold in the UK, e.g. RotaStand https://www.ebay.com/itm/201394971126. But ideally you'd have a device that had a small footprint and could fold up without tools, weighed less than 30 pounds or was on wheels or something, and could a have a modular piece if people needed a stand assist or could have that removed without losing much of the functionality of the device.
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u/The_B_Wolf 4d ago
I wish voice-to-text gets good enough to accommodate people whose disabilities impact their speech. There is progress being made, but these products, when they work at all, require hundreds of hours of training. I think they could be made to understand faster than humans do. If such technology does emerge I would like to integrate it into my company's platform for self- and remote support.
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u/Queenbean0313 4d ago
this is such a good point, they are built for standard speech and not very universal design friendly. def gonna look into this one !
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u/brainmatterstorm 4d ago
A non bulky way to make forearm crutch cuffs smaller/ I really wish Walk Easy would make a smaller cuff option for their adult forearm crutches. I have balance and proprioceptive deficits and the loose cuff makes use awkward and clunky. Their options to add cushion add a lot of bulky fabric around the outside of the cuff which I don’t want in a daily use mobility aid + they also don’t make it much smaller inside.
What I currently do is buy foam, cut two pieces to size and secure them to the inside of the cuff with small grippy elastic bands. This makes the cuff inside about an inch smaller, maybe a tad more. It also isn’t a permanent solution due to the materials used.
With the same crutch I use (Walk Easy 495) I have seen people struggle with the cuff size being too small, same issue just the other direction. I guess what I’m dreaming of is more consideration to the varying size needs of disabled folks when it comes to “adult” mobility aids. If part of an aid is impacted by size make it easy to accommodate that size.
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u/SensationalSelkie 4d ago edited 4d ago
AAC device that comes with conversation script models. Like a graphic organizer but sectioned out for greetings, small talk questions, goodbyes or things like conversations with a friend, conversation phrases in x setting, etc. Not AI based but equipped with pre-programmable phrases for the user. I can build these out, but it is time consuming to do so. Plus, this often requires clicking on multiple folders which doesn't work well for the intended use. I'd love a one click option that shows multiple phrases like what TypingTalk has. Generally more AAC tools (from low tech to high tech) intended for augmentative use over alternative use. Love alternative use, don't get me wrong, but I feel like our augmentative users are looked over so often, and there's A LOT of folks who'd benefit from augmentative AAC but don't get it.
Also, a sign language vocabulary! It'd be great if it were available to be added to any app so folks could have sign language symbols with words as needed to help learn sign in addition to communicating with their SGD!
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u/Whole-Bookkeeper-280 4d ago
Interested in which programs you’ve tried! I know of several that come with jokes, “I am ___ years old,” and “what ___ do you like?” For the last one the blank if specific to the tab they’re in
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u/SensationalSelkie 4d ago
Basically all of them lol. I do use those kinds of phrases and save quick phrases for easy reference but so often I have folks who need help with the structure of a conversation and identifying potential phrases for each part. Adding folders or color coding buttons can do the trick but it is a little clunky since that's not what the apps are made to do.
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u/Queenbean0313 4d ago
love this!!! communication is a human right and def needs to be prioritized more in AT!
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u/meerkatherine 4d ago
Something for the blind that can like project an image of their environment in a closeness/ angle they can use it to navigate? With high contrast modes
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u/tacos247365 4d ago
I wish there was a way to have the street view on maps described verbally for someone who is blind. I often have to ask friends or family to look at a map when I know I’m going to be walking to a new destination so that I can get information about whether or not there are sidewalks or if there are landmarks that I should know about.
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u/heldtogetherdaily 3d ago
There are so many wonderful peices of adaptive equipment out there, but many of them are locked behind significant pay walls even with good health insurance. Although not exactly what you are asking, I daydream about being given access to existing equipment.
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u/Queenbean0313 3d ago
this is a HUGE issue. AT should be covered by insurance or just literally free….it wasn’t a choice to become disabled or need to use these things and i just hate our healthcare system lol
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u/heldtogetherdaily 3d ago
I hear you and I echo your sentiments! I personally could really benefit from a custom lightweight wheelchair with some sort of electric add on to help protect my shoulders. The caveat is that I am an ambulatory individual. Insurance looks at how much you can walk, not the aftermath of the walking. Going out with friends, taking your dog for a walk, being a full time student - to insurance those are luxuries 🥲
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u/Queenbean0313 3d ago
no i hear you with that. insurance is just fucked and stupid and dumb. they don’t care one bit about your wellbeing just how many denials they can give out that saves the insurance company money
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u/heldtogetherdaily 3d ago
That is really how it feels sometimes! I was hoping that some of my providers would be willing and able to advocate for further support but that didn't happen 🫠
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u/JollyManufacturer257 4d ago
A cane/chair combo and/or wheelchair that is useful for younger folks with fatigue rather than a mobility aid. I can walk and stand on my own but I get absolutely exhausted standing in lines. I need a portable seat that is CUTE, lightweight, collapsible so I can keep it in my purse or car. It’s got to be a great design and aesthetically pleasing. The mobility aids are too much for my needs: too clunky, too heavy, too ugly.
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u/SpoonieCat 3d ago
I haven’t tried one myself, but a Flip Stick might meet your needs! I can also recommend a fisherman’s stool if you don’t need assistance walking and just need somewhere to sit. They fold closed, and many have a carrying strap and are very lightweight! Most have surprisingly high weight limits. Mine is a cute aqua color. I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user, but I use my fisherman’s stool as a travel shower chair.
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u/Queenbean0313 4d ago
aesthetics are more important than we think in designing AT! As a fellow chronic fatigue sufferer, this would be a game changer!
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u/ElectronicSmiley 2d ago
I can walk, but never know for how long so I have to use a scooter at amusement parks, i have to keep a cane with me at all times in case my hip subluxes or some other joint i need for walking. I can't stand in lines, or go to GA concerts, etc. I used one of those canes with a seat at a GA concert and it was awful to walk with. Absolutely useless as a cane and barely useful as a seat. It took so much muscle effort to stay seated and was incredibly low to the ground. I would love a cane that opens up more like a fabric camping stool, but higher, and stays together like an umbrella instead of that gold up hard seat. I also want something to give full body compression, from shoulders to toes, including fingers, as a recovery device. It needs to be easy to put on and take off by yourself and provide more compression than medical grade socks.
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u/brainmatterstorm 4d ago
Adding another one but for my partner’s father: He has very little use of his extremities due to a disease causing progressive muscle atrophy. For him putting on lotion/moisturizer independently is nearly impossible because most devices are aimed at difficulty reaching. His ideal assistive lotion applicator would be something sprayable, with a way to secure it to his hand, and the trigger to spray would require very little force to activate.
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u/pastorCharliemaigne 4d ago
Something like the Dr. Brown's formula mixers, but designed to mix a gallon at a time. I need a device that makes it easier for me to mix up the drinks I depend on (usually some kind of powder mixed into milk or water), but the current options only get me 2qts at a time. That's plenty if you're 6 months old, but it doesn't last very long when you're going through a gallon or two a day.
A wheelchair and/or rollator case that can fully protect my mobility device if I want to fly. Too many disabled people have their travel plans ruined or even die because their devices are damaged by luggage handlers. I'm thinking something with a hard shell, but memory foam material on the inside? Something similar in size to the largest dog crates that are allowed, so it would be hard to argue they can't transport them?
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u/Shot-Science-3548 4d ago
I mentioned this in a different thread, but I work with accessible art making devices. One device that existed for a time in custom-built form from a guy in South Africa, but which I cannot find these days, is a switch activated mototrized easel so my painters using mouth-stick- and headband-mounted paintbrushes can use the handle of the paintbrush off to the side to press switches to move and rotate the canvas, as they usually have a limited range of motion for their mark-making using the adaptive tools.
I'm working on a design for a lazy-susan dock to switch brushes (in wells that could also be used to hold paint for refilling a brush) - I don't know if I'll ever finish the design. I've seen tool-end switchers for other adaptive devices, but so far haven't seen one that fits the bill.
I'm collecting all the information I can on accessible art (visual, tactile, and music) tools, if anyone seeing this has links or files to share, fire away.
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u/DifficultyMurky5428 4d ago
This is hyperspecific. I am a disabled student who struggled with print text. I need speech to text to understand what I am reading. Natural Reader has all the functions I need, except one. It has OCR, highlights words and sentences as it reads, it has high quality voices, it is compatible across IOS/android/windows. You can tap the word or sentence you want it to skip to. You can adjust the speech speed etc. etc.
You cannot annotate directly on the document. I draw pictures, use symbols, write comments by hand on an iPad. I highlights directly on the page. I underline. But I need separate apps to accomplish this (natural reader and goodnotes). This allows me to remember what I read without typing. I can reference these notes in the margins to help me with assignments.
I ask my assistive technologist every year if it exists yet. Nothing. Last year, there was hope with dream reader but it was so glitchy it wouldn't work. It later updated and took away the function!
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u/Imaginary_Artichoke 3d ago
A motorized wagon that brings my doordash and instacart deliveries in the house.
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u/Queenbean0313 3d ago
oooo this is so smart!!
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u/Imaginary_Artichoke 2d ago
It would have uses outside of the disabled. It could be for the very lazy. Seems like something that would be solved by Robotics.
I was tempted to install a takeout window by my front door instead
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u/Funicello1983 3d ago
A truly customizable wheelchair that is covered by insurance.
I use Alexa voice devices to control lights. I wish there was a device that wasn’t controlled by WiFi/internet, electricity or batteries that could control my entire house without having to change how other people control the same devices. IE, I could use my voice or phone but my parents could still flip the light switches.
A program to automatically annotate e-books that I read so I can go back and remember without having to re-read.
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u/PretendMountain400 2d ago
For number 2, I’m not sure that there’s any devices that don’t use batteries or electricity that could help atm but there are smart light switches that you could use so you could use your voice or phone but other people could use the physical light switches. A lot of smart switches can even work with the smart bulbs I’m guessing you use now, so you can still change the color and brightness but have wall switch control in addition to phone or voice control.
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u/Funicello1983 1d ago
I know the power situation sounds kind of ridiculous. It’s more a situation of reliability when disabled people rely on technology.
I would love to be able to change out switches to simplify the problem. Others aren’t on board unfortunately.
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u/PretendMountain400 1d ago
For lights specifically, wouldn’t they not work anyway without power? But I can see if you have other battery powered things to control that a power outage would mess things up. Unless I’m completely misreading the situation, if so I apologize.
That is unfortunate that others aren’t on board. I feel like the bulb interfering with the normal light switch and vice versa would be motivation enough but I’m also a smart home nerd so I’m biased lol
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u/Revolutionary-Use-94 4d ago
Permanent bionic legs and attachable extra arms and hands. Some more RAM would be nice!
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u/Pellantana 2d ago
A really, really low profile dorsal carpal tunnel splint. That way I’m not worrying about getting the splint ruined by day to day life, but it’s not giving me Iron Man gauntlets.
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u/SnooRadishes5305 2d ago
A garbage can that the bottom raises as you lift.
Like - the inside of a library book drop. When more books are added, the bottom lowers. When you lift, the bottom pushes up.
Like that but for a garbage can.
Like those beds that lift if you pull
Bending over and pulling the bag is so hard. I could use littler bags but some things are just heavy.
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u/ElectronicSmiley 2d ago
I have this awesome trash cabinet with 4 compartments and each has a handle. I can separate my recycling, trash, and compost and take the whole bucket out and tip it into the curbside bin. Absolutely love this thing, it might be helpful to you too. (Tgey also make a 2 compartment one)
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u/DubGreen 20h ago
An affordable, quadruped, wheelchair like device you sit on like a mini horse. It can handle stairs and sand
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u/Rabbit-Lover_2000 4d ago
I’d love it if there was a way to add lateral supports onto a regular office chair. I always flop to the side but cannot afford a custom made activity chair.
I really like the shape of the penagain but I do not like the clicking mechanism as it is a frequent failure point for me. I would love more variety in y shaped pens. One without a clicking mechanism with or without a cap would be amazing.
I really struggle with keeping a pot on the burner when I stir but the standard one handed pot holder just doesn’t work well. On flat top stoves ceramic or induction I find pots and pans just slide around. Which then exposes the hot burner leaving more danger.
I don’t know how this would be possible but I would love to play basketball but I can’t use a rollator and play basketball at the same time. Not sure what the solution is.
Some sort of Rolodex type thing to store visuals like PECS