Manaola Innovations aims to solve the problem of lack of modern technological intervention in many medical devices, particularly the gait trainer. Gait trainers currently on the market are often bulky, uncomfortable, and hardly customizable. This hinders the quality of life for the individuals reliant on these products to function in their daily lives. To solve this problem , Manaola Innovations, Inc. has created the Hele-Go (pictured right). True to our Hawaiian roots, this product was named after the Hawaiian word for walk: Hele. This is a gyroscopic stabilized walking assistance device that has the potential to replace the current gait trainer. The team has developed multiple 3-D printed prototypes and has a provisional patent pending on the combination of gyroscopic technology and gait trainers. This design incorporates two wheels in a bicycle-like orientation, stabilized laterally by gyroscopes. The innovative frame is narrow enough to fit through tight spaces where other gait trainers, wheelchairs, and even walkers cannot.
Hele-Go will offer multiple customizable harness options to allow each user to choose which supports they would like to add to their device, making the product versatile in many markets and ideal for the individual using it. Through research, it became clear that there is a huge gap in the customizability of the harness styles. When the team conducted problem analysis interviews nobody reported being satisfied with their current assistive devices.
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ABOUT THE ENTRANT
- Name:Austin Yoshino
- Type of entry:individual
- Profession:
- Austin is inspired by:My engineering designs are inspired by my appreciation for art and my personal drive for creating impactful devices.
- Software used for this entry:Solidworks
- Patent status:pending