Brassier Retrofitting

This is a design project of senior industrial engineering students sponsored by the General & Age Related Disabilities Engineering (GARDE) Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) focusing on adults with disabilities. In our current society, each day that passes away we are engaging an independence system, with technologies of infinite capabilities. Moreover, not every person is suited to embrace these changes quickly enough. Consequently, a personal intimate task as simple as getting a brassier put on, is observed to have its difficulties for some users. In particular, an identified user with Encephalopathy and suffering from oral motor problems, she can’t communicate with words, she also has problems with balance, and lack of fine motor skills, this last conditions is the one that is used to develop a specific design. The main objective of this project is to design and develop a brassier retrofitting for users with limited range of motion and motor skills.
 
The identified user requires the intervention of a second person to put on a brassier, specifically in the closure. The intended device must provide the user with privacy on this daily task, as well as independence while increasing her auto sufficiency in repetitive tasks. Through morphological analysis and research, a preliminary additive model that will be 3D printed has being created. The purpose is to start with the 3D printed device, then make a functional prototype, and finally a ready to use and deliverable unibody product for the user. The focus is on front closing brassieres and the expected delivery of this invention is by the end of the Spring 2017 semester. Before delivering the device, it will be evaluated by the user and by appropriate health professionals to ensure it is functioning properly.

Author(s):

Gerardo Rodríguez    
Industrial Engineering
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
Puerto Rico

Estela Ortiz    
Industrial Engineering
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
Puerto Rico