students develop device to help people with neurodegenerative disease tremors

Frugal Innovations in Sustainable Healthcare (FISH) hosted its first Medical Device Make-A-Thon from Thursday through Sunday, where students designed cost-conscious medical devices to aid people with neurodegenerative diseases, according to cavalierdaily.com.

The event challenged competitors to develop devices that minimize mobility issues and improve functional independence within 72 hours. Participants had access to fabrication materials, electrical components, and 3D printing resources.

Judging criteria included frugality, feasibility, real-world impact, and presentation quality, with judges comprising university professors and a biomedical design engineer.

The winning team, The Fih</3 Makers, created the "Wobble Stopper" or "Wopper," a stabilizing device aimed at Parkinson's patients to help manage tremors when using handheld tools such as pencils, utensils, and brushes. The device uses springs to absorb tremors and enhance stability.

A team member noted that the condensed timeline was the biggest challenge during the competition.